Free Me is the second studio album by English singer Emma Bunton. It was released on 9 February 2004 by 19 Recordings. Her debut with the label, following her departure from Virgin Records, the album marked a significant musical shift for Bunton, drawing heavily on 1960s influences such as bossa nova, Motown, and French pop. The album was primarily produced by Mike Peden and Yak Bondy, with additional contributions from Cathy Dennis, Henry Binns, and Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi.
The album received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its polished production, 1960s-inspired retro influences, and Bunton's sweet, nuanced vocals, though some noted it was pleasant but not groundbreaking. It performed strongly in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 7 on the UK Albums Chart and number 9 on the Scottish Albums Chart, earning a Gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), although if failed to chart or sell noticeably elsewhere.
Free Me produced four singles, including the title track, "Maybe", and "I'll Be There", all of which reached the top ten in the United Kingdom. Serving as the album's international lead single, "Maybe," also charted within the top 20 in Italy, Ireland, and the Netherlands. In further support of the album, Bunton embarked on the Free Me Tour from May to September 2004. She continued to draw on the album's 1960s pop influences on her next release, Life in Mono, in December 2006.
Background
In 2001, Bunton released her solo debut album A Girl Like Me through Virgin Records. It spent over 12 weeks inside the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number four and earning a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It also produced her only solo chart-topper "What Took You So Long?" and the top-five single "Take My Breath Away". By 2002, Bunton realized that Virgin Records, who had launched both the Spice Girls and her solo career, was losing interest in her future. Despite the number-one success of "What Took You So Long?", she left the label, explaining: "They [Virgin] came to me and said, 'Let's do a demo thing for the second album.' [but] I actually walked away [...] I want to take this where I know people are going to be right behind me and work as hard as I do." After parting ways with Virgin, she faced a music industry increasingly focused on younger, TV-created stars, yet Simon Fuller soon offered her a new record deal with 19 Recordings. The album was primarily produced by Mike Peden and Yak Bondy, with additional contributions from Cathy Dennis, Henry Binns, and Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi.
Critical reception
Free Me received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its retro influences and polished production. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called it the best Spice Girl-related solo album, noting that Bunton's "small, sweet voice" had gained presence, giving the album "not just a face, but a fetching persona that's hard to resist". Lynsey Hanley of The Daily Telegraph called Bunton's musical shift "a brave move" and praised her "lilting vocals" that suit the album's less aggressive style.
Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian described Free Me as "classy retro pop" with "easy listening strings and Spanish guitars". Elysa Gardner of USA Today noted Bunton adopts a retro 1960s style with "breezy orchestrations" and "playful arrangements." While her vocals are "personable" and "less processed" than many contemporary singers, they lack the distinctive appeal of classic '60s girl groups.
Commercial performance
Free Me performed strongly in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 7 on the UK Albums Chart and number 9 on the Scottish Albums Chart, marking Bunton's second top-ten album in both territories.
Musicians
- Emma Bunton – lead vocals ; backing vocals
- Charlie Russell – programming ; live drums ; drums, live programming
- Mike Peden – bass ; percussion ; keyboards
- Graham Kearns – guitars ; bass guitar
- Helene Muddiman – keyboards ; backing vocals
- Martin Hayles – keyboards
- Nick Ingman – orchestra arrangement, orchestra conducting
- Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader
- Paul Turner – bass ; guitar
- Pete Gordeno – keyboards ; piano
- Yak Bondy – keyboards
- Ralph Salmins – drums
- Frank Ricotti – percussion ; vibes
- Paul Clarvis – percussion
- Steve Pearce – bass
- Hugh Burns – guitar
- John Parricelli – guitar
- Friðrik Karlsson – guitar
- Richard Studt – orchestra leader
- Allan Simpson – guitar
- Pete Trotman – bass guitar
- Simon Clarke – flute
- Siemy Di – percussion
- Alastair Gavin – string arrangement
- Danny Cummings – percussion
- Phil Todd – flute
- Simon Ellis – all keyboards, programming
- Paul Gendler – guitar
- John Thompson – bass guitar
- Brett Morgan – drums
- Lisa Daniels – backing vocals
- Ray "Madman" Hedges – arrangement
- Nigel Butler – arrangement
- Fabien Waltmann – programming, guitars
- Nicky Brown – piano, Rhodes
- Cathy Dennis – backing vocals
- Luis Fonsi – vocals
- Henrik Linnemann – flute
- Tim Lever – all other instruments
- Mike Percy – all other instruments
- Toni Leo – backing vocals
- Alex Clarke – additional programming
- Steve Lewinson – all instruments (except piano and additional guitar), programming
- Pete Lewinson – all instruments (except piano and additional guitar), programming
- Paul "Harry" Harris – piano
- Ian Lewinson – additional guitar
- The London Session Orchestra – orchestra
- Simon Hale – orchestra arrangement, orchestra conducting
Technical
- Mike Peden – production ; mixing
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
- Martin Hayles – recording ; engineering
- Isobel Griffiths Ltd. – orchestra contractor
- Richard Dowling – mastering
- Yak Bondy – production
- Dan Frampton – mixing
- Steve Price – recording engineering
- César Gimeno – engineering assistance
- Boo Dan Productions – production, mixing
- Simon Ellis – production
- Tony Taverner – engineering
- Jim Brumby – Pro Tools
- Ray "Madman" Hedges – production, mixing
- Nigel Butler – mixing
- Mark Emmitt – mixing
- Cathy Dennis – production
- Fabien Waltmann – production, additional recording
- Steve Fitzmaurice – mixing
- Richard Wilkinson – mixing assistance
- Keith Uddin – recording
- Phil Bodger – mixing
- Tim Lever – production
- Mike Percy – production
- Dan Panton – engineering assistance
- Steve Lewinson – production
- Pete Lewinson – production
- Lipso Facto – additional production
- The Asian Sensation – mixing
Artwork
- Yacht Associates – art direction
- Darren S. Feist – photography
- Roger Dean – architectural photography
- Core Digital – scanning, retouching
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ Weekly chart performance for Free Me
! scope="col"| Chart (2004–2005)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for Free Me
! scope="col"| Chart (2004)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)
| 134
|}
Certifications and sales
Release history
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release history for Free Me
! scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date
! scope="col"| Label
|-
! scope="row"| United Kingdom
| 9 February 2004
| 19
|-
! scope="row"| Australia
| 19 July 2004
| rowspan="3"| Universal
|-
! scope="row"| Brazil
| 20 September 2004
|-
! scope="row"| Germany
| 21 January 2005
|-
! scope="row"| United States
| 25 January 2005
| 19
|}