Set Me Free (Jermaine Stewart song)

"Set Me Free"
Single by Jermaine Stewart
from the album Set Me Free
Released 1992
Format 12" single, CD single
Genre Pop
Length 3:44
Label Reprise
Writer(s) Jermaine Stewart, Jesse Saunders
Producer(s) Jesse Saunders
Jermaine Stewart singles chronology
"Every Woman Wants To"
(1990)		 "Set Me Free"
(1992)		 -

"Set Me Free" is a song from American singer Jermaine Stewart. Released in 1992, it would be the last single of his music career. The song was released as the lead single from the album of the same name "Set Me Free", however the album itself was pulled from release, and as such remains unreleased to date.

"Set Me Free" was written by Stewart and DJ and music producer Jesse Saunders. Saunders, one of the pioneers of House music, also produced the single, as well as the entire "Set Me Free" album. The song is not to be confused with a song of the same name, written by Derek Bramble, which Stewart had previously recorded for his 1989 album "What Becomes a Legend Most".

Background

Since 1988, there had been a decline in Stewart's popularity, with the 1988 single "Don't Talk Dirty to Me" only reaching #61 in the UK.[1] The 1989 single "Tren de Amor" managed to just peak into the UK top 100, peaking at #97 and the 1990 single "Every Woman Wants To peaked at #95.[2]

"Set Me Free" was only released in America due to Stewart joining a new record label Reprise Records. The single saw Stewart entering a Hip Hop/House influenced sound that dominated the 1990s music decade. However, it was released to little success, peaking at #45 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.[3] As a result of the single's failure to become a bigger success, the same-titled album was shelved, despite being fully recorded. It was already mentioned on the cover of the single release that the same-titled album was to follow. The song was reportedly more successful in the American Dance Chart.[4]

A promotional video was created for the single,[5] which became Stewart's last music video. The video remained unreleased until it surfaced on YouTube. It was directed by David Florimbi and Rupert Wainwright, whilst being produced by Paul Schiefer. Terance Power was the video's executive producer for Fragile Films.[6]

The "Set Me Free" single version was a noticeably different remix of the unreleased album version as Stewart wished to use a remix for the official single. The album also features an a cappella version of the song.[7] For the single, various remixes of "Set Me Free" were released - aiming at clubs and DJ use. These remixes were created by David Shaw and Winston Jones.

After the album was shelved, Stewart lived in silence until the mid-1990s where he began recording a new album titled "Believe In Me". As Stewart was suffering from AIDS at the time, the album was never completed with Stewart dying of AIDS-related liver cancer on March 17, 1997 at age 39. These tracks for "Believe In Me" were released on the compilation "A Tribute To 'Jermaine Stewart' "Attention"".[8] This compilation was created by Stewart's brother, Gene Stewart as a tribute to his music. Nine of the twelve tracks on the compilation were from after 1992's "Set Me Free".

Formats

12" Single
  1. "Set Me Free (Classical Club Mix)" - 6:46
  2. "Set Me Free (Classical Club-Stremental)" - 6:20
  3. "Set Me Free (Ambient House Mix)" - 4:16
  4. "Set Me Free (Funky Dub Version)" - 6:14
  5. "Set Me Free (Piano Trax)" - 5:57
  6. "Set Me Free (Don't Call Me I'll Call U R&B Version)" - 5:30
CD Single
  1. "Set Me Free (I Gotta Go Single Edit)" - 3:44
  2. "Set Me Free (Album Version)" - 4:17
  3. "Set Me Free (Don't Call Me I'll Call U R&B Version)" - 5:30
  4. "Set Me Free (Classical Club Mix)" - 6:46
  5. "Set Me Free (Ambient House Mix)" - 4:16

Chart performance

Chart (1993) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[3] 45

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ "ChartArchive - Jermaine Stewart - Don't Talk Dirty To Me". Chartstats.com. 1988-09-24. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  2. ↑ "ChartArchive - Jermaine Stewart - Every Woman Wants To". Chartstats.com. 2012-06-18. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  3. 1 2 Jermaine Stewart. "Jermaine Stewart - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  4. ↑ "Billboard - Google Books". Books.google.co.uk. 1993-05-22. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  5. ↑ "Jermaine Stewart- SET ME FREE '92". YouTube. 2007-11-15. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  6. ↑ "Billboard - Google Books". Books.google.co.uk. 1992-11-28. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  7. ↑ "Jermaine Stewart - Set Me Free (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  8. ↑ "Jermaine Stewart - A Tribute To 'Jermaine Stewart' "Attention" (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
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