Paul Rodgers
"Feels Like Makin' Love"
and Music in the Northwest
text and photos by Jeanne Galarneau
Add a new jewel to the crown of our region’s rock royalty. Buko Magazine welcomes British music legend, Paul Rodgers to the Northwest. A member of rock’s elite, and acclaimed by many to be one of the best singers of rock music, his voice is not often associated with his own name, but with the bands with whom he’s performed. He is now waving his own flag. Making music with his Seattle based band, he’s currently touring to support his new solo debut CD-DVD “Live in Glasgow” which was released May 29th, 2007. As in his popular hit, Rodgers “feels like making love” here too, recently tying the knot with his long time sweetheart, (former Miss Canada) Cynthia Kereuk, at their home in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia.
My interest in Paul Rodgers started while on a trip to LA in October of 2005. The purpose of that trip was to celebrate the success of my friend, Danny Miranda, former bassist of Blue Öyster Cult, who had landed a gig on the prestigious Queen+Paul Rodgers tour. Like many people, I came with no preconceived idea of how Queen would sound minus the signature vocals of the late Freddie Mercury. From the first note, his voice was familiar.
- Brian May
“Paul had always been one of our favorite singers and he was certainly one of Freddie’s idols, because he (Freddie) used to base his early style on Paul Rodgers.” “Paul gives us a bluesier edge. His range is phenomenal, I wouldn’t have thought he could hit those high notes, but he can.” “I would like to see us finish a (studio) album in this coming year,” said Taylor, who admits he has not been this excited about playing music in many, many years. “I’d say it will be forthcoming. It’s a crime to waste an instrument as incredible as Paul’s voice when it’s available to you.”
- Rodger Taylor
“Lately I’ve been hard to reach, I’ve been too long on my own. Everybody has a private world, Where they can be alone. Are you call in’ me? Are you tryin’ to get through? Are you reachin’ out for me? Like I’m reachin’ out for you.”
Already on their feet, the crowd came to a deafening roar as Brian May stepped through an opening in the curtain onto a spotlit stage, guitar in hand. With a nod, he launched into the opening song. Behind him a wall of fabric dropped to the floor revealing Roger Taylor, perched on his massive drum kit, flanked by fellow musicians Spike Edney on keyboard, Jamie Moses on guitar and Miranda on bass. They ripped into “Tie Your Mother Down.” Rodgers’ bluesy vocal soared, delivering each line from his heart.
A few songs into the set, Rodgers spoke to the crowd: “I have a song that dates back to the Free days. It was alright then, and It’s All Right Now!” With the sass of Aretha Franklin singing “Respect,” he sang the signature line...
“There she stood in the street, smilin’ from her head to her feet. I said, hey what is this? Maybe she’s in need of a kiss.”
At that moment it dawned on me who he was. His voice had beamed me back, Star Trek style, to the late 60’s to a time before I was old enough to pay attention to the names of bands and songwriters when I was a teeny bopper, singing with the AM radio. I then connected the sound with the name, Paul Rodgers, and his creative influence on rock music; a staple to the top 40 airwaves for decades. I left the show energized, with a new respect for the song writing and vocal virtuosity of Rodgers. Upon returning home to Oregon, I promptly logged into the iTunes Music Store to relive my youth, and download the music of “the voice,” that led three famous British bands, Free, Bad Company and The Firm to Grammy nominations and the sale of 90 million records.
