Writer: Mick Ralphs
Producers: Bad Company
Recorded: November 1973 at Headley Grange in Hampshire, England
Released: Spring 1974
Players: | Paul Rodgers — vocals, guitar Mick Ralphs — guitar, piano Boz Burrell — bass Simon Kirke — drums |
Album: | Bad Company (Swan Song) |
Bad Company formed in 1973 as a rock supergroup with Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke coming from Free, Mick Ralphs from Mott The Hoople, and Raymond “Boz” Burrell from King Crimson.
The band made their live debut on March 9th, 1974, at City Hall in Tyne & Wear, England.
The group's first big break was being signed by Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant and to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song record label.
The Zeppelin members did their part by popping up to jam onstage at Bad Company concerts at regular intervals.
The Bad Company album was recorded during a 10-day session using Ronnie Lane's mobile studio.
Ralphs had originally written “Ready For Love” while in Mott The Hoople. It appeared on that group's All The Young Dudes album in 1972, with Ralphs singing lead. But he was always shy about his voice and didn't like his version of the song, so he asked the more accomplished Rodgers to recast it for Bad Company.
Though never a single, the song has become one of the group's most popular album tracks.
Bad Company hit Number One on the Billboard 200 chart while peaking at Number Three on the U.K. chart.