Artist · EveryDisc catalogue

The Firm

A British rock supergroup that included former Free and Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers, former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, former Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and Uriah Heep drummer Chris Slade, as well as bassist Tony Franklin, who had played for Roy Harper. Page and Rodgers originally wanted to recruit former King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford and bassist Pino Palladino, but Bruford could not take part in the project due to a contract with another label, and Palladino was on tour with singer Paul Young at the time. Page and Rodgers refused to play material from their former bands, limiting themselves to new songs and material from their solo albums. Despite the refusal to play old material, the last track from the band's self-titled debut album, "Midnight Moonlight," was originally an unreleased Led Zeppelin song titled "Swan Song." This gave some critics grounds to believe that Page was having difficulties in terms of fresh musical ideas. In subsequent interviews, Page indicated that the band's activity was never meant to last more than two albums. After the band broke up, both Page and Rodgers returned to solo work, Chris Slade became the drummer for AC/DC, and Franklin co-founded Blue Murder with guitarist John Sykes.