Simon Kirke: Free, Bad Company, Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band, Charity Road Recovery and More…

Exclusive interview by Karen Beishuizen

Simon Kirke is without a doubt one of the best drummers out there. He is a founding member of the rock bands Free and Bad Company. A new Bad Company album might be in the pipeline so keep an eye out for that!

KB: You were very young when you met Paul Kossoff? Tell me how you met him and that’s when you started drumming?

I had been drumming since the age of 13, when I moved down from the English countryside to London at age 18. That’s when I met Paul Kossoff in a band called Black Cat Bones. They were playing in a pub in London called the Nagshead. I was intrigued by the name and after their performance I introduce myself to Paul because he was an outstanding player. He told me that their drummer was leading that very night and they were auditioning new drummers the next day. So, I came back the next day and got the job. Paul Kossoff kind of took me under his wing even though he was a couple of years younger than me. And we became firm friends. After about six months Paul told me of an amazing singer who was in a band across town in London. He was leaving his band. They asked if I would like to play drums and I agreed.

KB: The two of you met Andy Fraser and founded Free? Who came up with the name and why?

We found the bass player Andy Fraser through a friend and mentor of ours named Alexis Korner. He was a big figure in the blues scene in London in the 60s and 70s. He came to our first rehearsal and was so impressed with the way we were sounding after only a couple of hours together. He came up with the name “Free”.

KB: Who wrote “All Right Now” and were you surprised it became such a huge hit?

All Right Now was written by Paul Rogers and Andy Fraser. It was really born out of a bad gig where we haven’t gone down particularly well, and the audience applause was lukewarm to say the least. When we got back to the dressing room, we said we really need a song everyone can dance to… And a couple of days later during the rehearsal we played All Right Now for the first time.

KB: Free broke up in 1973 and you and Paul formed Bad Company? Who came up with the name and why?

Bad company was formed from Free, Mott the Hoople, and King Crimson. My recollection of the name was that it was from a movie, a Western called Bad Company starring Jeff Bridges which had been released in 1973. It was advertised on a billboard in our local town and Paul Rodgers saw it and said that would make a great name for the band. There was also a book of Victorian memorabilia that Paul had and one of the pictures had this bunch of ne’er-do-wells hanging around on the street corner and the inscription was something like “does your mother know you’re keeping bad company?” So, it seemed prophetic that would be the name of the band.

KB: The debut album Bad Company was very successful: How do you explain that and what makes a successful album?

The success of the first album was phenomenal. And it was because of several factors. We had come from three well-known bands, and we were quite experienced for our age. We also teamed up with Peter Grant who is an amazing manager and who managed the biggest band in the world at that time: Led Zeppelin. And they were launching their own record label with a lot of publicity and so all these factors helped tremendously … A successful album has to contain at least two or three good songs. Songs that will stand the test of time: Quite honestly you only need one song for an album to be successful, especially back in those days although we were lucky to have six or seven really good songs which received a lot of radio play.

KB: You have been touring with Sir Ringo Starr in his All-Star Band? How was that and who else was in that band? Were you and Sir Ringo both drumming?

It was one of the highlights of my career to be invited to play with Ringo Starr and his All-Star band. I was in several incarnations of the band. The first band had Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce, Gary Broker, Mark Rivera, Ringo, and me. The second one had Todd Rundgren, Eric Carmen, and Dave Edmonds… It was a pleasant relief to be able to play with such a gifted musician and step outside the bounds of the company for a while. I thoroughly enjoyed that experience. And yes, Ringo and myself we’re on two different drum kits

KB: You are a governor on the board of Naras: What is this and what do they do?

Naras is the board which gives out the Grammys. It’s been around for quite a long time, and I have been on the board for quite a while but because of the pandemic have not attended for some time now.

KB: You are on the board of Road Recovery: What is this and what do they do?

Road recovery is an organization which helps young adults and teenagers who deal with addiction, substance abuse, sexual abuse and so on. We use music to bring them together and to heal. It’s a wonderful organization and I’m proud to have been connected to them now for about 15 years. We have helped literally thousands of kids.

KB: Are you currently playing somewhere or on tour? Anything new in the pipeline?

Right now, I am doing solo shows as well. As appearances with a wonderful guitarist named GE Smith. Hopefully Bad Company will tour soon when it’s safer to do so. We are doing a new album when everything hits the fan so hopefully, we’ll be able to restart when things die down

KB: If you were to make an album with 7 of your favorite songs (No Free or Bad Company): which songs would you pick and why?

My seven songs in no particular order would be:

“Chest Fever” by The Band. One of the most influential groups in my generations bands. This song has everything: great keyboards, great drumming. The song is from the first album “Big Pink”.

“Crossroads” by Cream. From the Wheels Of Fire Live album. Showcasing Eric Clapton who I believe was 24 at the time. This feature is one of the greatest guitar solos of all time.

“In My Life “by The Beatles. They were a huge influence on me and just about every group from my era and eras after that. Come to think of it: They changed the world!

“Down In The Valley ” by Otis Redding. I always loved blues and R&B and soul music and Otis was at the forefront. His singing is just amazing and his drummer, Al Jackson Jr. was my number one influence.

“Hey Jude” by Wilson Pickett. One of the great vocal performances of all time

“Mother Nature” by The Temptations. Featuring Dennis Edwards on vocals vastly underrated singer. This is another wonderful vocal performance.

“I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt. A poignant love song sung by one of the greatest female singers.

Check out Simon’s website: HERE
Check out Bad Company’s website: HERE