Bad Company

Bad Company biography

Bad Company was 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 fellow British rock band Led Zeppelin's rise to fame, managed the band. Bad Company enjoyed great success throughout the 1970s. Many of their singles, such as "Bad Company", "Can't Get Enough", "Good Lovin' Gone Bad", and "Feel Like Makin' Love", retain popularity with rockers of both the past and present decades. To this day, their songs remain staples of classic rock radio.

History

Original Paul Rodgers era (1973-1982)

Rumour has it that singer Paul Rodgers was so enamoured of the Jeff Bridges film Bad Company that he chose to name his band after it. However, Rodgers himself disabused the public of that notion in an interview with Spinner.com. He explained the idea came from a book of Victorian morals that showed a picture of an innocent kid looking up at an unsavory character leaning against a lamppost. The caption read "beware of bad company."

Bad Company consisted of four seasoned musicians: two former members of Free, singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke; former Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs; and ex-King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. The band signed to Swan Song Records/Atlantic Records in North America, and with Island Records in other countries. (Island Records had until that time been the U.K. home to both Free and King Crimson, as well as to Mott the Hoople for their first four albums; Atlantic, in turn, released King Crimson's and Mott's early albums in the U.S. through a licensing agreement with Island.) Atlantic/Warner Music would later acquire the non-North American rights to the band's catalogue.

The 1974 debut album Bad Company was an international hit, with the group considered one of the 1970s' first supergroups. The group was managed by Peter Grant, who also managed Led Zeppelin at the time and would manage Bad Company until 1982, when Swan Song Records folded. The album peaked at #1 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart (North America) and included two singles that reached the top 20 charts, "Can't Get Enough" at #5 in 1974 and "Movin' On" at #19 in early 1975. In 1975, Straight Shooter reached #3 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart. The album also spawned two hit singles, "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" at #36 and the slower "Feel Like Makin' Love" at #10.

Bad Company scheduled a British tour, along with the band of former Free member Paul Kossoff, Back Street Crawler, to support Bad Company's 1976 album Run With the Pack as well as a new album by Back Street Crawler. This double headline tour was scheduled to commence on 25 April 1976, but was halted due to Kossoff's death on 19 March 1976.

Run With the Pack was Bad Company's first Platinum certified album. It was their third consecutive million-selling record, reaching #5 on the Billboard chart and featured the hit "Young Blood" that peaked at #20 on the Pop charts.

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