Simon Kirke talks about a Bad Company tribute album, Rock Hall Induction

In 1999, the British band Bad Company – best known for 1970s rock classics such as ‘Can’t Get Enough’, ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love’, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy’ and ‘Shooting Star’ – was eligible for a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, it would be another 25 years or so before the group’s founding members, consisting of vocalist Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs, drummer Simon Kirke and bassist Boz Burrell, were finally selected for induction. Regardless of the long gap, Kirke is excited.

“I know that the musicians who had been inducted over the years, for the most part, wanted us to be there,” he said recently. “I got a call, I think, [last] October. My manager, David Spero, said, “It looks like you’re going to get nominated.” And in February he said to me: ‘Don’t tell anyone, you’re in.’ And I was just over the moon.”

Prior to Bad Company’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, of which ceremony is scheduled to be released on November 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles Can’t get enough of it: a tribute to bad companywhich came out on Friday. The record features an eclectic cast of musicians paying tribute to the band, including the Struts (“Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy”); Halestorm (“shooting star”); Charley Crockett (“Bad Company”); HARDY (“Ready for Love”); Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators (“Feel Like Makin’ Love”); and the Pretty Reckless (the free song “All Right Now”). Kirke says he is proud and honored by the treatment.

“The fact that relative youth – and anyone under 40 is a young person to me – wants to cover our songs is a wonderful tribute,” says Kirke. “I’ve heard a few and I’m like, ‘Wow, yeah, they put their own spin on it.’ It is wonderful that the younger generation has, so to speak, taken over the baton and is now working on it. So great.”

Primary Wave Music, the music publishing company, formerly acquired an interest in the Bad Company catalogue. “Larry Mestel [Primary Wave Music’s founder and CEO] approached me and Paul a few years ago and asked, “Would we be willing to, etc., etc.?” We agreed, as did many of our contemporaries, because our touring career is pretty much over and we have to watch it for our families. So that’s what we did.

‘A few months later, Robert Dippold [Primary Wave’s president of digital strategy] and Larry called me and said, ‘Look, would you be willing to line up these artists, about ten artists, who really want to do a tribute album for you?’ And we said, ‘Yes, of course. Absolute.'”

The selection of the artists and the songs for Can’t get enough showcases Bad Company’s stylistic range across the hard rock, blues and Americana genres. “Honestly, every generation will have its anti-establishment,” Kirke explains. “There will always be rock ‘n’ roll. Because if your parents don’t like it, it’s great. It’s perfect. That’s why rock ‘n’ roll has been around since the ’50s. Now we have ladies and guys in their 20s and 30s who like our music enough. We’ve influenced them the way the Beatles influenced me, or black music, soul music and the blues influenced me and Paul. It’s just another form of influence. I’m so happy to be involved. on this project.”

Kirke and Rodgers themselves took part in the tribute album, performing alongside Def Leppard members Joe Elliott and Phil Collen on the folky “Seagull,” which first appeared on Bad Company’s classic 1974 self-titled debut album.

Kirke says, “Joe has always been a big fan of the band, as well as Rick Allen and the guys. It was Paul’s ‘Blackbird,’ if you will. He just played guitar and tambourine. He did all the vocals. So when I heard that Def Leppard, and especially Joe Elliott, wanted to do it, I said, ‘Wow, that’s great.’ So I liked a John Bonham drum track, and it actually worked really well.

Kirke says the timing of both the tribute album and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nod is a coincidence. While he and Rodgers are excited about Bad Company’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a few weeks, the occasion is also bittersweet: Burrell died in 2006, followed by Ralphs, Bad Company’s other lead songwriter. last June at the age of 81.

“Mick wasted away before he passed away a few months ago,” Kirke remembers. “I always get a little emotional when I talk about Mick because I really loved him. I know he got the news.” [about the induction] which we had received about a month or three weeks before his death. And he managed to say his first sentence — because he had a stroke — “Does this mean we get free hot dogs?” Mick, funny to the end. It was delicious. He knew before he passed away that we were going to be in the Hall of Fame. So I was happy for him.”

Considered one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll singers of all time, Rodgers himself had to deal with his health problems in recent years. “I understand he’s doing well,” Kirke says. “He cannot bear the rigors of touring and especially traveling. He kept his condition virtually a secret, even from us, for several years. We knew something was wrong when we had our last recording session in Palm Springs. He couldn’t remember certain lines of a song, and his pitching, which had always been perfect, was way off. And he said, ‘Guys, I’m not feeling very good. We’re going to have to cancel this session.’ We didn’t know this would be the very last session.

“Looking back on it, it was very emotional,” Kirke continues. “He’s one of the all-time greats. I get this question in interviews: Who’s the best? There’s no such thing as the best in music. Some people are absolutely great. And Paul is one of the absolute greatest singers to ever grace the stage. He’s left quite a legacy.”

As for whether he and Rodgers will perform together as the surviving members of Bad Company at the Nov. 8 induction ceremony, Kirke is keeping mum. “My lips are sealed,” he says. “I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. So we’ll leave it at that. I miss the man. I mean, I miss his singing. I miss playing in front of people. I just miss getting up on stage. I don’t miss traveling, but I do miss being immersed in that applause.”