Paul Rodgers of Free & Bad Company

[The Pagemeister]

 

 

[luvlz2]

 

 

[luvlz2]

 

 

[luvlz2]

On 3/13/2016 at 10:43 AM, Deborah J said:

Hi luvlz and Dd:-)

I will be at the 7/1 Atlanta date. It's Paul and Joe!  

 

Have you been youtubing any of the tour so far Deborah?

[luvlz2]

 

[luvlz2]

Just came back from seeing Steve Rodgers (Paul Rodger;s son), along with Joe Walsh and Bad Company and I really enjoyed it.

 

First Steve Rodgers came out with an acoustic guitar and started playing, unfortunately because some kind of technical issue with his microphone we could not hear him singing for nearly half of the first song, but when they got the microphone fixed he sounded great, he did maybe 5 songs. He has the same good qualities in his voice and playing as his dad. He got a good reception from the crowd.

 

Joe Walsh's put on an impressive performance, I really like Analog Man, as well as Turn to Stone and his others, and Bad Company knocked me out of me again with an impressive performance, Paul Rodgers was absolutely phenomenal...

[kingzoso]

4 minutes ago, luvlz2 said:

Just came back from seeing Steve Rodgers (Paul Rodger;s son), along with Joe Walsh and Bad Company and I really enjoyed it.

 

First Steve Rodgers came out with an acoustic guitar and started playing, unfortunately because some kind of technical issue with his microphone we could not hear him singing for nearly half of the first song, but when they got the microphone fixed he sounded great, he did maybe 5 songs. He has the same good qualities in his voice and playing as his dad. He got a good reception from the crowd.

 

Joe Walsh's put on an impressive performance, I really like Analog Man, as well as Turn to Stone and his others, and Bad Company knocked me out of me again with an impressive performance, Paul Rodgers was absolutely phenomenal...

Glad that you enjoyed the show.  I did not see Steve Rodgers and missed the first 20 minutes of Joe Walsh, like I said before, but again, Joe Walsh was who I was really there to see.  "Turn to Stone" and the "Bomber" were what I was really there to witness.  I really hope that Mr. Walsh returns to Dallas after his tour with Bad Company concludes. 

If he happens to skip Dallas and returns to Phoenix, I would really enjoy meeting you and seeing (in my opinion), one of the best Guitar players of all-time. 

[luvlz2]

On 5/23/2016 at 1:27 AM, kingzoso said:

Glad that you enjoyed the show.  I did not see Steve Rodgers and missed the first 20 minutes of Joe Walsh, like I said before, but again, Joe Walsh was who I was really there to see.  "Turn to Stone" and the "Bomber" were what I was really there to witness.  I really hope that Mr. Walsh returns to Dallas after his tour with Bad Company concludes. 

If he happens to skip Dallas and returns to Phoenix, I would really enjoy meeting you and seeing (in my opinion), one of the best Guitar players of all-time. 

It was a frickin good concert! Joe Walsh has done a couple of solo tours these last few years since the release of his album, he came here twice and I missed them both, glad I finally got my chance to see him solo, I may have seen him before, I just don't remember. Not sure how long before he will tour again.

[luvlz2]

Bad Company interview: Simon Kirke reflects

Ed Masley, The Republic - azcentral.com   May 18, 2016

 

Simon Kirke and Paul Rodgers were still in their teens in 1968, the year they formed the group that put them on the fast track, Free, breaking through two years later with "All Right Now". Blessed with one of hard-rock's most enduring riffs, the single peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 on its way to becoming a classic-rock radio staple.

 

After selling more than 20 million albums in a five-year run while establishing Rodgers -- in the eyes of Rolling Stone and countless fans -- as "England's premier hard-rock vocalist," Free imploded.

 

That same year, 1973, Kirke and Rodgers formed Bad Company, a supergroup of sorts, with Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell, picking up where Free left off with the opening riff of the opening song on their self-titled first album, "Can't Get Enough."

 

By the end of their initial run, in 1982, Bad Company had sent four albums to the Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic while rocking arenas on the strength of what certainly seemed like an endless supply of rock-radio staples, from "Ready for Love" to "Bad Company," "Movin' On" and "Feel Like Makin' Love," to name a fraction of the songs that made them famous.

 

We caught up with Kirke, who has a solo album, "All Because of You," coming out in July, to talk about the history he shares with Rodgers, what the future holds, what he thinks of the singers who stepped in for Rodgers while he was off doing his own thing, and more.

Question: You and Paul have been playing together since you were both 18. And you two stayed together, forming this band after Free broke up. You've obviously had two other singers. But here you are, back together again, on and off since 1998. What do you think it is that keeps bringing you two back together?

 

Answer: We are both 66 years old now, which means we have been playing together on and off for 48 years. As in any long journey, different paths were taken along the way several times but there is a mutual desire to keep Bad Company's legacy alive and intact.

 

Q: How would you say your relationship with Paul has evolved in those years?

 

A: As in any long relationship there have been ups and down, but there is a mutual respect and admiration for each other. From the first day I heard Paul sing, I have held him in the highest esteem as a singer and that is still true today.

 

Q: You've just released "Live in Concert 1977 & 1979." If those tapes have been sitting around since the '70s, what inspired you to put them out at this point, after all those years?

 

A: Quite honestly the record company came to us with the idea of releasing the album. We heard the tracks and said, "Let's do it." It captured the band at a high point in its live career.

 

Q: Did hearing those recordings bring back any memories of that point in your career?

 

A: Many memories came back. Sad ones for the most part of me... Some of the guys from that era -- not just BC -- are now no longer with us. Boz, of course, is gone as well as our old tour manager Clive Coulson and Peter Grant, our manager. John Bonham...

 

Q: Were things already starting to disintegrate at that point? Or were things still pretty good?

 

A: During that time it was good...wonderful times.

 

Q: What caused you to pack it in after "Rough Diamonds" in 1982?

 

A: After "Rough Diamonds," we were all tired form the endless touring and recording...really from 1968 to that point, 1980. It had been a long haul. We just needed a break.

 

Q: From what I've read, when you and Mick started working together again in 1985 or '86, you wanted to start a new project but the label kind of forced your hand to keep using the name Bad Company. Did that cause any friction with Paul when you essentially reformed the group without him?

 

A: Paul was not happy with it and justifiably so.

 

Q: What do you think of the music you did with Brian Howe and Robert Hart on vocals?

 

A: In all honesty I regret taking on Brian Howe. It was bad decision on mine and Mick's part. Robert Hart was a good singer. More in Paul's style but was not Paul Rodgers.

 

Q: Do you do any of the music you recorded with those other singers on this tour?

 

A: We do not do any of the music recorded during that time.

 

Q: I hear Mick Ralphs is sitting out this tour. What happened there?

 

A: Mick did not feel physically up to doing the tour... and on doctors advice decided to sit it out. The decision came just after we had announced the tour nationwide so the timing was bad...but we love Mick and had to abide by his decision. He will be back in the fall hopefully. I miss the old bugger.

 

Q: I love Rich Robinson as a guitarist. How has he been working out?

 

A: Rich is a great player and had added a lot to the lineup. We all enjoy having him on board.

 

Q: It's been 20 years since your last studio release and that was before Paul returned on vocals. Is there any hope of you going back into the studio with Paul to cut another album? And if so, are there any details you could share?

 

A: I would love to do another album with Bad Company. The door was never closed on that situation.

 

Q: How does it feel to be out on the road with Joe Walsh?

 

A: Joe Walsh is just a treat to be around. Lovely guy and one of the greatest guitarists ever to plug into an amp.

 

http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/05/18/bad-company-interview-simon-kirke/84508108/

 

[luvlz2]

Bad Company, Joe Walsh treat Phoenix to night of truly classic rock

Ed Masley, The Republic - azcentral.com   May 23, 2016

Photos: Lisa Webb

 

It's been 42 years since Bad Company dropped their iconic self-titled debut, a recording so loaded with hard-rocking classic-rock-radio staples, they managed to feature no fewer than six of the album's eight songs in the course of their Sunday performance at Ak-Chin Pavilion.

 

And their singer's reputation -- "England's premier hard-rock vocalist." as Rolling Stone once called him -- goes back even further than that album, to his work with Free.

 

Which is to say Paul Rodgers' vocals have held up surprisingly well after 40-odd years in the business. He sounded amazing, from the time they announced their arrival with "Live for the Music" through the set-closing "Can't Get Enough" and into the two-song encore, "Bad Company" followed by "Rock Steady."

 

 

Photos; Lisa Webb

 

Rocking a top hat and vest, Rodgers twirled his microphone stand and shook his tambourines while leading the fans in rousing singalongs on such obvious highlights as 'Ready for Love" and "Shooting Star." And yet for all the showmanship he brought to the proceedings, working the stage with an enthusiasm best described as boyish, it's that voice that ultimately mattered -- a soulful rasp that even now remains the perfect vehicle for their hard-rocking swagger.

 

And speaking of swagger, Simon Kirke, the other founding member in the current lineup, remains ideally suited to his role behind the kit, driving the beat with authority while also swinging on occasion, And when he stepped out from behind the kit, playing acoustic guitar on "Seagull, " he proved himself a brilliant lead guitarist, squeezing out Townshend-esque sparks with his thumb,

 

Guitarist Mick Ralphs was advised by doctors not to do this tour, so they brought in the Black Crowes' Rick Robinson, who proved himself a more-than-capable replacement, turning in an especially memorable slide-guitar solo on "Movin' On.' His lead-guitar duties were shared with Heart guitarist Howard Leese, who's been in the fold since 2008 and tended to handle the more melodic leads, although the two joined forces on the classic twin-guitar lead of "Can't Get Enough."

 

Bad Company took an interesting approach to pacing that definitely paid off, holding back on the bulk of their heaviest hitters for a crowd-pleasing climax of "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy," "Shooting Star," "Movin' On" and "Can't Get Enough" while saving two more of their biggest rock-radio staples for the encore.

 

Bad Company setlist

1. Live for the Music

2. Gone, Gone, Gone

3. Fell Like Makin' Love

4. Burnin' Sky

5. Electricland

6. Ready for Love

7. Crazy Circles

8. Seagull

9. Rock 'n' Roll Fantasu

10. Shooting Star

11. Movin' On

12. Can't Get Enough

 

Encore

 

1. Bad Company

2. Rock Steady

Photos: Lisa Webb

 

Photos: Lisa Webb

 

 

Photos; Lisa Webb

 

 

Photos: Lisa Webb

 

 

Photos: Lisa Webb

 

Photos: Lisa Webb

 

Photos: Lisa Webb

 

http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/05/23/bad-company-joe-walsh-concert-review-phoenix/84792732/

 

 

[luvlz2]

Joe Walsh and Bad Company dust off classic rock radio hits at New Orleans' Champions Square

By Keith Spera I KSPERA@THEADVOCATE.COM  May 27, 2016

 

Classic rock radio came to life at Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square on Thursday night, courtesy of Bad Company and Joe Walsh. Save for a smattering of deep cuts, both veteran acts kept surprises to a minimum in favor of chiseled versions of their hits.

 

But their tightly constructed showcases still felt organic, as all involved hail from the old school, which dictates that rock music need not be perfect, just powerful, rendered in real time by flesh-and-blood musicians, however grizzled.

 

As Walsh noted, it was indeed a "nice night for a concert," with a cool breeze blowing across the expanse of Champions Square along with the abundant guitar solos.

 

Bad Company arrived onstage precisely at 6:30 p.m. The current tour was to have featured three survivors from the band's classic 1970s lineup: vocalist Paul Rodgers, drummer Simon Kirke and guitarist Mick Ralphs. However, Ralphs dropped out before the tour with Walsh launched this month.

 

Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson was appointed the last-minute replacement. Robinson's pedigree of hard Southern rock with a groove was well-suited to the Bad Company catalog. He mostly dealt with rhythm parts as former Heart guitarist Howard Leese, a touring member of Bad Company since 2008, handled the bulk of the solos.

 

Quite frankly, Ralphs wasn't missed. Leese, an American by birth, even rocked a Union Jack guitar. In "Ready for Love," he carved out an especially sharp solo before squaring off with Robinson for an extended, powerful coda. The duo's six-string harmonies in "Can't Get Enough" soared.

 

Rodgers, one of rock's great voices, was in top form. His pipes are still robust and full-bodied, even-keeled and soulful. And he didn't parody himself by overdoing the frontman thing. The occasional microphone stand twirl, foray onto the drum riser or turn on a harmonica -- during "Feel Like Makin' Love"  -  or piano more than sufficed for theatrics. His singing carried the day.

 

Kirke revisited the fills that have inspired innumerable air drummers. He is not particularly flashy, but he doesn't need to be while servicing such sturdy, meat-and-potatoes fare. He worked well with Todd Ronning, who built the bass lines that are crucial to so many Bad Company romps. Kirke also stepped out front with an acoustic guitar during "Seagull," finger-picking the solo himself.

 

They revived "Gone, Gone, Gone," one of the few songs written by the late bassist Boz Burrell, and exhumed "Crazy Circles' from the 1979 album "Desolation Angels"; Robinson dressed it up with an acoustic solo as Leese worked a mandolin.

 

Tough, hard versions of "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" and "Can't Get Enough" closed the regular set, followed by a swaggering "Bad Company" in the encore. With that, their allotted time was up.

http://theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/neworleansnews/15919689-34/joe-walsh-and-bad-company-at-champions-square-in-new-orleans-first-impressions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.nola.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/05/bad_company_performs_in_new_or.html

[luvlz2]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[luvlz2]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Walter]

Tonight in Tampa they played pretty much the same set as was posted earlier, except they play "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and to our grateful surprise "Running With The Pack".  Good set.  "Rock Steady" was played before "Bad Company" in the encore.

[luvlz2]

6 minutes ago, Walter said:

Tonight in Tampa they played pretty much the same set as was posted earlier, except they play "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and to our grateful surprise "Running With The Pack".  Good set.  "Rock Steady" was played before "Bad Company" in the encore.

 Nice!

[Ddladner]

Thanks for posting the articles and videos, luvlz2. I was at the New Orleans show, it was a night to remember. Such a great outdoor venue, just outside of the Superdome.  We had great seats (I was almost in one of the pics you posted), but sadly, not close enough to catch a drumstick.  Or picks.  

[luvlz2]

21 minutes ago, Ddladner said:

Thanks for posting the articles and videos, luvlz2. I was at the New Orleans show, it was a night to remember. Such a great outdoor venue, just outside of the Superdome.  We had great seats (I was almost in one of the pics you posted), but sadly, not close enough to catch a drumstick.  Or picks.  

Most welcome Ddladner!

[luvlz2]

 

 

[Ddladner]

20 hours ago, Walter said:

Tonight in Tampa they played pretty much the same set as was posted earlier, except they play "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and to our grateful surprise "Running With The Pack".  Good set.  "Rock Steady" was played before "Bad Company" in the encore.

Cool! I would have loved to hear Lucy in the Sky and Running with the Pack!  

36 minutes ago, luvlz2 said:

 

 

Nice! Thanks for posting! 

[luvlz2]

PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ 6/11/16

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Brigante]

After his earlier request was ignored, Paul Rodgers has now asked his lawyers to stop Donald Trump from using All Right Now as one of his campaign songs. Rodgers is notoriously bloodyminded and has a long track record of digging his heels in if he thinks his views aren't being listened to, so I'm not surprised by this - but I dunno what the legal position is with things like this. Anybody know how this is likely to go?     

[in_the_evening]

Neil Young just went through something similar.  Trump countered with "we paid ASCAP an amount of money to use any of the songs they as a publishing house control", and Neil said "oh, OK".  Then Neil came back with something else, something along the lines of (I think) the license only covers use in a commercial venture (i.e. restaurant, shopping mall, etc), and a campaign rally is not that.  But the ASCAP license is kind of grey, I think one or both of them just dropped it.  Not sure how it all turned out.

[The Pagemeister]

Bad Company Debut New Song ‘Troubleshooter’

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/bad-company-troubleshooter/

[geekfreak]

5 hours ago, The Pagemeister said:

Bad Company Debut New Song ‘Troubleshooter’

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/bad-company-troubleshooter/

thanks dude....

[Badgeholder Still]