Free, ‘All Right Now’ – Butch’s Way Back Wednesday

As a music fan there is always something new and great, but there really is something special about the songs you grew up listening to. For me, that was 70′s and 80′s classic rock. If I am in a shi**y mood, I throw in a little Zeppelin or Rush and take a trip back to rolling in my mom’s T-Bird. Now every Wednesday you get to take that trip with me. It’s Way Back Wednesday with Butch, and today’s feature celebrates the biggest hit from a band that sadly broke up on this day in 1971...Free's, “All Right Now."

It was on this very day (May 21st) in 1971 that, due to differences between singer Paul Rodgers and bassist Andy Fraser, the drug problems of guitarist Paul Kossoff, and inconsistent record sales, Free broke up. They would eventually get back together the next year, release another album, but clearly couldn't make it work as they broke up again, and this time for good in 1973.

Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums. Lead guitarist Paul Kossoff formed Back Street Crawler and died from a drug-induced heart failure at the age of 25 in 1976. Bassist Andy Fraser formed Sharks.

The song "All Right Now," which was released in mid-1970, hit #2 on the UK singles chart and #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, becoming bar far the band's biggest hit, and a favorite of many to this day.

Now take a trip back with us 44 years to 1970...