Biography
Bad Company are an English hard rock supergroup formed in Westminster, London, in 1973 by two former Free band members—singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke—as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, also managed Bad Company until 1982. Bad Company enjoyed great success throughout the 1970s. Their first three albums, Bad Company (1974), Straight Shooter (1975), and Run With the Pack (1976), reached the top five in the album charts in both the UK and US. Many of their singles, such as “Bad Company”, “Can’t Get Enough”, “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad”, and “Feel Like Makin’ Love”, remain staples of classic rock radio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Company
Album & Cover
Rough Diamonds is the sixth album by rock band Bad Company released in August 1982. It was the last album by Bad Company’s original lineup. The sessions were rough going from the beginning. First, their manager, Peter Grant, withdrew from view after the death of Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham in 1980. That same year, the murder of John Lennon made the band change their way of thinking. Then, on another occasion, a fistfight broke out between Paul Rodgers and Boz Burrell, only to be restrained by Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke. The album’s opening track, “Electricland”, written by Rodgers, was the album’s biggest hit. Rodgers’ “Painted Face” also received substantial airplay on rock stations. The album became the original lineup’s worst-selling album, reaching a disappointing #26 on the Billboard album charts in 1982. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_Diamonds_(album)
This was the last album covers that had an extravagant design with serrated edges and diamond shapes cut into the cover, revealing show girls in a back alley in Las Vegas. Aubrey Powell went for a week to Las Vegas and the cost was enormous, and included paying for the actors, costumes, airfares, make-up person, wardrobe assistants, and his assistants…the end of an era. Then a dye-transfer print was made of the photgraph in the Hipgnosis studio and retouched.
Cover Location: Inner photograph taken in Las Vegas.
Who Did What: Photography – A. Powell. Graphics/Die Cut Design – Assorted iMaGes
Label: Swan Song 90001-1(US), Swan Song SSK59419
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell
Tracklist
| Side One Electric Land Untie The Knot Nuthin’ On The TV Painted Face Kickdown |
Side Two Ballad Of The Band Cross Country Boy Old Mexico Downhill Ryder Racetrack |
Credits
Bass – Boz Burrell
Design [Cover], Photography By – Assorted Images & Hipgnosis
Drums – Simon Kirke
Engineer – Max Norman
Guitar – Mick Ralphs
Horns – Mel Collins
Producer [Produced By] – Bad Company
Vocals, Lead Guitar – Paul Rodgers
