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In the final installment of this unprecedented 5 1/2 hour interview with 3/4 of the original brother-sister quartet, Discograffiti explores the history and output of the band with fawning adoration. 

Here’s just a few of the things we discuss in this podcast:

• Why the band began disintegrating, and the reasons behind Bruce’s departure;
• The hard left into the weird world of The Starscape Singers, the Canadian chorale into which most of The Free Design were absorbed after the band split;
• And a deep-dive exploration of Stars/Time/Bubbles/Love, Free Design Sings For Very Important People, One By One, There Is A Song, and Peekaboo!

If you’re a Free Design superfan like me, you’ll want the DIRECTOR’S CUT of this & the rest of the installments of Discograffiti’s Free Design Series—this episode alone features no ads and AN ADDITIONAL 30 MINUTES of essential material that we had to cut for time. To purchase it as a one-off: www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/253702

Or subscribe! Extended edits of all shows are available on either the Lieutenant (longer) or Major (longest) Tiers. Discograffiti’s 4-show-a-week release schedule can be yours for the price of a cup of coffee a week.  

I support a wife and a five-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income.  If you love the episode, please Venmo me a tip @ David-Gebroe. Pretty please.

PART 3

In Part 2 of this unprecedented 5 1/2 hour interview with 3/4 of the original brother-sister quartet, Discograffiti explores the history and output of the band with appropriately fawning adoration. 

Here’s just a choice sampling of what’s bandied about in this podcast:

• The impact of Ellen’s entrance into the group, which made them a quartet;
• Whether or not any of them actually cared about the lack of hits they seemed unfairly doomed to experience by that point;
• And a deep-dive exploration of LPs 2 & 3: You Could Be Born Again and Heaven/Earth!

If you’re a Free Design superfan like me, you’ll want the DIRECTOR’S CUT of this & the rest of the installments of Discograffiti’s Free Design Series—this episode alone features no ads and AN ADDITIONAL 30 MINUTES of essential material that we had to cut for time—it’s actually double the length of the free version! To purchase it as a one-off: www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/245454

Or subscribe! Extended edits of all shows are available on either the Lieutenant (longer) or Major (longest) Tiers. Discograffiti’s 4-show-a-week release schedule can be yours for the price of a cup of coffee a week.  

If you love the episode, please Venmo me a tip @ David-Gebroe. I support a wife and a five-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income. 

PART 2

There is one sunshine pop band that stands as the greatest example of the genre, and that one band is The Free Design.

In this unprecedented 5 1/2 hour interview with 3/4 of the original brother-sister quartet, Discograffiti explores the history and output of the band with appropriately fawning adoration.

Here’s just a choice sampling of what’s bandied about in this podcast:

* How their polio-stricken musician father raised six kids on an upstate New York farm while existing barely above poverty level;

* What allowed them to sing their complex vocal arrangements right along with the session musicians as they laid down their tracks live in the studio;

* And a deep-dive exploration of their classic 1967 debut LP, Kites Are Fun!

If you’re a Free Design superfan like me, you’ll want The Director’s Cut of this & the rest of the installments of Discograffiti’s Free Design Series—this episode alone features no ads and an additional 23 minutes of essential material that we had to cut for time. To purchase it as a one-off: www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/238723Or subscribe! Extended edits of all shows are available on either the Lieutenant (longer) or Major (longest) Tiers of Discograffiti’s Patreon, at www.patreon.com/discograffiti. Also, if you love the episode, please Venmo the show’s creator/host a tip @ David-Gebroe, he supports his wife and five-year-old son with Discograffiti as his sole source of income.

PART 1

This song appeared originally on the album “The Now Sound of Christmas” in 1968 performed by The US Air-force Airmen of Note featuring legendary vocal group “The Free Design”. As noted in the movie “Jingle Bell Rock” .. Chris Dedrick wrote “Shepherds and Wisemen” as Christmas song with a heavy anti war theme and getting it on a Us Air-force recruitment record was a legendary move. 

This is a new version of the song with original 1968 vocals from Sandra, Ellen, Bruce and Chris Dedrick married to a new backing track produced by Fernando Perdomo featuring horns from Probyn Gregory of Brian Wilson Band. The track is mixed by Zach Ziskin and the cover is by John Sellards. The Lyric Video is by Shoikot Hossain 

The song is streaming on all major platforms.

Apple Music (my fave) –  https://music.apple.com/us/album/shepherds-and-wisemen/1722110027?i=1722110029

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/track/2xmybWPxlGQ4XnShRC3h9W?si=4508706d2e0b4c7e

Amazon Music – https://amazon.com/music/player/tracks/B0CQKKN7FJ?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_F5gu1qdsln0MCQZWfakgIW89e

Youtube Music  – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfpZA2kYMV8

Lyric Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5bc9R1PZ4M

 more info on The Free Design go to www.thefreedesign.com

Sandra Dedrick – Vocals

Ellen Dedrick – Vocals 

Chris Dedrick – Vocals 

Bruce Dedrick – Vocals

Probyn Gregory – Horns 

Fernando Perdomo – Guitars, Keys, Bass, Drums, Vibraphone, Percussion 

Music recorded at 

Forward Motion Studios In Los Angeles CA

Thank you Stephen Flint for turning me on to TFD 

and Elliot Kendall for the intro to Jay Zynczak

by Jason Dedrick (Author), Ellen Mann (Contributor), Sandra Dedrick (Contributor)

Art Dedrick was a jazz trombonist, composer, arranger, teacher and pioneer in music education. He was the first to publish professional-sounding big band charts that were playable by students at all skill levels. This book documents his remarkable life overcoming daunting challenges to become a trail blazer in the jazz education movement. It includes interviews with musical colleagues, educators, students, family and friends, as well as photos, news articles and personal correspondence.

Light In The Attic Records is re-releasing Kites Are Fun, by legendary sunshine psych-pop band The Free Design. It was one of our first releases here at Light In The Attic and has long been out of print. This 50th Anniversary Black Friday edition features newly restored artwork and an updated booklet with liner notes by Michael White. For a nostalgic trip back to the mid 2000s, check out our Free Design Redesigned series, which features covers by the likes of Stereolab, Madlib, Peanut Butter Wolf, Danger Mouse, and Super Furry Animals. 

Our 50th Anniversary Record Store Day Black Friday edition will be available *in* stores only on “Golden Sky” color wax on Friday, November 24th.

Kites Are Fun is also streaming now (along with the rest of The Free Design catalog) on Spotify and Apple Music.