In the mid 60's, there was Clapton and
then there was Hendrix and from these 2 "guitar gods" sprung a whole
generation of acolytes and copycats. Of these, most fell by the wayside
as simply poor imitations of their idols but many such as Jimmy Page,
Jeff Beck, Peter Green and Mick Taylor achieved recognition on their own
terms by taking their influences and creating their own individual and
distinctive styles. These ranks also included the young Paul Kossoff.
The son of David Kossoff, a presenter on UK religious television programs, Paul was initially trained to classical guitar but had more or less stopped playing when he saw Eric Clapton perform with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. It was a pivotal influencing factor on Paul’s decision to pursue electric guitar. Later while he was working as a young teenager in a London music store he heard Jimi Hendrix checking out some equipment where he played a version of "Little Wing" and the die was cast for everything that would follow.
It was in 1967, with his first band The Black Cat Bones that he was introduced to a drummer by the name of Simon Kirke. The two had a mutual love of the blues and while they enjoyed some success with the band backing Champion Jack Dupree, Paul wasn’t happy that they were going in the direction he wanted. He had a very clear picture in his own mind of the sound he wanted to create and when he saw Paul Rodgers singing with a local London band Brown Sugar, there was an immediate empathy. He invited Paul to form a new band with himself and Simon. It was the blues giant Alexis Korner who suggested that they check out the fledgling Andy Fraser on bass, who had been playing with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and also christened the band Free At Last, later shortened to Free. It was also through Alexis Korner that they were introduced to and signed to Island Records in 1968.
While many were following Hendrix to ever louder and faster guitar, Paul’s trademark sound became a slow vibrato played through a Les Paul Custom guitar which sounded almost like his guitar was crying. It was with Free that he developed that sound to maturity and soon became recognized as a major talent within the industry, to the point that Clapton asked him to show him his technique. However, Free had a short and troubled career and Paul was frustrated by the lack of commercial success of their first two albums Tons of Sobs and Free. During one break in the band's schedule Paul even tried out for The Rolling Stones and Jethro Tull. Although he didn’t get either job, it was a sign of the recognition he had attained, that he was seriously considered for the posts. Shortly after that, Free enjoyed major success with the single All Right Now from the critically acclaimed album Fire and Water, new horizons opened up and Paul became more contented with Free as they headlined at various events.
However, with success came additional pressures and the failure of the follow-up single "The Stealer" to chart led to internal artistic frictions within the band. The Highway album from which the single was taken also failed to make significant impact and the band broke up in acrimony to follow individual projects. Paul recorded the album Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit with Simon. Paul Rodgers formed Peace and Andy Fraser formed Toby but neither project produced recorded material. It was during this period that Paul, reportedly depressed over the recent death of Jimi Hendrix, developed an addiction to quaaludes, a powerful barbiturate.
At this time Island released the album Live! and single "My Brother Jake" which charted in the UK. With renewed interest in the band and with no real prospect for commercial success outside of Free, there was pressure to reform. Additionally the individual band members were concerned over Paul’s addiction and felt he could be better helped within the band. They recorded the Free At Last album and toured on the strength of its success. Prompted by Paul's failure to show up for concerts due to ill health and artistic frictions between them, Andy Fraser pulled out of the tour, leaving the band to finish the Japanese leg of the tour without him.
The tour was completed with help from Tetsu Yamauchi and John “Rabbit” Bundrick but with Paul's health deteriorating, the band was essentially dead. They managed to hold together long enough to record the Heartbreaker album and even attempted to promote it with a US tour, but with Andy and Paul no longer in the lineup, it was really only a shadow wearing dead man’s clothes and the final breakup followed soon after.
Paul went back into the studio to complete a solo effort Back Street Crawler which was critically if not commercially well received. He managed to kick his dependency and from there formed a band of the same name Back Street Crawler. Although they enjoyed some success it never came close to the heights of Free and with his death in 1976 at the age of 25 from a heart attack, it is primarily for his work with Free that he is remembered.
The music industry is littered with the bodies of young talent lost to drugs and while it's tempting to see Paul Kossoff as just another name on the role, he was more than that. He contributed a small but significant body of work in his short life and was a genuine talent that has influenced many that came after. In some ways, he was a troubled soul but the world of music is a richer place for his contribution and poorer for his passing and it would be fitting tribute for him to be remembered in this light.
Alan Spenner Bass
Tetsu Yamauchi Bass
Jean Rouselle Keyboards, Producer
Andy Fraser Bass
Paul Kossoff Guitar, Main Performer, Producer
Jess Roden Vocals
Alan White Drums
Trevor Burton Bass
Clive Chaman Bass
Simon Kirke Drums
Paul Rodgers Vocals
[url][/url]1 Tuesday Morning 17:35
2 I'm Ready 2:42
3 Time Away 5:47
4 Molten Gold 5:49
5 Back Street Crawler 4:08
At this point in his career, Free had disbanded and Paul was deeply into his drug dependency. However, this album represents Paul at the height of his talent (if not his health) with a maturity of sound that few guitarists ever find. Most guitarists would sell their souls to the devil for a track as good as "Molten Gold" but the whole album simply reeks of the same brilliance. It's tempting to wonder if this album represents the "artistc frictions" which led to the breakup of Free? If it is then this is an album that Free should have recorded and it would have sealed their reputation alongside the great bands of all time.
The son of David Kossoff, a presenter on UK religious television programs, Paul was initially trained to classical guitar but had more or less stopped playing when he saw Eric Clapton perform with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. It was a pivotal influencing factor on Paul’s decision to pursue electric guitar. Later while he was working as a young teenager in a London music store he heard Jimi Hendrix checking out some equipment where he played a version of "Little Wing" and the die was cast for everything that would follow.
It was in 1967, with his first band The Black Cat Bones that he was introduced to a drummer by the name of Simon Kirke. The two had a mutual love of the blues and while they enjoyed some success with the band backing Champion Jack Dupree, Paul wasn’t happy that they were going in the direction he wanted. He had a very clear picture in his own mind of the sound he wanted to create and when he saw Paul Rodgers singing with a local London band Brown Sugar, there was an immediate empathy. He invited Paul to form a new band with himself and Simon. It was the blues giant Alexis Korner who suggested that they check out the fledgling Andy Fraser on bass, who had been playing with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and also christened the band Free At Last, later shortened to Free. It was also through Alexis Korner that they were introduced to and signed to Island Records in 1968.
While many were following Hendrix to ever louder and faster guitar, Paul’s trademark sound became a slow vibrato played through a Les Paul Custom guitar which sounded almost like his guitar was crying. It was with Free that he developed that sound to maturity and soon became recognized as a major talent within the industry, to the point that Clapton asked him to show him his technique. However, Free had a short and troubled career and Paul was frustrated by the lack of commercial success of their first two albums Tons of Sobs and Free. During one break in the band's schedule Paul even tried out for The Rolling Stones and Jethro Tull. Although he didn’t get either job, it was a sign of the recognition he had attained, that he was seriously considered for the posts. Shortly after that, Free enjoyed major success with the single All Right Now from the critically acclaimed album Fire and Water, new horizons opened up and Paul became more contented with Free as they headlined at various events.
However, with success came additional pressures and the failure of the follow-up single "The Stealer" to chart led to internal artistic frictions within the band. The Highway album from which the single was taken also failed to make significant impact and the band broke up in acrimony to follow individual projects. Paul recorded the album Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit with Simon. Paul Rodgers formed Peace and Andy Fraser formed Toby but neither project produced recorded material. It was during this period that Paul, reportedly depressed over the recent death of Jimi Hendrix, developed an addiction to quaaludes, a powerful barbiturate.
At this time Island released the album Live! and single "My Brother Jake" which charted in the UK. With renewed interest in the band and with no real prospect for commercial success outside of Free, there was pressure to reform. Additionally the individual band members were concerned over Paul’s addiction and felt he could be better helped within the band. They recorded the Free At Last album and toured on the strength of its success. Prompted by Paul's failure to show up for concerts due to ill health and artistic frictions between them, Andy Fraser pulled out of the tour, leaving the band to finish the Japanese leg of the tour without him.
The tour was completed with help from Tetsu Yamauchi and John “Rabbit” Bundrick but with Paul's health deteriorating, the band was essentially dead. They managed to hold together long enough to record the Heartbreaker album and even attempted to promote it with a US tour, but with Andy and Paul no longer in the lineup, it was really only a shadow wearing dead man’s clothes and the final breakup followed soon after.
Paul went back into the studio to complete a solo effort Back Street Crawler which was critically if not commercially well received. He managed to kick his dependency and from there formed a band of the same name Back Street Crawler. Although they enjoyed some success it never came close to the heights of Free and with his death in 1976 at the age of 25 from a heart attack, it is primarily for his work with Free that he is remembered.
The music industry is littered with the bodies of young talent lost to drugs and while it's tempting to see Paul Kossoff as just another name on the role, he was more than that. He contributed a small but significant body of work in his short life and was a genuine talent that has influenced many that came after. In some ways, he was a troubled soul but the world of music is a richer place for his contribution and poorer for his passing and it would be fitting tribute for him to be remembered in this light.
Alan Spenner Bass
Tetsu Yamauchi Bass
Jean Rouselle Keyboards, Producer
Andy Fraser Bass
Paul Kossoff Guitar, Main Performer, Producer
Jess Roden Vocals
Alan White Drums
Trevor Burton Bass
Clive Chaman Bass
Simon Kirke Drums
Paul Rodgers Vocals
2 I'm Ready 2:42
3 Time Away 5:47
4 Molten Gold 5:49
5 Back Street Crawler 4:08
At this point in his career, Free had disbanded and Paul was deeply into his drug dependency. However, this album represents Paul at the height of his talent (if not his health) with a maturity of sound that few guitarists ever find. Most guitarists would sell their souls to the devil for a track as good as "Molten Gold" but the whole album simply reeks of the same brilliance. It's tempting to wonder if this album represents the "artistc frictions" which led to the breakup of Free? If it is then this is an album that Free should have recorded and it would have sealed their reputation alongside the great bands of all time.
PAUL KOSSOFF - 1973 - Back Street Crawler.rar 81.6 MB
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