Michael Geoffrey Ralphs
(March,31st 1944 – June,23rd 2025)
R.I.P.
was an
English guitarist,
vocalist and songwriter,
who was a
founding member
of rock bands
Mott the Hoople
and
Bad Company.
Career
Ralphs began his career
as a teenager,
playing with
blues-rock band
the Buddies.
He released a single
with that group in 1964
before joining
the Mod Doc Thomas Group
in 1966.
After an eponymous
Italian album debut,
the band changed
its name twice,
first to Silence
in 1968
and then,
in 1969,
to
Mott the Hoople.
Ralphs remained with
the band until 1973,
leaving soon after
they achieved their
commercial breakthrough
with
the David Bowie-produced
album
All the Young Dudes.
Ralphs' last appearance
with
Mott The Hoople
was on
the Mott album
in 1973,
which featured the hit
‘’All The Way From Memphis’’.
The song chronicles
the story of
Ralphs losing his guitar
in Memphis in 1972.
Upon exiting
Mott the Hoople,
he founded
Bad Company
along with
vocalist
Paul Rodgers
from the band
Free.
The band's debut album
in 1974
included the
Ralphs'-penned hit
"Can't Get Enough",
for which Ralphs
tuned his guitar
in the
open-C tuning
C-C-G-C-E-C, stating,
"It never really sounds right
in standard tuning.
It needs the open C
to have that ring."
The debut album reached
number one
in the United States.
Ralphs continued to
record and tour
with
Bad Company
until the original band
folded in 1982.
In 1984
he toured with
Pink Floyd
guitarist
David Gilmour
on Gilmour's
About Face tour,
although he did not play
on the album.
In 1985,
he released a
solo album,
Take This,
which included
Free
and
Bad Company's
drummer
Simon Kirke.
He teamed up
with future
Bad Company
guitarist
Dave Colwell
for a limited
four-run live support
of the album,
which also featured
drummer
Chris Slade
of
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
and keyboard
player
Lindsay Bridgewater,
who performed with
Ozzy Osbourne.
Ralphs second solo album
It's All Good,
an instrumental,
came out in 2001.
Two years later his
That's Life – Can't Get Enough
album
was released,
including a
demo version of
"Can't Get Enough".
In 2004,
he once again teamed up
with former
Mott colleague
Ian Hunter,
playing second lead guitar
(along with Andy York)
on Hunter's UK tour.
Ralphs performed at
Hunter's May 2004 concert
at the London Astoria,
which was filmed
and released as a
DVD titled
“Just Another Night”
the following year
On July,2nd 2008,
it was announced that
the original line-up of
Bad Company
minus
Boz Burrell
who died in
September 2006
would do a
one-off gig
at the
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
in Hollywood, Florida
on
August,8th 2008.
According to Rodgers,
the band played this show to
"protect the legacy
they have built
and cement the rights
to the trademark
Bad Company
for touring.”
Mott the Hoople,
including Ralphs,
reunited for two shows
at the Blake Theatre
in Monmouth close to
Rockfield Studios
where they rehearsed
before playing
five concerts at the
Hammersmith Apollo
in London
during September and
October 2009.
All five of the
original members
participated in
the reunion
with
Martin Chambers
assisting on drums.
In 2011,
Ralphs formed
The Mick Ralphs Blues Band
with musicians
he met while guesting
at a jam session
at the Nag's Head pub
in High Wycombe:
Stuart Son Maxwell,
harmonica/vocals;
Jim Maving,
Guitar;
Sam Kelly,
Dickey Baldwin,
bass.
In 2012,
Bad Company performed a
short run of
European festival dates.
In 2013 and 2014,
Bad Company
and
Lynyrd Skynyrd
jointly toured throughout
the United States
and Canada,
initially commemorating the
40th anniversary of
Skynyrd's first album release
and
Bad Company's
formation.
In 2016,
Bad Company announced
a U.S. tour
with
Joe Walsh.
Ralphs initially announced
that he would not participate
Following the band's
concluding performance
in London,
it was reported that
Ralphs had been hospitalized,
having suffered a stroke.
He never returned
to the band with
his lead guitar parts
being played by
second guitarist,
Howard Leese
and
keyboard parts
being played by
Rodgers.
Ralphs died of
complications from
the stroke
On
June,23rd 2025,
aged 81
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