"Free Your Mind" | ||||
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Single by En Vogue | ||||
from the album Funky Divas | ||||
Released | September 24, 1992 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | East West | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Foster & McElroy | |||
En Vogue singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Free Your Mind" on YouTube |
"Free Your Mind" is a song by American female group En Vogue from their second album, Funky Divas (1992). The track was composed and produced by Foster and McElroy.[ citation needed ] They were inspired by the Funkadelic song "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow." [2] The guitar and bass tracks for the song were written and recorded by San Francisco-based guitarist Jinx Jones. The opening line: "Prejudice, wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go!", is adapted from a line originally used by David Alan Grier's character Calhoun Tubbs from Fox's In Living Color .
Issued as the third single from Funky Divas on September 24, 1992, "Free Your Mind" became a top-10 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and a top-20 hit on the UK Singles Chart. Billboard named the song No. 41 on their list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time". [3] The song was nominated for two Grammy Awards at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards and eight MTV Video Music Awards at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, winning three. An alternative version of the song with different lyrics appears on the 1992 Summer Olympics compilation album Barcelona Gold . [4]
Upon the release, Jennifer Bowles from Associated Press declared the song as a "plea for racial tolerance". [5] Larry Flick from Billboard felt that it takes in "a more edgy direction" than in the past for the group. He remarked that placed "within a driving, guitar-anchored pop/rock setting, the group attacks well-crafted lyrics on racism with unrelenting passion and its trademark harmonies. Will jolt many at first, but will ultimately open many eyes." [6] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented, "Attacking prejudice head on, The Funky Divas offer advice to those who judge others by looks rather than action. Harmonies don't get any better than when these four incredible voices combine their talents." [7] Connie Johnson from the Los Angeles Times felt the song was a "pleasant surprise", "which confronts the prejudice even a funky diva faces, be it from store clerks—'I can't look without being watched!'—or those who don't understand that while they 'might date another race or color, that doesn't mean I don't like my strong black brothers'." [8] Pan-European magazine Music & Media noted that "the "Jackies" of all trades are breaking all the barriers in radio land", describing the song as "funk rock" and a "George Clinton cover as colourful as his dyed hair". [9]
Gerald Martinez from the New Sunday Times called the song "storming", and said it "combines hard rock riffng with funk while En Vogue wail away with awesome power." [10] Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel wrote, "'Free Your Mind' owes a small lyrical debt to George Clinton and a large musical debt to LaBelle – not bad places from which to borrow. There's a brief, funny spoken intro that parodies an In Living Color sketch, and the quartet slams into a denunciation of prejudice of all sorts: 'I might date another race or color/ Doesn't mean I don't like my strong black brothers'." [11] A reviewer from People viewed it as a "the Pointer Sisters-meet-Van Halen rocker". [12] Danyel Smith from Rolling Stone described it as "guitar-ravaged" [13] Cheo H. Coker from Stanford Daily felt that En Vogue's "foray into rock 'n' roll [is] completely unsuited for the group, reminiscent of Janet Jackson's 'Black Cat'. While the song has great message, black rock is better left to the black rockers." [14]
In a 2017 retrospective review, Quentin Harrison from Albumism described "Free Your Mind" as "a searing rock number that challenged racism, sexism and other social phobias head on was all at once, smart, sexy and provocative." [15] AllMusic's review critic, Jose F. Promis, voted the single very favorable and rated the Funky Divas album its highest rating at five. [16] He also declared the track as a "hard rock smash". [16] Another editor, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, described it as "swaggering". [17] In his 2009 review, Daryl Easlea for BBC remarked that the song borrows from "heavy metal". [18] In 2007, Laura Checkoway from Vibe called it a "rock-ish anthem with a George Clinton-lifted chorus". [19] [ permanent dead link ]
"Free Your Mind" debuted at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 the week of September 12, 1992. Within one week, it jumped to number 45, then to number 25, and continued to make impressive strides until it eventually peaked at number 8 the week of October 31, 1992. Altogether, "Free Your Mind" spent 16 weeks in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. It reached the top twenty on the UK singles chart, where it was released as a double A-side single with "Giving Him Something He Can Feel". It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in late 1992.
The song is known for its innovative, award-winning music video, directed by Mark Romanek with production design by Nigel Phelps and art direction by Brad Hartmaier. On March 21, 1992, En Vogue performed "Free Your Mind" on Saturday Night Live .[ citation needed ] On January 21, 1993, En Vogue performed the song on a sixth-season episode of the NBC sitcom A Different World , where they guest-starred as Vernon Gaines' (Lou Myers) nieces. It is one of several songs to feature all four members of the group, Dawn Robinson, Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron and Maxine Jones, on lead vocals. Janet Jackson included the video in her BET countdown of her 25 favorite videos of all-time at number 11. [20]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [43] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United States | September 24, 1992 |
| East West | [ citation needed ] |
United Kingdom | October 26, 1992 | [44] | ||
Japan | November 28, 1992 | Mini-CD | [45] |
The Band covered the song on their 1996 album High on the Hog .
German rock band Sub7even covered the song with En Vogue (Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis, Amanda Cole) in 2002 on their album, Free Your Mind.
Japanese R&B duo Double recorded a cover of the song in 1995 and included it on their first remix album Crystal Planet.
The song was covered as part of a mash-up on Fox's Glee along with "Stop! In the Name of Love" by the Supremes in the episode "Never Been Kissed".
Swedish band Slapdash covered the song, which is featured as track 13 on their album Actual Reality.
The song was used on the show Modern Family in an episode titled "Manny Get Your Gun" during a flash mob scene.
Greek pop star Elena Paparizou performed a cover of the song at the first MadWalk by Vodafone on February 2, 2011, along with her smash hit single "Baby It's Over", in an outfit by Apostolos Mitropoulos.
The track has been included in one of Les Mills' BodyVive class. The song was used in the trailer for the Seth Rogen comedy The Interview .
The song was used in the 1994 film The Cowboy Way .
The song was used in the Malcolm in the Middle episode "Hal Quits" in the scene where Hal (Bryan Cranston) is throwing paint at a large canvas in the garage.
A theme tune was used for an early series of Rory Bremner, Who Else in 1993 that bears a strikingly similar beat and guitar hook.
En Vogue recorded a second alternative version in 2017 for the Netflix shows Orange Is the New Black and GLOW .
The song was used in episode 10 of the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars during a lip-sync battle between Serena ChaCha and Jiggly Caliente.
The song was again used on episode 3 of the second season of Drag Race Holland during a lip-sync battle between The Countess and Ivy-Elyse Munroe.
Acapella girl group Citizen Queen covered it in 2020. [46]
British girl-group Little Mix sang the chorus of "Free Your Mind" as the bridge during a rock rendition of their song "Woman Like Me" during their 2022 Confetti Tour. [47] [48]
En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hold On", taken from their 1990 debut album Born to Sing. The group's 1992 follow-up album Funky Divas reached the top 10 in both the US and UK, and included their second US number two hit "My Lovin' " as well as the US top 10 hits "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and "Free Your Mind".
Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy are an American R&B record production and songwriting duo, releasing recordings under the names Foster & McElroy and Fmob. They have written and produced songs for musicians such as Club Nouveau, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Alexander O'Neal, Regina Belle, and Swing Out Sister. Their music has been sampled in hit songs by the Luniz, Puff Daddy, Ashanti, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, LL Cool J, Jessica Simpson, and others. Foster & McElroy are best known as the founders of the group En Vogue, listed by Billboard as one of the Top 10 Girl Groups of All Time. In addition to producing music for various television shows, they are also credited for songs in numerous movie soundtracks including The Great White Hype, Lean on Me, and Who's That Girl.
Funky Divas is the second studio album by American recording group En Vogue, released by Atlantic Records division East West on March 24, 1992, in the United States. Conceived after the success of their Grammy Award–nominated debut album Born to Sing (1990), En Vogue reteamed with their founders Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy to work on the entire album. As with Born to Sing, the pair borrowed from contemporary R&B, new jack swing, and hip hop, while also incorporating classic soul, blues and doo-wop elements, particularly on its on two Sparkle cover versions, as well as, in the case of "Free Your Mind," heavy metal sounds. The album became the quartet's second album to earn a Grammy Award nomination in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards, while winning Favorite Soul/R&B Album at the American Music Awards of 1993 and the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year at the 1993 Soul Train Music Awards.
Dawn Sherrese Robinson is an American singer and actress best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Robinson joined Lucy Pearl and released their self-titled debut album Lucy Pearl in 2000, which went platinum worldwide and produced the successful singles "Dance Tonight" and "Don't Mess with My Man".
Terry Lynn Ellis is an American singer. She is best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue which formed in 1989.
Maxine Jones, is an American singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman, best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. She sang lead vocals on the group's signature singles "My Lovin' " and "Don't Let Go (Love)", both of which garnered international success and sold over a million copies. Throughout her career, Jones has sold over 20 million records with En Vogue. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including two American Music Awards, a Billboard Music Award, four MTV Video Music Awards, and four Soul Train Music Awards.
Cynthia Ann Herron, professionally known as Cindy Herron and sometimes credited as Cindy Herron–Braggs is an American singer and actress. Herron is best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. She sang lead vocals on the group's first single "Hold On", which garnered mainstream success and sold over a million copies. Despite being absent from the group during certain periods, Herron and fellow group member Terry Ellis are the only original members to appear on all of the group's album releases to date. In the 1980s, Herron began her career as an actress, making her debut appearance in Up and Coming as "Valerie".
"Queen of the Night" is a song co-written by American singer and actress Whitney Houston along with L.A. Reid, Babyface and Daryl Simmons. Produced by Reid and Babyface and performed by Houston, it was released on October 13, 1993 by Arista Records as the fifth and final single from the soundtrack album The Bodyguard (1992), and is played during the closing credits of the film of the same name.
"My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 by Eastwest Records as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, Funky Divas (1992).
Music from the Warner Bros. Picture "Sparkle" is a soundtrack album and twenty-fourth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, written and produced by Curtis Mayfield. Released on May 27, 1976, the disc is the soundtrack album for the 1976 Warner Bros. motion picture Sparkle, starring Irene Cara. The songs on the soundtrack feature the instrumental tracks and backing vocals from the film versions, with Franklin's voice taking the place of the original lead vocalists.
"Hold On" is a song by American girl group En Vogue, released in early 1990 as the first single from their debut album, Born to Sing (1990). It was produced by Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, and written by the former two and all members of the group. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. In the latter country, the song reached number one on the Billboard Dance Club Play, 12-inch Singles Sales, and Hot Black Singles charts. En Vogue performed "Hold On" at the 2008 BET Awards with Alicia Keys. In 2017, it was ranked number four on Spin magazine's ranking of "The 30 Best '90s R&B Songs".
"Something He Can Feel" is a song composed by Curtis Mayfield for the 1976 motion picture Sparkle. The song, a love ballad in a Chicago-/Philly-soul style, became a number-one hit on the Billboard's R&B singles chart in the United States twice with two separate recordings: a 1976 version by Aretha Franklin from the film's soundtrack, and a 1992 cover by girl group En Vogue.
"Give It Up, Turn It Loose" is a song by American R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue, released as the fourth single from their second album, Funky Divas (1992). The song's title is a reference to the 1969 James Brown song "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose". Released on November 12, 1992 by Eastwest Records, the single reached number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 16 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, and number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. It was written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, and features Maxine Jones on lead entirely. The music video was directed by Marcus Nispel. In 1994, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Love Don't Love You" is a song by American R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue, released in February 1993 by Eastwest Records as the final single from their second album, Funky Divas (1992). The song was both written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, and became the group's fifth consecutive top-40 single from the album in the United States. It peaked at numbers 36 and 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. The song is led by group members Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron.
"What a Man" is a song written by Dave Crawford, and originally recorded for Stax Records' Volt imprint by Linda Lyndell, whose recording reached number 50 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1968. The song was sampled and reinterpreted as "Whatta Man" in 1993 by the trio Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue, which became a commercial success; reaching the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 2011, German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut covered the song while retaining the original title and lyrics.
"Too Gone, Too Long" is a song by American R&B vocal group En Vogue. Written by Diane Warren and produced by longtime collaborator David Foster, it was recorded for their third album, EV3 (1997). A power ballad that blends pop and contemporary R&B elements, it was selected as the album's third and final single and reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked within the top twenty of the UK Singles Chart and became the group's final top twenty hit there.
EV3 is the third studio album by American female vocal group En Vogue. It was released by East West Records on June 17, 1997, in the United States. Recorded after a lengthy break during which the group members became mothers or put out solo records, the album was En Vogue's first project to include a diverse roster of collaborators including credits from Babyface, David Foster, Diane Warren, Andrea Martin, Ivan Matias, and Organized Noize along with regular contributors Foster & McElroy. It marked their first album without Dawn Robinson, who decided to leave the group late into the recording of EV3 to focus on her solo career. Her absence meant much of the album had to be rerecorded to account for En Vogue's altered sound.
"Runaway Love" is a song by American R&B/pop group En Vogue, released in September 1993 by Eastwest Records as the first single from the group's extended play (EP) Runaway Love. After the huge success of their second album, Funky Divas (1992), the single was released. It was written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster. Group members Cindy Herron and Terry Ellis share lead vocals, Dawn Robinson leads on the bridge, and spoken intro is by Maxine Jones. Elroy and Foster contributed vocals and spoken rap, their known as the alias FMob group. In the US, the song reached numbers 51 and 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100.
This is the discography of American pop/R&B quartet En Vogue who began their career in early 1990s. Their discography includes seven studio albums, two EPs, 28 singles—four as featured artists, and 21 music videos on their former record labels Atlantic, East West, Elektra, Discretion, and 33rd Street.
Runaway Love is an EP by American recording group En Vogue. It was released by East West Records on September 21, 1993, in the United States. The EP followed their multi-platinum hit album Funky Divas in 1992. The EP contains the title track, "Runaway Love" featuring FMob, known as Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster.