On May 24, 1974, Bad Company, the English supergroup made up of former Free members Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, former Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and former King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell, released their self-titled debut album, which turned out to be a huge hit.
The album hit #1 in the U.S., thanks to such classic songs as “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love,” the title track, “Movin’ On” and “Rock Steady,” and went on to be certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA.
You’d think an album that made such an impact would have taken a long time to make, but frontman Rodgers tells ABC Audio it actually only took 10 days to complete.
“We were bursting at the seams to record all this stuff,” he said, noting they recorded it so quickly “it should be in the Guinness Book.”
Kirke, who played drums in the band, adds that with so many well-established artists, making the album “was kind of like a perfect storm,” sharing it helped they were on Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song record label.
“My goodness, it really couldn’t fail,” he said.
“When we were given the green light to go on the road with our new album, we shot out of that gate like a bunch of greyhounds,” he says. “And the result was one of the great albums of all time.”
Rodgers says “it’s a very lovely feeling” knowing the songs on Bad Company have stood the test of time after 50 years.
“When I listen back to it, I’m like, wow,” he says. “You go back in time to that moment when I first put my fingers on the keyboard … and it’s a great feeling.”
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