Bad Company

Bad Company were a British rock band founded in 1973, consisting of band members from Free (Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke), Mott The Hoople (Mick Ralphs) and King Crimson (Boz Burrell). Managed by Peter Grant, who had also guided Led Zeppelin to massive success, the band would go on to enjoy great success through the 1970s.

History

1970s

1974 debut album self-titled Bad Company was an international hit, with a group made up of four seasond musicians, two former members of Free, singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, former Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson's bassist Boz Burrell all managed by Peter Grant who also managed Led Zeppelin at time. Bad Company the album peaked at #1 on the Billboard's Pop Albums chart (North America). With two singles in the top 20 also on the North America Pop charts, "Can't Get Enough" at # 9 in 1974 and, "Movin' On" at # 14 in early 1975 . In 1975, Bad Company charted again with Straight Shooter that peaked at # 3 on the Billboard's Pop Albums chart. With two hits that made the top 30 "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" at # 30 and the slower "Feel Like Makin' Love" that peaked at # 10.

With Paul Kossoff in better health again in 1975, he was delighted that now ex-Free colleagues, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke asked him to joined him on stage for two nights in late 1975. A British tour was set to begin on 25 April 1976 with Back Street Crawler Paul Kossoff's band headlining with Bad Company in support of Back Street Crawler's second album, but again as with his later years in Free, Paul Kossoff drug addictions contributed to a drastic decline in the guitarists health and on a flight from Los Angeles to New York on March 19th, 1976, Paul Kossoff died from drug-related heart problems at the age of 25.

1976 saw the album, Run With the Pack was Bad Company's first Platinum certified album. The third consecutive million-selling record, reaching # 5 on the Billboard chart and featured the hit "Young Blood" that peaked at # 29 on the Pop charts. 1977's Burnin' Sky fared the poorest of the first four albums and peaked at a disappointing # 12, and was the worst selling Bad Company album to date, and had only one hit the albums title song Burnin' Sky that only reached # 18. 1979's Desolation Angels fared better than its predecessor and gave the band their first Top 5 Platinum selling album since 1976's album Run With the Pack. Desolation Angels embellished the group's sound with synthesizers and strings. the album reaching # 3 on the Billboard charts and again had two hit singles "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" at # 12 and, "Gone Gone Gone" at # 44.

1980s

A three-year hiatus followed before the release of Rough Diamonds in 1982, This would be the group's sixth and final LP in the groups original incarnation until four new songs were recorded in 1998. The album was the worst selling Bad Company album with Paul Rodgers as the front man of the band. The album peaked at # 29, but it had one hit called "Electricland" that reached all the way to # 10 on the newly created Mainstream Rock Charts.

By the end of the 1970s the band were increasingly disenchanted with playing large stadiums, also Peter Grant interest in the group, and in management generally, waned after Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham died in 1980. In the words of Simon Kirke, * " Peter was definitely the glue which held us all together and in his absence we came apart " (Reportedly, Paul Rodgers - who has a black belt in martial arts - was involved in a rather one-sided physical altercation with Boz Burrell). After the release of the album Rough Diamonds in 1982 they disbanded, as Mick Ralphs said, * " Paul wanted a break and truthfully we all needed to stop. Bad Company had become bigger than us all and to continue would have destroyed someone or something. From a business standpoint, it was the wrong thing to do, but Paul's instinct was absolutely right ". * Quotes Official site

Reformed in 1986 with original members Simon Kirke, Mick Ralphs, Boz Burrell was repalced by Steve Price in 1988 and, ex-Ted Nugent vocalist Brian Howe, in place of Paul Rodgers and for the next six year's from 1986 to 1992, this version of the band released four albums including Fame and Fortune in 1986, Dangerous Age 1988, the platinum selling Holy Water in 1990 and Here Comes Trouble released in 1992.

1990s

With Brian Howe as lead vocals the band had a few small hits like the title track "Holy Water" from the album Holy Water and "Here Comes Trouble" also a title track from 1992 album Here Comes Trouble. The band continued touring with drummer Simon Kirke and guitarist Mick Ralphs being the only original members (Mick Ralphs sat out most of the Holy Water tour in 1990 although he appeared on the album) the music was always consistently well played and tours well attended. Paul Rodgers over this time was involved in many projects Cut Loose a solo Cd, A Tribute album to Muddy Waters, and formed two bands The Firm, with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame and, The Law with Ex-The Who drummer Kenny Jones.

The 1995 line-up of Bad Company would have original members Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke plus Dave Colwell on second guitar, Rick Wills on bass guitar, and Robert Hart as lead vocals. With this line-up Bad Company released the album Company of Strangers in 1995 and Stories Told & Untold in 1996.

All four original members Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs, Boz Burrell, Simon Kirke reunited briefly in 1998 in the sudio to record four new tracks, that produced Bad Company's first number one hit in 20 years with "Hey Hey". The second new song "Hammer of Love" peaked at # 2 and the surprise hit of the re-released song "Deal With The Preacher" that frist appeared on the album Straight Shooter in 1975. The new tracks appeared on a compilation of previously released material called The Original Bad Company Anthology. Bad Company toured in 1999 with Paul Rodgers for 30-date in the U.S that drew sellout crowds in support of the The Original Bad Company Anthology release.

2000s

In 2002 Paul Rodgers "The Voice" again rejoined his life long friend Simon Kirke, for the Merchants of Cool tour that kicked off in the U.S an then over to the U.K. The sellout tour produced the frist DVD / CD also called "Merchants of Cool" that was released the same year and produced the song "Joe Fabulous" which hit # 1 on Classic Rock Radio and top 20 on mainstream rock radio in the U.S all in its debut week. The tour was with Simon Kirke and Paul Rodgers being the only original members left by this time as Mick Ralphs and Boz Burrell were retired from touring, Dave Colwell previously second guitarist in the post-Paul Rodgers era of Bad Company, took lead guitar, Jaz Lochrie was on bass. Guest performers at the shows included former Guns N' Roses axeman Slash and Neal Schon of Journey fame.

2005 saw Paul Rodgers now 56 years old and looking as fit as a 25 year old still touring and palying Bad Company songs now with Queen. It was stated, including on Brian May's own website Brian May's homepage, "that Rodgers would be featured with Queen as: Queen + Paul Rodgers, not replacing the late Freddie Mercury ", The CD and DVD of their collaboration was released in 2005 called Return of the Champions with songs by Queen, Bad Company and Free. Then on April 28/2006, they released a live DVD from their collaboration called Super Live in Japan. There are many bootlegs from nearly every show of the 2005 and 2006 tours in audio, as well as a few in video form.

Original and Core Members

*Paul Rodgers - Lead Vocals, piano, additional guitar 1973
*Mick Ralphs - Lead guitar 1973
*Boz Burrell - Bass 1973
*Simon Kirke - Drums 1973

Other Members

*Brian Howe - Lead Vocals 1986
*Steve Price - Bass 1988
*Felix Krish - Bass 1990
*Rick Wills - Bass 1993
*Dave Colwell - Guitars 1993
*Robert Hart - Lead Vocals 1995
*Jaz Lochrie - Bass 2000
*Mark Wolfe - Guitars, Keyboards 2000

Discography

Image:BadCompanyBadCompany.jpg|Bad Company (1974)Image:Straight_shooter.JPG|Straight Shooter (1975)Image:BadCompanyBurnin'Sky.jpg|Burnin' Sky (1977) Image:Bad_Company-Desolation_Angels.jpg|Desolation Angels (1979)Image:BC10F6.jpg|10 from 6 (1985) (compilation)Image:Bad_Company-Holy_Water.jpg|Holy Water (1990)Image:Here_Comes_Trouble1992.jpg|Here Comes Trouble (1992)Image:The_Best_Of_Bad_Company_Live_What_You_Hear_Is_What_You_Get_.jpg|What You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad Company (1993) (live)Image:Company_Of_Strangers1995.jpg|Company of Strangers (1995)Image:Stories_Told_and_Untold.jpg|Stories Told & Untold (1996)Image:Album_The_Original_Bad.jpg|The Original Bad Company Anthology (1999) (compilation)Image:Album_Merchants_of_Cool.jpg|Merchants of Cool DVD / CD (2002) (live)

External links

* Official site
* Free, Bad Company fan page