Simon Kirke
Encyclopedia
Simon Kirke is an English
rock
drummer
best known as a member of Free
and Bad Company
.
. Leaving school at 17, he returned to London and set about finding a drumming job in the booming blues
scene. After a fruitless 18 months he was resigned to returning to the country when he met Paul Kossoff
who was playing in a band called Black Cat Bones
. Kirke was offered the drumming position in the band for which he played for six months. Among others, Kirke played Hayman drum
s.
Simon and Paul Kossoff left the band and with Paul Rodgers
and Andy Fraser
formed Free
. In the four years Free were together they had an enormous influence on many bands on both sides of the Atlantic. Their biggest hit "All Right Now
", a number one hit in more than 20 territories and recognised by ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) in 1990 for more than 1,000,000 radio plays in the US by late 1989, and in 2000 an award was given to Paul Rodgers
by the British
Music Industry when "All Right Now
" passed 2,000,000 radio plays in the UK.
After the disbanding of Free
in 1973, Simon and Paul Rodgers
again teamed up to form Bad Company
. They were joined by guitarist Mick Ralphs
(Mott the Hoople
) and bassist Boz Burrell
(King Crimson
).
After Bad Company ended in 1982, Kirke was briefly involved with another band, Wildlife. Wildlife toured in support of the Michael Schenker Band around this time in the UK, their album was produced by former Bad Company bandmate Ralphs, and also featured Kirke playing saxophone on one track entitled 'Charity'. Despite being signed to Led Zeppelin's label, Swan Song, and Kirke's high-profile involvement, the album failed to sell. Wildlife's core members, brothers Chris and Steve Overland went onto greater success with the band FM
. Kirke returned to Bad Company when it reunited in 1986.
As well as touring with Ringo Starr's All Star Band on three occasions, Kirke is an accomplished songwriter, releasing Seven Rays of Hope in 2005. He has also worked with Wilson Pickett
, Bo Diddley
, Ray Charles
, Jerry Lee Lewis
, Keith Richards
, Ronnie Wood, and Eric Clapton
.
In 1980 Kirke played drums alongside Led Zeppelin
drummer John Bonham
for their two song encore in Munich.
A governor on the board of NARAS (the Grammy Award
Committee), Kirke lives in Manhattan
with his wife, Lorraine, and his four children. His daughter Domino
is trying to follow her father into a musical career.
Kirke made an instruction DVD
of hits from Bad Company and Free, entitled Lessons from a Legend: Simon Kirke. The DVD was produced by Rockstarz in 2006.
Kirke is a fan of Aretha Franklin
, and a recurring counsellor at Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp
.
He toured with Bad Company in 2009. He has been playing with New York
rock band Zeta Vang as a side project.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
best known as a member of 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...
and Bad Company
Bad Company
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...
.
Biography
Kirke spent his early years living in the borderlands of WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Leaving school at 17, he returned to London and set about finding a drumming job in the booming blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
scene. After a fruitless 18 months he was resigned to returning to the country when he met Paul Kossoff
Paul Kossoff
Paul Francis Kossoff was an English rock guitarist best known as a member of the band Free.Kossoff was ranked 51st in Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" -Early days:...
who was playing in a band called Black Cat Bones
Black Cat Bones
Black Cat Bones was a British heavy blues rock group from London.The band is perhaps best known for having had Paul Kossoff and Simon Kirke in its lineup, both of whom later joined Free in 1968...
. Kirke was offered the drumming position in the band for which he played for six months. Among others, Kirke played Hayman drum
Hayman drum
Hayman drums were introduced in the late 1960s, being made by an English manufacturer. The idea was to come up with a drum series to compete with the success of the large American companies of the time....
s.
Simon and Paul Kossoff left the band and with 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 Andy Fraser
Andy Fraser
Andy Fraser is an English songwriter and bass guitarist whose career has lasted over forty years and includes a notable period as one of the founding members, in 1968, at age 15, of the rock band Free.-Peak years :...
formed 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...
. In the four years Free were together they had an enormous influence on many bands on both sides of the Atlantic. Their biggest hit "All Right Now
All Right Now
"All Right Now" is a rock single by the English rock band Free. The song, released in mid-1970, hit #2 on the UK singles chart and #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "All Right Now" originally appeared on the album Fire And Water, which Free recorded on the Island Records label, formed...
", a number one hit in more than 20 territories and recognised by ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) in 1990 for more than 1,000,000 radio plays in the US by late 1989, and in 2000 an award was given to 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...
by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Music Industry when "All Right Now
All Right Now
"All Right Now" is a rock single by the English rock band Free. The song, released in mid-1970, hit #2 on the UK singles chart and #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "All Right Now" originally appeared on the album Fire And Water, which Free recorded on the Island Records label, formed...
" passed 2,000,000 radio plays in the UK.
After the disbanding of 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...
in 1973, Simon and 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...
again teamed up to form Bad Company
Bad Company
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...
. They were joined by 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:...
(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...
) and 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:...
(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...
).
After Bad Company ended in 1982, Kirke was briefly involved with another band, Wildlife. Wildlife toured in support of the Michael Schenker Band around this time in the UK, their album was produced by former Bad Company bandmate Ralphs, and also featured Kirke playing saxophone on one track entitled 'Charity'. Despite being signed to Led Zeppelin's label, Swan Song, and Kirke's high-profile involvement, the album failed to sell. Wildlife's core members, brothers Chris and Steve Overland went onto greater success with the band FM
FM (British band)
FM are a British AOR/'80s rock band. In the U.S., they are often referred to as FMUK. They have released eleven albums to date. Two of those, Indiscreet and Tough It Out reached the UK Albums Chart, whilst five of the band's singles made inroads into the UK Singles Chart.-Career:FM was formed in...
. Kirke returned to Bad Company when it reunited in 1986.
As well as touring with Ringo Starr's All Star Band on three occasions, Kirke is an accomplished songwriter, releasing Seven Rays of Hope in 2005. He has also worked with Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
, Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
, Ronnie Wood, and Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
.
In 1980 Kirke played drums alongside 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...
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...
for their two song encore in Munich.
A governor on the board of NARAS (the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
Committee), Kirke lives in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
with his wife, Lorraine, and his four children. His daughter Domino
Domino (band)
Domino is a pop/rock band from New York City. The lead singer is Domino Kirke, daughter of Free/Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke. Bandmate Jordan Galland first heard Kirke sing in a SoHo karaoke bar...
is trying to follow her father into a musical career.
Kirke made an instruction DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of hits from Bad Company and Free, entitled Lessons from a Legend: Simon Kirke. The DVD was produced by Rockstarz in 2006.
Kirke is a fan of Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, and a recurring counsellor at Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp
Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp
Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp is an interactive musical event that takes place in various cities throughout the United States, London, England, and the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. The events range from 3 to 6 days. Attendees play, write and record music in a recording studio alongside famous...
.
He toured with Bad Company in 2009. He has been playing with New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
rock band Zeta Vang as a side project.
Free
- Tons of SobsTons of SobsTons of Sobs is the debut album by English blues rock band Free, released on 14 March 1969. While the album failed to chart in the UK and reached #197 in the US, Free are still cited as one of the definitive bands of the British blues boom of the late 1960s even though this is the only album of...
(1969) - FreeFree (Free album)Free is the second album by English rock group Free, recorded and released in 1969. The band had spent time touring after their debut album Tons of Sobs the previous year, and there is a marked difference in the musicianship of the band as well as Paul Rodgers's voice...
(1969) - Fire and Water (1970)
- Highway (1970)
- Free Live!Free Live!Free Live! was the fifth album by English rock band Free, and their first live album. It was rush-released by Island Records to commemorate the band, who had broken up in April 1971...
(1971) (live) - Free at LastFree at Last (Free album)- Extra tracks :# "Burnin' " 5.57# "Honky Tonk Women" 3.13# "Magic Ship" 5.28# "Little Bit of Love" 2.37# "Guardian of the Universe" 6.07...
(1972) - HeartbreakerHeartbreaker (Free album)Heartbreaker is the seventh and final album by English rock group Free, that provided them with one of their most successful singles, "Wishing Well"...
(1973)
Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit
- Kossoff Kirke Tetsu RabbitKossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and RabbitKossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit is the 1972 rock album made by guitarist Paul Kossoff, drummer Simon Kirke, bassist Tetsu Yamauchi and keyboard player John "Rabbit" Bundrick. Recorded after Free disbanded when "Highway" flopped, drummer Kirke elected to remain with guitar player Paul Kossoff...
(1971)
Bad Company
- Bad CompanyBad 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....
(1974) - Straight ShooterStraight 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...
(1975) - Run With the PackRun With the PackRun 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...
(1976) - Burnin' SkyBurnin' SkyBurnin' 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...
(1977) - Desolation AngelsDesolation AngelsDesolation 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,...
(1979) - Rough DiamondsRough DiamondsRough 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...
(1982) - 10 from 610 from 610 from 6 is a compilation album released by British supergroup Bad Company in December 1985 on Atlantic Records label. All the songs on the album were previously released on Swan Song Records, a record label begun by Led Zeppelin in 1974...
(1985) (compilation) - Fame and FortuneFame and FortuneFame 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...
(1986) - Dangerous AgeDangerous AgeDangerous 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...
(1988) - Holy Water (1990)
- Here Comes Trouble (1992)
- What You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad CompanyWhat You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad CompanyWhat 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...
(1993) (live) - Company of Strangers (1995)
- Stories Told & UntoldStories Told & UntoldStories 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...
(1996) - The Original Bad Company AnthologyThe Original Bad Company AnthologyThe 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...
(1999) (compilation CD) - In Concert: Merchants of Cool (2002)