The 1970s saw a host of genres come to the fore and impress themselves upon culture. Whether it be glam, punk or disco, the decade was consequential, with an array of notable artists enjoying immense success. One of those was the supergroup Bad Company, formed in 1973 by former Free members Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, alongside Mick Ralphs, who had previously found fame with Mott the Hoople, and one time King Crimson bassist, Boz Burrell.
The quartet were incredibly successful. Their first three albums, 1974’s Bad Company, 1974’s Straight Shooter, and 1976’s Run with the Pack all broke into the top five in the charts on either side of the Atlantic. Arriving in the right place at the right time, the supergroup – who had all experienced hits before converging – resonated with audiences due to their anthemic, rootsy take on hard rock, typified by Rodgers singing in a hearty American accent, and the gritty, infectious licks of Ralphs.
As the 1970s wore on though, the state of music would change in line with shifts in culture and listener tastes. Following the release of the Sex Pistols’ earth-shattering debut on October 28th, 1977, which placed the establishment firmly in the punk generation’s crosshairs, it was clear that the dominance of ‘rockstars’ was coming to an end.
It wasn’t just evolving tastes and the fact people were tired of classic rock and the outlandish hijinks of its biggest stars that heightened the sense that the zeitgeist was changing. Sadly, several key figures from that generation also passed away. This included Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, who died after a heavy drinking session in September 1980.
Not only were Bad Company close to Led Zeppelin because they shared a manager in Peter Grant, but for frontman Paul Rodgers, the premature passing of Bonham was enough to make him realise that he had to live life while he still could, and quit Bad Company to be with his family. This was the final nail in the coffin; the deaths of prominent peers had already affected him to the point of writing the classic song ‘Shooting Star’ in 1975.
Speaking to Spinner in 2010, Rodgers explained how Bonham’s death compelled him to quit Bad Company in 1982. He said: “It influenced me very much. But I was ready for it, anyway. I was ready to come off the road, and I could sense the feeling that we were just flying a little too high and getting a little too crazy, and something had to give along those lines.”
He continued: “It happened so many times before — that was really the inspiration for the song ‘Shooting Star.’ John was such a lovely guy. It was such a sad thing to lose him as a friend and for the world to lose such an amazing talent. Because I do think he was probably one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll drummers that ever lived. So it was really a blow. And it was a harsh taste of reality.”
Rodgers’ intention was to “live some life”, however, it wouldn’t take long before music pulled him back in. He built a home studio and continued to record. Then, in 1984 he formed another supergroup, The Firm, with former Led Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page.
Editors’ Picks
- 1970s Music
- Bad Company
- British Rock
- Classic Rock
- Jimmy Page
- John Bonham
- Led Zeppelin
- Paul Rodgers
- Peter Grant
- Rock History
