The Free Electric Band

Unlike the Tom Dice song "Me And My Guitar" which was recorded nearly four decades later, Albert Hammond's monster hit "The Free Electric Band" is not about chasing the dream but about playing music just for the hell of it. While written from an American perspective - the privileged upper middle class white kid who drops out much to the amazement (and probably disgust) of his parents - war baby Hammond was actually born in London, although his own parents hailed from Gibraltar, whence they returned shortly. Mike Hazlewood (1941-2001), who co-wrote the song, was also born in England, of native stock.

This is not a song about contempt for the system, middle class values, or anything like that, but about knowing what freedom and happiness really mean. Just give me bread and water, put a guitar in my hand 'Cos all I need is music and the free electric band The narrator even gives up his girl because although she appears to share his dream, what she really wants is a house with a garden and a white picket fence, in short everything his parents had, want him to have, and for which he has no time at all. As stated, this is not a song about contempt for middle class values, it is not even one about self-discovery, but about a true vocation and true happiness.

In September 2010, the British singer-songwriter George Michael was jailed for eight weeks after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis and driving under the influence of drugs. This was not the first time he had appeared in court due to this deadly mix; his other problems have been well documented by the media. At the time this occurred, Michael was probably worth around a hundred million pounds, and his music has brought him the adulation of millions, but it remains to be seen if he will ever find the happiness of Hammond's free spirited troubadour. Him and so many other talented, successful and wealthy men and women.