Rodgers, Paul - of solo work, Free and Bad Company
By: Dominick A. Miserandino
Paul Rodgers is famous for such hits as 'All Right Now,' 'Feel Like Makin' Love' and 'Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy,' and being in bands such as Bad Company, Free and his solo career. In our interview, he talks about getting back together with Bad Company his studio versus live performances.
DM) Do you ever get tired of playing songs like "All Right Now," "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Can't Get Enough?"
PR) The amazing thing about those songs is they're songs you're very familiar with, and they have a special feeling because they're happening right now, and you're there.
DM) When you're doing your basic live show, like in your DVD, what is the basic breakdown you like to do of your solo material, Free and Bad Company?
PR) What happened was, we were touring in 2001, and we were doing a set, which does fluctuate from time to time -- it's like an amoeba, it's constantly moving -- we pull things out, we put things in. Well, they came up and said, "We love what you're doing, stop right there, and we want to record it as you are right now."
A lot of people have asked, "These are all so good, are these from they heyday or best of takes?," but it's actually very current. It really just captured where the band is right now. The set really consists of a lot of the things I would want to see if I went to see Bad Company, things like "I can't get enough of your love," "Rock and Roll Fantasy," "Bad Company" and "Rock Steady," but also some different things, some surprises as well.
DM) When you say the band, Bad Company, was together, broke up and came back together, how different is it now than before the break up?
PR) In 1999, we got back together, the original members. Atlantic Records said they wanted to do a box set, and I thought it was a good time to do such a thing, because Bad Company had such a checkered career with its members and things, and this was a good time to set the record straight. So we decided to record four new songs for the anthology. One of the first ones released as a single went to number one on the rock charts, "Hey, Hey," and the follow up, "Hammer of Love" was number two in the rock charts. So you know, it was a very successful enterprise. But at the end of that Mick [Ralphs] and Boz [Burrell] decided they didn't like the big touring -- Mick hates flying -- so they retired from touring.
Well, in 2000, I released my 6th solo album, Electric, and we still kept getting a lot of requests to tour with Journey, Styx, etc... so we took a version of Bad Company out -- Simon Kirke and I -- and at that point, was when we recorded the DVD.
DM) Are you happy being with the band, or do you miss your solo wings?
PR) I still will continue with my solo wings, however, there isn't enough time in the day to do both things. It's all consuming, each one. So this year, I will concentrate on Bad Company, and next year, we'll do a Bad Company studio CD, so my focus will be Bad Company for the next few years. But I still do solo dates, and I still enjoy my solo band.
DM) Actually, one of my favorite albums of yours was the album, Muddy Water Blues.
PR) Oh, thank you!
DM) It was very different from your usual stuff, but I found it incredible.
PR) Well, it was a great exercise in paying my dues because I learned how to write songs and sing from the blues. Free was originally a blues band, and I developed my songwriting out of that. It was a really good thing for me to do to acknowledge the blues influence over my style.
DM) Do you ever play the blues in your live shows?
PR) Actually, yes, occasionally I will throw in Muddy Water Blues or something of that nature. But Bad company itself was never really a blues band, it was just the way the current chemistry was. I think this current line up can handle the blues because whenever we do it, everyone basically kicks butt on it.
DM ) You talk about the live shows and recordings ... What do you prefer the studio or live?
PR) Hmmmm, I think I prefer live, although the studio is a very exciting part of it too. For instance, when I write a song, I can hear all of the instruments in the studio. I like to orchestrate the instruments so there are spaces between like a musical conversation and not a wall of sound. Things come in and things disappear. Then to try to recreate it on stage is challenging and another aspect of it. Actually, I like both.
DM) Are you still writing regularly?
PR) Yeah, I do, I write all of the time. And not everything sees the light of day. It depends on what we're doing, and what is suitable actually. A lot of people ask me what state the next studio album is going to be, but my thought is at the moment, it's just a black canvas. I don't want to preconceive it yet. We'll have to see how touring goes. There's quite a bit of touring to go, and I'd like to keep focused on that.
DM) With all of that touring, do you have time to write too?
PR) Being in band is a bit like being in the military. You have to be there at some time, and when you get there, you have to wait a long time. While you're rushing about, there is time with a guitar. And usually people will see something, or I'll see the news and I'm constantly playing with ideas, and I just put them together when I get real peace and quiet.
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