Rough Diamonds (album)

Rough Diamonds
Studio album by Bad Company
Released	August 1982
Recorded	March – April 1981 at Ridge Farm Studios, Surrey, England
Genre	Hard rock
Length	38:00
Label	Swan Song Records
Producer	Bad Company
Bad Company chronology
Desolation Angels (1979) Rough Diamonds (1982) 10 from 6 (1985)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]

Rough Diamonds is the sixth album by rock band Bad Company 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. 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. That same year, the murder of John Lennon made the band change their way of thinking. Then, on another occasion, a fistfight broke out between Paul Rodgers and Boz Burrell, only to be restrained by Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke.

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

1. "Electricland" (Paul Rodgers) – 5:29
2. "Untie the Knot" (Rodgers; Simon Kirke) – 4:07
3. "Nuthin' on the TV" (Boz Burrell) – 3:46
4. "Painted Face" (Rodgers) – 3:24
5. "Kickdown" (Mick Ralphs) – 3:35

Side two

1. "Ballad of the Band" (Burrell) – 2:10
2. "Cross Country Boy" (Rodgers) – 3:00
3. "Old Mexico" (Ralphs) – 3:49
4. "Downhill Ryder" (Rodgers) – 4:09
5. "Racetrack" (Rodgers) – 4:44

Personnel

• Paul Rodgers – vocals, guitar
• Mick Ralphs– guitar, slide guitar
• Simon Kirke – drums
• Boz Burrell – bass

Additional personnel

• John Cook – Piano and Synthesizer
• Mel Collins – Saxophone

Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)

Singles – Billboard (North America)

References