| "Looking for Freedom" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byMarc Seaberg | ||||
| from the album California Gold | ||||
| B-side | "Shorty" | |||
| Released | August 1978 | |||
| Genre | Pop,soft rock | |||
| Length | 3:54 | |||
| Label | Ariola | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Jack White | |||
| Marc Seaberg singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Looking for Freedom" onYouTube | ||||
| "Auf der Straße nach Süden" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byTony Marshall | ||||
| from the album Meine Wunschmelodien | ||||
| Language | German | |||
| English title | On the South Road | |||
| B-side | "Egal, wohin der Wind uns weht" | |||
| Released | November 1978 | |||
| Genre | Pop, soft rock | |||
| Length | 3:55 | |||
| Label | Ariola | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Jack White | |||
| Tony Marshall singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "Auf Der Straße nach Süden" onYouTube | ||||
"Looking for Freedom" is a song written by German music producerJack White, originally released in 1978 by German singerMarc Seaberg and featured on his 1979 albumCalifornia Gold.[1] It was covered in German later that year under the title "Auf der Straße nach Süden" byTony Marshall.[2] Both versions became hits in Germany.
Ten years later, American actor and singerDavid Hasselhoff covered the song as the lead single from his third studio albumof the same name (1989). It became Hasselhoff's biggest international hit, reaching number one in Germany (for eight weeks), in Switzerland (for four weeks) and Austria (for one week). It also reached number four on theEuropean Hot 100 Singles; the top-twenty in France and Belgium; and the top-forty in the Netherlands. "Looking for Freedom" was eventually certified platinum in Germany, and became the best-performing single of 1989 in Germany and Switzerland. White returned to produce both cover versions.
The song is about a rich man's son who wants to make his own way in the world, rather than to have everything given to him. The composer isJack White, and "Looking for Freedom" is the original title, with lyrics written by Gary Cowtan. It was already finished before Jon Athan began writing the German lyrics. The German version sung by Tony Marshall was released some weeks after the original version sung by Marc Seaberg, who was a new artist in 1978, whereas Tony Marshall was already an established star. Both of these versions, recorded at Hansa Studio 2 in Berlin, used the same instrumental tracks and some of these were again used on David Hasselhoff's 1989 version, which was completed in Los Angeles. All three versions were produced by Jack White.
Marc Seaberg's original version peaked at number 16 in Germany (where it spent 13 weeks on the chart), and at number 18 in Austria.[3]
In 1978, the song was covered in German byTony Marshall under the name "Auf der Straße nach Süden" ("On the South Road") with lyrics written by Jon Athan. Marshall's version appeared as the closing track to his 1978 albumMeine Wunschmelodien ("My Favorite Melodies"). The B-side to Marshall's version, "Egal, wohin der Wind uns weht" ("No Matter Where the Wind Blows Us") would later appear on his 1978 albumBora Bora.
Marshall's version peaked at number 41 on the German charts.[4]
| "Looking for Freedom" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Single byDavid Hasselhoff | ||||
| from the albumLooking for Freedom | ||||
| Released | December 1988 | |||
| Length | 3:55 | |||
| Label | White | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Jack White | |||
| David Hasselhoff singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Looking for Freedom" onYouTube | ||||
In 1988, American actor and singerDavid Hasselhoff covered the song as the lead single from his third studio albumof the same name (1989). It became Hasselhoff's biggest international hit, reaching number one inWest Germany (for eight weeks), in Switzerland (for four weeks) and Austria (for one week). It also reached number four on theEuropean Hot 100 Singles; the top-twenty in France and Belgium; and the top-forty in the Netherlands. "Looking for Freedom" was eventually certified platinum in Germany and became the best-performing single of 1989 in West Germany and Switzerland and has been featured various times in popular culture.
Hasselhoff performed this song before throngs of pro-German reunification activists at theBerlin Wall on New Year's Eve 1989, mere weeks after the wall had begun to be taken down. Wearing a piano-keyboard scarf and a leather jacket covered in motion lights, Hasselhoff stood in a bucket crane and performed the song along with the crowd. Recordings of theZDF TV broadcast resurfaced in the late 1990s and nowadays can be found on YouTube.[5] On a later tour of Germany in 2004, Hasselhoff would lament that a photo of him was lacking from theCheckpoint Charlie Museum in Berlin.[6]
Hasselhoff's version became a huge success across Europe. It debuted at number 12 on the West German charts (during the week of 20 March 1989), reaching the top spot on its third week, spending eight consecutive weeks at number one, and remained on the chart for a total of 25 weeks. It ended as the best-performing single of 1989 in the country, and it was certified platinum. In Switzerland, the song debuted at number seven (during the week of 16 April 1989), reaching the top spot on its third week, spending four consecutive weeks at number one, remaining on the chart for a total of 32 weeks, and later becoming the best-performing single of 1989 in the country. In Austria, it debuted at number eight (during the week of April 15, 1989) and reached number one on its third week, spending a total of 18 weeks on the chart, and becoming the fifth best-performing single of 1989, and the 54th best-performing song of the '80s decade in the country. Additionally, the song peaked at number 12 in France and remained for a total of 12 weeks; in Belgium, it peaked at number 18 and remained for a total of 16 weeks; and in the Netherlands, it peaked at number 31, remaining on the chart for 14 weeks. It also reached number four on theEuropean Hot 100 Singles.
7-inch single
CD and 12-inch maxi
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Germany (BVMI)[21] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
