"JIMMY PAGE: An Encore For Bad Company" (Hit Parader, Feb. 1975)
“It’s fucking JIMMY PAGE!,” the boy screamed in total hysterical disbelief, as Jimmy went onstage at the Central Park concert with Bad Company for the band’s second encore. Jimmy, in town with the band for the better part of the week, had done the same thing in Austin, Texas Sunday night where Bad Co. played a huge festival; both times the song “Rock Me Baby”. It was one of those magical moments, and so great to see him on a stage, playing, again; a stunning climax to what had been one of Bad Company’s best gigs on this tour so far.
Jimmy was in great spirits the night before New Haven; he spoke about how much he admired Bad Company and how well deserved their success was. “You know,” he said quietly, “there really is a comparison to be made with this band and with Zeppelin. For Paul and Simon had played together before like Robert and Bonzo did, and all of them came together from other bands like we did, and the combined fusion of all the musical forces just has worked out so well. And it’s such a good, strong, virile music.”
We talked about the last time he was in - for the Swan Song luncheon, and we laughed about the strange interview we’d done. I’ve got some great pix of you in that emerald green satin shirt and pink velvet suit you wore for the whole three days you were here, I said, and he laughed, “Oh yes, the same outfit I’ve got with me this time as well.” In fact, he was wearing a rather familiar looking red patterned silk shirt, and his shoes were in need of some repair (must be part of that vulnerable bit, makes people want to take care of him, etc.) - but nonetheless, he looked great.
“I’ve been working really hard,” he said, “on the lp and a bit on the film. The album should be out around October hopefully, then I’ll be able to really work and finish up the film. There’s just so much to do with that movie, editing all the parts together, working the music in with it, finishing up my little bits.” What? You still have some home movies to do? “Well - I’ve been waiting for the autumn to finish up my stuff,” he smiled, “I did a few things last winter - it’s all outside, no restrictions.
“It was great playing in Austin, though,” Jimmy continued. “I mean I wouldn’t have wanted to do it as an ego thing or if the band hadn’t asked me to. But I must admit it was so great to get on a stage again, I really miss it, and am looking forward to touring again. Probably around January.” In England or U.S. first? “I don’t know, that’s up to Peter,” and then, “I mean I really enjoy working on the album, but that’s a head thing really - you do need to get in front of audiences and feel that feedback, that energy. I’m really a playing man.”
Paul Rodgers was preparing to go onstage, first he pulled a wrinkled, wet, and not-too-clean flowered beige and white shirt from his suitcase. Hmmm, I’ve seen this one quite a few times. Next came the slightly soiled off-white leather stitched trousers. Added accessories included a thick leather belt with lots of bullets. (You can throw those at the audiences as souvenirs, I suggested, and Paul liked the idea…) and a rumpled scarf. Needless to say, Rodgers hadn’t shaved in a few hours, which causes him to look like he hadn’t shaved for a few days. Oh well, it’s all in the image - Bad Company indeed.
Jimmy watched the show from the side of the stage, stomping his feet and in general “getting into” the music. Several teenage blondish girls came up to him with instamatics (probably children of the promoters, etc) and asked if he would pose for a pic, he smilingly obliged. Jimmy - who can occasionally appear a bit moody and stand offish, was in an amazingly good mood. He was completely charming after the show as we talked some more about the tax situation in England: “I wouldn’t leave,” he said, “even if I had to live in a cottage.
There’s just the thing about England - the tradition of thousands of years, and the beauty of the countryside. It’s so gorgeous there, I wouldn’t want to be without that. The whole tax thing is so ridiculous anyway, hopefully it will change. It would be one thing if they took 61% in taxes - that’s fair if you’re making a lot of money - and gave it for home mortgages or such, but of course they don’t do that.” And then we talked about his involvement with land conservation a few years back in the Loch Ness area…
“It was really amazing to get involved with the town council and politics and all, he said enthusiastically, “you really can get something done if you try. I just was upset that they wanted to put up all those pylons in this magnificent countryside, and I really got involved, doing up petitions and all that. Of course at first they didn’t know who I was, then later they made a bigger thing out of it. It did do some good, although they ended up doing what they wanted anyway - basically. But if you can get things done on that level if you are willing to really get involved, it was a very good experience for me. I feel very strongly about preserving that countryside.”
Bad Company always hangs around the dressing room a long time after their sets; much to the consternation of Clive Coulson who has to hustle them in and out of places. Everyone decided to go and watch a bit of Foghat, and then we were back to the dressing room to watch Jimmy, Simon Kirke, and Mick Ralphs donning a bit of - you’ll pardon the expression - jamming in the dressing room. Blues, it was, and Simon singing, “Well - I went down to the station…” (That has to be my favorite line in all of music; I went down to the station… I always crack up when I hear people singing that for some reason. My other favorite thing is Simon’s imitation of Jim Dandy… “get DOWN … yeah …” Ask him to do it sometime.) Jimmy looked happy to be playing a guitar, even in the dressing room.
Back in the limo, on the way to New York. Thunder and lightning and looks like the start of forty days and forty nights outside. Jimmy was talking about interviews; “I don’t know, I used to slag out at the press all the time, it just seems unnecessary now. I mean, what’s the point. It’s all down to the music anyway, and I’m not sure that readers want to hear about the sweating out over the music … it doesn’t really make good reading.” Peter Grant, Jimmy and Boz were having a bit of a disagreement about the music being played on the car radio.
Rather - Boz was having a difference of opinion with everyone else in the car; he seemed perfectly happy to listen to lots of jazz … lots of the Jimmy Witherspoon live lp on a special blues program … the other passengers wanted to hear a should station. “Some virility…” Jimmy mumbled … “really - James Brown, anything.” Boz turned around from the front seat grinning as Donald Byrd and Freddie Hubbard and Ahmad Jamal followed one another; groans were heard from the back seat. A discussion about the merits of jazz and blues and virile music and time signatures and whether or not it was easy to play ensued as we wended our way back to New York.
The following day dawned bright and clear; dispelling all fears of whether Bad Co. would have to perform in a downpour (Ron Delsener is a bit funny about rain dates), or postpone the concert a day. Bad Company was opening the show for Foghat, but it was hard to tell who the seven thousand kids had actually bought tickets to come and hear. It was an extremely glitter-free crowd, now would think to look at them that no one was at the Uriah Heep/Suzi Quatro concert over at the Felt Forum.
All the members of Grand Funk Railroad were backstage, although they didn’t stop in to say hello to Bad Co. Mark Farner’s hair is all chopped off … looks strange. (Someone said he looked like rough trade…) The band played a remarkable set - the audience seemed completely familiar with the songs (well, the lp is Number 2 here this week) and they responded with cheers and standing ovations throughout the performance. Jimmy had been standing on the side of the stage by an amplifier and when asked if he was going to play on the encore, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled, “I don’t know.”
Following the encore - “The Stealer” - Paul yelled out to the crowd - “Do you want another one?” - and they screamed for more. Peter beckoned to Jimmy, a roadie handed Pagey a guitar as Paul was announcing to the audience - “Here’s a good friend of ours and I think a good friend of your’s as well - Jimmy Page!” and he was onstage. Bedlam.
The audience - already extremely hysterical - rush the stage, went beserk. Jimmy quickly took off his maroon velvet jacket and joined the band on “Rock Me Baby.” As said previously, it was great. He was grinning so wide, he took a few little solos, but it was amazingly unlike a superstar ego thing; he just played with the band, was all. He hugged Paul at the end, and they were off to a roaring ovation.
Backstage in the trailer, Jimmy was still smiling. It was so great to see you on a stage again, I said. “Yes, it felt good,” he beamed. “You know in Austin I went on and didn’t know what I would do - I thought what am I doing here?? But I wouldn’t have wanted to do it unless it felt right. In no way would I want to feel that I was horning in on the band’s thing.” He didn’t. As Foghat went onstage and the familiar strains of “Honey Hush” drifted out, Jimmy smiled.
Everyone made their way out of the trailer (the backstage area of the Park makes one long for the comfort and glamour of the Academy of Music), and on the way to the limousine several kids spotted Page. “You were great Jimmy!” and “Thanks for coming Jimmy!” … and a bit of mobbing and finally safety inside the car. Jimmy would remain in New York on some business for a few more days; Bad Company - after one day “off” - (meaning doing interviews), would go to Canada and then Boston for the end of this very incredible tour. (By Lisa Robinson)
“Ride on a Pony” proves the blues can swing like jazz, underscores Paul Rodgers’ place as one of rock’s premier male vocalists and serves as a reminder Free deserves to be remembered more than Rodgers and Simon Kirke’s other, more popular, band.
A freshly uncovered archival video of the original Free four - guitarist Paul Kossoff, bassist Andy Fraser, drummer Kirke and Rodgers - performing “Pony” on West Germany’s “Beat Club” in 1970 confirms all this and more, including the idea that Bad Company, which Kirke and Rodgers formed after Free’s dissolution, never met its artistic potential even as it exceeded commercial expectations.
This is a powerful performance. Kossoff the virtuoso, playing something that’s both rhythm and lead guitar; Fraser does the same on the bass.
Rodgers, all of 21 at the time, sings like a guy who has already lived a long, difficult life and put significant mileage on his young voice. Then there’s Kirke; steady as she goes; nothing fancy; which is exactly what his fanciful bandmates need so “Ride on a Pony” doesn’t fall to pieces.
It doesn’t. But the listener/viewer just might.
Grade card: Free - “Ride on a Pony” (Live, 1970) - A+
