All things FREE. Paul Kossoff, Paul Rodgers, Andy Fraser, Simon Kirke et all
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Next Issue #181
Saturday, 1 November 2025
The Free Story Competition Winners
Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Bad Company Tribute Album.
WHO REALLY NEEDS THIS?
Thursday, 23 October 2025
WIN 'The Free Story' on vinyl or double CD.
Winners will be notified, and also congratulated here after the draw has taken place.
Good luck.
Monday, 13 October 2025
Mike Hall – Before Midnight
Throughout his musical career Mike accumulated countless memories which are vividly described in his book.
To buy the book you can go to Amazon books and search for –
“Mike Hall Before Midnight”. (Paperback £14.99, Kindle £4.99).
We hope some of you will enjoy it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Before-Midnight-Memoirs-Guitarist-Early/dp/B0FFNFFG6J/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
Monday, 15 September 2025
Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #180
Magazine Issue #180
The first of three issues dealing with the end of Free, and all the concluding release history (that is of real interest) up to the present day.
Here we look at the final dissolution of the group in late 1973, the announcement of 'The Free Story' release, and all the variations thereof. This issue also includes the release of 'First Water' by Sharks as Andy Fraser jumps ship, and the debut solo albums by Paul Kossoff and John 'Rabbit' Bundrick, while Tetsu moves on to join (The) Faces. Stray Dog also get referenced. In the meantime, slowly and quietly Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke move on to their new project with Mick Ralphs, that will be announced in 1974 as Bad Company.
Lots of press included for all these original releases, and a really close look at all the different versions of 'The Free Story' issues worldwide. With and without 'Limited Edition' numbers. With and without the inner booklet. With and without the inner sleeves. With and without the Toby version of 'Travelling Man'! The UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and Malaysian releases are included with full information on re-issues, and any changes made in different release territories. You will be surprised by how complicated, and varied, the history of 'The Free Story' set really is!
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It is cheaper to buy directly here (from the FAS itself) than it will be on Ebay, where there are other fees involved for both UK and overseas buyers. ALL payments are via Paypal, so it's all very easy and secure. Casual buyer? Want the magazine cheaper? Get a subscription! A subscription is the cheapest way to get the FAS magazine. For subscription information email: fasarticle@aol.com
You can buy this individual issue from the email address above. Total is £7.50 via Paypal for the UK, a three issue subscription is £19.10
Overseas it's £26 (via Paypal). Buying from the FAS directly should save you on customs charges, and fees, now levelled directly via Ebay, which will not be added here as items will be sent as 'letters'.
Drop me a mail giving your location and a Paypal money request will be sent to you. It's cheaper than buying them on Ebay where the fees add up making this issue almost £8 in the UK, and way more overseas as they now add taxes to the total. So;
UK single issue £7.50 (Paypal)
Overseas single issue £9.80 (Paypal)
A subscription for three issues (UK) is £18 (£19.10 via Paypal)
A subscription for three issues overseas is £26 (via Paypal).
Sunday, 14 September 2025
Happy Birthday Koss
Paul would have been 75 today, and these birthdays and anniversaries seem to come around fast these days. It's sad that he's not here to celebrate his birthday with friends and family, but we can mark the day for him by just spending a little time playing some of his music. While we do that, he lives through the musical legacy he left.
This was due to be released by Island Records, and on the
back of the sleeve the WIPX-1389-2M number is indeed Island catalogue. This
test pressing, mastered at Sterling Sound, was made on 20th May 1975 it appears. Of
course Back Street Crawler went on to be signed to Atlantic/Atco and so this
never came out. It's a different mix, somewhat rougher than the one on the 'Band
Plays On' album, and it has a different vocal along with some alternate
guitar. It's very nice, and you won't have heard this version anywhere else
before. Koss is in fine form here, and there's some
great playing. So turn it up and enjoy. Sunday, 7 September 2025
FAS #180 coming soon.
Sunday, 31 August 2025
Winner of #179 Competition
So congratulations go to him, as does the tape.
Commiserations to those who entered but didn't win this time.
Thursday, 21 August 2025
Free At Carnegie Hall - January 25, 1971. New Recording Found.
You'll likely be able to find this for free download in all the usual places over the next few days, so be sure to keep your eye out for it on 'Guitars101' and 'T.U.B.E' etc.
FREE
Carnegie Hall
New York City, NY, USA
25 January, 1971
A hitherto uncirculated, 2nd gen. analog copy show
(A Goody Speed/Pitch-adjusted Remaster via Docdondy)
Line-up:
Paul Rodgers (vocals)
Paul Kossoff (guitar)
Andy Fraser (bass, keyboards)
Simon Kirke (drums)
Set List:
01. Introduction 0:27
02. By My Friend 6:11
03. The Stealer 4:31
04. Ride On A Pony 4:27
05. Don't Say You Love Me 5:40
06. All Right Now 5:14
07. Fire And Water 4:13
08. Heavy Load 5:23
09. The Highway Song 5:19
10. My Brother Jake 2:58
11. Soon I Will Be Gone 3:20
12. Woman 3:58
13. I'm A Mover 3:34 (audio below)
14. Mr. Big 7:32
15. The Hunter 5:51
16. Crossroads 6:17
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Runtime: 74:57 minutes
Monday, 18 August 2025
Free 'Heartbreaker' factory sealed 8-track cartridge competition
Just a quick reminder to subscribers, that all FAS #179 competition entires need to be in by August 31st, either by email or post. Details, and the question, are on page 2 (intro) of the current FAS magazine.
Still factory sealed from the early 70s, this isn't an item you come across every day!
Another competition for subscribers in the next issue (#180) with copies of 'The Free Story' on LP from Germany, and the 2CD set from Australia up for grabs.
Monday, 28 July 2025
Bad Company Tribute Album.
CAN’T GET ENOUGH: A TRIBUTE TO BAD COMPANY
Monday, 14 July 2025
Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #179
Magazine Issue #179
August 2025
All issues are now in the mail for subscribers.
The final issue in the eight part series covering the period leading up to, and including, the 'Heartbreaker' album. This issue continues directly from #178.
Here we complete the overview of the releases with various issues of the 'Heartbreaker' LP from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Japan, America and Europe, also taking a look at the two vinyl bootleg issues from Latvia/Russia. All the information you need with matrix numbers, labels and pressing variations, covers, inners, and extras all included. Lots of photographs of everything too. Also covered are 8-track cartridges (including a competition for subscribers to win a still factory-sealed US original), cassettes, and CDs from around the world.
Included here is the penultimate diary section, dealing with the day to day life of Free from July 7th 1972 to August 27th 1973. This includes tour dates (played and cancelled), set-lists, live tapes, studio recording dates, press information, and so on. A forensically detailed (16-pages), day by day, month by month chronicle of all Free activity during this period.
Tetsu is in colour on the back page, and the April 1973 'Music World' article is the centre. 48 pages crammed with information and images from this period of the Free history, and catalogue.
There's a competition in this issue for subscribers only. You'll find the details and question on page 2 (the intro page). Closing date for entires, via email or letter, is August 31st. Only one entry per person please. Remember to include your full name and address. The winner will be announced here on September 1st, when the prize will be mailed out to them. Best of luck.
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It is cheaper to buy directly here (from the FAS itself) than it will be on Ebay, where there are other fees involved for both UK and overseas buyers. ALL payments are via Paypal, so it's all very easy and secure. Casual buyer? Want the magazine cheaper? Get a subscription! A subscription is the cheapest way to get the FAS magazine. For subscription information email: fasarticle@aol.com
You can buy this individual issue from the email address above. Total is £7.50 via Paypal for the UK, a three issue subscription is £19.10
Overseas it's £26 (via Paypal). Buying from the FAS directly should save you on customs charges, and fees, now levelled directly via Ebay, which will not be added here as items will be sent as 'letters'.
Drop me a mail giving your location and a Paypal money request will be sent to you. It's cheaper than buying them on Ebay where the fees add up making this issue almost £8 in the UK, and way more overseas as they now add taxes to the total. So;
UK single issue £7.50 (Paypal)
Overseas single issue £9.80 (Paypal)
A subscription for three issues (UK) is £18 (£19.10 via Paypal)
A subscription for three issues overseas is £26 (via
Paypal).
Thursday, 10 July 2025
New Issue Coming...
Well, it's been an interesting couple of months. It was nice to get the last issue out a bit early, and I got straight onto the next, not least as #178 and #179 run back to back, but I was a bit miffed when during the first week of June computer emphatically 'said no', and with a blue screen, and then a 'phooft', was gone to computer heaven. Ouch! Actually, over Christmas, I'd kinda been warned this was coming, when I had a 'blue screen of death' but managed to get things going again. At that point I bought a 6TB drive and transferred everything out, and then continued to do so on a weekly basis. So, when in June things were somewhat more final, I only lost about a weeks work. Doesn't sound like much, but actually that's a fair bit of writing, scanning and correcting.
Anyway, I went to 'spare computer', having took 'dead computer' for repair (Still not got it back yet). The FAS is tricky. Currently everything is done on Windows 7 Pro, as after that some software doesn't work anymore (thanks Bill Gates), and as I can make 'Word 2000' stand on it's head, and eat a banana, while Adobe 6 makes a cup of tea, and does the ironing, I can't do that with the newer versions because they are stupidly over-complicated. It's all down to familliarity of course, but I don't need the current versions of either to do what I need to do, and nor do I wish to re-buy them, or 'lease' them. So 'spare' computer on, HD plugged in and ... nothing ... Oops! That caused a bit of a panic. Second computer in for repair and, that's right, I still don't have it back yet.
To cut a long story short computer 3 then also died. I've not even bothered to take this in for repair, but I did manage to find a place in Birmingham that had a 'used' unit identical to computer #1, and they were willing to kick it back to Windows 7 for me, and so I bought it. Having spent a few of days getting things working again, I was up and running, and I was able to start playing catch up.
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Mick Ralphs Dies
I really enjoyed Ralphs' work with Mott The Hoople. The version of 'Ready For Love' with the 'Afterlights' section on 'All The Young Dudes' is great, but it was the version of 'Thunderbuck Ram' on the 'Bumpers' set that really made me sit up and listen to them. It's different to the version on 'Mad Shadows', where Guy Stevens had Andy Johns mix the Hammond down, and much heavier sounding, which I like.
Rest easy. Gone now, but not forgotten. Mick was 81.
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
FAS #178 Addendum
Just a bt of fun really, but I rather like them both, and they certainly aren't as offensive as some of the 'METAL' covers of 'Wishing Well' I've heard over the years!
Monday, 19 May 2025
Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #178
Free Appreciation Society
Magazine Issue #178
June
2025
All issues are now in the mail for subscribers.
Finally shifting away from the turbulent history of the group dynamic, as they move from the early '73 US tour into dissolution, here we deal with the record releases of the final assemblage... well semi-final actually, as Wendell was on the final tour, but not on any of the recordings!
Lots of information here on what was really quite a complicated release schedule, as Island Records pretty much took over the distribution of the on-going Free catalogue world-wide, and dealt with the on-going vinyl shortage for pressing records. A few surprises, and some really quite bizarre twists and turns in this one. This is all particularly helpful for those collecting the records.
48 pages crammed with information and images on this period of the Free catalogue.
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It is cheaper to buy directly here (from the FAS itself) than it will be on Ebay, where there are other fees involved for both UK and overseas buyers. ALL payments are via Paypal, so it's all very easy and secure.
Casual buyer? Want the magazine cheaper? Get a subscription! A subscription is the cheapest way to get the FAS magazine. For subscription information email: fasarticle@aol.com
You can buy this individual issue from the email address above.
Total is £7.50 via Paypal for the UK, a three issue subscription is £19.10
Overseas it's £26 (via Paypal). Buying from the FAS directly should save you on customs charges, and fees, now levelled directly via Ebay, which will not be added here as items will be sent as 'letters'.
Drop me a mail giving your location and a Paypal money request will be sent to you. It's cheaper than buying them on Ebay where the fees add 12.5% + 30p making this issue almost £8 in the UK, and way more overseas as they now add taxes to the total. So;
UK single issue £7.50 (via Paypal)
Overseas single issue £9.80 (via Paypal)
A subscription for three issues (UK) is £18 (£19.10 via Paypal)
A subscription for three issues overseas is £26 (via Paypal).


















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