Intuitive Music

Boz Burrell died last Friday, 21st September 2006, at the age of 60. The renowed bassist/vocalist gained a reputation for his work with Bad Company and King Crimson during the 70’s. With great sadness I received a message last Saturday morning from a friend of Boz telling me about his sudden death. Boz Burrell was doing a rehearsal at his apartment in Puerto Banus, Marbella, Spain, at the moment of his death. He and singer Tam White were preparing stuff for a friend’s party and it seems that Boz picked up a guitar and sat back in his seat, then slumped over and passed away. Aparently, he died of a devastating heart attack.

Born Raymond Burrell in Holbeach, England, on the August the 1st, 1946, he started his professional musical career as a vocalist after leaving college when he joined the jazz band Tea Time Four. The band soon turned into The Boz People in 1965 with the addition of keyboardist Ian McLagan of later Small Faces fame. During this period they worked as the backing band for singer Kenny Lynch and eventually signed a recording deal with Columbia, releasing four singles.

After the split of The Boz People, Burrell played occasionally with some soul groups, such as The Sidewinders and Feel for Soul, and he released two solo singles featuring covers of Bob Dylan and The Doors, where he was backed by guitarist Richie Blackmore. In January 1971, Boz Burrell was invited to join the new version of King Crimson as a vocalist. The band auditioned about 30 bassists without luck and, after the quitting of future Steeleye Span bassist, Rick Kemp from the project, finally in February that same year guitarist Robert Fripp decided to teach Burrell to play the instrument himself. After a several weeks of stress and frustration, King Crimson recorded the album “Islands”, released in December 1971. “Islands” remains as one of the most beautiful albums in the band’s career, in which King Crimson approached to avant-garde landscapes where Boz Burrell provided a tremendous dimension to Pete Sinfield’s lyrics. In May 1972, after differences with Robert Fripp and coinciding with the end of an American tour, Boz Burrell decided to leave King Crimson along with sax player Mel Collins and drummer Ian wallace, and the three of them stayed on in the United States to play with bluesman Alexis Korner.

In late 1972, Burrell got back to London. After occasional work in the band Snape, he was invited to join the new project from former Free singer Paul Rodgers and former Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs, Bad Company. The band was signed by Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label and in November 1974 they released their successful self-titled debut album. During the second half of the 70’s, Bad Company was one of the most popular hard rockbands, releasing the albums “Straight Shooter” (1975), “Run with the Pack” (1976), “Burnin’ Sky” (1977) and “Desolation Angels” (1979). In 1982, after the release of “Rough Diamonds”, Bad Company had a hiatus until 1986, without Boz Burrell’s presence. He would play again with the band in 1998 for the “The Original Bad Company Anthology” followed next year by a US summer tour. During the 90’s, Boz Burrell played in Alvin Lee’s Best of British Blues tour, and had a strong partnership with Scottish vocalist Tam White. Both of them created The Celtic Groove Connection in 1997 to release a self-titled album in 1999.

During these last months, Burrell had been ill after having a serious operation and was suggested from the doctors to change his lifestyle, which apparently he didn’t. Boz Burrell’s funeral will be held in Edinburgh but no date has been set yet. King Crimson’s official web site is publishing personal tributes from the band’s members on his memory. He will be always remembered as one of the top bass players from the 70’s era.