Straight Shooter: Remembering Mick Ralphs
Former Bad Company and Mott The Hoople guitar great was 81
Mick Ralphs could be considered the quintessential example of what a guitar foil is capable of contributing.
He initially proved his prowess by taking a major role in the classic British band Mott the Hoople while also paying a debt to Ian Hunter’s command and creativity. Even as the majority of the material found Hunter at the fore, Ralphs still managed to make his mark while significantly contributing to the glam rock image that Mott pervaded so successfully.
AUDIO Mott the Hoople “All the Young Dudes”
Most importantly, he contributed songs that ultimately became seminal standards. They included the solid rocker “Ready For Love,” a track that became one of Ralphs’ signature songs, but an early key composition for Bad Company, the band he helped to found later on.
Ralphs, who passed away on June 23 following a debilitating illness, played a prominent part in the process, despite the fact that for all intents and purposes, Bad Company had basically evolved out of the band Free. It featured two of that former outfit’s key personnel — specifically, singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — in addition to Ralphs and former King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Nevertheless Ralphs managed to put his mark on the music early on, courtesy of another enduring composition, “Can’t Get Enough,” an anthem that helped propel Bad Company toward superstar status.
VIDEO: Bad Company “Can’t Get Enough”
Other Ralphs rockers would affirm the group’s no-nonsense image — among them, “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad” and “Movin’ On,” the latter being a cowrite with Rogers. Indeed, Ralphs’ collaborative efforts (he penned the early Mott standard “Rock and Roll Queen with Ian Hunter) had him setting a standard as far as support status was concerned. It bred a role later entrenched by Mick Ronson and his buddy work with David Bowie as well as Miami Steve Van Zandt’s support of Bruce Springsteen.
Ralphs was a team player from the get-go, courtesy of his early involvement with the Doc Thomas Band — the initial incarnation of Mott the Hoople — and later, after Bad Company’s break-up, work with David Gilmour, his brief reunion with Ian Hunter and the various tours that found him reconnecting with a latter-day <<repeats same phrase but with hyphen!>>version of Bad Company. At the same time, he proved an able band leader following the formation of his own Mick Ralphs Blues Band. The group produced a pair of albums under their own aegis (I Should Have Known Better and If It Ain’t Broke) and a presumptive “greatest hits” (On The Run 1984-2013).
“I’ve never had a plan,” he was once quoted as saying. “It was just to try and get with the people you like to play with, and try to do the best you can.”
Ian Hunter affirmed those thoughts. He said in a statement, “It hit me like a ton of bricks,” and went on to call Ralphs “The soul of the riff.”
“Mick wasn’t just a bandmate,” he added. “He was a huge part of my musical life, of my youth, my growth.”
Nevertheless, Ralphs himself was seemingly understated, especially when asked his views on Bad Company’s lingering legacy.
“We just sang real simple songs in a simple way that got to people,” he recalled. “We didn’t try to tart them up with orchestral arrangements and all the stuff. We were all blues fanatics. We like R+B and blues and simple, gut-feeling music.”
Notably then, among the first to offer their condolences on hearing of his passing were his former Bad Company bandmates Rodgers and Kirke.
“Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground,” Rodgers said. “He has left us with exceptional songs and memories. He was my friend, my songwriting partner, an amazing and versatile guitarist who had the greatest sense of humour. Our last conversation a few days ago… we shared a laugh, but it won’t be our last. There are many memories of Mick that will create laughter… I will see you in heaven.”
Kirke echoed those sentiments. “He was a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist. We will miss him deeply.”
Sadly, it wasn’t the first time Rodgers and Kirke eulogized a former bandmate. The premature passings of Free guitarist Paul Kossoff and Bad Company bassist Boz Burrell reflected the fact they were never immune to tragedy.
VIDEO: Mick Ralphs 2015 interview
Notably then, Ralphs’ final live performance came at the climax of a Bad Company reunion tour. Only a week after the group’s show, Ralphs suffered a stroke and never recovered. He spent the final nine years of his life bedridden. He was 81.
Ultimately, there’s something especially sobering about Ralphs’ recent passing. In many ways, it represents the end of a chapter, a final glimpse of rock and roll glory. While he may not have sustained the poise and posture attained by others of his ilk, Ralph’s contributions to rock’s visceral vitality endures even now.
Positive proof comes in the fact that the original line-up of Bad Company is slated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
To paraphrase the lyric from his classic “Can’t Get Enough,” it’s impossible to ever get enough of the music Mick made.
AUDIO: Bad Company “Ready For Love”
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