Bad Company
Encyclopedia
Bad Company were an English
rock
supergroup
founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free
band members — singer Paul Rodgers
and drummer Simon Kirke
— as well as Mott the Hoople
guitarist Mick Ralphs
and King Crimson
bassist Boz Burrell
. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of fellow British rock band Led Zeppelin
's rise to fame, managed the band. Bad Company enjoyed great success throughout the 1970s. Many of their singles, such as "Bad Company
", "Can't Get Enough
", "Good Lovin' Gone Bad
", and "Feel Like Makin' Love
", retain popularity with rockers of both the past and present decades. To this day, their songs remain staples of classic rock
radio.
film Bad Company
that he chose to name his band after it. However, Rodgers himself disabused the public of that notion in an interview with Spinner.com. He explained the idea came from a book of Victorian morals that showed a picture of an innocent kid looking up at an unsavory character leaning against a lamppost. The caption read "beware of bad company."
Bad Company consisted of four seasoned musicians: two former members of Free, singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke; former Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs; and ex-King Crimson
bassist Boz Burrell. The band signed to Swan Song Records
/Atlantic Records
in North America, and with Island Records
in other countries. (Island Records had until that time been the U.K. home to both Free and King Crimson, as well as to Mott the Hoople for their first four albums; Atlantic, in turn, released King Crimson's and Mott's early albums in the U.S. through a licensing agreement with Island.) Atlantic/Warner Music
would later acquire the non-North American rights to the band's catalogue.
The 1974 debut album Bad Company
was an international hit, with the group considered one of the 1970s' first supergroups. The group was managed by Peter Grant, who also managed Led Zeppelin
at the time and would manage Bad Company until 1982, when Swan Song Records folded. The album peaked at #1 on Billboards Pop Albums chart (North America
) and included two singles that reached the top 20 charts, "Can't Get Enough" at #5 in 1974 and "Movin' On" at #19 in early 1975. In 1975, Straight Shooter
reached #3 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart. The album also spawned two hit singles, "Good Lovin' Gone Bad
" at #36 and the slower "Feel Like Makin' Love
" at #10.
Bad Company scheduled a British tour, along with the band of former Free member Paul Kossoff, Back Street Crawler
, to support Bad Company's 1976 album Run With the Pack
as well as a new album by Back Street Crawler. This double headline tour was scheduled to commence on 25 April 1976, but was halted due to Kossoff's death on 19 March 1976.
Run With the Pack was Bad Company's first Platinum certified album. It was their third consecutive million-selling record, reaching #5 on the Billboard chart and featured the hit "Young Blood" that peaked at #20 on the Pop charts.
1977's Burnin' Sky
fared the poorest of the first four that charted: the album's title song, "Burnin' Sky", only reached #78 on the Pop charts. 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 synthesisers and strings. The album reached #3 on the Billboard charts and again had two charting singles: "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" at #13 and "Gone Gone Gone" at #56.
By the end of the 1970s, the band grew increasingly disenchanted with playing large stadiums. In addition, Peter Grant lost interest in the group, and in management in general, after Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham
died on 25 September 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 and Mick Ralphs.)
A three-year hiatus from the studio ended with the release of Rough Diamonds
in 1982. This would be the sixth and final LP
in the group's original incarnation until four new songs were recorded in 1998. The album was the worst selling Bad Company album of those that had Paul Rodgers as the front man. The album peaked at #26 and featured "Electricland" (#74), that reached #2 on the newly created Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
After the release of Rough Diamonds, they disbanded. 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".
Despite being famous for their live shows packing the largest stadiums for almost a decade, Bad Company did not release an official live album of performances from this time period until the 2006 album Live in Albuquerque 1976
. The recordings were made by Mick Ralphs, who regularly taped the group's shows, utilising them as a tool to finely tune their set and performances. Bootlegs
of Bad Company's live performances from this period were also available, including "Boblingen Live" (1974), "Live in Japan" (1975) and "Shooting Star Live at the L.A. Forum" (1975).
, however, insisted they resume the Bad Company name. But Paul Rodgers was already engaged with a new supergroup called The Firm. So the remaining two members hired ex-Ted Nugent
vocalist Brian Howe
as the new lead singer, Steve Price as the new bass player and Greg Dechert (ex-Uriah Heep
) on keyboards. Howe's vocal style brought more of a pop-rock sound to the band, as opposed to Rodgers' more bluesy style. The band hired Foreigner
producer Keith Olsen to produce the new lineup's initial album, 1986's Fame and Fortune
. Reflecting the musical style of the mid-80s, the album was laden with keyboards, unlike previous Bad Company albums, and was only modestly commercially successful, failing to break the Top 100. The single "This Love" managed to reach #85 on the Singles charts, but was not the success the band hoped for.
Burrell agreed to rejoin the band and was name checked on the Fame and Fortune album, even though he did not play on it. But just before the supporting tour, he left once again. Price then returned. In 1987 Dechert was dropped from the lineup as the group decided not to play up the keyboards in their sound as much. They toured that year supporting Deep Purple
.
For the next Howe-era album, 1988's Dangerous Age
, the band replaced Olsen with producer Terry Thomas, who got rid of most of the keyboards and returned the band to a guitar-driven sound. Thomas also added small amounts of keyboards as well as rhythm guitars and backing vocals and wrote most of the songs with the band. Dangerous Age fared better than its predecessor, spawning several MTV videos and the AOR hits "No Smoke Without A Fire" (#4), "One Night" (#9) and "Shake It Up" (#9, also #89 on the Singles charts). The album went Gold and hit the Top 60. For the Dangerous Age tour, the band were augmented by Larry Oakes (keyboards, guitar), who had also played with Foreigner. Price and Oakes left at the conclusion of the tour.
After the Dangerous Age tour, during which the band travelled separately from Howe as they could no longer tolerate his behaviour, they set about finding a replacement for him. However, Howe, hoping to launch a solo career, was unable to secure a record deal and eventually the band was forced to allow him back as a result of pressure from outside influences to produce a new album.
The band's next album, Holy Water released in June 1990 on Atco
, also produced by Thomas, was enormously successful both critically and commercially, attaining Top 40 and Platinum status by selling more than one million copies. Holy Water was the band's first album on the Atlantic subsidiary Atco Records. The album spun off the singles: "If You Needed Somebody" (#16), the title track "Holy Water" (#89) and "Walk Through Fire" (#28). "Holy Water" also hit #1 for 2 weeks on the AOR charts with "If You Needed Somebody" reaching #2. The album received significant radio airplay (five songs made the AOR charts in all) and spawned several video hits. Felix Krish played bass on the CD while Paul Cullen was recruited for live shows. Mick Ralphs, who was taking care of personal and family matters, sat out for most of the Holy Water tour, although he did perform on the album. Ralphs was replaced on the road and in the videos by ex-Crawler guitarist Geoffrey Whitehorn. Ralphs returned later on during the tour and Whitehorn joined Procol Harum where he still plays to this day. Also joining at this time was ex-ASAP guitarist Dave "Bucket" Colwell
as second guitarist. Many of the dates on the tour were successful and featured Damn Yankees
as co-headliners. The tour was one of the most profitable of 1991, a year which saw many other rock acts facing a downturn in concert attendance brought on by rising ticket prices and economic recession.
The final studio album of the Howe era, 1992's Here Comes Trouble, featured the Top 40 hit "How About That" (#38) and "This Could Be The One" (#87). The album went Gold. Before touring in support of Here Comes Trouble, the band added ex-Foreigner, Roxy Music and Small Faces bassist Rick Wills
and Colwell, a protégé of Ralphs, was now a full-time member. The band recorded a live album, What You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad Company
on the Here Comes Trouble tour. The album, released in November 1993, featured live versions of hits from both the Rodgers and Howe eras of the band, but sold poorly.
Howe left the band in 1994. Regarding his departure from the band, Howe stated: "Leaving Bad Company was not a difficult decision. It had got to the point where nobody was contributing anything to songwriting and quite frankly, the band was getting very very sloppy live. I quite simply, along with Terry Thomas, got tired of doing all the work and then getting nothing but resentment for it from Mick and Simon."
vocalist Robert Hart
to take over lead vocal duties. Unlike Howe (who had a different style and a higher range), Hart was closer in voice and an imitator of Rodgers. The new lineup released Company of Strangers in June 1995 which came out on EastWest Records and peaked at #159 on the Album charts. It produced the AOR hit "Down And Dirty" (#17). Stories Told & Untold
was released in October 1996 and bombed commercially. The album contains re-recordings of seven of Bad Company's biggest hits ("told" stories), and seven new songs ("untold" stories). Many of these were recorded in Nashville and featured guest appearances by country stars such as Vince Gill.
released in March 1999, which only charted at #189. Many fans were displeased with the track listing which left off many favourites, although a number of rare tracks did appear. The reunited original foursome toured in the summer of '99 for only 30 dates in the US. The shows drew well. The following year, Ralphs announced he was retiring from live performing and Burrell left again as well bringing the reunion to an end.
Paul Rodgers again rejoined Kirke in 2001 for a tour that kicked off in the US and included co-headlining dates with Styx
and Billy Squier
as special guest. Wills and Colwell took over for the departed Ralphs and Burrell. The tour did decent business then moved to the UK. The band secured some dates on the West Coast of the US to record a new live album and DVD Merchants of Cool, which featured the song "Joe Fabulous", which hit #1 on radio and the top 20 on Mainstream Rock Radio in the US in its debut week. The Merchants of Cool promotional tour in 2002 once again featured Kirke and Rodgers as the only original members left. Colwell again took lead guitar and Jaz Lochrie
, who had played live and recorded with Paul Rodgers from 1995 on, was on bass. Guest performers at the shows included former Guns N' Roses
guitarist Slash
and Neal Schon
of Journey
fame. After the 2002 tour, Bad Company went inactive once again as Rodgers returned to his solo career.
was released that reviews Bad Company on stage, on film and on record. It also interviews Simon Kirke and has some live recordings from the 70s and 80s. This was an unauthorized release.
In 2005 Paul Rodgers began touring and playing Bad Company songs with Queen
. It was stated, including on Brian May's own website, "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. On 28 April 2006, they released a live DVD from their show in Tokyo 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.
In 2006 a limited edition CD of 24 carat gold was released of the first Bad Company album (Bad Company
). After taking over a year to find the original master tapes, the analog masters were put through a proprietary analog-to-digital converter
that remastered the songs for the best possible sound.
Boz Burrell died of a heart attack on 21 September 2006, aged 60, at his home in Spain.
On 6 May 2007 Robert Hart, Dave "Bucket" Colwell and Jaz Lochrie performed in a small pub in Surbiton
for The Macmillan Cancer Trust. Performing as Rock and Roll Fantasy, they offered a show of Bad Company songs for an audience of just a few hundred. They were joined by Mick Ralphs. Chris Grainger was the drummer.
In 2008 "Mick Ralphs' Bad Company" toured in the following formation: Robert Hart, Mick Ralphs, Dave "Bucket" Colwell, Jaz Lochrie, Gary "Harry" James.
On 2 July 2008, it was announced that the original remaining line-up of Bad Company would do a one-off gig at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on 8 August 2008. According to Paul Rodgers, they did this gig in order to "protect the legacy they have built and cement the rights to the trademark Bad Company for touring. The live performance was released on Blu-Ray, DVD, and CD on 9 February 2010 and the tracks include 17 Bad Company hits. Rodgers dedicated "Gone, Gone, Gone" to original bassist Boz Burrell, who died in 2006.
Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke performed together again during the summer of 2009, playing 10 shows throughout the United States. The band then played shows in the UK during April 2010, before embarking on tours through North America and Japan that lasted from July to October.
Rodgers has said that at the moment "there will be no further plans for Bad Company", explaining that he is working on solo material, however he hasn't ruled out more activities from the band. Speaking to The Times Record, he said: ""We aren't saying never - we never want to say never. We aren't putting Bad Company to bed, as they say, but the band definitely is something that will be placed onto the back burner."
In March 2011 a budget live release Extended Versions was issued, taken from the band's UK tour in 2010. The CD debuted at #139 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums Chart and featured 10 selections, and climbed as high as #84 on the chart. This is the first Bad Company album to chart in 12 years.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free
Free (band)
Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a...
band members — singer Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
and drummer Simon Kirke
Simon Kirke
Simon Kirke is an English rock drummer best known as a member of Free and Bad Company.-Biography:...
— as well as Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
guitarist Mick Ralphs
Mick Ralphs
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Ralphs is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was a founding member of rock bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company.-Career:...
and King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
bassist Boz Burrell
Boz Burrell
Raymond "Boz" Burrell was an English musician. Originally a vocalist, Burrell is best known for his bass playing and work with the rock bands King Crimson and Bad Company.-Career:...
. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of fellow British rock band Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's rise to fame, managed the band. Bad Company enjoyed great success throughout the 1970s. Many of their singles, such as "Bad Company
Bad Company (song)
"Bad Company" is a song from the hard rock band Bad Company. It was released as the third single from their debut album Bad Company in 1974. Co-written by the group's lead singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, the song's meaning comes from the movie of the same name featuring Jeff Bridges...
", "Can't Get Enough
Can't Get Enough (Bad Company song)
"Can't Get Enough" is a song by English supergroup Bad Company. It is their biggest-hit and is considered their most popular song which is from their 1974 self-titled debut album. As a single, this song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on Cashbox magazine's Top 100 Singles...
", "Good Lovin' Gone Bad
Good Lovin' Gone Bad
"Good Lovin' Gone Bad" was a 1974 TOP 40, major trans-Atlantic hit for English rock band, Bad Company. This track was written by the band's guitarist, former Mott the Hoople guitarist, Mick Ralphs. Paul Rodgers belts out this instant classic in his own precision, blues-gravel style. The song...
", and "Feel Like Makin' Love
Feel Like Makin' Love (Bad Company song)
"Feel Like Makin' Love" is a song by British supergroup Bad Company. The song originally appeared on the LP Straight Shooter in April 1975 and was released as a single in August of the same year...
", retain popularity with rockers of both the past and present decades. To this day, their songs remain staples of classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
radio.
Original Paul Rodgers era (1973–1982)
Rumour has it that singer Paul Rodgers was so enamoured of the Jeff BridgesJeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
film Bad Company
Bad Company (1972 film)
Bad Company is a 1972 American Western film directed by Robert Benton, who also co-wrote the film with David Newman. It stars Barry Brown and Jeff Bridges as two of a group of young men that flee the draft during the American Civil War to seek their fortune and freedom on the unforgiving American...
that he chose to name his band after it. However, Rodgers himself disabused the public of that notion in an interview with Spinner.com. He explained the idea came from a book of Victorian morals that showed a picture of an innocent kid looking up at an unsavory character leaning against a lamppost. The caption read "beware of bad company."
Bad Company consisted of four seasoned musicians: two former members of Free, singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke; former Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs; and ex-King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
bassist Boz Burrell. The band signed to Swan Song Records
Swan Song Records
Swan Song Records was a record label launched by the English rock band Led Zeppelin on 10 May 1974. It was overseen by Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant and was a vehicle for the band to promote its own products as well as sign artists who found it difficult to win contracts with other major labels...
/Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in North America, and with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in other countries. (Island Records had until that time been the U.K. home to both Free and King Crimson, as well as to Mott the Hoople for their first four albums; Atlantic, in turn, released King Crimson's and Mott's early albums in the U.S. through a licensing agreement with Island.) Atlantic/Warner Music
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
would later acquire the non-North American rights to the band's catalogue.
The 1974 debut album Bad Company
Bad Company (album)
Bad Company is the eponymous debut studio album by hard rock band Bad Company.The album was recorded at Headley Grange with Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio in November 1973....
was an international hit, with the group considered one of the 1970s' first supergroups. The group was managed by Peter Grant, who also managed Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
at the time and would manage Bad Company until 1982, when Swan Song Records folded. The album peaked at #1 on Billboards Pop Albums chart (North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
) and included two singles that reached the top 20 charts, "Can't Get Enough" at #5 in 1974 and "Movin' On" at #19 in early 1975. In 1975, Straight Shooter
Straight Shooter (Bad Company album)
Straight Shooter is the second studio album by British supergroup Bad Company. The album was released in April 1975, a month after the release of the single "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" and four months before the album's second single "Feel Like Makin' Love" .The album became a hit in America, making the...
reached #3 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart. The album also spawned two hit singles, "Good Lovin' Gone Bad
Good Lovin' Gone Bad
"Good Lovin' Gone Bad" was a 1974 TOP 40, major trans-Atlantic hit for English rock band, Bad Company. This track was written by the band's guitarist, former Mott the Hoople guitarist, Mick Ralphs. Paul Rodgers belts out this instant classic in his own precision, blues-gravel style. The song...
" at #36 and the slower "Feel Like Makin' Love
Feel Like Makin' Love (Bad Company song)
"Feel Like Makin' Love" is a song by British supergroup Bad Company. The song originally appeared on the LP Straight Shooter in April 1975 and was released as a single in August of the same year...
" at #10.
Bad Company scheduled a British tour, along with the band of former Free member Paul Kossoff, Back Street Crawler
Back Street Crawler (band)
Back Street Crawler was a group of blues and rock musicians founded by guitarist Paul Kossoff , signing to Atlantic Records in 1975. The band took the name from Kossoff's solo album, Back Street Crawler.- History :...
, to support Bad Company's 1976 album Run With the Pack
Run With the Pack
Run With The Pack is Bad Company's third album. It was released in 1976.Run With The Pack was recorded in France with The Rolling Stones Mobile Truck in September 1975 with engineer Ron Nevison and mixed in Los Angeles by Eddie Kramer...
as well as a new album by Back Street Crawler. This double headline tour was scheduled to commence on 25 April 1976, but was halted due to Kossoff's death on 19 March 1976.
Run With the Pack was Bad Company's first Platinum certified album. It was their third consecutive million-selling record, reaching #5 on the Billboard chart and featured the hit "Young Blood" that peaked at #20 on the Pop charts.
1977's Burnin' Sky
Burnin' Sky
Burnin' Sky is the fourth album by the band Bad Company. It was released in 1977 .Burnin' Sky was recorded in France at Château d'Hérouville in July and August 1976 with future Rolling Stones engineer Chris Kimsey but its release was delayed until March 1977 as to not compete with the band's...
fared the poorest of the first four that charted: the album's title song, "Burnin' Sky", only reached #78 on the Pop charts. 1979's Desolation Angels
Desolation Angels
Desolation Angels is a 1979 album by the hard rock band Bad Company. It was their 5th studio release. Paul Rodgers revealed on In the Studio with Redbeard that the album's title came from the novel of the same name by Jack Kerouac.Desolation Angels was recorded at Ridge Farm Studios in Surrey,...
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 synthesisers and strings. The album reached #3 on the Billboard charts and again had two charting singles: "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" at #13 and "Gone Gone Gone" at #56.
By the end of the 1970s, the band grew increasingly disenchanted with playing large stadiums. In addition, Peter Grant lost interest in the group, and in management in general, after Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
died on 25 September 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
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
—who has a black belt in martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
—was involved in a rather one-sided physical altercation with Boz Burrell and Mick Ralphs.)
A three-year hiatus from the studio ended with the release of Rough Diamonds
Rough Diamonds
Rough Diamonds is the sixth album by rock band Bad Company released in August 1982.Rough Diamonds, like its predecessor, Desolation Angels, was recorded at Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey, England in March and April of 1981 and engineered by Max Norman .It was the last album by Bad Company's original...
in 1982. This would be the sixth and final LP
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
in the group's original incarnation until four new songs were recorded in 1998. The album was the worst selling Bad Company album of those that had Paul Rodgers as the front man. The album peaked at #26 and featured "Electricland" (#74), that reached #2 on the newly created Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
After the release of Rough Diamonds, they disbanded. 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".
Despite being famous for their live shows packing the largest stadiums for almost a decade, Bad Company did not release an official live album of performances from this time period until the 2006 album Live in Albuquerque 1976
Live in Albuquerque 1976
Live In Albuquerque 1976 is a live album by hard rock band Bad Company featuring all four original members. The recordings were made by Mick Ralphs, who regularly taped the group's shows in the '70s, so the band could use them to finely tune their set and performances. The album was released on...
. The recordings were made by Mick Ralphs, who regularly taped the group's shows, utilising them as a tool to finely tune their set and performances. Bootlegs
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
of Bad Company's live performances from this period were also available, including "Boblingen Live" (1974), "Live in Japan" (1975) and "Shooting Star Live at the L.A. Forum" (1975).
Brian Howe era (1986–1994)
In 1986 Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke decided to reteam for a new project. Their label, Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, however, insisted they resume the Bad Company name. But Paul Rodgers was already engaged with a new supergroup called The Firm. So the remaining two members hired ex-Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
vocalist Brian Howe
Brian Howe (singer)
Brian Anthony Howe is an English rock singer and songwriter, best known for replacing Paul Rodgers as the lead vocalist of Bad Company. Howe's career was jump-started in 1983 when Ted Nugent recruited him to handle lead vocals for his Penetrator album and front its subsequent world tour.-Early...
as the new lead singer, Steve Price as the new bass player and Greg Dechert (ex-Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
) on keyboards. Howe's vocal style brought more of a pop-rock sound to the band, as opposed to Rodgers' more bluesy style. The band hired Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
producer Keith Olsen to produce the new lineup's initial album, 1986's Fame and Fortune
Fame and Fortune
Fame And Fortune is the seventh album by Bad Company, released in 1986.The first Bad Company album released by the reformed Bad Company. Released in 1986, the album features original members Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke , with the addition of new frontman Brian Howe substituting for original...
. Reflecting the musical style of the mid-80s, the album was laden with keyboards, unlike previous Bad Company albums, and was only modestly commercially successful, failing to break the Top 100. The single "This Love" managed to reach #85 on the Singles charts, but was not the success the band hoped for.
Burrell agreed to rejoin the band and was name checked on the Fame and Fortune album, even though he did not play on it. But just before the supporting tour, he left once again. Price then returned. In 1987 Dechert was dropped from the lineup as the group decided not to play up the keyboards in their sound as much. They toured that year supporting Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
.
For the next Howe-era album, 1988's Dangerous Age
Dangerous Age
Dangerous Age is the eighth album by hard rock band Bad Company, and their second album with Brian Howe in place of Paul Rodgers as lead vocalist and Steve Price in place of Boz Burrell as bass guitarist, released in 1988...
, the band replaced Olsen with producer Terry Thomas, who got rid of most of the keyboards and returned the band to a guitar-driven sound. Thomas also added small amounts of keyboards as well as rhythm guitars and backing vocals and wrote most of the songs with the band. Dangerous Age fared better than its predecessor, spawning several MTV videos and the AOR hits "No Smoke Without A Fire" (#4), "One Night" (#9) and "Shake It Up" (#9, also #89 on the Singles charts). The album went Gold and hit the Top 60. For the Dangerous Age tour, the band were augmented by Larry Oakes (keyboards, guitar), who had also played with Foreigner. Price and Oakes left at the conclusion of the tour.
After the Dangerous Age tour, during which the band travelled separately from Howe as they could no longer tolerate his behaviour, they set about finding a replacement for him. However, Howe, hoping to launch a solo career, was unable to secure a record deal and eventually the band was forced to allow him back as a result of pressure from outside influences to produce a new album.
The band's next album, Holy Water released in June 1990 on Atco
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
, also produced by Thomas, was enormously successful both critically and commercially, attaining Top 40 and Platinum status by selling more than one million copies. Holy Water was the band's first album on the Atlantic subsidiary Atco Records. The album spun off the singles: "If You Needed Somebody" (#16), the title track "Holy Water" (#89) and "Walk Through Fire" (#28). "Holy Water" also hit #1 for 2 weeks on the AOR charts with "If You Needed Somebody" reaching #2. The album received significant radio airplay (five songs made the AOR charts in all) and spawned several video hits. Felix Krish played bass on the CD while Paul Cullen was recruited for live shows. Mick Ralphs, who was taking care of personal and family matters, sat out for most of the Holy Water tour, although he did perform on the album. Ralphs was replaced on the road and in the videos by ex-Crawler guitarist Geoffrey Whitehorn. Ralphs returned later on during the tour and Whitehorn joined Procol Harum where he still plays to this day. Also joining at this time was ex-ASAP guitarist Dave "Bucket" Colwell
Dave Colwell
Dave "Bucket" Colwell is a guitarist from the United Kingdom and has been a member of Bad Company, Samson, ASAP, The Eastenders, The Entire Population of Hackney, Angel Street and FM...
as second guitarist. Many of the dates on the tour were successful and featured Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees (band)
Damn Yankees was an American hard rock supergroup.-History:The band was formed in 1989, consisting of Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Ted Nugent of The Amboy Dukes and a successful solo career, and Michael Cartellone...
as co-headliners. The tour was one of the most profitable of 1991, a year which saw many other rock acts facing a downturn in concert attendance brought on by rising ticket prices and economic recession.
The final studio album of the Howe era, 1992's Here Comes Trouble, featured the Top 40 hit "How About That" (#38) and "This Could Be The One" (#87). The album went Gold. Before touring in support of Here Comes Trouble, the band added ex-Foreigner, Roxy Music and Small Faces bassist Rick Wills
Rick Wills
Rick Wills , is a British bass player. He is best known for his work with rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces and Bad Company.-Career:...
and Colwell, a protégé of Ralphs, was now a full-time member. The band recorded a live album, What You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad Company
What You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad Company
What You Hear Is What You Get with subtitle The Best Of Bad Company is a live album by hard rock band Bad Company, with Brian Howe in place of Paul Rodgers as lead vocalist. Released in 1993, the album covers the 1992 U.S tour, with much of the recording done at various California dates...
on the Here Comes Trouble tour. The album, released in November 1993, featured live versions of hits from both the Rodgers and Howe eras of the band, but sold poorly.
Howe left the band in 1994. Regarding his departure from the band, Howe stated: "Leaving Bad Company was not a difficult decision. It had got to the point where nobody was contributing anything to songwriting and quite frankly, the band was getting very very sloppy live. I quite simply, along with Terry Thomas, got tired of doing all the work and then getting nothing but resentment for it from Mick and Simon."
Robert Hart era (1995–1997)
After Howe's departure, the remaining foursome hired ex-DistanceDistance (band)
Distance was a late-1980s rock/funk band led by bassist/producer Bernard Edwards, patterned after the Power Station. The band was composed of former Chic and Power Station members Edwards and Tony Thompson with future Bad Company member Robert Hart on lead vocals, and noted session musicians...
vocalist Robert Hart
Robert Hart (musician)
Robert Hart is an English rock vocalist and songwriter. He is the lead singer of Manfred Mann's Earth Band. He has performed as a solo artist, and with The Distance and also with former Whitesnake members in the band called Company of Snakes and with Bad Company...
to take over lead vocal duties. Unlike Howe (who had a different style and a higher range), Hart was closer in voice and an imitator of Rodgers. The new lineup released Company of Strangers in June 1995 which came out on EastWest Records and peaked at #159 on the Album charts. It produced the AOR hit "Down And Dirty" (#17). Stories Told & Untold
Stories Told & Untold
Stories Told & Untold is a reprise album by hard rock band Bad Company released in 1996. It was the last with the 1995 line-up of Bad Company including Robert Hart, who had replaced Brian Howe, on lead vocals...
was released in October 1996 and bombed commercially. The album contains re-recordings of seven of Bad Company's biggest hits ("told" stories), and seven new songs ("untold" stories). Many of these were recorded in Nashville and featured guest appearances by country stars such as Vince Gill.
Second Paul Rodgers era (1998–2002)
In 1998 Rodgers and Kirke were discussing release of an extensive compilation album with a biography and pictures for the fans. Rodgers decided the album should include four new songs. He finally reunited with the other three original members in the studio to record these four new tracks. The reunion was short, but it produced a Top 20 AOR hit with "Hey Hey" (#15). The second new song "Hammer of Love" peaked at #23. The new tracks appeared on the compilation album called The Original Bad Company AnthologyThe Original Bad Company Anthology
The Original Bad Co. Anthology is a compilation album released by Bad Company in 1999 on Elektra Records. This album marks Bad Company's first new songs since 1982 to feature original lead singer Paul Rodgers. In addition to the classic hits, it also features six B-sides and outtakes. Technical...
released in March 1999, which only charted at #189. Many fans were displeased with the track listing which left off many favourites, although a number of rare tracks did appear. The reunited original foursome toured in the summer of '99 for only 30 dates in the US. The shows drew well. The following year, Ralphs announced he was retiring from live performing and Burrell left again as well bringing the reunion to an end.
Paul Rodgers again rejoined Kirke in 2001 for a tour that kicked off in the US and included co-headlining dates with Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
and Billy Squier
Billy Squier
William Haislip "Billy" Squier is an American rock musician. Squier had a string of arena rock hits in the 1980s. He is best known for the song "The Stroke" on his 1981 album release Don't Say No...
as special guest. Wills and Colwell took over for the departed Ralphs and Burrell. The tour did decent business then moved to the UK. The band secured some dates on the West Coast of the US to record a new live album and DVD Merchants of Cool, which featured the song "Joe Fabulous", which hit #1 on radio and the top 20 on Mainstream Rock Radio in the US in its debut week. The Merchants of Cool promotional tour in 2002 once again featured Kirke and Rodgers as the only original members left. Colwell again took lead guitar and Jaz Lochrie
Jaz Lochrie
Jaz Lochrie is a bass guitarist born in Scotland, UK.Credits have included Bad Company, Go West, Psychedelix, Paul Rodgers, Pete Townshend, British Rock Symphony, Mamma Mia! The Musical, David Knopfler, Breathe and many others.-References:...
, who had played live and recorded with Paul Rodgers from 1995 on, was on bass. Guest performers at the shows included former Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
guitarist Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
and Neal Schon
Neal Schon
Neal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
of Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
fame. After the 2002 tour, Bad Company went inactive once again as Rodgers returned to his solo career.
Recent events (2005-present)
In 2005 a DVD called Inside Bad Company 1974-1982Inside Bad Company 1974-1982
Inside Bad Company 1974–1982 is a documentary of hard rock band Bad Company released in 2005. The DVD reviews Bad Company on stage, on film and on record, with rare film never previously available. Founding member Simon Kirke and biographer Steven Rosen revisit on the life and work of the classic...
was released that reviews Bad Company on stage, on film and on record. It also interviews Simon Kirke and has some live recordings from the 70s and 80s. This was an unauthorized release.
In 2005 Paul Rodgers began touring and playing Bad Company songs with Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. It was stated, including on Brian May's own website, "that Rodgers would be featured with Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
as: Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
, not replacing the late Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
". The CD and DVD of their collaboration was released in 2005 called Return of the Champions
Return of the Champions
Return of the Champions is a double live album by English rock band Queen + Paul Rodgers. It was recorded in May 2005 during the Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour at the Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield, England and released on 19 September 2005...
with songs by Queen, Bad Company and Free. On 28 April 2006, they released a live DVD from their show in Tokyo called Super Live in Japan
Super Live in Japan
Super Live in Japan is a DVD by Queen + Paul Rodgers, capturing the performances in Saitama Super Arena in Japan on 27 October 2005 from their world tour, featuring songs from both Queen and Rodgers' catalogues. 15 of these songs will become available on DVD to the rest of the world as a Bonus DVD...
. There are many bootlegs
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
from nearly every show of the 2005 and 2006 tours in audio, as well as a few in video form.
In 2006 a limited edition CD of 24 carat gold was released of the first Bad Company album (Bad Company
Bad Company (album)
Bad Company is the eponymous debut studio album by hard rock band Bad Company.The album was recorded at Headley Grange with Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio in November 1973....
). After taking over a year to find the original master tapes, the analog masters were put through a proprietary analog-to-digital converter
Analog-to-digital converter
An analog-to-digital converter is a device that converts a continuous quantity to a discrete time digital representation. An ADC may also provide an isolated measurement...
that remastered the songs for the best possible sound.
Boz Burrell died of a heart attack on 21 September 2006, aged 60, at his home in Spain.
On 6 May 2007 Robert Hart, Dave "Bucket" Colwell and Jaz Lochrie performed in a small pub in Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
for The Macmillan Cancer Trust. Performing as Rock and Roll Fantasy, they offered a show of Bad Company songs for an audience of just a few hundred. They were joined by Mick Ralphs. Chris Grainger was the drummer.
In 2008 "Mick Ralphs' Bad Company" toured in the following formation: Robert Hart, Mick Ralphs, Dave "Bucket" Colwell, Jaz Lochrie, Gary "Harry" James.
On 2 July 2008, it was announced that the original remaining line-up of Bad Company would do a one-off gig at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on 8 August 2008. According to Paul Rodgers, they did this gig in order to "protect the legacy they have built and cement the rights to the trademark Bad Company for touring. The live performance was released on Blu-Ray, DVD, and CD on 9 February 2010 and the tracks include 17 Bad Company hits. Rodgers dedicated "Gone, Gone, Gone" to original bassist Boz Burrell, who died in 2006.
Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke performed together again during the summer of 2009, playing 10 shows throughout the United States. The band then played shows in the UK during April 2010, before embarking on tours through North America and Japan that lasted from July to October.
Rodgers has said that at the moment "there will be no further plans for Bad Company", explaining that he is working on solo material, however he hasn't ruled out more activities from the band. Speaking to The Times Record, he said: ""We aren't saying never - we never want to say never. We aren't putting Bad Company to bed, as they say, but the band definitely is something that will be placed onto the back burner."
In March 2011 a budget live release Extended Versions was issued, taken from the band's UK tour in 2010. The CD debuted at #139 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums Chart and featured 10 selections, and climbed as high as #84 on the chart. This is the first Bad Company album to chart in 12 years.
Former members
- Simon KirkeSimon KirkeSimon Kirke is an English rock drummer best known as a member of Free and Bad Company.-Biography:...
- drums, percussion, guitar, vocals (1973–1982, 1986–2002, 2008–2010) - Mick RalphsMick RalphsMichael Geoffrey "Mick" Ralphs is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was a founding member of rock bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company.-Career:...
- guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (1973–1982, 1986–2000, 2008–2010) - Boz BurrellBoz BurrellRaymond "Boz" Burrell was an English musician. Originally a vocalist, Burrell is best known for his bass playing and work with the rock bands King Crimson and Bad Company.-Career:...
- bass (1973–1982, 1986, 1998–1999) - Paul RodgersPaul RodgersPaul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
- lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica (1973–1982, 1998–2002, 2008–2010) - Brian HoweBrian Howe (singer)Brian Anthony Howe is an English rock singer and songwriter, best known for replacing Paul Rodgers as the lead vocalist of Bad Company. Howe's career was jump-started in 1983 when Ted Nugent recruited him to handle lead vocals for his Penetrator album and front its subsequent world tour.-Early...
- lead vocals (1986–1994) - Steve PriceSteve PriceSteve Price is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for the New Zealand Warriors and Canterbury Bulldogs in the National Rugby League...
- bass, backing vocals (1986–1990) - Gregg DechertGregg DechertGregg Dechert is a former member of Uriah Heep. He was keyboardist for Uriah Heep between September 1980 and March 1981, replacing Ken Hensley after he left the band...
- keyboards (1986-1987) - Larry Oakes - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1986–1990)
- Paul Cullen - bass (1990–1992)
- Geoff WhitehornGeoff WhitehornGeoffrey Charles 'Geoff' Whitehorn is a guitarist and singer-songwriter, who has played as a member of If, Crawler and Procol Harum.- History :...
- guitar (1990–1991) - Dave "Bucket" ColwellDave ColwellDave "Bucket" Colwell is a guitarist from the United Kingdom and has been a member of Bad Company, Samson, ASAP, The Eastenders, The Entire Population of Hackney, Angel Street and FM...
- guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (1992–1998, 2001–2002) - Rick WillsRick WillsRick Wills , is a British bass player. He is best known for his work with rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces and Bad Company.-Career:...
- bass (1992–1998, 2001) - Robert HartRobert Hart (musician)Robert Hart is an English rock vocalist and songwriter. He is the lead singer of Manfred Mann's Earth Band. He has performed as a solo artist, and with The Distance and also with former Whitesnake members in the band called Company of Snakes and with Bad Company...
- lead vocals (1994–1998) - Jaz LochrieJaz LochrieJaz Lochrie is a bass guitarist born in Scotland, UK.Credits have included Bad Company, Go West, Psychedelix, Paul Rodgers, Pete Townshend, British Rock Symphony, Mamma Mia! The Musical, David Knopfler, Breathe and many others.-References:...
- bass (2002)
Touring members
- Lynn Sorensen - bass, backing vocals (2008-2010)
- Howard LeeseHoward LeeseHoward M. Leese is an American guitarist, record producer and musical director who played with Heart for 22 years...
- guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (2008-2010)