marvin Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 If you check Andy Fraser (bassist for Free)'s FB page (link below), he mentions that there is talk between him, Simon Kirke and Paul Rodgers about reuniting Free. They're looking for a guitarist, and Eric has posted a suggestion: Wally. Pretty cool of Eric to do that.Andy Fraser Facebook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 VERY cool of Eric to do that. Eric knows Wally inside and out and if anybody knows how well Wally knows those solos, it's Eric. I hope Andy Fraser takes Eric's advice and calls Wally. Adding Wally would make for a seamless transition if they're reuniting. It sounds very promising.At their musical cores, Wally and Eric will always be joined. I'm not surprised in the least that Eric recommended him without reservation. It's exactly what Eric would do.--Dar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspberrybelle Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Eric sounds like a very generous guy. Just one more reason to like him.Belle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 The animosity between Fraser and Rodgers has prevented any reunion in the past. Per Andy, he's played a couple of times with Paul in recent years as one-shot deals, and the old ill feelings resurfaced each time. Since rumor has it Andy has full-blown AIDS, though, they'd better patch up their differences now if they're ever gonna do it. Other possibilities on guitar - Leslie West and Joe Bonamassa, each of whom has recorded multiple covers of Free tunes. Leslie's vibrato is probably the closest anybody could get to Kossoff's, but he has health issues, having lost one of his legs to diabetes last year. (Also, Gibson chose Joe B. to help announce and publicize their Paul Kossoff Les Paul model last year - listing for about $10 grand if you want a brand new one, $15 K for an aged/ reliced one.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 P.S. Not to say that Wally wouldn't be a great choice. . . he obviously would be!However. . . .in all honesty, I'd prefer that the 3 guys not do it (reunite). Andy has been trying to get them together for years, but I'm not sure about doing it without Koss. . . not to mention that Paul R. is playing more Free songs in his shows (he did 10 at a UK show last April), and frankly, the old feel, the old swagger just ain't there, at least not with his current band. Maybe playing again with Simon and Andy might roll back the years, who knows? I do know that most of my Brit friends aren't crazy about the idea. . .and Free was much, much bigger there than in the States, where most fans know them for All Right Now and as the original band of Paul R & Simon, and that's pretty much it.For Andy's sake, I hope they do it. For Free's sake, I hope they don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sllvnbil Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Wally would be great in Free!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Mr. Wally Bryson:RASPBERRIES - ALL RIGHT NOW - LIVE AT THE AGORA 1970 ERIC CARMEN: You should call Wally Bryson, guitarist of The Raspberries. He's excellent and can probably play every solo Paul played verbatim. He's in Cleveland Ohio. Google him. Seriously. You were his favorite band. I played with Simon in 2000 with Ringo. Thank me later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Yeah, like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 I think it would be a great idea for Wally to play with Free - there would be a lot of gigs I assume - at least a few in the US - I'd like to see it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianchick Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Wally has a God-given talent... I would hate to see it wasted so as much as I would LOVE to see the Raspberries...anywhere or with anyone that Wally could show off his great gift where it could be appreciated by all, is all right by me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Who knows, Wally might be playing some gigs overseas in Europe.I'm sure he'd have fun over there.Wally seems like he really wants to play in a band, again.I just had a thought that Wally could be playing in two bands this summer, because he has played concerts a coulple of times in the last six months or less with other musicians.His son (A guitarist/songwriter) should get some gigs going there, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 From what I've read, if Free reunites, it'll most likely be to do a one-shot show to promote the upcoming Olympics, to be held in London this summer. If it's just the one show, I'm guessing Rodgers would bring his current guitarist, Howard Leese, along to do Koss' part....while he doesn't really sound like Paul K., at least he's used to playing Free songs live regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Fraser's latest comments seem to suggest that the reunion is off: “One of the things that is difficult in my mind is that Paul was the soul of the band in many respects, and I hesitate to mess with that,†he said. “I don’t see it coming together now.â€Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I was shocked to hear Andy was considering a reunion in the first place. There are some very weird and strong personal issues going on between Rodgers and Andy. After they played together at Woodstock in '94. Andy complained in several interviews that he tries and tries to get along with Paul R., but the latter always treated him like a hired hand instead of an equal band member....and it apparently hadn't changed over the years. If anything, Rodgers' later success made him worse.Then there's Paul Kossoff's drug-related death at age 25. Everyone associated with Free seems to blame it on the constant fighting between Rodgers and Fraser which broke up the band, which continued for a year or two without Andy, but seemed to go downhill until Koss quit....at which point, it became Rodgers, Kirke and ringers. Paul K's father David Kossoff (a fairly well known actor in the UK) sent Andy a note after his son's death, blaming him for Paul K dying so young. Fraser, per past musings on his website, didn't seem happy about Paul's father blaming just him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Too bad a reunion could not happen--I personally would love to see that since Free is one of my favorites. In 2010 I had the opportunity to travel across the pond to see the Bad Co reunion at Wembley and also in Brighton where the crowd gave them a warm welcome. (No Free songs then---Paul usually will do that during his solo gigs..)Four years prior I had just missed the "Free Forever" opening night debut in the UK where Fraser and Kirke were present--Paul could not make it. Anyways--I went to the record store (think it was HMV in Picadilly) and asked the clerk for the new release of the Free DVD---I could not believe he did not know who Free was or Paul Rodgers!!!......must be getting old....!!! or I prefer to think he just did not have a clue.....!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 How cool would that be??? Just to see Wally playing the tunes of one of his all time favorite bands. I would love to see that....besides the obvious....which I am beginning to think will never happen again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LatetotheParty Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Mr. Wally Bryson:RASPBERRIES - ALL RIGHT NOW - LIVE AT THE AGORA 1970 ERIC CARMEN: You should call Wally Bryson, guitarist of The Raspberries. He's excellent and can probably play every solo Paul played verbatim. He's in Cleveland Ohio. Google him. Seriously. You were his favorite band. I played with Simon in 2000 with Ringo. Thank me later. OMG Bernie..this was AWESOME! But I was disappointed to not hear the whole song. Thanks for this; Wally was amazing... Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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