Last year, legendary vocalist Paul Rodgers set out on a barnstorming U.K. tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Free, his pioneering, hit-making band with guitarist Paul Kossoff, bassist Andy Fraser and drummer Simon Kirke. The trek ended with a sold-out May 28, 2017, performance at London's Royal Albert Hall.
Well, if you happened to miss that show, you're in luck. On June 22, Rodgers and Quarto Valley Records will release the performance on CD/DVD, vinyl and Blu-ray as Free Spirit: Celebrating the Music of Free. The 16-song collection includes “All Right Now,” “Wishing Well” and “Fire and Water,” plus several deep tracks, some of which were never performed live by the original band. These include “Love You So” and “Catch a Train.”
You can check out the official preview clip below.
"When I went down to London in '67, I had three things in mind,” Rodgers says. “To survive, to find peace of mind and to make music doing it. When Free came together, there was a creative magic around us, something unique and different. I felt again the strength of that magic on the 2017 Free Spirit Tour. Playing the songs we wrote, I felt the love and recognition the fans have for this music. The band, the fans and I inspired each other to create and capture these moments in time.
“I've been making music for a long, long, long time, so to get super charged and re-inspired to perform was a revelation. I loved the Free Spirit Tour and the guys who helped create the magic—Pete Bullick, Rich Newman, Ian Rowley and Gerard ‘G’ Louis. I hope you feel it too; just lose yourself in the music and let it fuel your soul.”
In other Rodgers news, the voice of Free, Bad Company and the Firm will be hitting the road this summer with Jeff Beck and Heart's Ann Wilson on their Stars Align North American tour. You can check out all the dates below.
For more information about Free Spirit: Celebrating the Music of Free, visit paulrodgers.com or check out Quarto Valley Records on Facebook. For more about the Stars Align Tour, head here.
Stars Align tour dates:
- July 18, 2018—West Valley City, UT: USANA Amphitheatre
- July 20, 2018—Los Angeles, CA: Five Point Amphitheatre
- July 22, 2018—Chula Vista, CA: Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
- July 24, 2018—Houston, TX: Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
- July 25, 2018—Dallas, TX: The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
- July 28, 2018—St. Louis, MO: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
- July 29, 2018—Chicago, IL: Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
- July 31, 2018—Clarkston, MI: DTE Energy Music Theatre
- August 1, 2018—Toronto, ON: Budweiser Stage
- August 3, 2018—Boston, MA: Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
- August 4, 2018—Camden, NJ: BB&T Pavilion
- August 8, 2018—Cincinnati, OH: Riverbend Music Center
- August 10, 2018—Indianapolis, IN: Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
- August 12, 2018—Holmdel, NJ: P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
- August 14, 2018—Wantagh, NY: Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
- August 17, 2018—Nashville, TN: Nashville Municipal Auditorium
- August 19, 2018—Charlotte, NC: PNC Music Pavilion
- August 25, 2018—West Palm Beach, FL: Coral Sky Amphitheatre
- August 26, 2018—Tampa, FL: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
