The Freddie

The Freddie was a short-lived 1960s fad dance 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. "Do the Freddie" had been a #18 hit in the United States in 1965, and American dance craze stalwart Chubby Checker had then made it to #40 with the minor hit "Let's Do the Freddie" in that same year.

To do The Freddie, simply stand in place; then, in rhythm with the music, extend the left leg and raise both arms, as if you were doing jumping jacks; then extend the right leg and raise both arms again. Repeat until the song's conclusion.

Although the dance never achieved lasting popularity, it was instantly recognizable. In a 1965 episode of The Addams Family ("Lurch, the Teenage Idol"), Gomez Addams (John Astin) 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 as slasher movie icon Freddy Krueger, 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 (A reference made because the band's guitarist Jenny Lewis 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 movie Desert Blue.

The Adolescents also released a song in the 1980s entitled "Do the Freddy".

In The Simpsons episode "Duffless", 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, and the Freddie. The dance was also done by Ozzie Nelson and called out by name at the end of an episode titled flying down to Mexico for lunch which also featured music by Herb Alpert and Tijuana Brass.

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