{"id":5559,"date":"2010-11-18T08:15:41","date_gmt":"2010-11-18T13:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=5559"},"modified":"2010-11-18T08:15:41","modified_gmt":"2010-11-18T13:15:41","slug":"gonzo%e2%80%99s-gems-%e2%80%9cthe-%e2%80%98original%e2%80%99-bad-company%e2%80%9d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=5559","title":{"rendered":"Gonzo\u2019s Gems: \u201cThe \u2018Original\u2019 Bad Company\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Sam \u201cGonzo\u201d Gonzales<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was the mid-seventies, I was hanging out with my neighborhood friends and shooting hoops in a carport when a suped-up white Dodge Charger whipped around the corner, raced up the street towards us and pulled in to the driveway next door. The driver, a guy in his late teens, jumped out and looked in our direction, acknowledged us with a cool head nod and disappeared into the house. I gave the Charger a closer look as my buddies continued on their quest for the ever elusive \u201cmystical hook-shot\u201d. <\/p>\n

Right off, I knew this car was different. It had personalized license plates with \u201cBad Company\u201d on it and there was a cool looking logo of a guy with wings, which in later years I came to recognize as the Led Zeppelin Swan Song logo, the label which Bad Company was also signed to. The guy reappeared minutes later, jumped in and started up his Charger\u2019s formidable engine, cranked up his eight-track player, pausing for our benefit and then, \u201cOne, two\u2026 one, two, three\u2026\u201c A killer power chord riff blasted out of the car speakers and a male singer sang, \u201cWell I take whatever I want\u2026 and baby, I want you\u2026 you give me something I need\u2026 now tell me I\u2019ve got something for you\u2026\u201d The guy gunned his engine and raced off in the direction he had come from. \u201cCool car, cool guy, cool song!\u201d My first Bad Company song, \u201cCan\u2019t Get Enough\u201d had just been unveiled to me.<\/p>\n

Considered one of the 70s first super-groups, Bad Company was formed in 1973 with ex-Free members, singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, ex-Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and ex-King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. The band had one of the finest voices in all of rock in Paul Rodgers and with the masterful backing of riffmeister Mick Ralphs, the rock solid rhythm section of Boz Burrell and drummer Simon Kirke and managed by the legendary Peter Grant the band threw themselves into recording their first album at Headley Grange while the mighty Led Zeppelin took a break from recording \u201cPhysical Graffiti. Bad Company went on to become one of the architects of stadium rock.<\/p>\n

Bad Company\u2018s self-titled debut, released in 1974, got it right straight out of the gate. The album is chock full of great songs and was recently voted by Classic Rock Magazine as one of the 150 Greatest Debut Albums Of All Time. Their first hit and the first track on the album is the classic, \u201cCan\u2019t Get Enough\u201d. The song is counted off and then we\u2019re immediately immersed in a Mick Ralphs riff that is as catchy as a riff can be and sets the tone for the entire song. Paul Rodgers then joins in with his strong and soulful voice. \u201cReady For Love\u201d is a slow, moody love song sung by a man declaring that he is truly ready for love. \u201cBad Company\u201d is piano driven song with an underlying moodiness that rivals any rock song out there dealing with a western theme. And finally, you\u2019ve got the fine rocker \u201cMovin\u2019 On\u201d. The song will have your toes tapping and your head bobbing to its rhythm. Nice start fellas!<\/p>\n

Released the same year as their debut album, \u201cStraight Shooter\u201d didn\u2019t skip a beat and picked up right where their debut album had left off with a hard rockin\u2018 \u201cGood Lovin\u2019 Gone Bad\u201d. Talk about attitude. But then again, why not? \u201cCause I\u2019m man, I got my pride, I don\u2019t need a woman to hurt me inside, I need a love like any other, yeah, so go on and leave me, leave me for another\u2026\u201d Now comes the rock ballad, \u201cFeel Like Makin\u2019 Love\u201d to calm everybody down. It\u2019s a beautiful song and can be found on countless rock ballad compilations. Next, \u201cDeal With The Preacher\u201d rocks out and sounds like \u201cGood Lovin\u2019 Gone Bad\u2018s\u201c little brother. The Gem and my all time favorite Bad Company song is \u201cShooting Star\u201d. Such a favorite, that years later when I picked up the guitar, I learned to play \u201cShooting Star\u201d. I love the opening lyrics, \u201cJohnny was a schoolboy, when he heard his first Beatles song\u2026 Love Me Do I think it was, and from there it didn\u2019t take him long\u2026\u201d It\u2019s a rags to riches rock \u2018n\u2019 roll song that ends in the sad demise of \u201cJohnny Rockstar\u201c.<\/p>\n

Bad Company continued its streak of hit albums with \u201cRun With The Pack\u201d. Released in 1975, we go on living for the music with the mid-temp rocker, \u201cLive For The Music\u201d. The \u201cZZ Top\u201d sounding \u201cHoney Child\u201c rolls in and rocks us for 3 minutes and 17 seconds. \u201cRun With The Pack\u201d chugs along nicely with heavy piano, a smoldering solo by Mick and the added orchestration at the end of the song is a nice touch. Also included on the album is a decent cover of The Coaster\u2018s 1957 hit, \u201cYoung Blood\u201d, written by the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Gem on this album is the gorgeous and sweeping ballad, \u201cSilver, Blue & Gold\u201d. A song of a love lost, Paul sings, \u201cIn the beginning, I believed every word that you said\u2026 now that you\u2019re gone my world is in shreds\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Burnin\u2019 Sky, released in 1976, didn\u2018t fare as well as its predecessors, but the album does have its moments, like \u201cHeartbeat\u201d and \u201cMan Needs Woman\u201d. \u201cHeartbeat\u201d and \u201cMan Needs Woman\u201d were both delivered with the usual Bad Company flair. It had Paul\u2019s impassioned vocals, Mick\u2019s great riffage and fretwork and Boz\u2019s and Simon\u2019s dead-on backbeat. The band was beginning to show signs of wear and tear at this stage of the game.<\/p>\n

In early 1981, my brother Gilbert, discovered Bad Company. Firmly entrenched in his wild and carefree days, he heard Paul sing \u201cI can hear \u2018em say\u2026 bad company and I won\u2018t deny\u2026 bad company til the day I die\u2026\u201d The song was \u201cBad Company\u201d from their debut album and on the spot, my brother declared, \u201cThat\u2019s me, they\u2019re singing about me.\u201d Needless to say, it made quite the impression on him. And when our cousin Alfred, another Bad Company fan, introduced Gilbert to the album, \u201cRun With The Pack\u201d and its title song my brother declared that that song was also written for him and his drinking buddies, his \u201cwild bunch\u201c, his \u201cpack\u201d. Gilbert was now a huge fan of the band\u2018s and he decided to purchase his first Bad Company album, the band\u2019s most recent release, \u201cDesolation Angels\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cDesolation Angels\u201d, released in 1979, saw the use of synthesizer and strings. It was nice to see the band showing a resurgence of energy. The album kicks off with their huge hit and the now classic rock anthem, \u201cRock \u2019n\u2019 Roll Fantasy\u201d. \u201cHere come the jesters, one, two, three\u2026 it\u2019s all part of my fantasy\u2026 I love the music, and I love to see the crowd dancing in the aisles and singing out loud\u2026\u201c.
\n\u201cGone Gone Gone\u201d was the other standout track on the album. A pretty decent and successful album all around, but cracks were beginning to show.<\/p>\n

It was 1982 and I drove off the Navy base and headed to my friend\u2019s place in town. He had just purchased Bad Company\u2019s new release, \u201cElectric Diamonds\u201d, that day and he seemed pretty excited by it. He put it on and we listened to it. I do remember \u201cUntie The Knot\u201c being the standout cut for me. The song sounded pretty polished, but it was Paul\u2019s vocals that sealed the deal with me. He was and continues to be the personification of the true rock voice. Now to deal with things at hand. I was not bowled over by \u201cRough Diamonds\u201d like my friend was. The album seemed a little forced and it was missing the energy of previous albums. In all actuality, the band was going through some pretty tough times and would soon disband after the albums release.<\/p>\n

Paul Rodgers went on to solo career, while Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke continued recording under the Bad Company moniker. They went through two other incarnations of Bad Company. First they recruited ex-Ted Nugent lead singer, Brian Howe, who now brought a pop-rock sound to their music. They released four albums between 1986 to 1994 and racked up some nice hits before letting Howe go and shape-shifting into the third incarnation of Bad Company. Now Robert Hart was up at bat. Hart was a singer who sounded remarkably like Paul Rodgers and some considered him just a Paul Rodgers imitator. They released two albums between 1995 to 1997 with Hart before letting him go. Good things were in the horizon now as the original line-up were considering a reunion.<\/p>\n

The original Bad Company line-up reunited in 1998 and recorded four new cuts for inclusion on the \u201cThe \u201cOriginal\u201d Bad Company Anthology\u201d which was released in 1999. Included were five rare and unreleased cuts which served as a nice little trip back in time. The five songs had the classic sound and feel of early Bad Company, but my favorites tracks, requiring extensive listening, were the four newly recorded cuts, especially the two hits, \u201cHammer Of Love\u201d and \u201cHey Hey\u201d.
\nThe reunion proved to be short-lived, but I was lucky enough to catch the \u201cOriginal Bad Company\u201d in concert on June 24, 1999. With a marine friend and his wife in tow, we headed to the MCI Center in Washington, DC. My friend\u2019s wife, I learned was truly a big rock \u2019n\u2019 roll fan. I was impressed. He who has a rock \u2018n\u2019 roll wife is lucky, lucky fella. It turned out to be a great concert with all the original members playing all their hits with heartfelt enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

The following year, Ralphs announced his retirement from live performing and Burrell exited the band. Now it was Rodgers\u2019 and Kirke\u2019s turn to continue on with the band. New members were added on lead guitar and bass and they went on to record \u201cMerchants Of Cool\u201d soon thereafter. I lucked out and got yet another chance to see Bad Company in action on May 24, 2001 at JuneFest 9 in my hometown of Las Vegas. On the bill with Bad Company were classic rock bands Journey, Molly Hatchet, Night Ranger, Styx and Billy Squier. The new version of Bad Company played well and had the crowd in good spirits, but they were not the original line up. The following year, Paul Rodgers returned to his solo career. He did team up with Queen in 2005 to form Queen + Paul Rogers and they recorded and released \u201cReturn Of The Champions\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sadly, original bassist and founding member, Boz Burrell died of a heart attack on September 21, 2006, at the age of 60. When the remaining original line-up reunited for a one-off gig at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on August 8, 2008, they dedicated \u201cGone Gone Gone\u201d to Boz. \u201cWe\u2019d like to dedicate this song to our wonderful bass player, Mr. Boz Burrell, and his gorgeous wife Cathy. This is a song that he wrote. And it does indeed go something like this\u2026\u201d With that they jumped into a first rate rendition of \u201cGone Gone Gone\u201d. A nice tribute to their brother Boz. After Bad Company\u2019s successful 2010 tour, Paul returned to the UK as a solo artist to play ten shows across the country with very special guests Joe Elliot\u2019s Down \u2018N\u2019 Outz.<\/p>\n

Currently working on solo projects, Paul Rodgers has said, \u201cWe aren\u2019t saying never, we never want to say never. We aren\u2019t putting Bad Company to bed, as they say, but the band definitely is something that will be placed onto the back burner.\u201d The Original Bad Company, with Paul Rodgers\u2019 powerful, passionate and bluesy vocals, Mick Ralphs\u2019 blues-based rock guitar with riffs aplenty and Boz Burrell\u2019s and Simon Kirke\u2018s steady, locked on rhythm section created powerful and beautiful rock \u2019n\u2019 roll music. I am a fan for forever and a day. \u201cBad Company I can\u2019t deny\u2026 Bad company til the day I die\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>(DVD) \u201cBad Company – Hard Rock Live\u201d
\n(CDs) \u201cBad Company\u201d (1974) and \u201cStraight Shooter\u201d (1974)
\n(Songs) Can\u2019t Get Enough, Ready For Love, Bad Company, Movin\u2019 On, Good Lovin\u2019 Gone Bad, Feel Like Makin\u2019 Love, Deal With The Preacher, Shooting Star, Live For The Music, Honey Child, Silver, Blue & Gold, Run With The Pack, Heartbeat, Man Needs Woman, Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll Fantasy, Gone Gone Gone, Untie The Knot, Hammer Of Love, and Hey Hey<\/strong><\/p>\n

[youtube t0ryRksbQvU]<\/p>\n

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Purchase Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sam \u201cGonzo\u201d Gonzales It was the mid-seventies, I was hanging out with my neighborhood friends and shooting hoops in a carport when a suped-up white Dodge Charger whipped around the corner, raced up the street towards us and pulled in to the driveway next door. The driver, a guy in his late teens, jumped […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[981,2047,522],"class_list":["post-5559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boxing-news","tag-1970s","tag-bad-company","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5559"}],"version-history":[{"count":-3,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5559\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}