Interview in 1970 w/ the rock band FREE

[@billyshane3804]

Intelligent, articulate young men. Society and the world has devolved so much since this interview.

[@Martin-iv6lq]

Very well put

[@albertpostolides771]

Devolved indeed!

[@ianclarke1852]

Andy and Koss looking the more articulate of the four.

[@mycill100]

Koss is still one of the guitar greats,never gets a mention.R.I.P.

[@spiritualcramp8000]

it took a long time to get to him, he's on my top 5 now. He died of heart issues and assholes keep on saying he died of drugs. Yes he was an addict but when he died he was in his clean comeback.

[@sonnyblu6299]

He was "That One Guitar" for me...

[@paulbuxton1326]

A real player , from the Soul 🎶

[@bluestogreen1693]

For real!

[@slide4180]

He looked like a werewolf in a lot of his photos. Props. He died far too soon. RIP

[@patrickcrowther9195]

Andy Fraser was the key to Free’s sound. That bubbling, lolloping bass which just kept everything moving and made sure their music never plodded unlike many blues rock bands’.

[@daysjours]

Love you description. His bass playing was like no other. He also was so lyrical.

[@MyMuzikVideos578]

One of the greats!!❤️❤️❤️

[@Gammaknife97]

I would have to say Paul Kossoff was the key to Free's sound but I will never disagree that Andy Fraser was just as important if not as equal as Paul Kossoff

[@stricknine8623]

​@@Gammaknife97Certainly the musical sound of a band would be most identifiable with the sound of the lead instrument. So you are absolutely right. Andy was certainly an extraordinary bass player.

[@mickleem]

This band were brilliant Paul Kossoff was a fantastic musician and sadly because of his death at a young age we never saw him become even better than he was then. Fabulous band RIP to Kossoff and Fraser

[@buffalobillboy]

Thats the first time i've ever heard Paul Kossoff speaking.God bless you.

[@funkyalfonso]

Me too.

[@alisonwunderland9900]

@@funkyalfonso and me...

[@josephvengen9989]

... and me.... such a soft spoken guy with mad frenectic talent!

[@ZeMPzo]

Holy shit, Paul Rogders had a prolific unibrow back in the day. When you can sing like Paul Rodgers, you can sport a uni and still get mad chicks.

[@briankehew579]

Andy, brilliant man and musician. Thanks. RIP.

[@joytimmons]

I love the Free band and their music. Rest in Peace Andy Fraser and Paul Kossoff. I hope the surviving members, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke do a movie about them one day. It is sad this group broke up due to many issues happened in the band.

[@squarerooters]

What Paul Kossoff accomplished musically in his short life is beyond remarkable. Watching this interview and realizing Kossoff is 19 or 20 yrs old here , already a session player that was in demand and the guitarist he became is still just a glimpse of what this man could have become. RIP

[@wk1810]

He and Andy Fraser were classically trained so no surprise they could play so well.

[@jimmymurphy7789]

"KING KOSS" (RIP) - King of the greatest Vibrato & the most Expressive electric Guitar playing ever, bar none.

[@knowmusicman157]

Look and listen closely my children. When Ronnie Van Zant saw Free on their first US tour, he said Paul Rodgers was the best vocalist he ever heard.

[@vc23]

Yes and you can really hear that influence of Free in some of Skynyrds songs, especially Ronnie's voice in a couple of songs. Two of my favourite bands

[@onazram1]

@@vc23 very true, and two of my favorite's as well..

[@wk1810]

Paul Rodgers and Lou Gramm, often I hear these two mentioned as the greatest vocalists. I prefer Lou (just my personal taste) - his range was superb and the emtion he brought to every song made the lyrics believable.

[@lynby6231]

@@wk1810Lou was inspired by Paul, especially when he heard “All right now”

[@dianafab4096]

Paul Is The VOICE 🎤 Of Rock&Roll! Simply The Best! Love The Band Free!

[@sixbladeknife44]

I’ve been a very big Free/Kossoff fan for a long time...big influence on my own playing. First time I’ve ever heard him talk aside from the albums, thanks for the upload :)

[@deborahrobertson8606]

I find this moving. My favourite band, such talent, so young and so exhausted. You simply cannot manufacture their kind of brilliance

[@gangoffour6690]

Solid unibrow on Paul Rodgers at 2:40. Greatest rock voice ever..

[@krisscanlon4051]

Check out REM bill berry

[@peterthompson4637]

God bless you for uploading this vid. Koss and rodge woth andy amd simon. Band of my youth

[@deelea2965]

Groan about the interviewer. I was at this 1970 show in Melbourne at Festival Hall age 15. I can attest that they jumped about all over the place spontaneously. It was a rock show in a rock city. Paul Kossof started that sound that still sounds fresh half a century later. I'm willing to bet Angus Young saw them too saying "That's it…that's the sound".

[@SuckingLimes]

I read something somewhere about Angus trying to mimic Paul's Vibrato

[@taggline]

SuckingLimes Abso-lutely!!

[@kevinpratt7105]

+Dee LeAngus doesnt really disclose his guitar influences ,but i think Paul Kossoff ,chuck berry ,and ritchie blackmore , would perhaps be them

[@DMSProduktions]

+Kevin Pratt That would sound about right.

[@musicplateau1]

Koss used heavy gauge strings too; I heard he used 12's, or a mix?

[@therambler100]

Free were one of the most talented and exciting bands in the seventies. I saw them live in 1970 at the Eldorado in Leith and they were brilliant. Paul Rodgers' voice is incredible. Paul Kossoff was a fantastic guitarist and lord knows where he would be now. Andy Fraser was and still is a formidable bass guitarist and his guitar sounded like another lead. Simon Kirke is a very unusual and brilliant drummer and is still playing with Paul Rodgers today with Bad Company. They're just superb.

[@murfdog19]

For me, it's wild to think that these young kids had no idea what was in store for their future. They had no idea they would become blues rock legends. Kossoff had no clue he would be dead in just a few short years, and become a blues guitar icon. Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke had no idea they would go on to form one of the world's biggest supergroups, and that Paul would someday shave his unibrow. Andy had no idea he would lose his fame, contract a virus that hadn't been heard of yet, and go on to make World Music.

[@stewartgreig3272]

R I p Andy Fraser

[@shanehagan]

RIP Andy Fraser - one of the greats, and also what a cool dude !!!

[@arthurblackhistoric]

That tour, with Manfred Mann Chapter Three and Deep Purple, only played in Sydney and Melbourne. I was 17, broke, still at high school, and furious that I couldn't go to Sydney to see them.

[@bobtomlin6813]

It was only 3 bucks man !!!!

[@saturday7]

Love Kossoff's sound. Less is more where Kossoff was concerned. He could wring the emotion out of a single note like no one else. Create that tortured heart rending sound. RIP Koss. Off Topic now, but why not: I think the Golden Age, the best time for people to have lived would have been the end of the 50's, all the 60's and then most of the 70's. In that period of 20-25 years there was an air of excitement, a strong sense of personal freedom. Freedom of expression and freedom of thought, After that period I think life has gradually deteriorated until we find ourselves where we are today. I don't think we'll see a return to those days where peoples liberty was taken for granted. People will never be that free again, at least not in the developed world.

[@cathygiuliana9089]

You nailed it with this comment! I’ve never read a truer truth regarding my generation! I’m 72 Saturday7, i was there through it all! I even attended Woodstock 69! My youngest son attended the 25 anniversary of the greatest rock festival that ever was! Sadly he left this world November 11, 2023! Oh life! I’m praying you had a happy life!🙏🏻Bless you!

[@robertbishop5357]

A fantastic rock/metal/blues band. Wish they'd lasted longer. Put out 4 great albums. 4 incredible musicians. RIP to the guitarist and bassist.

[@chrisdowell4268]

Metal? Ah...you mean the Chris Tsangarides remix of Wishing Well in 1985 with some fret-wanker overdubbing a solo. Yes that was kind of metal.

[@thethirdman225]

They weren't metal. Not even close.

[@donjohn2695]

4 great album's? Free made 6 great album's and free being metal they certainly was not

[@dave4590]

We were so young in 1970. And hope that spirit continues. Paul Rodgers is the voice.

[@Tinkerbellbabs]

Thanks for this clip - really takes me back. Paul Rodger's voice sounds so different then. He has a transatlantic accent now! Best blues singer ever. Keep rocking!

[@robertshaefer7760]

Every one talks about the All Right Now days but' to me the best album was Tons Of Sobs! Absolutely incredible.

[@fatbelly27]

Koss sounds remarkably together here. I remember him being interviewed on the radio and being out of it. Can't have been a lot later than this.

[@JPeterford]

You said it... without a doubt the most underrated ever... no mainstream famous rock band wuld want to follow them on stage, EVER, guarantee it.

[@farawayfettler]

cant believe how young they were !! to create the music they did at such a young age is phenomenal

[@evansmith3589]

All Right Now was on radio as our train entered Waverly Station, Edinburgh, about August 1970!

[@joseenriqueagutaya131]

Wow thanks for posting this interview of the great rock band Free.

[@SuperAnimelover100]

Paul Kossoff was my Favorite . RIP Paul Kossoff !

[@naturallawprinciples]

Such honest, down to earth, solid souls...as expressed in a genuine consideration for their fans. Respect.

[@atomicrooster56]

This was actually 71. I saw their concert in Perth 6th May 71. My favourite band of all time.

[@000Angus000]

I think what made Paul Kossoff such a great player (apart from his obvious talent) was that he was totally committed, it wasn't about being on TV or a celebrity. The music was everything - and people respond to that. But it doesn't leave you with much in reserve if things go pear-shaped. Creativity often has a self-destructive underside. He was also very young, had not really known anything else as an adult, and I don't think rehab places properly existed then.

[@GnOmOnG]

Thanks for this clip, Free is still one of my favourite bands.

[@Martin-iv6lq]

These guys are so articulate and cool 👍

[@BlueSky...]

A rather serious and well-spoken group.

[@dianemoffat1647]

Gosh the interviewer was awfully posh! Just as well Paul Rodgers realised that having one continuous eyebrow was unsightly and when they performed at the Isle of Wight and in Edinburgh where I'm from, he was a fine looking, sexy man with a fabulous voice and a brilliant band. The original raw sound of Free just can't be surpassed and I am still listening to them.

[@DMSProduktions]

+Diane Moffat YES, a VERY posh Sydneysider, working for the Aunty ABC, I dare say from LaPerouse or Brighton la Sands!

[@Msnando09]

My boyfriend at the time looked like Paul Rogers, when we saw them at IOW 1970

[@agall1013]

as am i

[@bonnielad7]

Thanks so much for posting this. They all look absolutely knackered! Great footage of the original line up. Really captures the era. This is a proper band! RIP Paul Kossoff

[@jabah126]

No, drugged up.

[@henryfrost8542]

Brilliant young man and fantastic band 🎶

[@fauxbro]

Veterans of 100's of shows and on a world tour, all still under 25 y/o,... Remarkable!

[@matsiesmith2425]

Probably the best rock band ever!

[@AmericanIsraeliJew]

+Matsie Smith What do you think of AC/DC especially the Bon Scott era.

[@dyr234]

+AmericanIsraeliJew bon scott era was some of the best acdc man i mean come on man let there be rock is a killer album

[@matsiesmith2425]

AmericanIsraeliJew I don't know a lot about AC/DC, but... I did once meet Brian Johnson in a bar in South Shields, Tyne &Wear England! Nice guy!

[@pauldavies8638]

definitely the best rock band ever

[@larryslemp9698]

Well certainly one of the very, very best!! So sad when Kossoff died on that trans-Atlantic flight.

[@alexkx8599]

5th greatest recording group of all time! 1) Michael Jackson, 2) Led Zeppelin, 3) Queen, 4) The Beatles, 5) FREE! R.I.P. the beautiful, smart, and wonderful Andy Fraser!

[@alexkx8599]

What the...?! My comment is nothing short of a profound complement! Plant IS beautiful though! ;)

[@atomicrooster56]

You could reverse that list and you might come close, as long as you flicked M.J. off the arse end.

[@Dagger_323]

Queen does NOT deserve to be on a list with Zeppelin, Free and the Beatles. Neither does Michael Jackson.

[@knuteboy3778]

First of all, this is not 1970 This is from their May 1971 tour of Japan and Australia. It's an Interesting interview because if you'll notice, there's a bit of tension and depressed energy in the room and it's not just jet lag they are dealing with. Right before they embarked on this tour while they were mixing stuff in the studio, Paul and Andy announced to the other two that they were leaving the band after the tour. Simon and Koss were shocked, and it was definitely a factor in really setting Koss off the deep end as far as his addiction problems. So here they are doing an interview knowing that it was all coming to an end soon, and not being able to tell anybody. So as you can imagine, there's an uptight vibe. Why did Paul and Andy decide to split? Several reasons I think. Paul and Andy who were the main songwriters, weren't getting along. The band had just recently released their follow-up to All Right Now with The Stealer, which they all liked and had high hopes for, but it flopped along with the album it came from, Highway. This was a real kick in the gut and a blow to their young egos. The album cover for Highway was awful and it was released without any of their input or consent. Adding to all of this was the beginning of Koss' downward spiral. So I guess it was all too much and there was a desire to escape. Which is a damn shame because they were such a great band. They needed a reassuring voice to settle them down and give them hope to stick it out. I honestly think that if Koss had been able to get it together, and they had remained as a band, they would've been one of the biggest bands of the 70's. Their talent was just too immense. They would have made another monster hit like All Right Now and would've been well on their way.

[@Diggerdog2nd]

I guess anything can be exhausting but doing what you love for a very good living & everything that comes along with it sure beats having to get up everyday & go to a job that helps you just maintain.. I wish I had the talent & drive when I was a teenager like these guys & others that made it & never had to work a regular job.

[@Ronnie631000]

Excellent history. Keep rock`en. From Sioux City,Iowa.

[@hvitskog]

They sound so tired or really relaxed... Xcellent musicians... RIP Kossoff...FREE FOREVER !!!!!!!

[@ham60]

Thanks for posting this, I may be way off but I think thats Germaine Greer doing the interview as she was close to Zep members and I think Paul Grant who managed Zep is in the start of the walking from thr plane Anyway, great band Wishing Well is still killer track all these years later

[@ovidel20]

great band stood the test of time

[@IXIBobOhIXI]

man Koss seems like such a nice guy :( He left us too soon.

[@glenkepic3208]

All Right Now. The KING of every assembly holiday dance. Before Jr high in ' 70. Never heard any interviews. . Great but hearing Koss, wow...

[@atomicrooster56]

this is actually 1971 which is when I saw them in Perth Western Australia, May 16th to be exact. I have a letter from Koss's dad. Both lovely people. I won't have anything bad said about him. He was the best and nobody has replaced him and nobody ever will.

[@scottrap]

I’m very fascinated with Paul Rodger’s eyebrows during this interview

[@barrywilliams4048]

Saw free many times at Barn club in little barfield before alright now , small venue , awsome band .

[@ritacanales2417]

Barry Williams I envy you lol

[@janemccambridge1868]

Nothing worse than an interviewer who isn’t into the music of the band they are interviewing. Inane questioning, ‘have Free developed any stage act or do you just stand around playing?’ Fantastic band. Thanks for posting.

[@michaelcaserta1414]

Im shocked. I've always though free were an American band. They are a treasure.

[@JohnFiocchi]

I remember reading something a long time ago about Ritchie Blackmore bragging on Paul Kossoff's guitar playing. He truly respected Kossoff. The first 3 studio albums of FREE are outstanding! Very eclectic in places and they Rock out! They were really special

[@BlueSky...]

Definitely true. This band was able to say a lot with just a few notes.

[@ReneeNme]

Gotta love Paul Rodgers unibrow in this clip :S

[@000Angus000]

I believe at this stage, the drugs were not a problem, it was mainly "weed". This was about to change as Rodgers' demand for a break from touring had been ignored and Fraser had arranged another Japan/Australia tour followed by another US tour, the final straw for Rodgers. They are exhausted and knew it was the end of Free, but Kossoff looks to be the brightest spark at this point and makes a lot of sense, but the break-up left a huge hole in his world that he was to fill with drugs. Very sad.

[@kennatiousc]

when paul rodgers was asked who the best guitarist he ever worked with, including brian may, jimmy page , mick ralphs,etc. his answer was paul kossoff.

[@Dagger_323]

spiralacrobat there’s definitely no secret as to why. None of those guys could even begin to play the way Koss could.

[@jsteed44]

Kossoff was different from the rest of the guitarists; he had his own style and sound which made him unique

[@terrysfreefoodtv]

Oh wow the good old seventies. We could travel then☺️

[@PEDROCLASSIC]

Hardrock and blues! I love this band and Bad company.

[@murfdog19]

@ClareStubbs I was negative 10 when this interview took place. Still, Free is just as big a part of my life as if I were around to see them. Free, The Beatles, Zeppelin, Cream....all timeless bands who belong to every generation.

[@whatwouldiknow1759]

Rodgers came out to Australia as a solo artist in 2005. Saw him at the Hallam Hotel, Melbourne.

[@kissandra]

Rock on for posting this, man. You guys can find this on their "Forever" DVD which incidentally rocks forever (saying of mine)--which is available online :D

[@ste123456754]

god i loved those days great time great era

[@carlosdeno]

i have a picture of me holding koss`s les paul in newcastle at a guitar show...holding the holy grail..don`t get any better than that..RIP paul..

[@billflynn6459]

thanks for uploading this. For Andy Fraser fans , please note he is playing at The Annual Free Convention on 2,.8.2013 please contact [e-mail] for details. also playing on stage at the Convention we have the nearest you will find to a modern day 'Koss' who plays all the original chord and vibrato of many Free songs as near perfect as you can witness . The question is which of Free Tracks will Andy be playing live on stage ? Thank you for allowing me to post this here

[@Pussycatfeathers]

pauls "we jump about all over the place" here is hillarious!! he sounds so young, makes me wonder if he ever watches this old material and how he must feel looking back cos he sure has changed these days :-)

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

It's interesting concerning what the interviewer suggests about Free touring so extensively . Led Zeppelin took the other approach where they worked more in the studio and did fewer gigs and they had the 'hype' which brought more commercial success. Free were a much more solid band but they didn't have the image that Zeppelin enjoyed.

[@hondac7028]

U can hear the teeside accent come through on paul in those early days.

[@JoeRivermanSongwriter]

A lovely bunch of lads.

[@strawberryp8109]

Koss's beautiful smile...

[@funkyalfonso]

I've loved this band since they started. Paul Rogers voice is still the same today and as far as I can tell neither he nor Free have been inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Unfuckingbelieveable.

[@ianmills5237]

Who gives a f*** about the HOF!! We both know how talented they were so what’s it matter. They are up there with the best. Peace mannnnn 😎

[@MrSmokeydog]

That's sad now to look back on Paul Kossof he had so much potential. The Backstreet Crawler stuff was good hard rock. and Andy is H.I.V. positive. It's sad considering he was the youngest member of this band when they started back in 1968. It's still great to see that Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke can still perform Kick Ass Rock and Roll with Bad Co here in the year 2010.

[@sixslinger9951]

Paul Rodgers looks like he was pulled out of a shack deep in the mountains for this interview.

[@BlueSky...]

That monobrow he has going makes him look pretty intense at times.

[@mazanylisak01]

its interesting how Simon always seems so tensed and stressed out on the stage, yet here he looks very calm and cool

[@buffalo123456789]

Paul Rodgers, a man of few words!

[@matsiesmith2425]

+Steve Gillers But those few words can say so much! WOW!

[@OKKOKA]

these guys are about 18-19 years old ,,they have high level of understanding music

[@davidharrison6615]

Paul so very very sad . rip . cannot hurt you now .

[@stevehanham9266]

Fantastic band! 😊😎🎸🇬🇧🇺🇦

[@LannyBenny]

Mega unibrow on Paul Rogers! Andy Frasier looks and sounds like 1980's Michael Jackson. Simon Kirke looks and sounds stoned. Paul Kossoff looks normal... his normal.

[@at89able]

Paul is one of the greatest Guitarist ever.

[@mensamoo]

It's amazing that Paul R is not interested in driving the interview. He has total faith in the band being one unit. And the obviously worked hard because they look knackered...

[@wolfatnight]

"Play to the people and develop musically on stage" - good advice from Paul K "We jump about - all over the place" - funny as hell from Paul R

[@msa3853]

high as kites!

[@nikoskilis3976]

hahahhahahaha

[@Johnny6666]

Not necessarily drugs - likely they were utterly exhausted. That they deem 'rest' to be the first thing they'll be doing upon returning to England probably confirms that...

[@Dagger_323]

At this point none of them were on drugs. In fact even later on it was only Kossoff that extensively abused drugs, but the other band members never really went down that road. Fortunately here this was before any of that drug abuse hit Koss...

[@samumina4218]

OHHHHHHH YEAH!!!! LOL!! I've ever seen Paul Rodgers act like that

[@jasoncorbett8948]

Nah,I think they’re all jet lagged,probably just on or off an aeroplane. The logo on the curtain in the background looks like an airline logo.

[@adamsjoberrg]

I love this, all of them seem to be high hahaha

[@rgbrin]

If Kossoff had lived he'd be one of the greats today....he was a master of his craft...

[@guitarlover302]

Paul sums it all up - great when we play 👌

[@tlm315]

heavy load? please more info looking forward to reading thanks

[@dangramful]

I totally agree. I am a musician and was addicted to heroin, and I wasn't even close to as famous or in the same time period as Kossoff, god bless him, don't blame him. RIP

[@rrr1063]

@johnnymusician I was there too at Randwick Racecourse. . Free got a great reception. Free and Deep Purple both had had recent hit singles in Australia: Alright Now & Black Night respectively. DP In Rock LP was owned by virtually everyone. Yes, DP were top of the bill because by then they had already a few hits in Australia as in UK and USA while Free were relative newcomers but everyone knew Alright Now . One similarity with LZ & Free was they both covered Booker T & the MGs' The Hunter.

[@morganfisherart]

Funny how Andy describes the audience as "kids" - he was only 18! A mature 18 though, and funky as hell.

[@mcnarie]

Hi, Morgan. Andy was an incredibly mature 15, dating Alexis K's daughter and already being fired from John Mayall's band for being too opinionated! See ya back on Facebook. Sorry to hear about Overend. He and Buffin made one hell of a rhythm section, unlike any other. Well, kinda like Plonk and Kenney in the Faces, in that they were unconventional and kinda 'melodic thrash' for the time. No wonder so many punk bands found inspiration in you guys.

[@morganfisherart]

@mcnarie - thanks a lot, and RIP Pete :-(

[@woody816]

morganfisherart are the the mott keys player

[@blindboybenton]

Hi Tim315 The book is Called "Heavy load" By David Clayton and Todd k Smith. will probley have to order it from a good book seller.

[@58firecracker]

They were such softly spoken lads. Does anyone know who the interviewer was? Geraldine Doogue maybe?

[@KermitKeir]

You can really hear Paul's Boro accent in this! Excellent! Probably not that long after he left the area. Koss such a sad loss, as I know he woulda just got better and better with age - just like Paul, whose voice is amazing (though maybe wasted in the Queen tribute band - yikes, that oughta set the cat amongst the pigeons....) ;¬)

[@callyoscar10]

Still wish I coulda made it to the concert on Mothers Day in Sydney in the 70s with Manfred Mann and Deep Purple.

[@timpenfield5]

The Golden age, 1969-1979

[@lipfishin]

Love it!

[@johnsmusicpassions9740]

loved this band saw them in 69 in a club - 100 odd people crammed in like peas in a pod

[@000Angus000]

Naive? Maybe. But you could argue that anybody who puts their art above everything else is naive or a bit odd. I gather he was a genuinely nice guy, in a world, the music business, where a ruthless streak probably stands you in good stead. And I think he meant every note - which is why we don't forget him. :)