Paul Kossoff - Free
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 เม.ย. 2022
- Background:
Paul Kossoff was born on 14th September 1950 in Hampstead, North London, he was the son of Margaret Jenkins and David Kossoff.
Kossoff was from a very interesting and diversely talented family, for example, his father was the Actor David Kossoff.
His uncle was the broadcaster Alan Keith and he was also a cousin of the Judge Brian Keith and the model Linda Keith.
Aged nine, Kossoff started classical guitar lessons with Blanche Monroe. His classical guitar training continued until he was fifteen.
In December 1965 he saw Eric Clapton with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers at The Refectory, Golders Green, North West London.
This encounter inspired Kossoff to purchase a Gibson Les Paul guitar. During 1966 Kossoff worked as a junior salesman at Selmer's Music Shop in Charing Cross Road, London.
He received lessons from session guitarist Colin Falconer, who worked in the guitar department at Selmer's.
Introduction:
In 1966 Kossoff joined the Chicago-style blues band Black Cat Bones.
The band played with touring blues piano player Champion Jack Dupree, often supporting Fleetwood Mac and other gigs with Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green.
Kossoff's bandmate in Black Cat Bones was the drummer Simon Kirke and the two went on to play on Champion Jack Dupree's April 1968 album entitled “When You Feel the Feeling You Was Feeling”
Free:
In April 1968, Kossoff and Kirke teamed up with Paul Rodgers (vocals) and Andy Fraser (bass) to form Free.
They toured for two years, during which they recorded two albums: Tons of Sobs (1968) and Free (1969).
Both albums showcased the band's blues- and soul-influenced sound, a style that was in contrast to some of their progressive and heavier counterparts at the time.
Free became renowned for their live shows and non-stop touring. However, their studio albums did not sell very well until their third, Fire and Water, featured the massive hit “All Right Now”.
The song helped secure them a place at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970, where they played to 600,000 people. In the early 1970s Free became one of the biggest-selling British blues rock.
However, after the release of the next album, Highway (1970) and its relatively poor sales, band pressures led to a split.
The live album Free Live! was recorded in 1970 and released in 1971 as a farewell record.
Kossoff and Kirke teamed up with Texan keyboard player John "Rabbit" Bundrick and Japanese bass player Tetsu Yamauchi to release the 1971 album Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit. Rodgers and Fraser pursued unsuccessful solo projects.
Free reformed and released the album Free at Last (1972). Following its release, Fraser decided he had had enough and quit to form Sharks. Free drafted Tetsu and Rabbit for the album Heartbreaker (1973) after which the group disbanded.
Kossof’s Drug Taking:
Kossoff used drugs from the age of 15. Simon Kirke has said "he clearly had a predisposition."
He used Mandrax among other drugs. Paul Rodgers has said Kossoff was healthy and playing well in 1973 although this is disputed, but that he wonders about the company that Kossoff kept, and felt that "Kossoff was just too sensitive for this world."
There is an Interesting comparison with Nick Drake here, whose sister Gabrielle said about Nick that he was born with a “Skin too Few” .
Kossoff was also a fragile soul and also went on tour with Nick Drake’s Island record labelmate John Martyn in 1975, one year after Nick’s death.
Kossoff's drug use made him unreliable in the latter stages of Free. Andy Fraser noted "he felt intimidated by those other guitarists, and when people began speaking of him in terms of Clapton and so on, it frightened him. Drugs were a defence, his excuse".
Kossoff's unhappiness following the break-up of Free and his drug addictions contributed to a drastic decline in his health.
In a BBC website page commemorating the 1970 death of Jimi Hendrix, Simon Kirke said that Kossoff idolized Hendrix and never really recovered from the his death.
Death:
Kossoff died on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City on 19 March 1976 from a pulmonary embolism after a blood clot in his leg moved to his lung, while touring America with Back Street Crawler.
The lifeless body of ex-Free, now Back Street Crawler guitarist Paul Kossoff had been discovered slumped in the bathroom. At some point during the flight, Kossoff had visited the toilet - and never come back. He was just 25 years old.
His body was returned to England and cremated at Golders Green Crematorium in North West London. His epitaph in the Summerhouse there reads: "All right now" - บันเทิง
Payed my own visit to Paul’s memorial and the final house he lived in off Portobello road a few months back. Massive inspiration to me only wish I’d had the chance to see him. I’m about 5 years too young
Thank u 4 sharing...I had no idea where he lived..I hope you enjoyed my brief tribute to him ? If you did, can I please ask you to Like and Subscribe to my Channel. It is free..and would help the Channel to grow and expose this video to a wider audience
There was a boy at work who looked just like Paul, and I loved him from afar ❤
Such a sad loss. Superb Guitarist and band. If you enjoyed my video, could I please ask you to Like and Subscribe to my Channel? Thank u 💓
Rest In Peace Paul Kossoff your music lives on forever,wherever you are you are appreciated for your talents and your name!!😎
Well said...I loved his guitar work..sadly taken far too soon
did you know David Kossoff, Paul's father, blamed Andy Fraser for his addiction and death?
Can you corroborate that? I have never heard that before and have read a lot about the band. Where did you her this? @@TooSkinnyKenny
it was an interview Fraser gave about forming the band. In that same interview Fraser said Kossoff used drugs before they formed Free but told him and Rodgers that he could control it and was only a recreational user.@@ianfreeman7817
Paul always reminded me of a lion, I guess it was his hair. Wishing well was always one of my favorite songs 🎵. Didn't realize he died so young 💔.
Rest in peace. Paul Kossoff.
Yeah....I see where you are coming from regarding the Lion Analogy and his hair...I love 'Fire and Water' especially the guitar...Mr Big...Seven Angels....and Be My Friend
Paul was a sensitive soul who could not stand the sudden break of Free. For me one of the best guitar player, he made that no any other guitar player did, give happiness and hope with the sound of his guitar ❤ 🎸
A Fragile Soul..another superb Guitarist taken far too soon...like Nick Drake
An absolute genius, I had the pleasure to see Paul back in the 70s 🙏🏻 RIP Paul 🙏🏻
Yes he was...so sad he lost his life at just 25 years old. A very tragic story like that of Nick Drake...they were both good friends with John Martyn too
magic !! paul !! wight 1970 !!!respects infinis !! rip.
Thank you please subscribe to my Channel...it is free...thank you for your kind words 🙏
Nice tribute to my favourite guitarist.
Thank you...I loved Free and he was a superb guitarist. Subliminal Album Fire and Water. Subliminal Band Free and Bad Company. Paul like so many of the other greats taken far too soon
I stood behind him at the Victoria hall in Stoke in 1971. He was the best guitarist I ever saw.
Wow...an amazing story...thank you for sharing 👏
Melted listening to that ❤
Great Guitar 🎸 Work isn't it ?
❤
Thanks for the post. I adore Paul’s playing. As he’s my favourite guitar player :)
Yeah...Fire and Water a Subliminal Album...far too sad Paul was taking from us so soon...Thank you for your kind words and watching my video
It's not about quantity, its about quality.
Thank. Please Subscribe to my Channel. It is free
Thiscemetery is so awesome .i love the story u tell but u know my thing mostly is the cemeteries .
Thank u
God only made one Paul Kossoff
Yes he most certainly did..Fire and Water..Subliminal Album
Hey man great video... anyone know what the opening song on this is? So beautiful. Great playing.
It's actually from a documentary about heroin in the USA entitled "Black Tar' not sure who the band or music is. But it is so cool and entirely appropriate for Paul Kossoff
What a beautiful description of his life and influence. Thank you whoever you are x
My Name is Lee Johnson ..get in touch 07496 624626
Amazing guitarist 🎸 ,his playing has a lot of vibrato when he played. I believed that he might have pìćķêď şômě őf hış ṣțÿľə óf]pľâÿìňģ fŕôm ƁƁ ĶÍÑĢ Âñđ ôțĥêř Ĝûíțăřî'şť țĥāț ĥâɗ §țýľě õf pľæýíŋģ.
Yeah...I love 'Mr Big' and 'Fire and Water' ie the track. The whole album is superb though. I hope you enjoyed my short tribute to him 💙
I saw free at the Fairfield halls in Croydon , sadly it’s a bit of a blur now ,
Great Band
Nice tribute to Koss. You have used the wrong cover for his solo album ‘Back Street Crawler’ You have shown ‘The Bands Plays On’ which was that bands first album.
Thank you for your clarity 🙏
Drugs kill...
What’s the opening song please
Enjoy the video
@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 i did it was great, just wondering what the opening jam was please
Think it's from the song 'Mr Big'.
@@p___w9103 it's actually frim Black Tar a documentary about heroin addiction in the UK..it is not Mr Big...although I love that song
@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 👍
too bad his demons got the best of him, he had a lot of potential. I have a rare live album of his.
Yes..he was clearly a very Fragile Soul..beneath his incredible talent...another amazing Soul lost far too early..thank you for sharing your story
@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 i just didn't expect a record that good from him because he didn't seem to write very many songs for Free. I was not impressed with the record he did with the band called Back Street Crawler.
@@TooSkinnyKenny Agreed..For me Fire and Water all day long. A superb Timeless album
@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 in fact I love the "Back Street Crawler" album so much I bought both the vinyl album and the CD. A local DJ played the title track and said "Backstreet Crawler" meant smack which may explain why Kossoff put in parenthesis "Don't Need You No More".
@Ron DayVoo interesting...thank you for sharing 👏
Lovely tribute to kossof but please pay more attention to Martyn
I love John Martyn..Solid Air..A Subliminal Album and tribute to Nick Drake..who I also love..check out my video 📹 on him toob