Along with CREAM and LED ZEPPELIN, FREE stands as one of the most influential bands of the late 1960’s British blues boom. Formed in London during the spring of 1968, Free‘s original lineup
included drummer Simon Kirke, bassist Andy Fraser, lead vocalist Paul Rodgers and guitarist Paul Kossoff. Kirke and Kossoff were heavily influenced by American blues artists and, as teenagers, joined in R&B band called Black Cat Bones. Despite their youth, Kirke and Kossoff were seasoned musicians with a strong and growing reputation among the London blues scene. “Kossoff,” explains Kirke, “while only 17, was a serious student of music.”
While scouting for a vocalist to front their new band, Kossoff and Kirke visited the Fickle Pickle, an
R&B club in London’s Finsbury Park. It was here that the two first heard Paul Rodgers, a young vocalist then performing with Brown Sugar. Kirke and Kossoff were immediately impressed with Rodger?s expressive voice and charismatic style, and recruited him for their group. “Paul owed a great deal to Otis Redding,” recalls Kirke, “his voice had power and presence. We knew that he was – and still is – unique.”
With Rodgers in the fold, Kossoff and Kirke, to round out their new ensemble, turned to one of their mentors, British blues legend Alexis Korner. “Korner was a big help to us,” says Kirke simply.
“Kossoff had been very friendly with him and Alexis recommended Andy Fraser to us. Though Andy was only 15, he had played with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, which really won our respect.When we first saw him play, he was sitting in with Alexis Band, wearing these flared trousers and ruffled shirts with rough collars.”
“We thought, bloody hell, who is this little punk! But when he started playing we knew that he was
really quite good. Impressed with Fraser’s abilities, Korner helped arrange an set up at the Nag’s Head Pub in Battersea,” remembers Kirke. “It was great, a very fertile meeting. In fact, at that initial get together, we wrote six blues based songs. About five or six hours in, Alexis came down and stood in the wings watching. He not only gave us his seal of approval, he also gave us our the name: FREE.”
1968
On Korners recommendation, Free was signed to Chris Blackwell’s Island Records and, subsequently
A&M Records in the U.S. Working with producer Guy Stevens, Free entered London’s Morgan Studios to begin recording TONS OF SOBS, their debut album.
Despite the band’s emerging success as a touring unit, capturing their sound in the studio was, at least initially, more of a challenge.”We were really wet behind the ears when we went to record TONS OF
SOBS,” explains Kirke, “we didn’t know what to do. Our producer, Guy Stevens, was very talented and was forever buzzing about the studio. Guy sensed that we were struggling and he pulled us aside. He told us to relay and just play the two 45-minute sets that we had been playing in the clubs. That’s how we did the album. TONS OF SOBS (a title coined by Stevens) was recorded in a week. When I think about it today, it seems amazing. Now it seems to take a week to get the right snare sound!”
Released in November 1968 TONS OF SOBS and tracks such as I’M A MOVER and THE HUNTER were obvious examples of the bands earthy roots and considerable blues influence. WALK IN MY SHADOW, cited by Kirke as the first song the band ever wrote together, is equally charged, powered by Kossoff’s muscular riffing and Rodgers confident lead vocal. On the heels of TONS OF SOBS, FREE
followed with BROAD DAYLIGHT, their stylish debut single. However, despite a superb vocal performance by Rodgers, the song failed to chart in both the U.S. and U.K. “As a single, BROAD DAYLIGHT was a disaster,” remembers Kirke. “I think it sold three copies in Sheffield. It was a funny song, totally unrepresentative of the group at the time. Even tough it was early on in our career, the release of BROAD DAYLIGHT was when I had my first inkling that Fraser wasn’t quite on the same wavelength as Kossoff and I. Andy wrote it with Paul and was really insistent that it become a big single for us. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
1969
With Their second album FREE, the group displayed an emerging individual style framed by Kossoff’s stinging lead guitar, Fraser’s bass, Kirke’s rock solid beat and Rodgers anguished vocals. Unburdened
by extended solos or lengthy jams typical of the era, such powerful original material as I’LL BE CREEPIN showcased the talents of Kossoff and Fraser without sacrificing the group’s taut. While tracks such as WOMAN provided a vehicle for Rodgers considerable vocal prowess, behind the scenes, Fraser’s reputation as a child prodigy was further enhanced by his contributions to FREE.
In America, neither of FREE‘s first two albums had generated much interest. Their big break would come in Summer of 1969, when the band was asked along with DELANY & BONNIE, to open dates
on BLIND FAITH‘s massive U.S. Tour. “That turned out to be very fortuitous for the band,” recalls Kirke. “Our tour with BLIND FAITH ended with a big show at Madison Square Garden. Afterwards, we were offered a chance to play at Woodstock, but that fell through. Instead, we were offered a week’s worth of gigs at Ungano’s popular Nightclub in New York.
1970
With two strong albums and nearly two years of touring already under their belt, the quartet’s combination of blues and rock was, perhaps, best captured on their seminal FIRE AND WATER album,
released in 1970. An engaging mix of ballads and strident rockers. FIRE AND WATER also featured ALL RIGHT NOW, the group’s breakthrough single. An edited version of ALL RIGHT NOW had a major chart impact, reaching No. 2 on the U.K. single chart and, in the USA, No. 4 on the Billboard chart. Driven by Kossoff’s incessant riffling, ALL RIGHT NOW has proved remarkably durable, remaining, nearly 25 Years later, the band’s signature tune. According to Kirke, the song actually drew its roots from necessity.
HEAVY LOAD and OH I WEPT also from FIRE AND WATER were superb examples of Free‘s unique marriage of solemn blues and swaggering hard rock. With the release of FIRE AND WATER,
Rodgers had emerged as one of hard rock?s premier vocalists. “In the studio,” remembers Kirke, “Paul was a one take wonder. He might have done an occasional vocal twice, but that was it. His vocal style was very dry and stripped down with no embellishments at all. I can’t remember one instance when Paul used any effects such as reverb on his voice. What you hear on those record’s is exactly what he sounded like – and that’s what makes him really, really special.”
HIGHWAY offered fans a mellower perspective, as Fraser and Rodgers began to incorporate more outside influences into their compositions. This subtle change in musical direction created some tension
within the band. “HIGHWAY was a very laid back album,” states Kirke, “we had broken out of twelve bar blues and had gotten heavily into Bob Dylan and The BAND, especially Paul and Andy. The band’s MUSIC FROM PIG PINK really turned as around. But even though I loved Levon Helm’s drumming, Kossoff and I were still into the blues.”
1971
Frustrated by HIGHWAY‘s commercial rejection and unsure of their future musical direction, Free was consumed by internal friction and a nagging sense of self-doubt. In May 1971, following a turbulent Asian Tour, Free disbanded. “HIGHWAY was a flop,” says Kirke, “especially when compared to (the
sales success of) FIRE AND WATER. We just couldn’t take the knocks at that age. We thought, foolishly, that we should break up because no one loves us anymore. We were that naive.” On the heels of MY BROTHER JAKE, the band issued FREE LIVE!, a spirited live album largely compiled from a recent performance at Croydon’s Fairfield Hall. While FREE LIVE! peaked only at No. 89 in the US, the album would reach the No. 4 position in the U.K., where it became an essential souvenir for British fans.
1972
Having struggled in their new projects, FREE reformed in January 1972, touring the UK and beginning
sessions for FREE AT LAST. “We had only broken up for about six months,” remembers Kirke, “but that was long enough. When Andy and Paul had first decided to leave, I don’t think many steps were taken by anyone to change their minds. After Paul went off with PEACE and Andy formed TOBY, it was like for chrissakes guys, what are you pissing away? Let’s put this thing back together.”
While FREE AT LAST and its accompanying single LITTLE BIT OF LOVE re-established the band commercially, a crippling mixture of old and new problems surfaced, again threatening the future of the group. The most serious of which was Kossoff’s mounting drug addiction which compounded his ill-health. Free would tour the US during the early Summer of 1972, but Kossoff condition caused him to miss dates, forcing, initially. On the eve of the group’s July tour of Japan, Andy Fraser abruptly
departed. Rodgers handled now vocals and guitar. By October, with Kossoff’s health temporarily improved, the original quartet reformed to tour the UK. Recording sessions for HEARTBREAKER, Free’s final album, began but Kossoff’s contribution were muted. Nonetheless, HEARTBREAKER was well received both in the US and the UK, where the album reached No. 9 and WISHING WELL, the single, reached No. 7 on the POP Chart. On tour to support the album, Osibisa’s Wendel Richardson was recruited to help out when Kossoff’s condition was too bad. Finally, by July of 1973, Free disbanded for good.
After Free
After disbanding in 1973, Rodgers and Kirke formed rock supergroup Bad Company the same year. Fraser went on to form the band Sharks and later The Andy Fraser Band, and Kossoff formed the band
Back Street Crawler. By 1976, Kossoff’s drug addictions contributed to a drastic decline in the guitarist’s health. On a flight from Los Angeles to New York City on 19 March 1976, Paul Kossoff died from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 25. Andy Fraser died on 16 March 2015 of a heart attack caused by atherosclerosis.
Free – Songs Of Yesterday
Label: Island Records – IBXCD3 524499-2
Series: Island Remasters
Format: 5 x CD,Compilation, Remastered, Box Set
Country: Europe
Released: 2000
Genre: Rock
Style: Blues Rock, Classic Rock
DISC 1.
01. Free – Over The Green Hills (A New Stereo Mix) 3:24
02. Free – Walk In My Shadow (Alternative Stereo Mix) 3:35
03. Free – Wild Indian Woman (A New Stereo Mix) 3:43
04. Free – Guy Stevens Blues 4:39
05. Free – Visions Of Hell 3:52
06. Free – I'm A Mover (Unused 7" Mono Mix) 2:57
07. Free – Moonshine (Alternative Stereo Mix) 5:08
08. Free – Woman By The Sea 3:20
09. Free – Free Me 4:36
10. Free – Long Tall Sally (Written-By – Johnson, Penniman, Blackwell) 1:15
11. Free – Broad Daylight (Original 7" Mono Mix) 3:10
12. Free – The Worm (Original 7" B Side) 3:04
13. Free – Trouble On Double Time 2:37
14. Free – Spring Dawn 4:07
15. Free – I'll Be Creepin' 3:37
16. Free – Sugar For Mr.Morrison (A New Stereo Mix) 3:18
17. Free – Songs Of Yesterday (A New Stereo Mix) 3:36
18. Free – Woman 3:40
19. Free – Mourning Sad Morning (Alternative Stereo Mix) 5:00
20. Free – Fire And Water (Alternative Stereo Mix) 4:09
MP3 @ 320 Size: 184 MB
Flac Size: 425 MB
DISC 2.
01. Free – All Right Now 3:26
02. Free – Oh I Wept (A New Stereo Mix) 4:29
03. Free – Remember (A New Stereo Mix) 4:27
04. Free – Don't Say You Love Me (A New Stereo Mix) 6:24
05. Free – The Stealer (Full Version) 4:27
06. Free – The Highway Song (Alternative Stereo MIx) 4:15
07. Free – On My Way (Alternative Stereo Mix) 4:05
08. Free – Sunny Day (A New Stereo Mix With Different Vocals) 3:12
09. Free – Ride A Pony (Alternative Stereo Mix) 4:17
10. Free – Love You So (Stereo Mix With Alternative Vocals) 4:53
11. Free – Soon I Will Be Gone 3:16
12. Free – My Brother Jake (A New Stereo Mix) 2:57
13. Free – Makin' Love (Only My Soul) 3:57
14. Free – Rain 3:51
15. Free – Get Where I Belong 4:21
16. Free – Only My Soul (Original 7" B Side) 2:27
17. Free – Travellin' Man (Alternative Stereo Mix) 3:38
18. Free – Molten Gold 6:08
MP3 @ 320 Size: 188 MB
Flac Size: 454 MB
DISC 3.
01. Free – A Little Bit Of Love (Alternative Mix) 2:34
02. Free – Soldier Boy (Alternative Mix) 2:52
03. Free – Sail On 3:19
04. Free – Guardian Of The Universe 7:05
05. Free – Child (Alternative Mix) 5:16
06. Free – Honky Tonk Women (Written-By – Richards, Jagger) 3:11
07. Free – Lady 4:36
08. Free – Muddy Water 3:47
09. Free – Heartbreaker (Live! From The Mixing Desk Portsmouth 72) 5:41
10. Free – Wishing Well 3:39
11. Free – Let Me Show You (Jam) 6:04
12. Free – Let Me Show You (Original B Side) 3:01
13. Free – Muddy Water (Alternative Mix) 4:14
14. Free – Common Mortal Man (Alternative Mix) 4:27
15. Free – Heartbreaker (Alternative Mix) 6:25
16. Free – Seven Angels (Alternative Mix) 4:58
MP3 @ 320 Size: 179 MB
Flac Size: 413 MB
DISC 4.
01. Free – Ride On A Pony 5:33
02. Free – Be My Friend 6:17
03. Free – Fire And Water 4:02
04. Free – The Stealer 3:53
05. Free – Don't Say You Love Me 5:56
06. Free – Mr.Big 6:27
07. Free – I'll Be Creepin' 4:33
08. Free – Free Me 6:39
09. Free – Woman 4:19
10. Free – I'm A Mover 3:44
11. Free – Walk In My Shadow 4:18
12. Free – Songs Of Yesterday 5:09
13. Free – All Right Now 7:30
14. Free – Crossroads (Written-By – Johnson) 6:37
MP3 @ 320 Size: 186 MB
Flac Size: 471 MB
DISC 5.
01. Paul Rodgers & The Maytals – (I Just Wanna) See You Smile 3:08
02. Peace – Like Water (Written-By – Shimizu) 4:33
03. Peace – Zero B.C. 5:38
04. Sharks – Ol' Jelly Roll (Alternative 7" Mix)(Written-By – Snips) 2:37
05. Sharks – Follow Me (Alternative 7" Mix) 3:00
06. Kossoff / Kirke / Tetsu / Rabbit – Fool's Life 4:15
07. Kossoff / Kirke / Tetsu / Rabbit – I'm On The Run 4:35
08. Kossoff / Kirke / Tetsu / Rabbit – Sammy's Alright 4:07
09. Kossoff / Kirke / Tetsu / Rabbit – Hold On 5:36
10. Rabbit – Tuesday Williamsburg 2:56
11. Rabbit – Unseen Love 4:33
12. Paul Kossoff & John Martyn – Time Spent (Time Away) (Full 18 Minute Version) 18:16
08. Kossoff / Kirke / Tetsu / Rabbit – Sammy's Alright 4:07
09. Kossoff / Kirke / Tetsu / Rabbit – Hold On 5:36
10. Rabbit – Tuesday Williamsburg 2:56
11. Rabbit – Unseen Love 4:33
12. Paul Kossoff & John Martyn – Time Spent (Time Away) (Full 18 Minute Version) 18:16
MP3 @ 320 Size: 161 MB
Flac Size: 376 MB
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