Rough Diamonds (album)

Rough Diamonds
Studio album by
Bad Company
Released12 August 1982[1]
RecordedMarch – April 1981
StudioRidge Farm Studios, Surrey, England
Genre
Length38:00
LabelSwan Song
ProducerBad Company
Bad Company chronology
Desolation Angels
(1979) 		Rough Diamonds
(1982) 		10 from 6
(1985)
Singles from Rough Diamonds
  1. "Electricland"
    Released: September 1982[2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Rolling Stone[4]

Rough Diamonds is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Bad Company. The album was released in August 1982. Rough Diamonds, like its predecessor, Desolation Angels, was recorded at Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey, England, in March and April 1981 and engineered by Max Norman (famed for his work with Ozzy Osbourne).

It was the last album by Bad Company's original line-up and the last studio album to feature Paul Rodgers. The sessions were rough going from the beginning. First, their manager, Peter Grant, withdrew from view after the death of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham in 1980. Then, on another occasion, a fistfight broke out between Paul Rodgers and Boz Burrell, the two bandmates restrained by Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke. Following the album, the band disbanded, with Rodgers going on to release his first solo album, Cut Loose, the following year.

The album's opening track, "Electricland", written by Rodgers, was the album's biggest hit. Rodgers' "Painted Face" also received substantial airplay on rock stations. The album became the original line-up's worst-selling album, reaching a disappointing No. 26 on the Billboard album charts in 1982. The album was remastered and re-released in 1994.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Electricland"Paul Rodgers5:29
2."Untie the Knot"Rodgers; Simon Kirke4:07
3."Nuthin' on the TV"Boz Burrell3:46
4."Painted Face"Rodgers3:24
5."Kickdown"Mick Ralphs3:35
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Ballad of the Band"Burrell2:10
7."Cross Country Boy"Rodgers3:00
8."Old Mexico"Ralphs3:49
9."Downhill Ryder"Rodgers4:09
10."Racetrack"Rodgers4:44

Personnel

Bad Company

with:

  • John Cook – piano, synthesizer
  • Mel Collins – saxophone

Charts

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[5] 63
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] 26
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] 61
UK Albums (OCC)[8] 15
US Billboard 200[9] 26

References

  1. ^ "FMQB" (PDF). p. 28.
  2. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (19 November 1995). Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 35. ISBN 9780862415419.
  3. ^ William Ruhlmann. "Rough Diamonds - Bad Company | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  4. ^ Fricke, David (30 September 1982). "Bad Company Rough Diamonds Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6506". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  7. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bad Company – Rough Diamonds" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  8. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  9. ^ "Bad Company Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2023.