Wilton Frederick "Freddy" Weller (born September 9, 1943) is an American rock and roll and country music artist. He recorded for Columbia Records between 1969 and 1980. He had his highest charted single in 1969 with his debut release, "Games People Play". He wrote with Mac Davis on Glen Campbell's "Within My Memory" on A New Place In The Sun in 1968.
Biography
Early career He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Weller played in a high school group, The Believers, which also included Joe South. One of his first recording sessions was playing guitar on Billy Joe Royal's 1965 track, "Down in the Boondocks", which was written by South.
Paul Revere & the Raiders
His recording career continued in 1967, as lead guitarist in the band Paul Revere & The Raiders. Around the time he joined the band, the group's two main members, Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere, had just started hosting the show Happening '68. The other Raiders members, Charlie Coe, Keith Allison, and Joe Correro Jr, acted as the show's in-studio houseband. He penned their 1969 hit "We Gotta All Get Together".
Weller remained in the Raiders until its split in 1975. The group soon reformed without Weller.
Solo Weller recorded many rock and roll and country songs, such as Joe South's "'Games People Play", which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1969; Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land" and "Too Much Monkey Business", "She Loves Me Right Out Of My Mind", "Indian Lake", both 1971, and many others. Weller also played guitar backing for both South and Royal. He co-wrote "Dizzy" and "Jam Up and Jelly Tight", which were hits for Tommy Roe in 1969 and 1970.
After releasing his 1980 single "Lost In Austin" and his 1982 studio album Ramblin' Man, Weller would semi-retire from the music industry, not making another release for thirty years, when he released the single "Your Memory Walks Through Walls" in 2010.
Discography
With Paul Revere & the Raiders
Studio albums YearAlbum details1967A Christmas Present ... And Past1968Goin' to MemphisSomething Happening1969Hard 'N' Heavy (with Marshmallow)Alias Pink Puzz1970Collage1971Indian Reservation1972Country Wine
Singles Song titlesYear"I Had A Dream" b/w "Upon Your Leaving"1967"Peace Of Mind" / "Do Unto Others""Rain, Sleet, Snow" b/w "Brotherly Love" Cancelled single"Too Much Talk" b/w "Happening '68"1968"Don't Take It So Hard" b/w "Observation From Flight 285 (In 3/4 Time)""Cinderella Sunshine" b/w "Theme From It's Happening" (Non-Lp track)"Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon" b/w "Without You"1969"Let Me" b/w "I Don't Know""We Gotta All Get Together" b/w "Frankfort Side Street" (from Alias Pink Puzz)"Just Seventeen" b/w "Sorceress With Blue Eyes"1970"Gone Movin' On" (re-recorded version of Lp track from Revolution!) b/w "Interlude (To Be Forgotten)""Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)" b/w "Terry's Tune" (Non-Lp track)1971"Birds of a Feather" b/w "The Turkey""Country Wine" b/w "It's So Hard Getting Up Today" (Non-Lp track)1972"Powder Blue Mercedes Queen" b/w "Golden Girls Sometimes""Song Seller" b/w "A Simple Song""Love Music" b/w "Goodbye No. 9"1973"All Over You" b/w "Seaboard Line Boogie"1974"Your Love (Is The Only Love)" b/w "Gonna Have A Good Time"1975"Ain't Nothin' Wrong"/ b/w "You're Really Saying Something"1976
Solo
Albums YearAlbumChart PositionsUS CountryUS1969Games People Play81441970Listen to the Young Folks——1971Another Night of Love22—1972The Promised Land——The Roadmaster39—1973Too Much Monkey Business32—1974Sexy Lady24—1975Freddy Weller's Greatest Hits34—Freddy Weller34—1976Liquor, Love & Life44—1977One Man Show——1978Love Got in the Way——1980Go For the Night——1982Ramblin' Man——
Singles Year Single Chart Positions Album US Country US Bubbling CAN Country 1969 "Games People Play" 2 — — Games People Play "These Are Not My People" 5 13 — "Down in the Boondocks" 25 — — Listen to the Young Folks 1970 "I Shook the Hand" 75 — — 1971 "The Promised Land" 3 25 9 The Promised Land /Another Night of Love "Indian Lake" 3 8 4 "Another Night of Love" 5 — 13 1972 "Ballad of a Hillbilly Singer" 26 — 12 The Roadmaster "The Roadmaster" 17 — 29 "She Loves Me (Right Out of My Mind)" 11 — 3 1973 "Too Much Monkey Business" 8 — 7 Too Much Monkey Business "The Perfect Stranger" 13 — 7 1974 "I've Just Got to Know (How Loving You Would Be)" 11 — 11 Sexy Lady "Sexy Lady" 21 — 22 "You're Not Getting Older (You're Getting Better)" 16 — 20 1975 "Love You Back to Georgia" 64 — — Freddy Weller "Stone Crazy" 52 — — 1976 "Ask Any Old Cheater Who Knows" 42 — — Liquor, Love and Life "Liquor, Love and Life" 44 — — "Room 269" 56 — — 1977 "Strawberry Curls" 79 — — One Man Show "Merry-Go-Round" 41 — — "Nobody Cares But You" 44 — — 1978 "Let Me Fall Back in Your Arms" 93 — — single only "Bar Wars" 32 — 58 Love Got in the Way "Love Got in the Way" 23 — 34 1979 "Fantasy Island" 27 — 32 "Nadine" 40 — 53 singles only "That Run-Away Woman of Mine" 44 — — "Go for the Night" 33 — — Go for the Night 1980 "A Million Old Goodbyes" 66 — — "Lost in Austin" 45 — 51 2010 "Your Memory Walks Through Walls" — — — single only
References
External links [ Freddy Weller] at Allmusic.com Freddy Weller