Bad Company to mark 40th anniversary of 'Desolation Angels' with box set

Bad Company’s incredible commercial success continued in 1979 with the British supergroup’s fifth studio album, Desolation Angels. A double-platinum hit, the album peaked at #3 on the U.S. album charts and took radio by storm with “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy,” the best-selling single of the band’s career.

Bad Company will celebrate the album’s 40th anniversary with a newly expanded version that boasts nineteen unreleased songs taken from the album’s recording sessions. Desolation Angels was recently remastered from the original multi-track tapes for THE SWAN SONG YEARS 1974-1982, a boxed set that was released this summer. That remastered version of the album is also used in this new anniversary collection.

DESOLATION ANGELS: 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION will be available on January 10 as a two-CD set and a double-LP set on 180-gram vinyl. The music will also be available from digital outlets and streaming services.

In the late summer of 1978, Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke and Boz Burrell spent several weeks recording songs for Desolation Angels at Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey, England. The album – named after Jack Kerouac’s 1965 novel – was released in March 1979, and spawned two singles, “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy” and “Gone, Gone, Gone.” The album also introduced fan favorites like “Evil Wind” and “Rhythm Machine.”

The second disc that accompanies DESOLATION ANGELS: 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION presents unreleased versions of seven album tracks. Highlights include alternate takes for “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy,” “Early In The Morning” and “She Brings Me Love.” Also, the version “Oh, Atlanta” included here is played at slower tempo and adds a Fender Rhodes keyboard into the mix.

In addition to alternate versions of album tracks, DESOLATION ANGELS: 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION also features two unreleased outtakes from the sessions. The first is “Smokin’ 45.” This version is different from the one that appeared on the 1999 compilation, The ‘Original’ Bad Co. Anthology. The second outtake, “Rock Fever,” has never surfaced on any Bad Company release until now.

DESOLATION ANGELS: 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

CD Track Listing:

Disc One

1. “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy”
2. “Crazy Circles”
3. “Gone, Gone, Gone”
4. “Evil Wind”
5. “Early In The Morning”
6. “Lonely For Your Love”
7. “Oh, Atlanta”
8. “Take The Time”
9. “Rhythm Machine”
10. “She Brings Me Love”

Disc Two

1. “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy” – Alternative Version *
2. “Gone, Gone, Gone” – Alternative Version *
3. “Evil Wind” – Alternative Version *
4. “Early In The Morning” – Alternative Version *
5. “Smokin’ 45” – Outtake/Alternative Version *
6. “Oh, Atlanta” – Slow Version with Rhodes *
7. “Rhythm Machine’ – Alternative Version *
8. “She Brings Me Love” – Alternative Version *
9. “Rock Fever” – Outtake *

*previously unreleased

LP Track Listing

Side A
1. “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy”
2. “Crazy Circles”
3. “Gone, Gone, Gone”
4. “Evil Wind”

Side B
1. “Early In The Morning”
2. “Lonely For Your Love”
3. “Oh, Atlanta”
4. “Take The Time”
5. “Rhythm Machine”
6. “She Brings Me Love”

Side C
1. “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy” – Alternative Version
2. “Gone, Gone, Gone” – Alternative Version
3. “Evil Wind” – Alternative Version
4. “Early In The Morning” – Alternative Version

Side D
1. “Smokin’ 45” – Outtake/Alternative Version
2. “Oh, Atlanta” – Slow Version with Rhodes
3. “Rhythm Machine’ – Alternative Version
4. “She Brings Me Love” – Alternative Version
5. “Rock Fever” – Outtake