The Freddie was a short-lived 1960s

fad dance Novelty and fad dances are dances which are typically characterized by a short burst of popularity. Some of them, like the Twist, Y.M.C.A. and the Hokey Pokey, have shown much longer-lasting lives. They are also called dance fads or dance cr ...

prompted by the release of the songs " I'm Telling You Now", and "Do the Freddie", both by the British band,

Freddie and the Dreamers Freddie and the Dreamers were an English beat band that had a number of hit records between 1962 and 1965. The band's stage act was enlivened by the comic antics of Freddie Garrity, who would bounce around the stage with arms and legs flying ...

. "Do the Freddie" had been a number 18 hit in the United States in 1965, and American dance craze stalwart

Chubby Checker Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including the Twist, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighters' R&B song " The Twis ...

had then made it to number 40 with the minor hit "Let's Do the Freddie" in that same year and number 15 in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' said of Checker's version that there's a "new dance on the scene and Checker's got it! Exciting number done in his familiar style." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said that Checker "has a new terp idea that will also do big business." To do the Freddie, the dancer simply stands in place; then, in rhythm with the music, extends the left leg and raises both arms, as if doing

jumping jack A jumping jack, also known as a star jump and called a side-straddle hop in the US military, is a physical jumping exercise performed by jumping to a position with the legs spread wide. The hands go overhead, sometimes in a clap, and then return ...

s; then extends the right leg and raises both arms again. The moves are repeated until the song's conclusion.

Popular culture

Although the dance never achieved lasting popularity, it was instantly recognizable. In a 1965 episode of ''

The Addams Family The Addams Family is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 standalone single-panel comics, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' between 193 ...

'' ("Lurch, the Teenage Idol"), Gomez Addams (

John Astin John Allen Astin (born March 30, 1930) is an American actor and director who has appeared in numerous stage, television and film roles, primarily in character roles. He is widely known for his role as patriarch Gomez Addams in ''The Addams Famil ...

) does The Freddie enthusiastically in his living room. In 1989 "Do the Freddie" made a surprise comeback in the movie '' Troop Beverly Hills''. In 1987 another song called "Do the Freddy" was released, off the gimmick album ''Freddy's Greatest Hits''. Complete with guest vocals by

Robert Englund Robert Barton Englund (born June 6, 1947) is an American actor and director. Englund is best known for playing the villain Freddy Krueger in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise. Englund has received multiple accolades and honors, incl ...

as slasher movie icon

Freddy Krueger Freddy Krueger () is a fictional character and the antagonist of the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' horror film franchise. Created by Wes Craven, he made his debut in Craven's '' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit of a ...

, the song also contained instructions on how to dance "The Freddy". The Freddie is also mentioned in " The Frug", a song by the band

Rilo Kiley Rilo Kiley ( ) is an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1998, the band consists of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Jason Boesel. The group released their debut album '' Take-Offs and Landing ...

(A reference made because the band's guitarist

Jenny Lewis Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley. Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child ...

had starred in '' Troop Beverly Hills'' as a child). It appeared on both their debut album, The Initial Friend E.P., and on the soundtrack to the film ''

Desert Blue ''Desert Blue'' is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Morgan J. Freeman, starring Brendan Sexton III, Kate Hudson, Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck, Sara Gilbert and John Heard. Plot A rising Hollywood starlet becom ...

''.

The Adolescents The Adolescents are an American punk rock band formed in Fullerton, California in 1979. Part of the hardcore punk movement in southern California in the early 1980s, they were one of the main punk acts to emerge from Orange County, along with ...

also released a song in the 1980s entitled "Do the Freddy". In ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'' episode "

Duffless "Duffless" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 18, 1993. Homer gets arrested for drunk driving, and Marge asks h ...

", Bart dreams of a "Go-Go Ray" with the ability to force teachers and administrators to perform various fad dances, including the Mashed Potato,

the Jerk ''The Jerk'' is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, and Michael Elias (from a story by Martin and Gottlieb). This was Martin's first starring role in a feature film. The film also f ...

, and the Freddie.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freddie 1965 songs 1965 singles Songs about dancing Novelty and fad dances 1960s fads and trends