Simon Kirke on Artist Direct

Simon Kirke Sound Clips

You need Real Audio to hear these sound clips. Sound clips are used with permission of Simon Kirke. 

• Angel
• Going Home
• 100 Miles

Bad Company Singles from around the World

New name for Free At Last (Freeway)

FREE AT LAST

(Northeast Band)

Sound Clip 1              Sound Clip 2

CONGRATULATIONS  TO FREE AT LAST

Show Sat 15th March was SOLD OUT.

FREE AT LAST(Northeast will now be known as FREEWAY)

Watch out for FREEWAYS website.
Coming soon...........

Free's Company

Free/Bad Company Mania

Motor City Josh and Rob Tognoni

Motor City Josh from Atlanta on tour now in the UK.

Rob Tognoni, a brilliant singer and guitarist. Please check out his website.

The Official Simon Kirke Website

We are delighted to inform you Simon Kirke has now launched an Ofiical Website and can be found at www.simonkirke.com.

Paul Rodgers Tour Information

Chat Room Update

Valentine Special

The Meeting Place
I am delighted to share with you a happy story which all started in the Meeting Place on Allrightnow.com

During June of 2002, a fan from Scotland named Sue and a fan from the United States named Frank, started up a friendship .

Last November Frank went to Scotland to meet Sue.........And the trip worked out to be very successful. Sue is visiting Frank this March in the USA Frank says he knows this is a remarkable situation and hopes the relationship continues the way its going. They are both huge PR fans and want to thank him for having written and perfomed all these years. It was their mutual interest in music that was the vital link. Frank told me they are looking forward to a time when they both can see him in concert together.

He also wishes to thank Robert and myself for having the website for this initial connection to occur. I had met Frank in Atlantic City last year and it was a joy to have met him at long last. May you both enjoy whatever the futures holds for you both, A very Happy Valentines story woudn't you say? LUCY

Paul Kossoff Tribute Website

In the upcoming months a new website will be put together by Lucy and Ennio. If you wish to show any articles, photos, or memorabilia of Paul Kossoff please send it to piller@fan.net. Any musician who had the pleasure of playing with Paul, we would love to hear from you.

Heavy Load Greetings from Load HQ - UK

Quick update on the Heavy Load Club. It just gets better every time. There were more people rockin' last Saturday than ever before. Noteable important moments being the playing of (evenly dispersed throughout the evening) Movin' On, Allright Now, and one of those moments you remember for ever, when we played Feel Like Makin' Love as the last song of the evening at 2.00 a.m. joined by almost 200 very jolly Heavy Loaders clutching beers whilst participating in the sing-a-long finale of a truly amazing evening. Just 3 more weeks till we do it all again. (Saturday 1st March).

www.heavyload.clara.co.uk

Regards to Paul Rodgers fans everywhere. We love him and them!!!!

Rob and Karen (London)
 xx

Bad Co Guitar Tech

Andy Ball Andy Ball, guitar tech on Bad Company´s 2002 "Joe Fabulous" tour, has spent 15 years "man & boy" on the road, besides looking after Bad Co.´s Dave "Bucket" Colwell, he has worked with Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, The Catherine Wheel, Marillion, Crown of Thorns, Helloween & Uriah Heep amongst others. Andy uses a Peterson AutoStrobe 490. "Can´t beat a Strobe really, can you?"

The Voice of Rock

SUNDAY EXPRESS - 19/05/2002, Chris Goodman

PAUL RODGERS is a rock star. Consider the evidence. At the age of 53 he wears a translucent designer top, goatee beard, styled hair and blue-tinted shades, has houses in Surrey and Vancouver and an attractive young blonde girlfriend. Oh yes, and he has been called the greatest rock voice of all time.
"Singing is not just about the voice box, " argues the man who formed legendary supergroups Free and Bad Company. "It's the head and the heart, the body and the soul. I try to keep everything in harmony.
"Part of that is staying fit and not poisoning my system with too many dodgy substances. She won't even let me drink coffee, " he says, turning to Cynthia Michelle, his beautiful Canadian girlfriend and manager. She returns the cautioning glance of a strict mother. "But I'm a willing student, " Rodgers quickly adds.
In the Sixties, most young lads from Middlesbrough faced a life of drudgery in the shipyards or chemical works. But Rodgers discovered the blues and sought his fortune in London with Free, an era-defining band whose single All Right Now became No 1 in 20 countries during 1970.
When Free split in 1973, Rodgers formed Bad Company with Free drummer Simon Kirke, King Crimson bass player Boz Burrell and Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs. By the end of the decade, the supergroup had six multi-platinum albums to their name with hits such as Can't Get Enough Of Your Love and Shooting Star.
Rodgers left to go solo in 1982.
The band went on, after a fashion, but now he and Kirke are back and America is as welcoming as ever - as a new Bad Company live album and DVD now confirm.
The affable and professional Michelle leads Rodgers into a small room and sits opposite me at the table, her boyfriend at the head. Although known as a prickly interviewee, he turns out to be friendly and gracious - the Teesside tones softened but not forgotten after all the years away from Middlesbrough.
Rodgers is proud of the DVD, album and new material. He consented to Bad Company continuing without him but became annoyed by poor releases and is keen, along with his manager, to set the record straight. "One of the things I've noticed about Paul is that his definition of success is different, " says Michelle. "Some people think it's monetary, some think it's having screaming fans and fame, but for him it's putting out a good product and seeing the fans respond to that."
She spots us staring at her earnest proclamation and turns coyly to Rodgers: "That's just my observation of you." He gazes at her with either adoration or confusion - I'm not sure which.
Rodgers is from the sort of working-class background that spawned many Sixties and Seventies pop stars. "It's a similar background to The Beatles, " he says. "I see pictures of them in the early days and I recognise the kitchens - the little kettle, gas rings and jars. There wasn't a future staying in Middlesbrough as a musician. It was a place to get out of."
At 17, he and his band set off for London but halfway there the van broke down. His friends hitchhiked back to the North-east but Rodgers carried on.
He was fascinated by blues and R&B. "I was hearing this music and thinking, 'Wow!' I couldn't even imagine it being written.
I started to realise there was another world out there."
FORMING Free as a blues band, Rodgers was still just 21 when they split.
"We used to get Melody Maker and read it like the Bible. Suddenly we were the front cover. We walked on air, " he says of the young band.
In fact they were so young that their parents had to sign the record contract. "I remember my mam saying, 'Hadn't we better read it first?' I told her, 'It's a record deal, just sign it!'" Too many young egos brought Free to a close but they are still one of Britain's best-loved bands from that golden era. Fastforward to Bad Company's gigs last year and "the greatest rock voice of all time", as it was described by Guns N' Roses' guitarist Slash, is exercised as powerfully as ever, as the new live album shows - but what does Rodgers think of the tag?
"It's a great compliment, " he replies, trying not to look too proud. "I don't even try to live up to it. I just do what I do; my voice is a God-given talent. But I've worked at it as well, listening to the greats - Otis Redding, James Brown, John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles. I'm carrying that torch in some respects."
Rodgers preserves his vocals through a life of abstention. And if he were to fall off the straight and narrow, we can assume Michelle would put him right.
Nevertheless, the Seventies were famed for rock excess.
Signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song label, Bad Company shared Zeppelin's manager, Peter Grant.
With him, it was easy to indulge.
"He had fantastic contacts in the FBI and CIA, " Rodgers smiles.
"We were taken care of - private planes, limousines. He was a bad boy, but he was our bad boy!"
But Rodgers dragged himself away from bad influences around the time of 1977's Burning Sky album and now leads the life of a monk. "I went through the whole rock thing of self-destruction.
Fortunately I still have my marbles, " he says with relief.
"We were doing an awful lot of cocaine; I was so crazed on the damn stuff that I thought, 'That's enough, I'm never going to touch it again.' I'm one of the few people who can do that - I did it with cigarettes as well."
INTRUE reformed rocker fashion, he adds: "I rediscovered that meditation was much more mind-expanding."
Michelle reminds him:
"You did the same thing with drinking as well, five years ago.
You said, 'That's it.'" "That was actually the hardest, " says Rodgers, "because I had so much time on my hands.
There's not enough time in the day now. I don't have time to be drunk or out of my mind." As the first member of Bad Company to detox, Rodgers became an outsider, and with two children at home he left the band with the excuse of wanting to spend more time with his family.
"I gave up Bad Company like I gave up booze, " he chuckles.
He released six solo albums, receiving a Grammy nomination for his Muddy Waters Blues tribute album, and formed The Firm with Jimmy Page.
This year Rodgers is bringing Bad Company to the UK for the first time in 25 years - but he's most excited about his son and two daughters. "Stephen and Jasmine are in the Boa Band and they'll be supporting us, " he says. "They don't want to trade on their dad's name and here I am espousing them. But I've kept it quiet for long enough!"
So now Rodgers is a teetotal, non-smoking, drug-free, occasionally coffee-indulging, meditating father. But he can still play the rock star.
By the time our photographer arrives, Rodgers is decked out in a razor-sharp suit and stands for the camera looking like an icon.
Michelle gesticulates behind the photographer. Where her finger goes, Rodgers's eyes follow, until she is satisfied with the angle of his head. Her trusty comb ruthlessly deals with any hair that dares to fall out of place.
It does the job. Rodgers has the greatest rock voice of all time and Michelle has him looking the part. One of Britain's prodigal sons is back.

Kunes, Kirke, Hilfiger and Edwards

Don Hill's N.Y.C. on December 3rd, 2002

• Jimmy Kunes-gtr.,vocals,harp
• Simon Kirke-drums/vocals
• Andy Hilfiger-bass guitar
• Bruce Edwards-guitar.

  

Photos courtesy Jill MacKenzie

The band played songs from the upcoming record GATE OF ALL SAINTS (featuring Simon Kirke,Steve Gorman-Black Crowes,and Carmine Appice guesting on drums and Robert Kearns (ex CRY OF LOVE) on bass. Jim McCarty and Tim Bogart also contribute.) This release follows SLOW MOVING VEHICLE by Jimmy Kunes and LOVE TRAIN a band/solo effort. S.M.V. is still available. Please contact: jimmylovetrain@hotmail.com for details.

Set list: 

• GATE OF ALL SAINTS/SHAKEY GROUND (which Simon recorded a version w/ Frankie Miller on "Dancing In The Rain")
• FALLEN FROM GRACE
• EVERYTIME DOWN THE LINE
• YOUR NEW REALITY
• WAITING ON YOU-B.B.King song FREE recorded for B.B.C.
• RIDE ON PONY.

Frankie Miller

If you don't have something of his collection it's time to start. Highly Recommend.

FRANKIE MILLER

born 2 November 1949 - Bridgeton Glasgow

Rod Stewart said of Frankie Miller, “He is the only white guy that ever brought a tear to my eye”! The widow of the late great Otis Redding reckoned: "that little ole white boy Frankie, has the the blackest voice since Otis”. Frankie is a proverbial enigma, widely regarded as one of the finest blues singers that ever lived and as a songwriter he has been covered by an impressive array of artists including, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Rod Stewart, Don Williams, Rush and the Everly Brothers.

Frustratingly for everyone who has ever come across Frankie, he has never seemed to live up to his true potential.

Both Simon Kirke and Andy Fraser have worked with Frankie Miller.   

You will also find Andy Fraser had written for Frankie.

MILLER Frankie, Standing on the edge - Five songs co-written with Andy Fraser (Free)

Thanks to Gordon for introducing me to Frankie Miller.

Update on Robert Hart, Rick Wills and Kenny Jones

Free At Last

(Northeast Band)

 
Sound Clip 1              Sound Clip 2

Aqualung

Remember, I mentioned seeing Aqualung on the same line up at the BBC when Bad Company appeared? See how things have taken off for this young man !!!

www.aqualung.net                       Sound clip

Bad Company and Free Midis

Bad Company

• Bad_Company.mid
• Cant_Get_Enough.mid
• Feel_Like_Makin_Love.mid
• If_You_Needed_Somebody.mid
• Ready_For_Love.mid
• Rock_Steady.mid
• Run_with_the_Pack.mid
• Shooting_Star.mid

Free

• All_Right_Now.mid
• Wishing_Well.mid

Simon Attends Vault in Orlando

Newly Opened The Hard Rock Vault in Orlando Florida

- Simon Kirke attended the opening Thursday 16th Jan
. He shared a shared a limo with Brian Johnston of AC/DC
who Simon says was a delight....and
met up with Slash and Duff MacCagan and shared a
nice conversation with Al Jardine of the Beach Boys...who loves Bad Co!

Photos                        News

Geoff Whitehorn Update

Geoff Whitehorn will be touring with Procol Harum 2003.

Paul Shortino New CD

All three artists make an appearences on this new Paul Shortino's cd Sacred Place:

• Howard Leese (Pauls solo Band) Guitar
• Jeff Kathan (Pauls solo Band) Drums
• Jason Boyleston ( Ex -Pauls solo Band) Bass

Mick Ralphs releases Solo CD

Bad Company Photographs from Glasgow by Tommy Gallagher

      
Click on images to see full size photo

Rob Lamothe

Please check out Rob Lamothe If you like what you hear and you think he should be added to Allrightnow.com please let me know at piller@fan.net.

You have a say in this NOW!!!

http://www.mystif.com/southgroove/media.html
http://www.mystif.com/southgroove/roads.mp3

Eilat Guide

Maybe some day you can visit this dessert resort.

Bad Co DVD - Hidden Track Revealed

If you still don't know how to find the hidden track on the Bad Company DVD, grab a pen and write this down:

Go to Special Features ..... Scroll down to web links, but DONT select it. Just put the Cursor on it. Then CLICK the Left ARROW on your remote, and hey presto it should start ......

Enjoy
Lucy

  
News Archives:

Current News
and
News Archive
Index