In 1974, Bad Company hurtled to the top of the US chart with their eponymous debut album, which also reached No 3 in the UK. Featuring former members of Free, Mott the Hoople and King Crimson, they were rock’s latest supergroup, their pedigree confirmed by the fact that they shared a manager with Led Zeppelin, the formidable Peter Grant. Bad Company was also the first act signed to Zeppelin’s Swan Song label.
While the singer Paul Rodgers was the voice of Bad Company, the band’s guitarist and songwriter Mick Ralphs, who has died aged 81, was a vital ingredient in its success. Though modest about his own accomplishments, he was a versatile and skilful guitarist who could play anything from crunching power chords to delicate acoustic picking, and was also a major songwriting contributor.
