#freeez

You walked right out, You didn't turn around - So girl, you don't believe in me. You walked right out, You didn't turn around; Threw me the key and my life fell to pieces.

Freeez's Southern Freeez was a hit both sides of the Atlantic in 1981. For their second album Gonna Get You John Rocca & Co left behind the jazz-funk scene of London to pursue the burgeoning electro and hip hop sounds of New York. They managed to hook up with the scene's biggest producers, the folks behind Planet Rock, Arthur Baker and John Robie. The result I.O.U. was a high crossover hit, played in clubs and on pop radio (it got to number 2 on the UK singles chart in June 1983), along with Planet Rock and New Order's Confusion I.O.U. is arguably one of Arthur Baker and John Robie's biggest achievements, one of their defining records

Planet Rock popularised the 'orchestral hit' and I.O.U. maximises this hits. When reading up on Double Dee & Steinski I remember Double Dee talking in an interview about how they never used samplers (well not until very late) and overcooking the samples like I.O.U. does was a pet hate of his, I know what he means. Funnily Arthur Baker and Jellybean were judges for the remix competition Double Dee & Steinsk won

I've brought up Jellybean because hot young thing John 'Jellybean' Benitez mixes I.O.U. Jellybean had worked with John Robie before on Body Mechanic and with Arthur Baker on Walking On Sunshine. As with all the above tracks Fred Zarr is the recording engineer and playing some keyboards and Jay Burnett is engineering the mix

Freeez - I Dub U which was more popular with dancers

Freeze - Scratch Goes My Dub an alternative mix of Pop Goes Love, the followup single to I.O.U. Perhaps it's because I.O.U. gets so much play but I prefer this mix of Pop Goes Love to I.O.U. The scratch mix was showing up more and more on 12" singles alongside the dub, acapella, instrumental, and various remixes. Scratch Goes My Dub is for the bboys, 12 minutes of beats

The studio is a lot emptier for the creation of Pop Goes Love, John Robie, Jellybean, and Fred Zarr have all stayed at home

The sleeve artwork for Freeez's second campaign for Beggars Banquet was made by The London Design Partnership who also did the artwork for German synth-pop group Propaganda for ZTT