This little frenzied fireball of fury is perfect in all its raw, unhinged glory! I love how that harmonica rings out like a locomotive horn as the mid-section rides out like a runaway train! This is a great tune!
Issued as a 45 in 1966, I’m Free was released on Decca Records with the catchy harmonica-tinged groove of I Like It on the flipside (hear this below). Written by someone called T. D’Ortona (as credited on the record label) I‘m Free was performed by a band called Paul & Johnny With The Blue Jets. Fronted by the Belgium singer-songwriter, Paul Simul, he was accompanied by a guitar group from Herstal, Belgium called The Blue Jets! Together, as a band, they (sadly) only recorded two singles. Paul Simul’s music career didn’t end there, however, and he went on to record a handful of singles and EP’s throughout the 60’s and 70’s.
Whilst looking up Paul Simul, its been hard to find out too much more about him, but I did stumble upon a compilation called the Best of Paul Simul, which was released in 2019. In the write-up on the Bandcamp page, its simply states that,
“This album is a tribute to my father. The story of a man from Liège with Belgian and Congolese origins, who was able to make you dance and sing at the height of Belgian rock, to the point of making it onto the Brazilian hit parade….”
His music really did make you want to dance and sing, which can only be a glorious thing!! I also have to add before dashing off to check out more, that the Best Of album I mentioned above is available as a ‘name your price’ purchase, so if you like, do go and support this record? Enjoy!
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