Bad Company is the very best Bad Company song among many.
Took my 13 year old to see his uncle play at The Forum with Joe Walsh,
my son's first real stadium rock show. We walked in and Bad Company
was playing and his jaw dropped from the band, the audience singing along,
the sound the lights…a real rock 'n roll show! He was excited to see his
uncle play, but he was blown away by Bad Company.
Don't tell my brother:)
Jimmy Wachtel
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Wait, what? How the fuck is Bad Company NOT in the Rock Hall? Utterly ridiculous.
Michael Witthaus
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Great points about Bad Co vs Foos
Wallace Sanders
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As the head of promo at atlantic at that time paul asked me to pick the first single. Those days I would listen in the car between NewYork and Greenwich. I pick the first single and he always thanks me.
Jerry Greenberg
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You are Good Company Bob.
Extol the virtues of the effortless, soulful sexuality of the great Paul Rodgers. The deft bluesyness of Paul Kossoff,The funky melody of Andy Fraser, the simplistic rhythmic power of Simon Kirke & the subtle, sexy hooks of the gifted Mick Ralphs. Bad & Free.. Fuck the RRHOF & be well...
Michael Des Barres.
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Bob - my wife Ann and I went to see Bad Co. at the local shed a few years ago, and it was great! Song after song I'm going "yeah... I know this one too! And this one! And this one!" We realized that we owned (and listened to) full ALBUMS back then. Of course we know all these songs... they are a part of a certain age group's collective DNA. And I agree that Rogers was a complete badass singer...
Dan Reed / WXPN
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Saw a lot of incredible shows in the 70s—even here in Lincoln, Nebraska. And the list of opening acts, in retrospect, was something to behold: Steely Dan for Zappa. Edgar Winter for West Bruce and Laing. Earth Wind & Fire for Santana (I think). Uriah Heep for the Beach Boys (no shit!). Saw Bad Company in Lincoln, Nebraska on their first tour as they opened for Edgar Winter (the year after they were the opener for WB&L). As a King Crimson and Mott fan, I was most interested in seeing Boz Burrell and Mick Ralphs. But Paul Rodgers blew me away. And you're right. "Bad Company" has a slinky, sinister Old West vibe—and I can still see Rodgers behind the keys wailing away. The fact that Bad Company et al are not even in the R&R HoF conversation is criminal. But at this point, what with the array of posers who continue to be nominated and inducted, I feel that by not being considered along with other seminal rock acts, Bad Company is actually in pretty Good Company.
DAVE BUCHHOLZ
Still in Lincoln, Nebraska
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Well said Bob. Both bands should be in the Rock Hall already, it's a no-brainer. "Seagull" is without doubt one of the greatest acoustic rock and roll songs ever.
Rory Johnston
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Like Groucho said, who wants to be a member of any club that would have you?
Paul is Everyman anyway - I have seen him play to 200 and 200,000 and he's the same guy, same swagger, same complete performer - he's a rock star and a front man and a worker bee, maybe in the reverse order, instantly able to capture the vibe of whatever it is the song calls for - for my money, it's between him and Ian Gillan as the most natural pipes - they go in and out of 5th gear so effortlessly and only hang there for a split second, for the power is a tease more than a display, making you appreciate the restraint!
I met him once and it was what you'd expect - classy, gentleman, old soul - and all business
Dennis Pelowski
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Paul Rodgers has got to be one of the best straight-ahead rock singers ever.
I saw Foo Fighters in Singapore when they opened for the far superior Sonic Youth. While I acknowledge Dave Grohl's role as Mr. Congeniality of the rock world, and I'm sure he's a wonderful human being, I'm still waiting for them to write a song anywhere near as good as anything on the first Bad Company album. Foo Fighters never felt like a proper band so much as a PR stunt with drums and electric guitars.
Paul Ruta, Hong Kong
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Enjoyed your Eagles review -- some hate their perfection. I love it -- a producer's wet dream.
But Bad Company's 1st being better than any Foos' album? The harder of the 2-disc set "In Your Honor" is the finest rock & roll CD produced in the last 20 years, hands down. To each his own....
Tom Werman
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I'm still living in hope of "Almost Free" with Paul and Simon plus Joe Bonamossa filling in for one of his heroes Paul Kossoff. And some jazz bass player.
Boz Burrell is often overlooked but he was an important part of the sound. Quite a different player but what would you expect with Robert Fripp as a teacher. And don't forget he was the singer in Crimson as well, before Bad Company.
Peter Burnside
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Agree 100%, Bad Company is classic, and Paul Rodgers sticks out in a good way even among the best,, nothing against anyone who's been nominated or inducted but many of them can't hold a candle to Bad Company.
Geronimo Son
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Paul Rodgers without a doubt one of the greatest rock singers ever.
Tag Gross
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Regarding Bad Company, I was a major Free and Mott The Hoople fan. I was in London, stopped by the Island Records office there and, if my usually reliable memory is correct, visiting (I think) former journo Jonh Ingham there, who dropped the needle on the turntable in his office on a white label test pressing of the first record by this new band featuring Rodgers and Kirke from Free and Ralphs from Bad Co. And from the very first notes of "Can't Get Enough," I knew it was a big deal.
Toby Mamis
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Totally Agree! I can still remember the FM station in NC playing full albums at midnight and listening to it every week not knowing what to expect. And then this album came on one of those nights Loved it ever since and always will. Second album was great as well.
Peace,
Van Fletcher
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I love the foo's but why isn't one of the greatest voices of R&R not in the HOF.
Paul Rodgers is the Rock Voice that has set the bar for singers ever since he arrived!
Bad Company was and still is the perfect example example of what is a rock band!
You are spot on!
George Cappellini
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Both should be in. Foo's are one of the only "modern" rock bands playing arenas/stadiums. I think everyone is realizing these hall of fame's/award shows are all BS and about politics these days anyway. Too many classics not inducted yet. Happy to see foo's in it though.
CJ Solar
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Yes Yes Yes. All Right Now and Can't Get Enough. Oh My God. Of course, I'm an old lady, so there's that.
Randi Swindel
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It's a shame that Bad Company isn't in the hall. I'm a producer in Nashville. You don't know that because I had to tell you. I'm 41 and I work with up and coming artists. I play Bad Company to them all the time. Bad Co. makes it sound so easy. Where are the hooks in modern music? Paul and Mick had them by the dozen. Everything just feels like one big verse today...with weaker solos...I'm doing what I can.
Schylar Shoates
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I worked at the Fabulous Forum in the 70's and saw Bad Co's Burning through the Sky tour. 1976 maybe? Anyway, managed to get to the back stage party and hung out for a while and drank some free beer. From what I remember, it ROCKED. I don't understand why Free/Paul Rodgers/Bad Co is not in the R&RHoF. Paul Rodgers is Rock & Roll. Maybe Jann Wenner is from Texas?
Alan Fenton
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Free, Mott the Hoople, and Bad Company not only belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame---
They deserve a whole wing.
Marty Bender
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What's cool about Rock Steady is...
. . . when the guitar hits that high note right after Rodgers sings "Rock Steady". Then the last time the guitar hits a note that is an octave lower. You expect the high note and Ralphs hits the lower note. Cool!
Steven Monk
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So right about BadCo and Free! Glad you point out the omission. Thank you!
All Right Now is my all-time fave song. Paul Kossoff is a most unheralded guitarist.
Used Bad Company for a Softball team I organized during law school that played in leagues in Queens and Nassau.
Corey Bearak
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Absolutely love this Bob.... Bad Company, and Free before that, were the essence of timeless bluesy guitar rock. Damn I miss music like this so much....
David Resch
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I've been advocating Bad Co. for the RRHOF for years and thought no one was listening. Thanks for the validation!
Danny Mager
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Dig your newsletter Bob, sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't. You won't care what I think, nor should you. That's cool.
Bad Company is amazing and, as you imply, underrated and often overlooked.
Your thing against Grohl and the Foos is hilarious and kind of pathological. Talk to your therapist about it.
Keep on rocking.
Matt Burnham
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Sorry,
Bad Company was their only really good album.
Rick Ciferno
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Cheap Trick's in and Bad Company isn't close...good lord..
Tom Clark on Maui
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I just loved this text - music combined with the hospital and your car! Thanks!
Martin Lorentzon
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Bob - if you've never heard it, you should check out Rickie Lee Jones's cover of 'Bad Company' from her most recent album, Kicks: https://open.spotify.com/track/38mNxijSijmitrrWkanjkQ?si=3KxMk4SVR3eWtuGMDQ2S7Q
Best,
Peter Wark
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Nobody sounds like Paul Rogers.
Bill Seipel
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This seems completely backwards to me with the RNR Hall of Fame. Bad Company should have been in a long time ago. Their music is timeless, most of these hits are still gold library songs, and even covered by current artists like Shinedown.
There is nothing more soulful than the way Paul Rogers sells you a song. The story of how their producer had him go out on the mountain to sing 'Bad Company' and get the natural reverb and feel of the song makes it a wonderful haunting song. The song Shooting Star is still one of the greatest stories told in rock, the sound of the Les Paul going to the neck pickup for the solo section, simply amazing with no fluff, IMO.
Bad Co should go first. No disrespect to the Foo.
Leni DiMancari
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Good one. Big Free fan so I was obviously gonna jump on Bad Company and they did not disappoint. And I totally agree about the song Bad Company being the best track of many great ones on that album.
Peter Roaman
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So great to read about Bad Company.
Made me put them straight on to my Spotify. Haven't knowingly listened to them for years.
You forgot Simple Man.
Love it!
Richard Griffiths
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Thanks for the great run-down on Bad Company...the Hall of Fame continues to be an embarrassing joke when one looks at the historical contributions of those who are "in" and those who are never considered.
John Bowes
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Bob, you're right, but Bad Company's music doesn't stand the test of time. It sounds very dated alongside that of its contemporaries. They will never get in. As for Foo Fighters, I find their music uninteresting in real time, today. I am baffled by their popularity. But it's why, if rock isn't dead, to paraphrase Frank Zappa on jazz, it sure smells funny.
Gary Yacoubian
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Foo Fighters are not in even in the same galaxy as Bad Co. First of all, they can write a great song. Oh, and the bonus of having the incredibly underrated rhythm section of Boz and Kirke, (check out Honey Child) and one of the best rock singers of all time. The HOF is nonsense. Ask Todd Rundgren.
Adam Bernstein
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Loved this piece.
I have long held these two simple things to be true.
1. Paul Rodgers is the greatest ever Rock Vocalist
2. Free is the most overlooked and underappreciated band in Rock History.
Yours In Rock,
Mike Marrone
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Dude, I agree. There are literally a ton of acts out there that haven't been nominated, and I really only saw 4 on the list that I thought were worthy of nomination, much less acceptance into the "Hall of the Pretty Good", and 1-2 there would be legit for a true HoF spot.
James Walker
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We get it: you're not a Foo Fighters fan.
But deciding to use them as your opener comparison to Bad Company's inability to get on the HoF ballot just shows your reluctance and cowardice to stand against the incomprehensible choices of Mary J. Blige (rock n' roll?), Fela Kuti (who?) and Dionne Warwick (you've got to be kidding), and instead pile on the easy choice, because hating the Foos is popular with hipsters and wannabe intellectuals such as yourself. I'd hope that even you would agree the Foos are at least marginally more rock n' roll than any of these artists, but obviously you won't admit it publicly, likely because you're afraid of being perceived as something that'll get you cancelled. Either that, or you really believe artists like Whitney Houston, an incredulous inductee, more represent the music, the style and the attitude of Rock than Dave Grohl & co. So which is it: you're a coward, or you're an idiot?
This isn't as much a defense of Foo Fighters as it is a calling out of you and your wimpish inability to stand against the nominations of artists who, while great in their own way, represent rock and roll maybe even less than you, which is hard to imagine.
Try growing a set of balls and speak out against nominations that make no sense, rather than driving the bandwagon of the impotent wimps of today.
Not surprised,
Aaron Spence
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Hi Bob,
a few years ago, Simon Kirke and GE Smith were recording a song for a movie soundtrack in my studio in NYC. Simon finished the drum track and then came into the control room to hear the take. As he sat behind me while I began to level and mix the basics, I noticed that my copy of Free: 'Molten Gold' Anthology was sitting to the left of the console with a few other CDs yet being that it was a larger package, it was noticeable. Btw, it had been there for weeks. Once i saw it, my eyes kept darting to it while thinking, "Simon must think i am such an ass kisser to place it there." I was so embarrassed. Suddenly, Simon is by my side grabbing for the Free anthology. He holds it up to his chest and while cradling it says, "my blankie." Maybe he saw that i had noticed it, maybe not but it diffused the moment. Simon and i have since become friends yet, I consider Simon's drumming a huge influence on me and it was a thrill to record him and his incredible British blues swing that day.
Rich Pagano
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The 1st album I bought and the 1st band I saw was at Earls Court (18,000 people) in London. When I saw Boz walk on stage in a white suit and cowboy hat I decided at 16 years old that I wanted some of that and started to think how I could achieve working in the music business at whatever cost, I wanted to travel the world and meet people and enjoy life even if it was hard work, to me it was a hobby and if I was any good the money would follow and I would never have to work for corporation.
The rest is history and I can not complain ever after the highs and lows over the last 40 plus years.
Stay, safe and well.
Sir Harry Cowell
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Bob .... I had the pleasure of representing Bad Company with one of the truly original and best barristers in the early days of the business WH became a great friend ... Stevens Weiss. We represented Bad Company with Paul, Simon & Mick. Three very distinct personalities that came from great English bands ( along with Boz ) to form the English Supergroup Bad Company and managed by Rock Manager Extrordinaire Peter Grant.
In London in the early days written all over the walls ... Clapton is God and also Rodgers the Voice. We are know Clapton was not god but a godlike guitar player. Paul Rodgers is the Voice.
Cheers,
Charlie Brusco
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Hey Bob
All of us at Bad Company thank you! And Paul was still one of your finest podcasts.
David Spero
Bad Co Management
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Thank you
I needed that
Peter Noone
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