Free was an English hard-rock band that released six studio albums and a live set between 1969 and 1973 on Island Records. Their first two albums, Tons of Sobs and Free, appeared in 1969 and established their soft/heavy blues-based style. They reached their popular peak with the 1970 albums Fire and Water and Highway. After […]
Sharks were an English hard-rock band that released the 1973–74 Island albums First Water and Jab It in Yore Eye. Guitarist Chris Spedding formed the band with ex-Free bassist Andy Fraser, who went solo after the first album. Singer Steve Parsons later joined Baker Gurvitz Army and recorded under the moniker Snips. Members: Andy Fraser […]
John Mayall (1933–2024) was an English guitarist and bandleader who led multiple lineups of the Bluesbreakers. They released four albums between 1966 and 1968 on Decca. The Bluesbreakers served as a launch pad for members of Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Colosseum, and Mark–Almond. Members: John Mayall (vocals, organ, piano, harmonica, guitar), John McVie (bass, 1963-65, 1965-67), […]
Andy Fraser (July 3, 1952 — March 16, 2015) was an English bassist and songwriter who rose to prominence as one-fourth of hard-rockers Free, releasing five studio albums with the band between 1969 and 1972. Immediately thereafter, he appeared on the first of two albums by hard-rockers Sharks. In 1975, Fraser released two albums on […]
Highway is the fourth album by English hard-rock band Free, released in December 1970 on Island. The album centers on piano shuffles and slow material, while two hard-riff tracks cut through the quieter sequence. Andy Fraser brings more piano into the writing. Paul Rodgers places the vocal line low in the mix of feeling, then […]
Heartbreaker is the sixth and final studio album by English hard-rock band Free, released in January 1973 on Island. The record followed Free at Last and brought bassist Tetsu Yamauchi and keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick into the working line-up after Andy Fraser’s departure. Free recorded the album at Island Studios in London during October and November […]
Fire and Water is the third album by English hard-rock band Free, released on June 26, 1970, on Island. The album propelled Free onto both the U.K. and U.S. album charts, reaching No. 2 in Britain and No. 17 in the United States. Free recorded the album between January and June 1970 at Trident Studios […]
Free is the second album by the English rock band Free, released in October 1969 on Island, seven months after their debut. It features the classic quartet of vocalist Paul Rodgers, guitarist Paul Kossoff, bassist Andy Fraser, and drummer Simon Kirke. Sessions ran from January through June 1969 at Morgan Studios and Trident Studios in […]
Tons of Sobs is the debut album by the English rock band Free, released on March 14, 1969, on Island Records. It was the first document of the original quartet of vocalist Paul Rodgers, guitarist Paul Kossoff, bassist Andy Fraser, and drummer Simon Kirke. They cut the album at Morgan Studios in London from sessions […]
