Perren, Freddie

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Freddie Perren

1943-2004

Musician, music producer

Composer, arranger, and keyboardist Freddie Perren began producing records at the tail end of soul's funky domain and led the way to the glittering, wildly popular disco trend. His name may be unknown, but millions of people worldwide can cite the lyrics to songs such as "ABC," "Shake Your Groove Thing," and "If I Can't Have You"—all Perren productions. Perren worked with the biggest names in the music industry. For his production work, he shared a Grammy Award in 1978 for Album of the Year for the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, and he earned a Grammy Award in 1979 for best disco song: "I Will Survive." It was the only year the awards included this category. The disco era, for all its over-the-top glam, was short-lived. Perren's songs, however, live on.

Music on His Mind Led to Motown

Frederick James Perren was born on May 15, 1943 and raised in Englewood, New Jersey. From an early age he was destined for a career in music. "I asked him one time, ‘How do you know what music to write?’" his sister Florence recalled to The Star-Ledger. "He said, ‘I have tunes running in my head all the time.’ That was so typical of him. He was interested in all kinds of music: He turned me on to opera." At Dwight Morrow High School, Perren was a member of the marching band, the orchestra, and sang in the chorus. He also became an accomplished piano player.

After graduation, Perren enrolled in the music program at Howard University in Washington, D.C. There he met many musicians with whom he would form lifelong collaborations including songwriter Fonce Mizell and record producer Larkin Arnold of Capital Records. Perren would later go on to establish a scholarship for financially needy music majors at the school. After earning a degree in music education in 1966, Perren taught music in Washington's public high schools and played keyboards for Chubby Checker. He also met songwriter Christine Yarian. The two would form a prolific pair, marrying, bearing two children, and collaborating on hundreds of songs, including "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," a 1975 ballad that was revised as a number one R&B hit by Boyz II Men in 1991. "He was the most positive guy I ever met," Yarian recalled to The Star-Ledger. "He wouldn't let anybody tell him they had a problem. We had to use the word ‘challenge’ because, he said, we can always find an answer for a challenge."

In 1968, Perren and Yarian relocated to California to pursue musical careers. There he partnered with his college buddy Mizell and musician Deke Richards who had co-written "Love Child" for The Supremes. Together they wrote a song they were hoping to sell to Motown for an established group such as Gladys Knight and the Pips. Motown founder Berry Gordy had another act in mind—five young brothers from Indiana who had just signed with Motown as The Jackson Five. Under Gordy's direction, Perren and his collaborators reworked the tune as "I Want You Back." It became the quintet's first hit, capturing the number one spot on the both the R&B and pop charts.

Wrote Hits that Defined Disco

Following the success of "I Want You Back," Perren, Mizell, and Richards joined Gordy under the ominous moniker of The Corporation and began churning out more hits, including The Jackson Five's chart-topper, "ABC." The catchy tune knocked The Beatles' "Let It Be" out of the number one spot on the Billboard charts. The Jackson Five sound, engineered by Perren and company, was quickly labeled "bubblegum soul" by the critics and struck a chord with a public weary from the social tumult in the country from the ongoing civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. The music was snappy, happy, and made you want to dance—a sound characteristic of Perren's personal style. "He was an up-tempo guy," his wife told The Star-Ledger. "He thought all the up-tempo songs should have the heartbeat of somebody who was dancing, and he always checked his rhythms to that."

With The Corporation, Perren co-wrote and/or produced several more songs for The Jackson Five including "The Love You Save," a number one on the charts in 1970 and "Mama's Pearl," number two in 1971. When Michael Jackson decided to go solo, The Corporation, co-produced his number five R&B hit "Ben." At the time, all songs produced or arranged by The Corporation were credited just that way; individual members were not listed on recordings. Persistent rumors have suggested that Gordy did this in order to prevent Perren, Mizell, and Richards from getting too famous and, thus, commanding higher pay. By 1972, producer Hal Davis had taken charge of the Jacksons' work and The Corporation disbanded. Perren produced a few more projects for Motown including the soundtracks for the films Hell Up in Harlem from 1973 and Cooley High from 1975. In 1976, he produced the number one pop hit "Love Machine" for The Miracles.

After leaving Motown in 1976 Perren produced The Sylvers for Capital Records. With disco just hitting its stride, Perren wrote the group's number one hit "Boogie Fever." He also wrote and produced the disco chart-topper "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" for Tavares. For Polydor Records, he produced Peaches and Herbs, writing their two biggest hits-"Shake Your Groove Thing" and "Reunited." Perren also helped spread Saturday Night Fever by producing songs for the soundtrack, "If I Can't Have You" and "More Than a Woman." Perren shared in the soundtrack's Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978. In 1980, he produced and co-wrote Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," one of the world's most recognizable songs. Part-feminist anthem, part-show tune, all-around infectious groove, the song soared up the charts, won the 1980 Grammy for Best Disco Recording, and become a world famous classic. However, it was one of Perren's last big hits. After working briefly with New Edition in the 1980s, he left the business. In 1993, he suffered a massive stroke from which he never quite recovered. On December 16, 2004, the 61-year-old Perren died at his home in California. Though his name has remained relatively unknown outside of the music industry, his music, like his best-known song, has survived in music clubs and discos worldwide.

At a Glance …

Born Frederick James Perren on May 15, 1943, in New Jersey; died on December 16, 2004; married, Christine Yarian Perren; children: Derek and Amy. Education: Howard University, BA, music education, 1966.