By the early 1970s, Free was one of the biggest-selling British blues rock groups; by the time the band dissolved in 1973, they had sold more than 20 million albums around the world and had played more than 700 arena and festival concerts. "All Right Now," remains a rock staple, and had been entered into ASCAP's "One Million" airplay singles club.
Rolling Stone has referred to the band as "British hard rock pioneers". The magazine ranked Rodgers No. 55 in its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", while Kossoff was ranked No. 51 in its list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
Free were signed to Island Records in the UK and A&M Records in North America. Both labels became part of the PolyGram group in 1989, then Universal Music Group in 1998; UMG now controls the band's catalogue worldwide.
Most remarkable about the birth of Free was the young age of the band members who came together to rehearse and play their first gig on the evening of 19 April 1968 at the Nag's Head pub, which was at the junction of York Road and Lavender Road in Battersea, London. Bass player Andy Fraser was 15 years old, lead guitarist Paul Kossoff was 17, and both lead singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke were 18. By November of that year, having been given the name Free by Alexis Korner, they had recorded their first album Tons Of Sobs for Island Records and, although it was not released until the following year, the album documents their first six months together and contains studio renditions of much of their early live set.
Paul Kossoff and Simon Kirke first became friends in the R&B band Black Cat Bones but they wanted to move on. Paul Kossoff saw vocalist Paul Rodgers singing with Brown Sugar while visiting the Fickle Pickle, an R&B club in London's Finsbury Park. He was immediately impressed and asked if he could jam with Rodgers onstage. Along with Kirke, they began the search for a fourth member. Alexis Korner recommended Andy Fraser to the band, who at the age of 15 had already been playing with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Korner also provided the name "Free" the newly formed band
Unlike their previous albums Tons of Sobs and Free, Fire and Water, released in 1970, was a huge success, largely due to the album containing the hit single "All Right Now", which reached No. 1 on the UK rock music charts, No. 2 on the UK singles chart and No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album reached No. 2 in the UK charts and No. 17 on the U.S charts making it the most successful Free album. "All Right Now" became a No. 1 hit in over 20 territories and recognized by ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) in 1990 for garnering 1,000,000 plus radio plays in the US by late 1989, and in 2000 an award was given to Paul Rodgers by the British Music Industry when "All Right Now" passed 2,000,000 radio plays in the UK.
Highway was their fourth studio album, recorded extremely quickly in September 1970. Highway performed poorly in the charts, reaching No. 41 in the UK and No. 190 in the US.
In 1971, due to differences between singer Paul Rodgers and bassist Andy Fraser, the drug problems of guitarist Paul Kossoff, and inconsistent record sales, the band broke up. This led to the release of the live album called Free Live!. Early in 1972 the band set aside their differences and reformed in an effort to save Kossoff from his growing drug addiction, and in June of the same year released Free at Last.
But all was not well with the band. Bassist Andy Fraser left the band in mid-1972 due to Paul Kossoff's unreliability in being able to perform at shows or even showing up. The remaining members recruited Japanese bass player Tetsu Yamauchi and keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick, who had worked with Kossoff and Kirke during Free's initial split, recording Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit and what would be Free's final album, Heartbreaker. Kossoff was replaced by Wendell Richardson in 1973, but shortly thereafter Free disbanded with Rodgers and Kirke going on to form Bad Company that same year. Fraser went on to form the band Sharks and later The Andy Fraser Band, and Kossoff formed the band Back Street Crawler.
With Kossoff in better health again in late 1975, he was delighted that ex-colleagues Rodgers and Kirke asked him to join them on stage for two nights. A British tour was set to begin on 25 April 1976 with Back Street Crawler headlining with Bad Company in support of Back Street Crawler's second album, but again 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 drug-related heart problems at the age of 25. After parting with Bad Company in 1982 Rodgers went on to explore the heavy blues stylings of Free again in his solo career during the 1980s and 1990s, and in the bands The Firm and The Law.
More recently Rodgers has joined the remaining members of Queen (Brian May and Roger Taylor), as vocalist. In September 2008, Queen + Paul Rodgers released their first studio album The Cosmos Rocks. Rodgers also performs Free and Bad Company songs whilst on tour with Queen, in addition to the traditional Queen songs and new cuts from their most recently released album. Currently, Rodgers and Kirke are once again on tour with Bad Company.
Andy Fraser died on 16 March 2015.
Personnel Members
Classic lineup
Andy Fraser - bass, piano (1968–1971, 1972; died 2015)
Simon Kirke - drums (1968–1971, 1972–1973)
Paul Kossoff - guitar (1968–1971, 1972–1973; died 1976)
Paul Rodgers - lead vocals, piano (1968–1971, 1972–1973)
Later members
John "Rabbit" Bundrick - keyboards (1972–1973)
Tetsu Yamauchi - bass (1972–1973)
Wendell Richardson - guitar (1973)
Discography :
1969 Tons of Sobs
1969 Free
1970 Fire and Water
1970 Highway
1972 Free at Last
1973 Heartbreaker
2) Free is a hardcore band
3) Free consists of four of the final five Have Heart members - Patrick Flynn, Kei Yasui, Shawn Costa, and Ryan Hudon - in addition to the band's 2009 bassist, Austin Stemper. On November 29, 2015, the group released a four-track, self-titled demo recorded by Trevor Vaughan (Sex Positions, Soul Control) in their home of New Bedford, MA.
Fire and Water
Free Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want to say goodbye
Baby but look at the tears in my eye
I don't want to say goodbye
Mama but look at the way you made me cry
Every way that's nice
You show you've got a heart that's made of ice
And I know
Fire and water must have made you their daughter
You've got what it takes, to make a poor man's heart break
A poor mans heart break
Baby you turn me on
But as quick as a flash your love is gone
Baby I'm gonna leave you now
But I'm gonna try to make you grieve somehow
Fire and water must have made you their daughter
You've got what it takes to make a poor man's heart break
A poor man's heart break
And my heart is breakin' too
I don't want to say goodbye baby
But look at the tears you made me cry
Every way that's nice
You show you've got a heart that's made of ice
And I know
Fire and water must have made you their daughter
You've got what it takes to make a poor mans heart break
Fire, fire and water must have made you their daughter
Baby you've got what it takes to make a poor man's heart break
Heart break
Baby and my heart is breakin'
Oh my heart is breakin'
Oh listen
The lyrics to Free's song Fire And Water describe a tumultuous relationship between two people, where the singer is constantly having to deal with a "heartache" that seems to be coming their way every single day. Despite this pain, the singer is reluctant to say goodbye to their lover, who they describe as having a heart made of ice. They also suggest that this person has the power to break a poor man's heart, and that they themselves are experiencing heartbreak too.
The chorus of the song suggests that the woman in question has been influenced by two powerful elements - fire and water - which have made her into the heartless person that she is. The singer seems to both admire and resent her for this, as they recognize that she has what it takes to make a man fall in love with her, but at the same time recognize that this same quality will cause them pain and heartbreak.
Overall, the song seems to be about the difficulties of leaving a toxic relationship, and the pain and heartache that can come with it. The singer is torn between their desire for this person who is causing them so much pain, and their recognition that they need to move on for their own well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
Every single day, I got a heartache comin' my way
I experience heartache every day.
I don't want to say goodbye
Baby but look at the tears in my eye
I don't want to leave you but your actions hurt me.
I don't want to say goodbye
Mama but look at the way you made me cry
I don't want to leave you but you've caused me so much pain.
Every way that's nice
You show you've got a heart that's made of ice
And I know
Even when you're nice, you still have a cold heart and I realize it.
Fire and water must have made you their daughter
You've got what it takes, to make a poor man's heart break
A poor mans heart break
You have a strong set of characteristics that can cause a man to feel heartbroken.
Baby you turn me on
But as quick as a flash your love is gone
Baby I'm gonna leave you now
But I'm gonna try to make you grieve somehow
I enjoy your company but your love is fleeting. I'm going to leave but hope to make you feel remorseful.
And my heart is breakin' too
I am also heartbroken.
Fire, fire and water must have made you their daughter
Baby you've got what it takes to make a poor man's heart break
Heart break
Your personality has a unique blend of qualities that are capable of causing heartbreak.
I don't want to say goodbye baby
But look at the tears you made me cry
Every way that's nice
You show you've got a heart that's made of ice
And I know
I don't want to end our relationship but your behavior has caused me pain and revealed your cold heart.
Baby and my heart is breakin'
Oh my heart is breakin'
Oh listen
My heart is shattered and I am hurting. Listen to my pain.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.,
Written by: ANDY FRASER, PAUL BERNARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jasoncorbett8948
Kossoff’s battered Les Paul through those Orange amps is my favourite tone, absolutely phenomenal. He’s still got the best vibrato that will ever exist, such a talented band and so sad that Paul K died so young.
@frankrichards3089
Just a sick tone incredible
@madislandguy
It's funny to think that his Les Paul was only 11 years old at the time. Pretty much an beat up newish guitar at the time.
@jackhopkins4679
Yes great tone
@HenrikSchneevoigt
Totally agree, thats my favorite tune too. I use Orange amps and an LP too ,best sound in the world
@jonathanbrowne9430
Great vibrato the band were so ahead of their time!
@1970sthrowback
Literally got tears in my eyes, utter raw natural talent from a band that are so young. Ill put Paul Rodgers against any singer and Free against any band. Music peaked in the late 60s early 70s.
No over the top performing just straight down to it with real feeling. Im off to find Wishing Well and My Brother Jake now
@kenmillwall1885
50 years later no one still can still touch Free
The best band ever
@stephenhudson7039
Saw them play live in Bradford 1971. Never seen anyone better.
@jf5505
This song would be a hit today 2023 if played on the air