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.
Songs Of Yesterday
Free Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'll be right on my way
A sad song like the songs of yesterday
Well my father used to sing the blues
Sometimes it was good
But my mother never saw the use
And she chased him for his blood
A sad song like the songs of yesterday
And I'll be right on my way
Oh you know my father
Always used to say
A bad workman blames his tools
But it seems to me
A man who uses the tools
Is just a fool
Sad song
And I'll be right on my way
Sad song
Like the songs of yesterday
Well now the streets are filled with silent cars
And all the world's a stage
But I must get to work today
Today I get my wage
Sad song
Then I'll get on
On my way
Just like a song of yesterday
Listen to what I'm gonna say
The song "Songs of Yesterday" by Free begins with the line "Sing me a sad song, And I'll be right on my way." This line sets the tone for the song, which is a melancholic reflection on the past. The singer longs for a time when the music spoke to him in a way that it no longer does. The line "A sad song like the songs of yesterday" suggests that the current music scene does not satisfy the singer's emotional needs in the way that music of the past once did.
The second verse of the song reflects on the singer's parents. The father used to sing the blues and the singer suggests that this was good in some way. However, the mother didn't approve and "chased him for his blood." This contrast between the father's blues music and the mother's disapproval highlights the tension that can exist between generations.
The final verse of the song seems to suggest that the singer is struggling to find meaning in the present. They describe the streets as "filled with silent cars" and suggest that the world is a stage, but they still need to "get to work" to earn their "wage." The song ends with the repeated line "Sad song, then I'll get on on my way, Just like a song of yesterday," which suggests the singer will carry on with life despite feeling a sense of sadness and nostalgia for the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing me a sad song
If you sing me a sorrowful tune, I'll be able to leave and move forward
And I'll be right on my way
I'll leave and move forward once the song is sung
A sad song like the songs of yesterday
A melancholic melody similar to those created in the past
Well my father used to sing the blues
My dad used to express his sadness through music
Sometimes it was good
Occasionally it sounded pleasing
But my mother never saw the use
My mother didn't acknowledge the purpose of singing the blues
And she chased him for his blood
She made him stop doing it
A sad song like the songs of yesterday
A mournful melody like those from the past
Oh you know my father
You're aware of my dad
Always used to say
He regularly said
A bad workman blames his tools
A skillless employee finds excuses rather than acknowledging their incompetence
But it seems to me
In my opinion
A man who uses the tools
Someone who uses the tools available
Is just a fool
Is not wise
Then I'll get on
Then I'll proceed
Just like a song of yesterday
In the same way as a tune from the past
Listen to what I'm gonna say
Pay attention to what I'm about to tell you
Contributed by Vivian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@anewsongpsalm333
"Songs Of Yesterday"
Sing me a sad song
And I'll be right on my way
A sad song like the songs of yesterday
Well my father used to sing the blues
Sometimes it was good
But my mother never saw the use
And she chased him for his blood
A sad song like the songs of yesterday
A sad song
And I'll be right on my way
Oh you know my father
Always used to say
A bad workman blames his tools
But it seems to me
A man who uses the tools
Is just a fool
Sad song
And I'll be right on my way
Sad song
Like the songs of yesterday
Well now the streets are filled with silent cars
And all the world's a stage
But I must get to work today
Today I get my wage
Sad song
Then I'll get on
On my way
Just like a song of yesterday
Listen to what I'm gonna say
@iljalasarow8269
Es wird über Supergruppen gesprochen und das Free wohl die einzigartigste ist wird zu wenig gewürdigt. Einer der besten Gitarristen der damaligen Zeit,der damals am modernsten funkyblues
Bassisten,ein auf den Punkt trommelnden Schlagzeuger und als ein Höhepunkt der hervorragende Sänger....bis heute ist der herzlich warme,unter die Haut gehende Klang und Ausdruckskraft sowie growing Bluesrock von Free nicht
Übertrumpft werden...und auch ein
Dank an Alex's Körper ,daß er Free
gefordert hat...Free werden immer
ein Vorbild sein für junge Musiker.
Für uns Fans ein unerschöpflichlicher musikalischer Genuss.
Dr.Ilja Lasaroff aus Bulgarien das Land von Orpheus der Rosen und
Weins....
@scottryan1989
Best bassist, you don’t have to be fancy, be fast or slap, he was the back bone of the band and at such a young age, pure talent RIP andy fraiser you are massively missed
@Baltihunter
Scott Ryan well said Scott. Always was my favourite bassist. Backbone was the best word you used. He could also take the lead with that mother too when he felt like it
@perrymitchell7591
Just a great band and a great feel.and then the voice of Paul Roger's. I am 68 years old.seen all the best.thes guys are in my top 10 bands of all time ✝☮
@setharmstrong8314
Best band I ever saw at van dyke in plymouth
@imannonymous7707
He got such lush bass tone from that Gibson bass and a Marshall. Truly one of the best....andy fraser
@JeyeNooks
WORD!
@simonspibey
BEST SINGER, BEST GUITARIST, BEST BASSIST, BEST DFRUMMER..........BEST BAND.
@MrValentyne
This was the standard they set in 1970, 50 years later still unmatched!
@brennenlancashire2465
I know 🤘🏼 they were my favourite group in the 70s they were so young and talented, I’m now 70yrs and still absolutely love them, we were so lucky to have them, 🎸🎤❤️
@warwickdartagnanbarrett
You are a superb judge and I like and agree