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.
Lady
Free Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was right on
A lady
She was right on
Lady she was right on
Baby let your hair hang down
Baby let your hair hang down
And she told you
She was a lady
And you know she told you
Ooh baby
She told everybody
Daddy that you're mine oh
Daddy that you're mine oh
Sometimes oh
I think about the things
You've said, baby
Sometimes oh oh
The things you've said
Go round my head
Oh lady I love you alright
Lady I love you, ooh
I love you, I love you baby
Let your hair hang down
Baby, let your hair hang down
Baby, let your hair hang down
The song "Lady" by Free is a love song that describes a woman who is elegant and confident, as represented by the repeated affirmation that "she was right on," indicating that she was on point in all that she did. The lyrics suggest that the woman is someone with whom the singer is deeply in love, as expressed in the line "Oh lady I love you alright." The woman is portrayed as being powerful and assertive, as demonstrated by her declaration that she is a "lady" and her insistence that the singer is "daddy" and therefore belongs to her.
Throughout the song, the singer reflects on the woman's words and how they have impacted him. He indicates that he thinks about the things she has said, and that her words continue to swirl around in his head. This suggests that the woman's influence on him is strong and long-lasting. The singer also implores the woman to let her hair hang down, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for letting loose or being more relaxed.
From a broader interpretive standpoint, the lyrics suggest that the singer is deeply smitten with this woman, and that he is dazzled by her charisma and confidence. He has been swept off his feet, and is happy to let her take control. The song ultimately represents the power of love to transform someone's life, and the way in which one's perceptions of themselves and the world around them can change when they are in love.
Line by Line Meaning
She was a lady
The subject of the song was a refined and respectable woman
She was right on
She had strong convictions and was confident in her beliefs
A lady
She embodied the qualities of class, elegance, and grace
She was right on
She stayed true to her values and acted with integrity
Lady she was right on
This woman was a paragon of virtue and excellence
Baby let your hair hang down
Relax and be yourself, don't worry about conforming to social norms or expectations
Baby let your hair hang down
Let loose and have fun, be carefree and spontaneous
A lady
The lyrics reiterate that this woman was a model of high moral character and poise
And she told you
Through her words and actions, she set an example for others to follow
She was a lady
Once again emphasizing that this woman was a rare find, with unique qualities of excellence
And you know she told you
She made a strong impression on you and others, leaving behind a lasting impact
Ooh baby
Expressing affection towards this woman
She told everybody
Her influence was widespread, and her admirable qualities were well-known
Daddy that you're mine oh
Claiming ownership of this woman in a loving, possessive way
Daddy that you're mine oh
Repeating the previous line to emphasize the sense of pride felt towards this woman
Sometimes oh
Reflecting on moments of introspection and contemplation
I think about the things
Recalling specific instances or conversations with this woman
You've said, baby
These memories are centered around the woman, who left a significant impression
Sometimes oh oh
Emphasizing the reflective mood and thoughtful state of mind
The things you've said
Continuing the theme of the previous line, specifically focusing on the words and insights shared by this woman
Go round my head
The memories and thoughts of this woman stay on the artist's mind and continue to resonate
Oh lady I love you alright
Expressing adoration and affection towards the woman, genuine feelings of love
Lady I love you, ooh
Repeating and elaborating on the previous line, emphasizing the depth and intensity of emotions
I love you, I love you baby
Reinforcing the feelings of love towards this woman, using repetition to underscore the importance of this emotion
Let your hair hang down
The chorus is repeated, encouraging the woman to let go of inhibitions and be free
Baby, let your hair hang down
The repetition adds further emphasis to the message of freedom and enjoying oneself, carefree and uninhibited
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Armando Christian Perez, Austin Harris Mahone, Bernard Edwards, Brandon Green, Mounhim Mustafa, Nathanael Jerome Anthony Price, Nile Gregory Rodgers, Romain Trenchant, Yann Destagnol
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind