Burnin' Sky
1977 studio album by Bad Company
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Burnin' Sky is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Bad Company. It was released on 3 March 1977.[2] Burnin' Sky was recorded in France at Château d'Hérouville in July and August 1976 with future Rolling Stones engineer Chris Kimsey. Its release was delayed until March 1977 so as not to compete with the band's then-current album Run with the Pack.
| Burnin' Sky | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 March 1977 | |||
| Recorded | July–August 1976 | |||
| Studio | Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:48 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Bad Company | |||
| Bad Company chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Burnin' Sky | ||||
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The song "Like Water" was originally recorded by lead singer Paul Rodgers' short-lived group Peace, which he formed while Free were on hiatus from 1971 to 1972. While the Peace recording was not released at the time, it did eventually see the light of day in the Free rarities box set Songs of Yesterday from 2000.
The album peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and No. 17 in the UK Albums Chart. The album was remastered and re-released in 1994. The cover is similar to the poster for the 1969 Sam Peckinpah film The Wild Bunch. In the 2000 movie Almost Famous, the fictitious band Stillwater's first T-shirt is strikingly similar to the Burnin' Sky album cover.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Record Mirror | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
The New York Times noted the "subtler, quieter approach," writing that "the results sounded oddly somnolent."[6]
Track listing
All songs by Paul Rodgers unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Burnin' Sky" | 5:09 | |
| 2. | "Morning Sun" | 4:07 | |
| 3. | "Leaving You" | 3:23 | |
| 4. | "Like Water" | Rodgers, Machiko Shimizu | 4:18 |
| 5. | "Knapsack" | Friedrich-Wilhelm Möller, Antonia Ridge | 1:20 |
| 6. | "Everything I Need" | Rodgers, Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke, Boz Burrell | 3:22 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Heartbeat" | 2:36 | |
| 8. | "Peace of Mind" | Kirke | 3:22 |
| 9. | "Passing Time" | 2:30 | |
| 10. | "Too Bad" | Ralphs | 3:47 |
| 11. | "Man Needs Woman" | Ralphs | 3:43 |
| 12. | "Master of Ceremony" | Rodgers, Ralphs, Kirke, Burrell | 7:10 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Burnin' Sky" (Take 2, Alternate Vocal & Guitar) | Rodgers | |
| 2. | "Morning Sun" (Take 3 Early Version) | Rodgers | |
| 3. | "Leaving You" (Take 1, Alternative Vocal) | Rodgers | |
| 4. | "Like Water" (Take 1, Rough Mix) | Rodgers, Shimizu | |
| 5. | "Knapsack (The Happy Wanderer)" (Early Run Through) | Möller, Ridge | |
| 6. | "Everything I Need" (Take 2, Rough Mix) | Rodgers, Ralphs, Kirke, Burrell | |
| 7. | "Peace of Mind" (Alternate Version) | Kirke | |
| 8. | "Passing Time" (Alternative Vocal) | Rodgers | |
| 9. | "Too Bad" (Full Version) | Ralphs | |
| 10. | "Man Needs Woman" (Alternative Vocal & Guitar) | Ralphs | |
| 11. | "Too Bad" (Early Version, Mick Ralphs Vocal) | Ralphs | |
| 12. | "Man Needs Woman" (Take 2, Early Version, Mick Ralphs Vocal) | Ralphs | |
| 13. | "Burnin' Sky" (Take 1, Alternative Vocal) | Rodgers | |
| 14. | "Unfinished Story" (Previously Unreleased) | Rodgers |
Personnel
- Bad Company
- Paul Rodgers – vocals, guitar, piano, accordion
- Mick Ralphs – guitar, keyboards
- Simon Kirke – drums
- Boz Burrell – bass
with:
- Mel Collins – saxophone, flute
- Tim Hinkley – keyboards
- Technical
- Chris Kimsey – engineer
Charts
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[7] | 15 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] | 16 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] | 14 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] | 32 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[11] | 32 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 17 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 15 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||