"All the King's Horses" by The Firm

Song#:  2624
Date:  02/15/1986
Debut:  92
Peak:  61
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  The UK supergroup featuring Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page grabbed a gold album with their #17 self-titled debut album. It was pushed along by its #1 Rock/#28 Pop hit "Radioactive." Due to the positive results, the band set out to record a second LP. Their next effort was titled Mean Business and this first single was pushed out ahead of the album. Like "Radioactive," the song was a hit at Rock and it reached #1 on that chart. Unfortunately, the tune didn't connect as well at Pop this time around and it faltered well short of the top half of the chart. A second single, "Live in Peace," could only manage a #21 peak at Rock while missing the Pop chart completely. The album made it to #22, but without better performing singles, sales took a dip and they failed to replicate the results of their debut LP. The mediocre response to their second disc didn't encourage the supergroup to go any further and they split up.

ReduxReview:  I like the near gothic, prog rock opening of the track. It kind of reminds me of something Asia would do. After that, the song just kind of fizzled out. I don't find it very engaging or exciting. It certainly wasn't pop oriented enough to hook a bigger crossover crowd. Rock radio latched on to it back in the day, but the song just isn't all that memorable to me.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  After Bad Company's lackluster sixth album, 1982's Rough Diamonds, Paul Rodgers decided he was done and chose to leave the band. With his departure, the band folded as well. (A new iteration of the band without Rodgers would restart in 1986.) Rodgers then decided to do his first solo album. For 1983's Cut Loose, Rodgers wrote, performed, and produced the entire album. The title track would be issued as a single, but it could only manage a #15 showing at Rock. Also on the album was a song titled "Live in Peace." For The Firm's second album, Rodgers revived that song and it was re-recorded by the band. It would be the LP's second single, but it only got to #21 at Rock. Rodgers would not release another solo album for 10 years. That 1993 LP, Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters, would earn a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

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