Free - All Right Now

What a classic rock single to mark my 100th post on my blog. Released in May 1970 and hit number 2 in the charts in June, this well known single from the Paul Rodgers led band hit the top of most of the charts around the world in 1970. The single was taken off the album Fire And Water which was a huge hit too thanks to the single. Free had mixed fortunes over the few years they were together and were formed in 1968 but had split up by 1973 due to personal differences and drug problems. All Right Now has taken on a life of it's own and continues to be played today. The single has various UK & US awards for the amount of radio play it has had since 1970. The song has been featured in various TV shows and adverts and has had it's fair share of cover versions too! It was re-released 1973 when it got to number 15 and again in 1991 when it got to number 8 thanks to a remix. Here's the single on the classic pink Island label

Queen - Seven Seas Of Rhye

At the height of Glam Rock, Queen's second single, Seven Seas Of Rhye was rushed released after the band's first ever appearance on Top Of The Pops and pushed the band into the spotlight and captured the public imagination. After the disappointment of the first single, Keep Yourself Alive not being a hit (not picked up by radio as they thought the intro was too long), this single was released in February 1974 came from the band's second album Queen II and climbed to number 10 in the UK charts.

Originally it started life at the end of the debut album Queen as a minute long instrumental but the band must have thought the track has a lot going for it and they developed it for the new album they were recording. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker and recorded in August of 1973 it set the group up to become one of the worlds biggest bands.

I can remember seeing them on Top Of The Pops and thought it was a great single, to me at that time they reminded me of the direction that Sweet were trying to go. All of a sudden Freddie and they boys were in all the music papers and people began to notice that Freddie was to become a fantastic frontman. To me, Queen have always been around and I have grown up with Queen as one of my fave bands, so it is really hard to think that this single is 40 years old next year! Here's the single

Sad Cafe' - Everyday Hurts

Mancunian band Sad Cafe' had been around since 1976 and although building up a small following never really did anything till this single hit the charts. Released in September 1979 it slowly climbed the charts to number 3 that year and also was a small hit in American where it was renamed Everyday. To help this gorgeous ballad hit the charts the record company released the single in blue vinyl and also a picture disc (a rarity, a song being released on 2 different formats to get it into the charts). It came off the album Facades (an anagram of Sad Café) which also was released in blue vinyl and got to number 8 in the album charts!

I have seen the band quite a few times and have met them several times and were a great bunch of guys and always happy to meet the fans. I followed the band for a few years before the lead singer Paul Young left the band to join Mike & The Mechanics. Here's the single, with the picture cover, blue vinyl and picture disc versions!