- published: 04 Mar 2012
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HIDDEN ERROR: Usage of "Influences" is not recognized
Albert Louis Hammond OBE (born 18 May 1944) is a Gibraltarian singer, songwriter, and record producer who grew up in the British Mediterranean territory of Gibraltar.
Hammond was born in London, England, to where his family had been evacuated from Gibraltar during World War II. His family returned to Gibraltar shortly after his birth, and it is there he grew up. In 1960, he started in music with Gibraltarian band The Diamond Boys, which had no real commercial success, but played a part in Spain's introduction to pop and rock music. The Diamond Boys performed at the first nightclubs in Madrid to stage modern bands alongside Spanish rock and roll pioneers such as Miguel Ríos. In 1966 Hammond co-founded the British vocal group the Family Dogg, scoring a UK Top 10 hit with "A Way of Life" in 1969.
He also wrote songs for others with frequent collaborator Mike Hazlewood. These include "Little Arrows" for Leapy Lee, "Make Me An Island" (1969) (which Hammond himself re-recorded in 1979, in a Spanish disco-style version), and "You're Such a Good Looking Woman" (1970) for Joe Dolan, "Gimme Dat Ding" for the Pipkins in 1970 (itself a cover from the Freddie and the Dreamers album, Oliver in the Overworld), "Good Morning Freedom" for Blue Mink, "Freedom Come, Freedom Go" for the Fortunes in 1971 and "The Air That I Breathe" which was a hit for the Hollies in 1974. In 1971. Hammond also sang on Michael Chapman's fourth album, Wrecked Again, and worked briefly with the Magic Lanterns on recordings of his and Hazlewood's songs and other material.
Freedom rides freedom rings words of love i can't speak
softly
I've got your you've got mine no stranger to the party
line
My old town turned around words of love don't come
cheaply
If you say those words to me i'll be satisfied
So follow me follow me to a place where we can be
Follow me follow me to my sweet liberty
Spiritual albatross salient words don't take lightly
Fevered view known to few i can only speak for myself
Building shell blown to hell silent stage for pain and
for anger
If you show those things to me i'll break down and cry
So follow me follow me to a place where we can see
And follow me follow me to my sweet liberty
Contribute to solution
And celebrate the peace
A cerebral revolution
A positive release
Liberate me from the pain
Liberate me from the shame
From the stupid things we people did we can't repeat
again
Liberate me from the rage
Liberate me from the fate
Of the people who never knew the freedom from hate
So follow me follow me to a place where we can be
And follow me follow me to my sweet liberty
So follow me follow me to a place where we can be