Bad Co Legacy

The History Lesson Bad Company formed in London in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (both ex-Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex-Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson). Kirke was the only member to remain throughout the band’s entire run, while he and Ralphs were the only members to appear on every studio album. Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, also managed Bad Company until 1982.

Bad Company enjoyed great success throughout the 1970s. Their first three albums, Bad Company (1974), Straight Shooter (1975) and Run with the Pack (1976), reached the top five in the album charts in both the UK and the US. Many of their singles and songs, such as “Bad Company”, “Can’t Get Enough” (1974), “Feel Like Makin’ Love” (1975), “Shooting Star” (1975), “Burnin’ Sky” (1977) and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy” (1979), remain staples of classic rock radio. They have sold 20 million RIAA-certified albums in the US and 40 million worldwide. Though they initially disbanded in 1982, Bad Company reunited on many occasions to record and tour until 2019. In 2023, Kirke revealed that they would not continue as a band following the development of Rodgers’ recent health issues. Earlier this year Bad Co was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Enter BAD CO – The Legacy

For seven years Robert Hart was the lead singer of Bad Co in its classic rock era. He has also played many years with The Jones Gang with Kenny Jones of The Faces. and currently with Manfred Mann’s Earthband.

Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell, guitarist, spent 12 years in Bad Co, was a member of Humble Pie for several years recording, co-writing and producing the album Back on Track, The Jones Gang, ASAP and many other bands. During 1992, Hart was approached by Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke and asked if he would like to join them as the third lead vocalist for Bad Company, following Paul Rodgers and Brian Howe. Hart performed with Bad Company, touring the world including the US and Canada. In July 1994 a contract was drawn up by Alliance Artists and Legend Management and signed by the then Bad Company line up, Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke, Robert Hart, Dave “Bucket” Colwell and Rick Wills. In 1995 a self-produced Bad Company album was released, Company of Strangers, with Hart who bore a vocal similarity to Paul Rodgers. It contained four tracks self-penned or co- written by Hart. The band made a promotional tour of the US with Bon Jovi. In 1996 another Bad Co album, Stories Told and Untold featured Hart and contained seven new compositions and seven acoustic versions including ‘Can’t Get Enough’ and ‘Ready For Love’. Hart was also lead vocalist on three live albums between 1994 and 2001. In March 2020 he was on tour in Germany with “Rock meets Classic” featuring Alice Cooper. During the Brian Howe period the album, Holy Water, was released. The album was enormously successful both critically and commercially, attaining Top 40 and platinum status by selling more than one million copies. Holy Water was the band’s first album on the Atlantic subsidiary Atco. The album spun off the singles: “If You Needed Somebody” the title track “Holy Water” and “Walk Through Fire”. “Holy Water” also hit No. 1 for 2 weeks on the AOR charts with “If You Needed Somebody” reaching No. 2. In 1990 Dave “Bucket” Colwell joined Bad Co as guitarist at the request of Mick Ralphs who sat out for most of the Holy Water tour. Their subsequent tour, supported by Damn Yankees, was one of the top five grossing tours of 1991. As well as touring for over a decade, Colwell recorded Here Comes Trouble, What You Hear is What You Get, Company of Strangers and Stories Told and Untold, co-writing the last two. He then went on to record Merchants of Cool with Paul Rodgers in 2002.  Hart and Colwell are joined by Chris Childs, exThunder and Tyketto and John Lingwood, Manfred Mann’s Earthband and Roger Chapman, on drums Fans can expect many of the classic songs spanning Bad Company’s repertoire; ‘Ready for Love’, ‘Can’t get Enough’, ‘Rock and Roll Fantasy’, the list goes on. It promises to be a night to remember!