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| photo: Mahkaila Lusch |
Then there were memorable stints in The Firm with Jimmy Page (“Radioactive,” “Satisfaction Guaranteed”), The Law alongside Kenney Jones (“Laying Down the Law”), Queen, and solo endeavors like the acclaimed Muddy Water Blues project (“The Hunter” featuring Slash).
But that distinctive voice was nearly silenced due to some serious health problems over the past decade. No wonder the legendary British singer/songwriter exudes such positivity about creating Midnight Rose, his first solo album of all-new material in nearly a quarter century on Sun Records.
During the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, Rodgers went through material he had amassed and eventually booked a home studio that guitarist friend Ray Roper operates near the rock veteran’s Canadian residence. Together some musicians from the Rogers solo band, they whipped the songs into shape.
Recording was an important step in Rogers’ recovery process from two major strokes, 11 minor ones and heart surgery. Nine months elapsed before the vocalist could resume guitar playing and much longer for the voice to completely return.
“I thought, ‘Let's go in the studio and see if I can still sing,’” admitted Rodgers, during an interview from the home he shares with wife Cynthia in British Columbia.
The players at Roper’s studio attempted what became the bluesy album opener “Coming Home” first.
“It was great to be back on the mic, have the guys in my headphones blasting away, eye contact and everything. It felt so good and was like, 'Wow, I'm back!’ Really amazing.”
Primary Wave discovered that Rodgers was working on an album and stated that Sun Records, which the music publishing/management company runs, would be interested in releasing the finished result.
Rodgers is thrilled to be associated with the modern incarnation of a legendary label associated with launching the careers of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and others back in the Fifties.
“When I was a kid, my best friend Peter Smith and I sneaked his big brother’s Elvis record out,” recalled Rodgers. “We put it on, put the needle down and it went [mimics Elvis singing “Heartbreak Hotel”], 'Well, since my baby left me.' I was like, ‘Whoa, listen to that sound!' For a kid from Middlesbrough [England] to be on Sun Records and keeping company with those guys is just incredible.”
“We did the bed tracks with four of us in Ray’s studio. Then we took the whole shebang to Bryan Adams’ [The Warehouse] studio in Vancouver and brought in Bob.
“I knew he was a famous producer, and I was very flattered he wanted to produce this,” continued Rodgers. “He had such a positive influence on the whole thing.”
Keyboardist Chuck Leavell of The Rolling Stones/Allman Brothers Band and Adams’ longtime lead guitarist Keith Scott make guest appearances throughout the album. Scott’s fretwork enlivens most of the Midnight Rose tunes. Rodgers previously jammed with Scott at an Adams gig. “I understand why Bryan snapped him up all those years ago. He really got into the groove on ‘Melting’ - the first couple licks in there. Amazing.”
The bluesy album closer is also notable for Rodgers’ brief wail. Considering he couldn’t even speak at one point several years ago, just hearing him make that note is a surprise.
“I don't know how I did that in one take,” said Rodgers. “Sometimes being in the studio is like that. You get it in the first go.” He commended Bob Rock for adding “a brilliant sound effect” that got very large and became “a really beautiful thing.”
Rodgers said he is “most proud” of “Melting” because “I got that riff and it felt really like a John Lee Hooker or Robert Johnson kind of feel.”
Getting Leavell to play piano on the upbeat, soulful “Take Love” and the Celtic-tinged title track “was wondrous and a revelation,” said Rodgers. The former originated during Rodgers’ stint with Queen.
“They very kindly let me play it [live] and did a great job on it. But I didn't put it on the album that we released, ‘The Cosmos Rocks.’ I thought I’d keep that one for myself. We had so much Queen material…the version we do on ‘Midnight Rose’ is really nice because there's a strong acoustic aspect to it, which I always liked – that light and shade.”
Rodgers pays tribute to such 1960s influences such as Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles during the smoking rocker “Living it Up,” a musical love letter to America.
“It's a long story told in three minutes, basically, about my history, my whole life, following music,” explained Rodgers. “I wanted to say thank you to America because it has given me the world. So much amazing music - blues, soul, rock and roll, country, and jazz - that’s come out of America, has been very positive and done great things in the world.”
The smoldering Midnight Rose song “Highway Robber” finds Rodgers on harmonica revisiting the Old West-styled lyrical imagery of “Bad Company,” by his former band.
“I think I've watched too many Clint Eastwood movies, to be honest,” Rodgers said with a laugh. “I was very influenced by the Hollywood version of the cowboy. You know, it's all about the good and the baddies and the heroes basically.”
Another standout on the new studio release is the fun and festive “Dance in the Sun,” where Rodgers’ grandchildren are heard laughing, Leslie Page’s supple backing vocals are prominent and Rob Dewar (who lives on a neighboring farm from The Rodgers) adds “incredible” flamenco-style guitar.
“I’ve been promising the fans a new album for 20 years. Finally, I’ve delivered,” stated Rodgers.
“We were in the right place at the right time,” recalled Rodgers. “Having the backing of Led Zeppelin, who were rock gods at that moment in time was enormously good for us.”
Comprising former members of Mott, Free and King Crimson, Bad Company was one of the original supergroups. The musicians were “bursting to do all this music…We steamed in because we were so ready to rock, and we put the whole album down in 10 days.”
Looking back, Rodgers thinks the album holds up today.
“I still love that attitude and approach. I don’t like using too many toys, too many buttons. Most of the guitarists I’ve worked with all had a Les Paul and a Marshall stack. Boom! That’s it. And they got the sound out of that.” The same holds true for Bad Company and Rodgers now.
“I always come back to the basic format of bass, drums, guitar and vocals straight up.”
Paul Rodgers photo courtesy of The Press House.
My interview originally appeared in Rock Cellar Magazine.
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