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highplainsdem

(57,022 posts)
Tue Jun 24, 2025, 01:13 AM Jun 24

Guitarist/songwriter Mick Ralphs (Bad Company, Mott the Hoople) has died at 81. RIP, Mick

LBN thread linking to Variety article: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143484741

Rolling Stone article: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mick-ralphs-guitarist-bad-company-mott-the-hoople-dead-1235370273/


I'm going to copy the 4 videos I posted in LBN, the first three Bad Company performances of songs written by Mick, the last video of the best known Mott the Hoople hit.

His song "Can't Get Enough" was their first single and biggest hit. Top of the Pops, 1974:



Two of the beautiful songs Mick wrote, performed in 1974 and 2008:






From 1973, Mick in Mott the Hoople, performing the classic David Bowie wrote for them:

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Guitarist/songwriter Mick Ralphs (Bad Company, Mott the Hoople) has died at 81. RIP, Mick (Original Post) highplainsdem Jun 24 OP
I saw them in concert in the Spring of 1976. Harker Jun 24 #1
Never Saw Bad Company ProfessorGAC Jun 24 #2
I understand that, Professor. Harker Jun 24 #3
So you saw Ariel Bender, the artist formerly known as Luther Grosvenor? Harker Jun 24 #4
Yep! ProfessorGAC Jun 24 #5
Ooh. Harker Jun 24 #6

Harker

(16,449 posts)
1. I saw them in concert in the Spring of 1976.
Tue Jun 24, 2025, 09:08 AM
Jun 24

Mick Ralphs was dressed in white, and when a white spotlight illuminated him during a solo, I recall thinking that it was like being visited by a musical angel.

ProfessorGAC

(73,366 posts)
2. Never Saw Bad Company
Tue Jun 24, 2025, 12:10 PM
Jun 24

And when I saw Mott, Mick had left yo start Bad Company.
I was a huge Mott fan, and I regretted not seeing both lineups.

Harker

(16,449 posts)
3. I understand that, Professor.
Tue Jun 24, 2025, 12:23 PM
Jun 24

I didn't see The Moody Blues until shortly after Mike Pinder's departure, and he'd been replaced by Patrick Moraz.

Oddly enough, I saw Yes with Moraz before seeing them with Rick Wakeman.

Bad Co. really stood out to me as being unusually polished and professional in an era that featured a lot of drunk, drugged, and exhausted musicians.

Harker

(16,449 posts)
4. So you saw Ariel Bender, the artist formerly known as Luther Grosvenor?
Tue Jun 24, 2025, 01:23 PM
Jun 24

Sounds good to me!

ProfessorGAC

(73,366 posts)
5. Yep!
Tue Jun 24, 2025, 01:38 PM
Jun 24

The other linep change was Blue Weaver instead of Verden Allen. Had I gone to "The Mott" or "Dudes" tour I would have seen to the original lineup, too.
Here's the not-so-funny story about that show.
The opening act was supposed to be Queen, but Brian May contracted Hep A and they had to cancel.
The replacement was Kansas. They were very good, but not that crowd's cup of tea.
Nothing hostile, just indifference.
After about 4 songs of that Kerry Livgren comes to the mic & says "Maybe you'd like us if we wore our glitter underwear."
Then, the crowd got hostile. It was really bad after that.

Harker

(16,449 posts)
6. Ooh.
Tue Jun 24, 2025, 02:32 PM
Jun 24

Insulting an audience won't get you far. Unless you're Steve Miller. He got snotty at an outdoor show at Mile-Hi Stadium right off the bat, saying, "everybody expects me to do this, so I'll get it over with now"... (plays with the guitar behind his head for 15-20 seconds)... "There, how about that!?" (Much of the crowd roars.)

Here's a fun quote from Tommy Bolin, preparing to perform at that same concert, also opening for Peter Frampton... as Frisbees arc about the stage..." It's fuckin' hard enough to fuckin' tune without fuckin' Frisbees bein' fuckin' thrown at ya." "No, it's cool, it's cool"... (a Frisbee narrowly misses him) "FUCK YOU!"

We've had some good times, Professor.

Coincidentally, it was Kansas who opened for Bad Co. when I saw them.

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