Work In Progress: Free: The Band
Created | Updated May 15, 2006
PLEASE NOTE* This is a work in progress. If anyone would like to contribute to the entry (I am making it a collaborative one) please post to the ‘No entry on Free in the guide!’ thread in the Musicians Guild. I will credit anyone who gives me info. Here is what I have written so far. I would particularly like to hear from anyone who was lucky enough to be at the Isle Of Wight festival or at Free’s Sunderland and Croydon gigs. There are some rough notes at the bottom of the entry.
Free are perhaps most remembered for the rock anthem, All Right Now, and maybe in recent years this has led the band to be unfairly overlooked when placed next to other groundbreaking rock groups of the late sixties and early seventies. The band had a breadth of style that some groups would be envious of, and technical ability to match.
Travelling Man...
The band formed in 1968 when a stroke of luck led Paul Rodgers from Middlesbrough down to London, gigging with his existing band, Brown Sugar. Simon Kirke and Paul Kossoff had been playing in a blues band, Black Cat Bones, but they grew bored with Black Cat’s straight twelve-bar repertoire and decided to look around for recruits so they could form a new group. When Kossoff came across Brown Sugar playing in at the Fickle Pickle in Finsbury Park, it was clear they had found their new vocalist. Paul Rodgers was up for a new challenge.
Koss and Kirke already knew Alexis Korner through their time in Black Cat Bones, and on Alexis’ recommendation they hired Andy Fraser as a bass player. Andy had just been fired from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, whom he had worked with since he was fifteen.
The Nags Head
Free played their first gig at the Nags Head in Battersea on 19th April 1968. But trying to get signed to a record label was another matter. Alexis Korner introduced them to Chris Blackwell, but Blackwell had reservations about the band’s name, suggesting Heavy Metal Kids would be a better option. The band flatly refused and walked out. It was only when they were halfway down the road the sudden realisation of what they had done sunk in. They’d turned down a contract on the mere issue of a name?.
Perhaps he sensed the sudden panic. Blackwell rang the band. But, Rodgers still knew exactly where he stood. He insisted that it was Free or nothing. Blackwell finally gave in.
Gigs were scheduled left right and centre, five or six nights a week, and as the only band member with a full UK driving license at the time, the responsibility was on Koss to get Free to and from venues in their Morris 1800 van. The endless gigging soon paid off though, providing them with a solid fan base, and a good idea of the best numbers to put on their debut album.
Tons Of Sobs
Their debut album, Tons Of Sobs was released in November 1968, and contained much of the material they had been performing live, including a cover of the Booker T And The MG's song The Hunter that had become a real favourite of their fans.
The new album provided new opportunities, and soon they were recording sessions for Radio1 and John Peel’s show.
Clapton and Koss: Supporting Blind Faith
Following the release of Tons Of Sobs, the band embarked on a year-long tour, including some time supporting Blind Faith, who were playing America. The tour gave Paul Kossoff the chance to swap notes with one of his guitar heroes- Eric Clapton.
Free arrived early in New York and managed to get a few gigs supporting Dr John. One night whilst they were playing, in walked Clapton himself, with Ginger Baker. Koss was so nervous, and when Clapton came backstage after their set, Koss was expecting a few tips on where he was going wrong, but was stunned when Clapton asked ‘I wonder if you could teach me your tremolo technique?’
Towards the end of the tour Clapton even swapped Kossoff a Les Paul Sunburst for Koss’ Les Paul Custom.
Free's second album was released in 1969, containing the memorable instrumental Mouthful Of Grass, which would later provide the B side for All Right Now, but it wasn't until the release of the third album, Fire and Water in 1970 that the band took off.
Mr. Big...
Alongside the full version of All Right Now, Fire and Water revealed an altogether different side of the band in the song, Don't Say You Love Me. These were the beginnings of a different direction for the band, one we would hear more of in Highway. Meanwhile, the band played at the Isle of Wight Festival…
Isle of Wight Festival
International Tour
(and Free Live...splitting up and reformation of the band. Heartbreaker album, and final split up...)
Back Street Crawler
I would like to include info about Koss' work with Crawler here, and their 'Second Street album', that was dedicated to him following his death. I think Back Street's vocalist, Terry Wilson worked with John Martyn, along with Rabbit Bundrick
Would also like to bring this right up to date, with info about BadCo, etc, Rodgers latest tour with Queen etc (in brief).
