Free the Bees by The Bees

Free the Bees is the second album from British band The Bees in 2004. Their first release for Virgin Records, it is also the first album to feature the current sextet that evolved during the tour that promoted debut album Sunshine Hit Me. However, all the members had performed with core duo Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher before the album was produced, whether in other projects or simply in informal jams. The album was originally planned to be recorded in Butler's shed (the same one where Sunshine Hit Me was produced). However, the band decided to record it at the famous Abbey Road Studios; Indeed, Free the Bees is a much more slick-sounding and uptempo album than their debut, but the group's diverse range of styles and influences remain intact. "Chicken Payback" was released as a single in April 2005 and reached No. 28 in the UK Singles Charts. It was used in a UK television advert for Sure Deodorant For Men during the 2006 World Cup and was subsequently used in adverts for Age UK.