FREE

Biography

by Jason Ankeny

 Free formed in London in 1968 when guitarist Paul Kossoff, then a member of the blues unit Black Cat Bones, was taken to see vocalist Paul Rodgers' group Brown Sugar by a friend, drummer Tom Mautner. After deciding to form their own band, Kossoff and Rodgers recruited drummer Simon Kirke (since Mautner was at university) and 16-year-old bass phenom Andy Fraser from the ranks of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers; with the aid of Alexis Korner, who also suggested the name Free, the fledgling band signed to the Island label, issuing their bluesy debut Tons of Sobs in 1968.

Free's eponymous 1969 follow-up expanded on their roots-based sound, incorporating rockers like Albert King's "The Hunter" as well as muscular ballads like "Lying in the Sunshine" into the mix. Although both of the first two albums fared poorly on the charts, 1970's Fire and Water became a tremendous hit on the strength of the primal "All Right Now," a Top Five smash powered by Rodgers' gritty, visceral vocals. After headlining 1970's Isle of Wight festival, the group appeared destined for superstardom, but the LP Highway did not fare nearly as well as anticipated, and after a grueling tour which yielded 1971's Free Live, the band dissolved amidst ego clashes and recriminations. Read more.

Listen to some of the earliest known FREE recordings live on The BBC. These songs were recorded before they recorded their first album "Tons of Sobs" Click HERE to Listen.

Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke were 18, Paul Kossoff 17 and Andy Fraiser was only 15.

Free .... December 12, 1970 (Broadcast January 2, 1971)
"Midnight Hour", Radiohuset, Stockholm, Sweden
(EX FM - from Liberated Bootleg "Radio Free" (Remastered Edition))
Listen

Paul Kossoff

Free

The Metallized Blues
Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
April 30, 1972

Listen to a great soundboard

One of the last of original band

Edinburgh, Empire Theatre
September 14, 1972
- Paul Kossoff’s 22nd Birthday -
Lineup: Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, Simon Kirke, Rabbit Bundrick, Tetsu
LIVE