Andy Fraser
Encyclopedia
Andy Fraser is an English
songwriter and bass guitar
ist whose career has lasted over forty years and includes a notable period as one of the founding members, in 1968, at age 15, of the rock band Free
.
area of Paddington
, Andrew McLan Fraser started playing the piano at the age of five and was trained classically until twelve, when he switched to guitar. By thirteen, he was playing in East End, West Indian clubs and, after being expelled from school in 1968, at 15, enrolled at Hammersmith
F.E. College, where another student, Sappho Korner, introduced him to her father, pioneering blues
musician and radio broadcaster Alexis Korner
, who became a father-figure to him. Shortly thereafter, upon receiving a telephone call from John Mayall
, who was looking for a bass player, Korner suggested Fraser and, still only 15, he was in a pro band and earning £50 a week, although it ultimately turned out to be a brief tenure.
Korner was also instrumental in Fraser's next move, to the influential band Free
, which consisted of Paul Rodgers
(vocals), Paul Kossoff
(guitar) and Simon Kirke
(drums). Fraser produced and co-wrote the song "All Right Now
" with Rodgers, a #1 hit in over 20 territories and recognised by ASCAP in 1990 for garnering over 1,000,000 radio plays in the United States by late 1989. In October 2006 a BMI
London Million-Air Award was given to Rodgers and Fraser to mark over 3 million radio and television plays of "All Right Now". Free initially split in 1971, and Fraser formed a trio, Toby, with guitarist Adrian Fisher (later with Sparks
), and drummer Stan Speake. Material was recorded but not released, and Fraser re-joined Free in December 1971. He left for the second time in June 1972.
After leaving Free, Fraser formed Sharks with vocalist Snips (later Baker Gurvitz Army
), guitarist Chris Spedding
plus drummer
, Marty Simon. Despite being well received by the critics, especially for Spedding's tasteful guitar work (Crawdaddy Lead Review, Bruce Malamut Vol. 27, 1973) Fraser left after their debut album, First Water (1973).
He then formed the Andy Fraser Band, a trio with Kim Turner on drums and Nick Judd on keyboards. They released two albums, Andy Fraser Band and In Your Eyes, both in 1975, before that too folded. Attempts to form a band with Frankie Miller came to nothing, and Fraser re-located to California
, to concentrate on songwriting. He crafted hits for Robert Palmer, Joe Cocker
, Chaka Khan
, Rod Stewart
and Paul Young
.
Fraser's most famous compositions remain "All Right Now", with "Every Kinda People
", which Robert Palmer recorded in 1978 for his Double Fun
album.
drummer Tony Braunagel, Bob Marlette (keyboards), Michael Thompson (guitar) and David Faragher (bass), with Fraser contributing vocals
.
He was later diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma
, a form of cancer
that had been very rare until the onset of the AIDS
epidemic; during treatment, he contracted HIV
. This time-line was called into question by Fraser's subsequent revelation that he is homosexual. He played bass with former Free colleague, Paul Rodgers, at Woodstock '94
, but otherwise kept a low profile until 2005, when a new release, Naked and Finally Free, appeared.
In early 2006, writing for Vintage Guitar
magazine, Tom Guerra
conducted a comprehensive interview with Fraser, covering his career, influences and instruments and, in April, Fraser responded to the revival of interest in his music by announcing two rare live shows at Southern California
's Temecula Community Arts Theatre on 4 May. The shows, highlighted by an eight-piece band, were his first live performances since the 1994 Woodstock reunion.
In 2008, Fraser wrote and sang the song "Obama (Yes We Can)", to support the campaign to elect Barack Obama
as president of the United States. and, in 2009, released the first hit single, "This Is The Big One", from the May 2010 album, On Assignment (released through his record label Mctrax International and available exclusively online on his Mctrax Music Delivery System) as a copyright-free download to champion awareness of global climate change. In March 2010, the video of the song was nominated as a finalist for the US EPA Film Contest, while the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum honored him by displaying one of his personal custom guitars on exhibit in the museum.
Founded by Andy Fraser, Mctrax International is incorporated as Mctrax International Corporation in California, USA, 2005. Headquartered in Southern California, Mctrax International, and its subsidiaries MctraxMedia, MctraxMotion, and MctraxStudios was originally created as an outlet for Fraser's prolific song-writing material.
In May 2010, Andy Fraser was interviewed for BBC2's documentary series titled Rock 'n' Roll. The project includes a five-part documentary, narrated by British music show anchor-man Mark Radcliffe plus online and radio content. "The documentary aims to explain the success of some of the greatest bands of the past 50 years, including the Who, the Police, the Doors, Bon Jovi and the Foo Fighters".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
songwriter and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist whose career has lasted over forty years and includes a notable period as one of the founding members, in 1968, at age 15, of the rock band Free
Free (band)
Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a...
.
Peak years (1960s and 1970s)
Born in the Central LondonCentral London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
area of Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, Andrew McLan Fraser started playing the piano at the age of five and was trained classically until twelve, when he switched to guitar. By thirteen, he was playing in East End, West Indian clubs and, after being expelled from school in 1968, at 15, enrolled at Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
F.E. College, where another student, Sappho Korner, introduced him to her father, pioneering blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician and radio broadcaster Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner was a blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a Founding Father of British Blues"...
, who became a father-figure to him. Shortly thereafter, upon receiving a telephone call from John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
, who was looking for a bass player, Korner suggested Fraser and, still only 15, he was in a pro band and earning £50 a week, although it ultimately turned out to be a brief tenure.
Korner was also instrumental in Fraser's next move, to the influential band Free
Free (band)
Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a...
, which consisted of Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
(vocals), Paul Kossoff
Paul Kossoff
Paul Francis Kossoff was an English rock guitarist best known as a member of the band Free.Kossoff was ranked 51st in Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" -Early days:...
(guitar) and Simon Kirke
Simon Kirke
Simon Kirke is an English rock drummer best known as a member of Free and Bad Company.-Biography:...
(drums). Fraser produced and co-wrote the song "All Right Now
All Right Now
"All Right Now" is a rock single by the English rock band Free. The song, released in mid-1970, hit #2 on the UK singles chart and #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "All Right Now" originally appeared on the album Fire And Water, which Free recorded on the Island Records label, formed...
" with Rodgers, a #1 hit in over 20 territories and recognised by ASCAP in 1990 for garnering over 1,000,000 radio plays in the United States by late 1989. In October 2006 a BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
London Million-Air Award was given to Rodgers and Fraser to mark over 3 million radio and television plays of "All Right Now". Free initially split in 1971, and Fraser formed a trio, Toby, with guitarist Adrian Fisher (later with Sparks
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
), and drummer Stan Speake. Material was recorded but not released, and Fraser re-joined Free in December 1971. He left for the second time in June 1972.
After leaving Free, Fraser formed Sharks with vocalist Snips (later Baker Gurvitz Army
Baker Gurvitz Army
Baker Gurvitz Army was an English rock group. Their self-titled debut album featured a blend of hard rock laced with Ginger Baker's drumming. The lengthy "Mad Jack" was that album's outstanding track, and the album hit the US Billboard 200 chart, and peaked at #22 in the UK Albums Chart...
), guitarist Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
plus drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, Marty Simon. Despite being well received by the critics, especially for Spedding's tasteful guitar work (Crawdaddy Lead Review, Bruce Malamut Vol. 27, 1973) Fraser left after their debut album, First Water (1973).
He then formed the Andy Fraser Band, a trio with Kim Turner on drums and Nick Judd on keyboards. They released two albums, Andy Fraser Band and In Your Eyes, both in 1975, before that too folded. Attempts to form a band with Frankie Miller came to nothing, and Fraser re-located to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, to concentrate on songwriting. He crafted hits for Robert Palmer, Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
and Paul Young
Paul Young (singer and guitarist)
Paul Antony Young is an English pop musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, his following solo success as a solo recording artist turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol...
.
Fraser's most famous compositions remain "All Right Now", with "Every Kinda People
Every Kinda People
"Every Kinda People" is a 1978 song originally performed by Robert Palmer in his Double Fun album. It was Palmer's first hit song in the U.S., reaching the Top 20...
", which Robert Palmer recorded in 1978 for his Double Fun
Double Fun
Double Fun is Robert Palmer's fourth solo album, released in 1978. Self-produced, this pop album is influenced by multiple genres including blue-eyed soul, disco and heavy rock but maintains an overall consistency of production which holds it all together...
album.
Later period (post–1970s)
In 1984, Fraser released another album of his own. Fine, Fine Line featured ex-Back Street CrawlerBack Street Crawler (band)
Back Street Crawler was a group of blues and rock musicians founded by guitarist Paul Kossoff , signing to Atlantic Records in 1975. The band took the name from Kossoff's solo album, Back Street Crawler.- History :...
drummer Tony Braunagel, Bob Marlette (keyboards), Michael Thompson (guitar) and David Faragher (bass), with Fraser contributing vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
.
He was later diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma
Kaposi's sarcoma
Kaposi's sarcoma is a tumor caused by Human herpesvirus 8 , also known as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus . It was originally described by Moritz Kaposi , a Hungarian dermatologist practicing at the University of Vienna in 1872. It became more widely known as one of the AIDS defining...
, a form of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
that had been very rare until the onset of the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
epidemic; during treatment, he contracted HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. This time-line was called into question by Fraser's subsequent revelation that he is homosexual. He played bass with former Free colleague, Paul Rodgers, at Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
, but otherwise kept a low profile until 2005, when a new release, Naked and Finally Free, appeared.
In early 2006, writing for Vintage Guitar
Vintage Guitar
Vintage Guitar is a guitar magazine, published monthly since 1986. Writers for the magazine include Seymour W. Duncan, George Gruhn, and Wolf Marshall...
magazine, Tom Guerra
Tom Guerra
Tom Guerra of Hartford, Connecticut is an American guitarist.Since the late 1970s, Guerra has been a popular guitarist on the New England club circuit, playing with a host of leading blues, rock n' roll and R&B acts...
conducted a comprehensive interview with Fraser, covering his career, influences and instruments and, in April, Fraser responded to the revival of interest in his music by announcing two rare live shows at Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
's Temecula Community Arts Theatre on 4 May. The shows, highlighted by an eight-piece band, were his first live performances since the 1994 Woodstock reunion.
In 2008, Fraser wrote and sang the song "Obama (Yes We Can)", to support the campaign to elect Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as president of the United States. and, in 2009, released the first hit single, "This Is The Big One", from the May 2010 album, On Assignment (released through his record label Mctrax International and available exclusively online on his Mctrax Music Delivery System) as a copyright-free download to champion awareness of global climate change. In March 2010, the video of the song was nominated as a finalist for the US EPA Film Contest, while the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum honored him by displaying one of his personal custom guitars on exhibit in the museum.
Founded by Andy Fraser, Mctrax International is incorporated as Mctrax International Corporation in California, USA, 2005. Headquartered in Southern California, Mctrax International, and its subsidiaries MctraxMedia, MctraxMotion, and MctraxStudios was originally created as an outlet for Fraser's prolific song-writing material.
In May 2010, Andy Fraser was interviewed for BBC2's documentary series titled Rock 'n' Roll. The project includes a five-part documentary, narrated by British music show anchor-man Mark Radcliffe plus online and radio content. "The documentary aims to explain the success of some of the greatest bands of the past 50 years, including the Who, the Police, the Doors, Bon Jovi and the Foo Fighters".