Media Path Podcast The Making of a Super Group & The Music Scene of the 60s and 70s
Listening to Radio Luxembourg on his family's transistor as a teen in the British countryside, Simon Kirke heard the siren song of The Beatles and was instantly hooked. Determined to make music his career, he spent two years in London before a fateful meeting with guitarist Paul Kossoff put him on a course to make his rock 'n' roll fantasy a reality. Along with Andy Fraser and Paul Rodgers, they formed the band Free which led to the mega hit/classic song All Right Now and Free becoming one of England's hottest bands.
Then, in 1973, Simon, along with Free-mate Paul Rodgers, co-founded legendary hard rock supergroup Bad Company, a monster band that sold out record bins and stadiums worldwide. Their anthemic hits, Shooting Star, Feel Like Making Love, Can’t Get Enough and Rock and Roll Fantasy remain among the most played songs in radio history.
Simon joins us to share (mostly PG!) rock n’ roll stories featuring his iconic bandmates and management and the music venues, record companies and recording studios where so much of his classic rock history played out. Simon tells us the story of Free and how All Right Now was written in desperation, to get the crowd dancing. Simon also details their legendary performance at the Isle of Wight Festival, and how Free stood up to the label that wanted to rebrand them the Heavy Metal Kids.
He shares the backstage/pre-show moment when Bad Company's manager gifted them with platinum albums and we discuss the personality types drawn to each instrument. And, a quarter century sober, Simon considers whether productivity and creation may be the greatest high off all.
Simon has written a possibly too spicy memoir. He is now scoring films and his pathway to sobriety has inspired an upcoming musical called Rock Bottom.
Plus, Fritz and Weezy are recommending the Max doc series, Smartless: On The Road and The Untold Story of the Investigation Into January 6th by Denver Riggleman and Hunter Walker.
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