Free — Ultra Naté
A guitar riff inspired by R.E.M., three gospel voices and Mood II Swing’s production: how Ultra Naté’s “Free” became a UK No. 4 hit in 1997 and a lasting anthem.
- Released on 31 March 1997 on Strictly Rhythm; lead single from Ultra Naté’s Situation: Critical.
- Written with and produced by Mood II Swing (Lem Springsteen and John Ciafone).
- No. 4 in the UK, No. 1 on the US Dance Club Play chart and in Italy; certified 2× Platinum in the UK.
“Free” by Ultra Naté started with a rock idea. Naté wanted a club song with the drive of R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion”; Mood II Swing gave her a guitar riff, a gospel chorus and a house groove. Released in 1997, it went top five in Britain and became an anthem far beyond the clubs.
From church to the Basement Boys
Ultra Naté grew up singing in church and was studying medicine in Baltimore when she met The Basement Boys in the city’s clubs. Their early collaboration “It’s Over Now” reached the UK top 70 in 1989.
Mood II Swing and the riff
For her album Situation: Critical, Naté worked with Lem Springsteen and John Ciafone, the production duo Mood II Swing, and the three wrote “Free” together. Naté wanted a rock song that worked in a club. Woody Pak, a friend of Springsteen, played the guitar riff, and three gospel singers, Audrey Wheeler, Cindy Mizelle and Khadejia Bass, sang the chorus with her.
Springsteen later said the song was partly about escaping the formulas labels wanted. The gay community took it up as an empowerment anthem. The first DJ to play the promo in clubs was Louie Vega.
Release and charts
Strictly Rhythm released “Free” on 31 March 1997, with AM:PM handling the UK and Europe. In Britain it topped the club chart and peaked at No. 4 on the singles chart in its second week, in June 1997. It reached No. 1 in Italy and on the US Dance Club Play chart, No. 6 in France and Switzerland, No. 10 in Canada and No. 8 on the Eurochart Hot 100. On the Billboard Hot 100 it stopped at No. 75.
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato directed the video, set in an abandoned hospital, with Naté in a white dress; the straitjacket scenes, she said, were a dream sequence about self-imposed limits. The single is certified 2× Platinum in the UK and Gold in France, and Mixmag named it its top track of 1997.
Remixes and legacy
“Free” keeps coming back. In 2004 Curvve Recordings released remixes by Oscar G, Trendriod, Junior Sanchez and Corbett & Troia, which reached No. 23 on the Dance Club Play chart. In 2016 Defected released Claptone’s “The First Time Free”, which sets the guitar riff under the vocal of Roland Clark’s “The First Time”. In 2020 D’Angello & Francis made a Future Rave remix for Smash The House.
The rankings have followed: No. 1 in Tomorrowland’s Ibiza 500 in 2021 and No. 17 in Billboard’s 50 Best House Songs of All Time in 2025. For more 1990s vocal house, read about “Show Me Love” by Robin S and “Gypsy Woman” by Crystal Waters.
FAQ
Who produced Free by Ultra Naté?
Mood II Swing: Lem Springsteen and John Ciafone, who co-wrote it with Ultra Naté.
When was Free released?
On 31 March 1997, on Strictly Rhythm, with AM:PM handling the UK and European release. It was the lead single from Situation: Critical.
How high did Free chart?
No. 4 in the UK, No. 1 in Italy and on the US Dance Club Play chart, and No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is certified 2× Platinum in the UK.
Who plays the guitar riff on Free?
Woody Pak, a friend of producer Lem Springsteen.
