Bad Company took a blank canvas and wrote "rock and roll" all over it. With the classic vocals of Paul Rogers, Bad Company is one of the most acclaimed classic rock bands of all time. Going five times Platinum with their self-titled debut in 1974, only one year after they formed, this chart-topping band released nine more albums and charted a multitude of hits including "Ready For Love," "Rock & Roll Fantasy," "Can't Get Enough" and "Feel Like Makin' Love."

      "Yeah, we're very lucky," says drummer Simon Kirke, "but none of us are really great players; we just play good songs and we have good songs. We're not virtuosos on drums or guitar. Paul was a great singer, one of the greatest. But our songs are good and they stand the test of time."

     InsideCX: What is it like to have your songs be virtually timeless? They are classics, playing now more than ever on rock stations around the world.

     SK: A lot of Bad Company songs, people grew up with. We span, like, 30 years, where people had their first kiss listening to one of our songs. In fact, we did a show, one of the last Bad Company shows we did, in the Greek Theater in L.A. We were just starting "Feel Like Makin' Love" and there was this couple; they were probably in their 50s. Obviously their kids were on either side of them. And the old man got up and grabbed his wife and said to his children so everyone could hear, "Hey kids, you were conceived to this song!" I thought, Oh God, the poor kids! So yeah, people have grown up with our songs.

     InsideCX: What was it like in the beginning of the band?

     SK/B>: It was a lot of fun. That's one of the reasons we did it. I mean, we hoped that we'd be big, but we just thought that as long as we made a nice amount of money and played around with the girls a bit, that will do us, we'll be happy. And then something else took over and we really cared about the music. Every night, we wanted to be good. Because it doesn't matter if it's the third show or the 33rd show—when those people come to see you it's a big event for them. You always make it like it's their gig.

     InsideCX: What's the biggest difference you see in the music business today in relation to back then?

     SK/B>: There are some good bands out there. Today there are less record companies. In my day they were all vying for competition, they looked out for their artists. Nowadays it's much more businesslike. It's more corporate. There are only three labels left in the world. They're all these huge conglomerates.

The actual mechanics of getting a record played, CD, whatever you want to call them, is still pretty much the same. You still travel, you set up your gear and you play for people. There was a time a few years ago when people said, "Videos will change all that. They'll just beam our video around the country and people will be able to watch it." But there's no substitute for going to a live concert. People still want to see bands play. You can't beat it.

Bad Company was always a stripped-down blues band. We were never really into the fast stuff. Although I must say that when we played arenas, we had to add a little bit.

     InsideCX: Speaking of playing arenas, did you catch Paul Rogers when he toured in place of Freddie Mercury last year with Queen?

     SK/B>: He invited me to go when they played Nassau, and they were great, I was really impressed. And I love Brian May's playing, great guitar playing.

     InsideCX: Any chance of Bad Company reuniting?

     SK/B>: Oh, I don't know. I don't think so. I think it's pretty much over now. If we did reunite, it wouldn't be the original foursome; we just don't get on. Paul doesn't get on with Boz, the bass player. It's like a marriage. It's like a four-way marriage. A two-way is hard enough, let alone four people! Paul really doesn't need the hassle; he's got a good career going for him. I'd love to do another tour because I love playing and I love Paul's voice.