Brian Howe (singer) - With Bad Company

With Bad Company

In 1986, fellow British musicians Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke re-formed their band, Bad Company after a four-year hiatus, but original frontman Paul Rodgers was engaged with a new supergroup called The Firm, so the remaining two members hired Howe as the new lead singer, along with Greg Dechert on keyboards and Steve Price on bass. Howe’s vocal style brought more of a pop-rock sound to the band, as opposed to Rodgers’ bluesier approach. The band hired Foreigner producer Keith Olsen to produce the new lineup’s initial album, 1986’s Fame and Fortune. The band also switched labels to Atco Records.

The next Howe-era album, 1988’s Dangerous Age was produced by Terry Thomas, who returned the band to a guitar-driven sound. This album fared better than its predecessor, spawning three songs that made the top 10 on Billboard's rock chart: "No Smoke Without A Fire," (#4), "One Night" (#9), and "Shake It Up" (#9). The last two were written by Howe and Thomas.

The band's next album, 1990’s Holy Water, also produced by Thomas, was a major commercial success, attaining platinum status in the U.S. by selling more than one million copies. It produced five singles that went top-15 on Billboard's rock chart, including the #1 hit "Holy Water" which was followed by "Boys Cry Tough" (#3), "If You Needed Somebody" (#2) and "Walk Through Fire" (#15). Ralphs sat out for most of the Holy Water tour, although he did perform on the album.

The final studio album of the Howe era, 1992’s Here Comes Trouble featured the Billboard #1 rock hit "How About That." Before touring in support of the album, the band expanded to a quintet, adding ex-Foreigner bassist Rick Wills and rhythm guitarist Dave "Bucket" Colwell, a protégé of Ralphs. During the tour, the band recorded a live album, What You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad Company which featured hit songs from both the Rodgers and Howe eras of the band. Howe left the band in 1994.