Hot Butter were an American instrumental band fronted by the keyboard player and studio musician Stan Free. The other band members were John Abbott, Bill Jerome, Steve Jerome, and Danny Jordan and Dave Mullaney. They were best known for their 1972 version of the Moog synthesizer instrumental hit "Popcorn", originally recorded by its composer, Gershon Kingsley, in 1969.[1] The track became an international hit, selling a million copies in France, 250,000 in the United Kingdom, and over two million globally.[1]
The group released two albums, Hot Butter (Musicor MS-3242; 1972) and More Hot Butter (Musicor MS-3254; 1973), primarily of covers, on LP issued by Hallmark Records. The two albums were compiled on CD as Popcorn on the Castle Musiclabel in 2000 (with an album cover from the 1974 Australian release of More Hot Butter titled Moog Hits, depicting the five other band members immersed in melted butter produced by Free's synthesizer), though several tracks, including Roger Whittaker's "Mexican Whistler", were deleted.
In addition to "Popcorn", another well known track is August Msarurgwa's "Skokiaan", which was included on RE/Search's compilation albumIncredibly Strange Music. Follow-up singles included The Shadows' "Apache", Chuck Rio's (Danny Flores) "Tequila", Billy Joe and the Checkmates' "Percolator", Joe Buffalo's Band's "Slag Solution", and Gene Farrow with G.F. Band's "You Should Be Dancing".
Stan Free (born Stanley Friedland) (April 12, 1922 – August 17, 1995) was an American jazz musician, composer, conductor and arranger. Free was born in Brooklyn in 1922, and received a classical musical education, studying with Alexander Siloti and also at the Juilliard School. While still in his teens, he organized a combo (Stanley Friedland's Royal New Yorkers) that played in the Catskills. He also served as a staff sergeant in the Seventh Cavalry in World War II, seeing combat in the Pacific.
Upon his return, he became active in many musical endeavors, including serving as musical director for one of the first live television variety talk shows, "Cafe De Paris" with Sylvie St. Clair, on WABD, the old DuMont channel in New York (1949). The Stan Free Trio played in many New York jazz clubs of the day, including The Composer, The Embers, The Living Room and Hickory House to name a few. He was the featured performer for several summers at Herb McCarthy's Bowden Square in Southampton, Long Island. He recorded several albums (now out of print) under his own name: Free For All: The Stan Free Trio, Piano A La Percussion and Stan Free Five: Would You Believe? Jazz Alive.[2]
Free's best-known recording was the Moog hit "Popcorn" (1972), with the album named Hot Butter. In addition to Free, five studio musicians contributed to the album. Free also toured and recorded with the First Moog Quartet (1970–72), organized by Gershon Kingsley. Additionally he arranged music and conducted for many performers, notably the jazz vocalist Chris Connor (Chris Craft), and the comedian Jack Carter. He was also a studio musician for many of the rock and pop groups of the 1960s, including The Four Seasons, The Monkees and The Association. In 1979, Free played percussion on the Broadway Show The Most Happy Fella.
He was married with children and grandchildren, and died in New York.
Discography
Albums
Hot Butter
Musicor MS-3242 (U.S.); Pye International NSPL.28169 (UK), 1972
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Hot Butter news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2008 Learn how and when to remove this template message Hot Butter were an American instrumental band fronted by the keyboard player and studio musician Stan Free The other band members were John Abbott Bill Jerome Steve Jerome and Danny Jordan and Dave Mullaney They were best known for their 1972 version of the Moog synthesizer instrumental hit Popcorn originally recorded by its composer Gershon Kingsley in 1969 1 The track became an international hit selling a million copies in France 250 000 in the United Kingdom and over two million globally 1 Hot ButterOriginNew York City U S GenresPop synth popYears active1971 1978LabelsMusicorDynamoPast membersStan FreeDave MullaneyJohn AbbottBill JeromeSteve JeromeDanny Jordan Contents 1 History 2 Members 2 1 Stan Free 3 Discography 3 1 Albums 3 1 1 Hot Butter 3 1 2 More Hot Butter 3 1 3 Popcorn with Hot Butter 3 1 4 Moog Hits 3 1 5 Popcorn CD 3 2 Singles 3 2 1 Popcorn 3 2 2 Apache 3 2 3 Tequila 3 2 4 Percolator 3 2 5 Slag Solution 3 2 6 You Should Be Dancing 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditThe group released two albums Hot Butter Musicor MS 3242 1972 and More Hot Butter Musicor MS 3254 1973 primarily of covers on LP issued by Hallmark Records The two albums were compiled on CD as Popcorn on the Castle Music label in 2000 with an album cover from the 1974 Australian release of More Hot Butter titled Moog Hits depicting the five other band members immersed in melted butter produced by Free s synthesizer though several tracks including Roger Whittaker s Mexican Whistler were deleted Tracks written by members of the band were At the Movies the B side of Popcorn and Tristana by all the band members except Free and Space Walk by Dave Mullaney and his brother The Silent Screen Hot Butter is credited to all the members except for Free but it s actually an arrangement of the main theme of the first movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart s Symphony No 40 Among the other artists covered by the band were Stephen Schwartz Jerry Lordan and The Shadows Neil Diamond Joe Meek and The Tornados Neal Hefti Serge Gainsbourg Robert Maxwell Piero Umiliani Jean Joseph Mouret Billy Joe amp the Checkmates Joe Buffalo s Band Teo Macero Leroy Anderson Chuck Rio and Norman Petty and The String A Longs Mullaney and Abbott did most of the arranging The Jeromes Jordan and Richard E Talmadge produced the albums with MTL Productions for Musicor In addition to Popcorn another well known track is August Msarurgwa s Skokiaan which was included on RE Search s compilation album Incredibly Strange Music Follow up singles included The Shadows Apache Chuck Rio s Danny Flores Tequila Billy Joe and the Checkmates Percolator Joe Buffalo s Band s Slag Solution and Gene Farrow with G F Band s You Should Be Dancing Members EditStan Free Edit Stan FreeBirth nameStanley FriedlandBornApril 12 1922Brooklyn New York U S DiedAugust 17 1995 aged 73 New York U S GenresJazzStan Free born Stanley Friedland April 12 1922 August 17 1995 was an American jazz musician composer conductor and arranger Free was born in Brooklyn in 1922 and received a classical musical education studying with Alexander Siloti and also at the Juilliard School While still in his teens he organized a combo Stanley Friedland s Royal New Yorkers that played in the Catskills He also served as a staff sergeant in the Seventh Cavalry in World War II seeing combat in the Pacific Upon his return he became active in many musical endeavors including serving as musical director for one of the first live television variety talk shows Cafe De Paris with Sylvie St Clair on WABD the old DuMont channel in New York 1949 The Stan Free Trio played in many New York jazz clubs of the day including The Composer The Embers The Living Room and Hickory House to name a few He was the featured performer for several summers at Herb McCarthy s Bowden Square in Southampton Long Island He recorded several albums now out of print under his own name Free For All The Stan Free Trio Piano A La Percussion and Stan Free Five Would You Believe Jazz Alive 2 Free s best known recording was the Moog hit Popcorn 1972 with the album named Hot Butter In addition to Free five studio musicians contributed to the album Free also toured and recorded with the First Moog Quartet 1970 72 organized by Gershon Kingsley Additionally he arranged music and conducted for many performers notably the jazz vocalist Chris Connor Chris Craft and the comedian Jack Carter He was also a studio musician for many of the rock and pop groups of the 1960s including The Four Seasons The Monkees and The Association In 1979 Free played percussion on the Broadway Show The Most Happy Fella He was married with children and grandchildren and died in New York Discography EditAlbums Edit Hot Butter Edit Musicor MS 3242 U S Pye International NSPL 28169 UK 1972Side one Popcorn Gershon Kingsley 2 30 Day by Day Stephen Schwartz 3 44 Apache Jerry Lordan 2 50 At the Movies Abbott Mullaney Jerome Jerome Jordan 2 31 Tristana Abbott Mullaney Jerome Jerome Jordan 3 29 Song Sung Blue Neil Diamond 3 54 Side two Telstar Joe Meek 2 34 Tomatoes Neal Hefti 2 27 Amazing Grace Trad Arr Abbott Mullaney 2 37 Love at First Sight S Gainsbourg 2 38 Song of the Narobi Trio R Maxwell 2 13 Hot Butter The Silent Screen Abbott Mullaney Jerome Jerome Jordan 2 04 More Hot Butter Edit Musicor MS 3254 1973Side one Percolator Slag Solution Sounds Wheels Skokiaan Pipeline Side two Space Walk The Masterpiece Tequila Syncopated Clock Kappa Maki Mah Na Mah Na Popcorn with Hot Butter Edit Side one Popcorn Day by Day Apache At the Movies Tomatoes Side two Pipeline Hot Butter Telstar Tristana Song of the Nairobi Trio Amazing Grace Moog Hits Edit Musicor Records L34954 1974 Australia Side one Slag Solution Sounds Simple Wheels Skokiaan Russian Whistler Side two Space Walk The Masterpiece Tequila Syncopated Clock Mah Na Mah Na Mexican Whistler Popcorn CD Edit Castle Music ESMCD907 UK 2000 Popcorn Gershon Kingsley Bourne Music Day by Day Stephen Schwartz Valando Music Apache Lordan Francis Day amp Hunter At the Movies Abbott Mullaney Jerome Jerome Jordan Catalogue Music Tristana Abbott Mullaney Jerome Jerome Jordan Catalogue Music Song Sung Blue Diamond Ardmore amp Beechwood Telstar Meek Ivy Music Ltd Tomatoes Hefti Famous Chappell Amazing Grace Trad Arr Abbott Mullaney Artal Love at First Sight Gainsbourg Shapiro Bernstein Britico Song of the Narobi Trio Maxwell Hot Butter The Silent Screen Abbott Mullaney Jerome Jerome Jordan Artal Mah Na Mah Na Umiliani Carlin Music Corp Masterpiece Mouret Parnes September Music Corp Percolator Bideu Freeman Skokiaan Kusarurgwa Peter Maurice Music Co Ltd Slag Solution Morgan Ranzzano Copyright Control Sounds Macero Warner Chappell Music Ltd Space Walk Mullaney Mullaney Copyright Control Syncopated Clock Anderson Parish EMI Harmonies Ltd Tequila Rio MCA Music Ltd Wheels Petty Campbell Connelly amp Co Ltd Singles Edit Popcorn Edit Musicor MUS 1458 U S Pye International 7N 25583 UK July 1972Side one Popcorn Gershon Kingsley 2 30 Side two At the Movies Abbott Mullaney Jerome Jerome Jordan 2 31 Apache Edit Pye International UK 7N 25598 20 Oct 1972 Musicor GDR 12 348 AT Oct 1972Side one Apache Side two Hot Butter Tequila Edit Musicor 12 469 AT 1972Side one Tequila 1 47 Side two Tomatoes 2 21 Percolator Edit Musicor SMU 88678 Mus 1473 U S Pye 7N 25609 1973Side one Percolator Side two Tristana Slag Solution Edit Musicor 1481 1973Side one Slag Solution Side two Kappa Maki You Should Be Dancing Edit 12 45 Dynamo DS 12 DS 603 8 1977Side one You Should Be Dancing Warren Farrow 5 13 Hye Fye Music LtdSide two You Should Be Dancing track without lead vocal Warren Farrow 4 42 Hye Fye Music LtdArranged by B K Bowie produced by Jerry Swamp Dog Williams Jr References Edit a b Murrells Joseph 1978 The Book of Golden Discs 2nd ed London Barrie and Jenkins Ltd p 314 ISBN 0 214 20512 6 Stan Free Biography amp History AllMusic Retrieved 2020 09 12 External links EditAllmusic com biography Hot Butter discography at Discogs Hot Butter at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hot Butter amp oldid 1096234204, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
