Blind Faith
Free
One of the best and most successful of the Progressive Blues bands that flooded the scene in the late 60's. Although the tradition was for musicians to have played in Dance Bands or in freelance backing bands for touring vocalists, Free bucked the trend by becoming established at an early age after having served only a limited apprenticeship in the music biz.
Paul Kossoff, the 17-year-old son of actor David Kossoff, had started playing guitar aged twelve and played in his first band, Black Cat Bones, along with 18 year old drummer, Simon Kirke. Wanting to develop their sound, they soon left the band and recruited 18-year-old lead singer Paul Rodgers who had played briefly in some bands around his hometown of Middlesbrough before moving to London in 1968. Completing the line up was bassist Andy Fraser, who remarkably was already a veteran of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers aged just 15. Blues stalwart Alexis Korner was an early supporter of the band, suggesting the name “Free” and recommending them to the flourishing Island label.
At their first rehearsal, the band jelled immediately and straight away they bought out the best of each other playing the blues music they loved but feeling confident in each others ability to start writing new songs. With the agreement of the others, Andy Fraser declared himself to be the bands leader and began booking gigs where the band soon established their reputation as a outstanding live act.
In October 1968 the band went in to the studio to record their debut album. They were assigned the maverick producer Guy Stevens who oversaw the sessions but relied heavily on engineer Andy Johns to convert his ideas into sound. “Tons Of Sobs” was released in November 1968. Containing mostly self-penned songs, it relied heavily on the songs played at the live shows. Given the young age of the band, they translated their version of the blues with remarkable feeling. Book ended by the acoustic “Over The Green Hills” the band soon hit their stride with “Walk In My Shadow” with some soulful guitar and vocals that were soon to become their trademark. The album also contained the standout track “The Hunter” a Booker T and The MG’s song that featured in Free shows throughout their career.
Disappointedly, the album failed to make much of an impact commercially and they soon returned to the studio to record the follow up. This time produced by the head of Island, Chris Blackwell, “Free” was a huge leap forward in both sound and texture. A quieter album overall than the predecessor.The mournful guitar from Kossoff is most effective on “Free Me” and “Woman” , while Fraser and Kirke had developed a rhythm section of both power and subtlety.
Tensions however were mounting within the band. With eight of the nine compositions supplied by Fraser/Rodgers, they were becoming both the creative and business leaders of the band. Kirke and the fragile Kossoff were feeling sidelined and only the diplomacy skills of Blackwell allowed the album to be completed. Blackwell decided that the band would be the perfect support for Island Supergroup Blind Faith and their tour of the States. Despite some early sound problems at the important Madison Square Garden show, the seven-week tour proved to be a positive learning curve, particularly for Kossoff, who felt empowered again after mixing with “God” Clapton.
Back home again, the band played at the Isle Of Wight festival and continued to gig, building up a strong fan base that helped push “Free” into the charts, reaching number 22 upon its release in October 1969.
Anxious to keep momentum going, they returned to the studio, often between gigs, to record the next album. Disappointed with the sound that Blackwell had overseen on the last album, the band persuaded their boss to let them produce this next effort themselves. With Rodgers favouring more soulful vocals and Kossoff playing his most refrained guitar to date, “Fire And Water” is a somewhat dark album containing some of Free’s most trademark songs. Its most upbeat track closes the album. “All Right Now” gave the band its breakthrough. With its driving beat, rolling bass, enthusiastic vocals and a guitar solo to die for, the song (edited as a single release at Blackwell’s insistence) shot up the charts reaching number 2 in the UK and number 4 in the States. The album followed this success reaching number 2 in the UK and 17 in the States. The band were now stars and sell-out gigs in large halls were common-place climaxing in an appearance at the third Isle Of Wight festival along side the likes of The Doors, The Who and Jimi Hendrix.
Once again they rushed back into the studio to record what would be their fourth album in two years. “Highway” proved to be a big disappointment with a lot of tracks sounding the same and some of the “edge” gone. The exceptions are the slower tracks “Love You So” and “Bodine” with some fine keyboards to the fore and the moving “Soon I Will Be Gone”. The album only reached a lowly 44 in the UK, a shock to the band who had only seen upward progress. The already tense feelings in the band came to head and following tours in the US, Japan and Australia, the band split in April 1971. The official press statement announced that “They felt limited in Free” but perhaps the real reason was success had come to quick to these young men, still only 21 or younger. “My Brother Jake” was sitting at number 4 as they split and a live album imaginatively titled “Free Live” was rushed out in September ’71. They were quick to form new outlets for their talents. Rodgers formed Peace; Fraser launched Toby, while Kossoff and Kirke teamed up with Rabbit and Tetsu in a new four piece.
As all four took stock, it was apparent that the split hit Kossoff the hardest. The fragile confidence and camaraderie that the band gave him had disappeared. Already dabbling with hard drugs and now convinced that he alone was responsible for the failure of the band he loved, his depression worsened acutely as his habit escalated. Dismayed at the guitarist decline, Andy Fraser was the first to suggest that reforming the band would help their friend and give him a focus once more and so in early 1972, they were once again “Free” and in June that year a new album “Free At Last” was released. Using mostly songs that had been written for their solo projects, the album contained some decent tracks. Kossoff was subdued but then so was the whole album with only rare glimpses of the fire that had previously burned. Rodgers song writing had become introspective with emphasis on the birth of his soon to be born child and although this resulted in some beautiful tracks like the heartfelt “Guardian Of The Universe” and “Child”, it was the hit single “Little Bit Of Love” that helped the album to go high in the charts. Touring was proving to be a huge problem, however, with Kossoff either not showing up for the gigs or only lasting for a couple of songs and by the time a Japanese tour was ready to start, Andy Fraser, tormented by what was happening to Kossoff and the effect it was having on the rest of the band, left the band for good. Kossoff also pulled out of the tour promising again to get help and Rabbit and Tetsu were recruited to see the band through the dates.
Desperate to keep Kossoff working, they hit the studio again to record “Wishing Well” and set out on a UK tour that was disastrous. Back in the studio to record “Heartbreaker”, Kossoff was marginalized. Only able to play in short bursts, and contributing only on 5 tracks, session players were forced to help out. Despite this, the instantly recognisable guitar lines in “Come Together In The Morning” were sublime. With “Wishing Well” yet another big hit single, the band arranged a tour of America. After deciding to leave Kossoff at home, the guitarist announced he was leaving the band and ex Osibisa guitarist Wendell Richardson was drafted in. Everyone was by now unhappy to be in the band and as “Heartbreaker” climbed to number 7 in the UK charts, they knew it had to finish. "Free" had run its course and the band were no more.
Rodgers and Kirke went on to form Bad Company with Mick Ralphs and Boz Burrell and became a stadium-rock band having many hit albums and singles. They have just announced a UK tour in 2010, without Burrell who died in 2006. Acknowledged as one of the best vocalist in rock, Rodgers also took over the vocal duties for Queen.
Fraser formed the short-lived Sharks and the Andy Fraser Band without great success. He went on to write best selling hits for the likes of Joe Cocker, Robert Palmer, Paul Young and Chaka Khan.
Paul Kossoff carried on his self destructive way. Releasing a solo album in 1973 and forming Back Street Crawler who released two albums of mediocre rock with precious little signature guitar. He did play a couple of shows in the States being joined on stage by Rodgers and Kirke. He played well, happy to be on stage with his best friends. These were his last ever shows and he died on a while on board a flight in America in March 1976 aged just 25.
One of the best of the Progressive Blues bands of the late sixties, the soulful vocals, driving rhythm and magical guitar became a statement for everyone else to match. Few did. Maybe success came too easily and too fast for the band ever to sustain their initial impact. In hindsight, it would be easy to predict the tensions and the drug problems. Maybe, most remarkable of all, is that they made seven albums. The power and raw chutzpah of the first three releases make them classics of the genre and this is how I like to remember the band.
Roger Gibbens
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
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Family
The band came together from the remnants of R & B bands, The Farinas and The Roaring Sixties. Formed originally by Charlie Whitney, Jim King, Tim Kirchin and Harry Ovenall in the early sixties. By 1967, Ric Grech had replaced Kirchin on bass and Roger Chapman was now the vocalist. The band moved to London from their Leicestershire base and were renamed Family following a meeting with famous record producer Kim Fowley. It is rumoured that Fowley suggested the name due to the bands on- stage appearances in double-breasted suits that made them look like members of the Mafia!!
Now willing to throw off the straitjacket of R & B and ready to embrace the freedom and influences that the exploding underground scene offered, their reputation as a live act grew due in no short measure to the wild man antics of Chapman. They recorded their debut single “Scene Through An Eye Of A Lens” in late 1967. Produced by the influential Jimmy Miller, it is a fine example of British psychedelia and the first time Chapman’s unique vocals were heard on record. Not that too many did hear as the record sold poorly and flopped.
The band signed to the Reprise label and they set about recording their first album during early 1968. By this time, drummer Ovenall had left and Rob Townsend was drafted in as replacement. “Music In A Dolls House” was released in July 1968 and received wide critical acclaim. Mostly produced by Dave Mason of Traffic, the album accurately captured their live show, and contains a number of tracks destined to become firm Family favourites such as “See Through Windows” “Me My Friend” “Old Songs New Songs” and “Peace Of Mind”. With Chapman’s odd vocals, ranging from gentle and almost whispered words, though to rasping strained exclamations, and with a most un- rock like line up of instruments, the album perfectly reflected their position as one of the more original bands of the Progressive Underground. The rich and varied sound helped by the inclusion of saxophones, cello, sitar, impressive violin and freaky effects is now acknowledged as a forgotten classic of British Psychedelic Rock.
The band did receive some unwanted publicity around this time as they featured in the novel “Groupie” by Jenny Fabian and Johnny Byrne with the thinly disguised pseudonym “Relation”
Continuing on an upward path that saw them now in the same league as Pink Floyd and Soft Machine, the band were anxious to return to the studio to record their next album, 1969’s “Family Entertainment” This album was a more straight forward affair with less experimentation and with the psychedelics reigned in. More of an out and out rock album than the predecessor, the musicianship is still there and the songs are tight but you cannot help but be a tad disappointed after the originality of the debut. Chapman’s voice still ensures that “Family” sound and strong tracks such as “Observations From A Hill”, the gentle “Face In The Cloud” with its haunting sitar, the rocky Beatles-like “Second Generation Woman” and the timeless “Weavers Answer” all help to deliver a fine album that made its mark on the UK chart with a number 6 placing.
With their success in the UK now established, the next step was the American market and in April 1969 the group embarked on what was to be a problematical tour. Shortly after the tour started. Ric Grech left the band to join Blind Faith and John Weider was recruited. With previous experience playing with the likes of Steve Marriott, The Pirates and latterly with Eric Burdon’s Animals, Weider proved to be a more than suitable replacement. While this on its own would have been enough to throw the band off its stride, more problems followed. As support to Ten Years After, they received little attention or applause and confrontations with the audience were common. They also had an incident with influential promoter Bill Graham who accused Chapman of hurling a mic stand at him. Although not the case, they were removed from the support slot for a while and, coincidently, were never to become more than a cult band in the States.
Following their return home, Jim King was forced from the band and talented multi- instrumentalist John “Poli” Palmer joined.
The next album, “A Song For Me” was released in January 1970. As this album was the first to feature the new influential band members, it was obvious that the sound of the band would change. With this album, Family served up a much heavier version of the “Family sound" but still used an interesting array of instruments to keep listeners on their toes. The opening track, “Drowned In Wine” contained some of the most agonised, bluesy vocals from Chapman, while the title song, clocking in at around ten minutes, had all band members trying to out do each other as they rocked out. The new sounds appealed to the fans as the album speed up to number 4 in the charts.
Now on a commercial and critical high, the band wanted to capture their astonishing live show on record. The next release was “Anyway” which had one side live and one studio. (You could do that in those days!). A decent enough record, it does give the feeling of a bit of a stopgap before the next “proper” release. Perhaps this is a bit unfair as the live side is good if a bit unfocused and the recording quality is, at best, average. The studio side works better and shows the band once again not afraid to use an imaginative selection of instruments. The stand out tracks are the live “Strange Band” and the impressive “Part Of The Load” For the third release running, the album charted, reaching number 7.
The band had a break from recording, continuing with their heavy touring schedule and a compilation album was put out. “Old Songs New Songs” was just that-previously recorded tracks with some remixed.
In June 1971, John Weider left and was replaced by John Wetton. Two albums were recorded with Wetton. “Fearless” in 1971 and “Bandstand” in 1972. “Fearless” was an outstanding release. Varied and expertly played throughout. New man Wetton’s debut was a success with his vocals on the track “Save Some For Thee” particularly impressive.1972’s “Bandstand” saw the band at its most mainstream yet. As always the musicianship was high, but the tracks were more conventional and commercial. The album contained the hit single “Burlesque” and the single that should have been a hit “My Friend The Sun” Chapman is at his most restrained throughout and the album has more than its share of ballads. Both the albums had respectable showings in the chart, reaching 10 & 15 respectively and even creeping into the US Top 200. During Wetton’s time with the band, they also released their best selling single “In My Own Time”
That was the last of Wetton’s involvement with Family. He left to join King Crimson in July 1972 and Jim Cregan was drafted in and by the end of that year, Poli Palmer had also left to be replaced by Tony Ashton.
“Its Only A Movie” was the last Family release in 1973. It was a dull affair showing the band to be just passed its prime. No longer innovative, the band seems to be going through the motions and it is a sad final document for the band to end on.
Following a farewell tour, they played their final show in their hometown of Leicester in October 1973.
Chapman and Whitney formed “Streetwalkers” in 1974 releasing a number of albums.
Chapman has since enjoyed a successful solo career, most notably in Europe, with 24 solo albums to his name.
Whitney now lives in Greece and concentrates on Bluegrass and Folk music.
Jim King is still involved in music but no longer performs.
Ric Grech played in Blind Faith, Ginger Baker’s Airforce and with Traffic. In 1974 he formed another “Supergroup” called KGB with Mike Bloomfield and Carmine Appice. He died in 1990.
Rob Townsend joined Medicine Head after Family and is a long time member of The Blues Band.
John Weider joined Stud upon leaving and continues to record and release music, most recently in a New Age style.
Poli Palmer has played on many albums as a session player, including releases by Pete Townsend, Peter Frampton and Linda Lewis.
John Wetton seems to have played in most UK rock bands. In addition to King Crimson, he has played with Asia, Wishbone Ash, Uriah Heep, UK, Roxy Music etc
Jim Cregan was in Cockney Rebel and a long time member of the Rod Stewart Band. He recently teamed up again with Roger Chapman to appear live and produce Chapman’s album “One More Time For Peace”
Tony Ashton enjoyed huge success with the single “Resurrection Shuffle” with Gardner and Dyke. Always in demand as a session player he recorded many albums. He died in 2001 from cancer.
Despite a number of chart albums and singles, Family were never big players in the Progressive rock scene. Their unforgettable live shows were sensational and the early albums showed remarkable creativity as they exploited the musical freedom the times allowed. The lack of success in the States however, ultimately hurt their reputation.
Never given the acclaim of their contemporaries like Traffic, The Moody Blues or Jethro Tull, their first three albums helped define the music of the time as much as any band.
The track here is the rare first single "Scene Through The Eye Of A Lens" from 1969
Roger Gibbens
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
