Free - The Stealer (Unreleased - extended Kossoff solo)

[benbeck1]

Koss, he had soul.

[johnwoa]

Wow!!! This song first came out when I was a senior in High School and I absolutely loved it! Last night (40 years later), I came across this video upload and heard this unreleased extended studio version of "The Stealer" and I like it even better than the original album version from 1970! This is absolutely fantastic! Thanx for posting this!!!!!!!!

[1conorrocks]

kick ass

[h3ndr1xisG0d]

this version is on the molten gold/ best of album

[semrete]

♥ GOD ♥ BLESS ♥ PAUL ♥ KOSSOFF ♥

Rajesh Semrete Selassie Aggarwal FRSA 

[germany12334]

This Record Highway represented the very apex of my rock experience. To say this band could make you cry is an understatement

[347guitar]

free... if they could have stayed together longer than four years they would have been the greatest band ever ......bar none!

[wingman1962]

The 2 CD collection "Molten Gold" has this long version of the song as well...this was my intro to the catalog....we've all heard "All Right Now" a million times...This set told the rest of the story!

[yammyr1000]

thanks for sharing this....its years since i last heard it....brilliant...thanx

[tubepsych1]

Rockinnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!! Fuckin Paul Kossoff!!!!!!!!!!! Ihave been a fan since the first album. What a great, great band.

[keithrose4227]

what happened to music? how did it get to be what it is today? so sad

[clikityclak]

Paul Kossoff a cut electrical wire flairing with emotion haha

[micko11154]

Free, generally seem to be largely ignored when contemporary artists are asked about their ealy influences! Each player is a virtuoso, it all fits perfectly, Kossoff a master of Blues Rock, and Paul Rodger, surely, the greatest EVER Blues Rock vocalist of all time! Watch hiss recent work with Queen to see real longevity and vocal power to burn! He aften has to sing 15 inches off his mic to avoid overloading it! AWESOME!!!

[soundslikedistortion]

some of the best blues/rock ever made, free are amazing. kossof just has the unique tone

[shawnriffhard]

Thank you Bob Lefsetz!

[1mosier]

think Angus Young was listening to this shit?!

[dudestr5552]

Koss was criminally underrated, and may in fact be THE most underrated guitarist of the 20th century, if not ever. Amazing guitar work and amazing solo at the end.

[fretman40]

@dudestr5552 Had he lived longer I believe he would have had the recognition he deserved but was really only in the limelight for a couple of years with Free before drugs took their toll and his life.Very similar too Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. who is but a shadow of what he once was.

[dudestr5552]

@fretman40 It's true what they say then - the good die young. Whether literally die, as in Koss's case, or figuratively - as is Peter Green's. Tragic.

[GuitarsRockandLife]

oh yup this song is pretty cool... *guitar solo* HOLLLYYY SHITTTT

[midnightriderize]

This is cool! A friend of mine had what I believe was this version on a homemade 8 track tape back in the 70's. Never heard it again until now. Thanks for sharing!

[ruffdiamondz]

@midnightriderize Love hearing cool stuff like that!! Your welcome.

[lukemanify]

Just two guys to make it with a few notes. Koss and Neil Young

[jesdebest]

awesome version! from wich album is this taken?

thx for posting

[ruffdiamondz]

@jesdebest Songs of Yesterday Boxed Set (Disc 2) - relased 2000

[mipy01]

Brilliant - thanks so much for sharing this version.

[smoovegittar]

That was great. He was having a good one there!

[dudestr5552]

Kossoff was criminally underrated. With the guitar doing this, how come he wasn't rated higher than 55 in Rolling Stone's list of 100 greatest guitarists? And how come more people in the States haven't heard of him?

[clikityclak]

Kossoff' playing was always scary to listion to! , if i didnt know any better i would say he speaks through his guitar

[pharmajoe990]

My brain is leaking out of my ears

[teddybundy118]

Nice one diamond geezer, ive never heard this version before. He was the man that Kossoff. Well they all were and its hard to forget just how young they were really. Poor Koss, heart attack victim, how old was he? 26? Left something behind in this world. Just like Jimi, and Janis, jim M, joe strummer, ian curtis,cliff richard and of course the fat geezer who in my opinion left us fuck all when he died apart from a tasty mrs, a large house, lots of crap films and a wooden heart!!!

[EarCandyJar]

Of all great players, Koss was the most subtle, and unlike all others, knew when to play balls to the wall lead, and when to let up a bit, and allow Rodgers to display his vocals without being right up his ass, making him scream out of his range, or even be on par with him. He was just perfectly placed behind & below Rodgers, yet you knew damn well Kozz was right behind. Very few musicians & producers have any feel/grasp for the spacial aspect of music. Pay attention to Koss vs others. RIP Koss.

[clikityclak]

Kossoff was like fuck it im gunna pull a solo outta my ass lol

[theREALonekev]

Thank you for a phenomenal post.

[compoundsweetheart]

Never heard this version before, fantastic stuff. Paul Kossoff was such a great loss to the music world.

[ZACfromSCB]

Rogers and Kossoff just make me wanna bang chicks

[triocha]

@purpleplexi

Didn't know that much about Billy Gibbons, being a bit blinkered watching UK guitarists only (well, Hendrix excepted!)

Saw him on youtube doing a Blues masterclass, pretty impressive. You're never too old to learn!

[triocha]

@purpleplexi

Haha, good to hear that Jeff is eating his greens, loved that.

Interesting theory regarding the solo, you may be right. Answer coming to a greengrocers near you in the near future.

That Rodgers is a beast too though huh? Him and Jimmy Dewar stand out for me as rock singers.

[purpleplexi]

@triocha

I never saw Raul Rogers until quite recently. He came onstage at a (coincidentally) Jeff Beck gig. I always knew he was one of the true greats but what I didn't appreciate was that live he is one of those magic few people that just ooze charisma - it just poured off the stage. Billy Gibbons is one of those too. If you could bottle it you'd make a fortune.

[purpleplexi]

The Stealer, despite being just about my fave Free tune (so cool and funky and ahead of it's time) didn't sell as a single and started rifts in the band that would lead to it's sad and premature end. If some halfwit hadn't cut that solo from the released version things may have been very different and Free would have taken their rightful place in rock history.

It's really only recently that Koss and Free have approached the level of admiration that they truly deserve.

[triocha]

@purpleplexi

Sorry about my pointless reply to yon retard.

I played this over and over in the sixties, thinking it better than 'All Right Now'. Wasn't to be, sadly.

Fully agree with your points.

[purpleplexi]

@triocha

Something else strikes me about this - I've seen several live cuts of this and Koss never plays the solo. I wonder if that was his little protest at his solo being cut? Guess we'll never know unless either of us bumps into Paul Rodgers in the supermarket.... Could happen - someone on here was saying he sold Jeff Beck a cabbage in the supermarket recently.

[dudestr5552]

@purpleplexi Also, for whatever reason, the band name was left off of the "Highway" album... more people likely would have purchased the album in 1971 (since it was the follow-up to the enormous "Fire and Water"). But I do agree with you. Whatever dimwit who omitted Koss's amazing solo should be dragged behind a horse-driven cart.

[REYTUYO]

im ben stiler....

[triocha]

@REYTUYO

Are you related to Ben Stiller?

[QVXS77]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! nuff said

[boog560]

if only koss was still here him and rodgers would be killer! note to brian may you aint and never will be koss so dont fuck with free songs

[da324]

@boog560 Brian May doesn't need Free songs to cement his status as a legendary player. He plays them out of respect. What a fuckn' concept huh?

[kristianjl]

@boog560 Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser both played with Brian May on Free songs. If that is not official sanction from the band, I don't know what is.

[PiruA77]

This is real Shit! Wonderfull Kossoff!

[PsychoJim10]

this is rock

[Patfaki]

I think that the solo on this is the most powerful I have ever heard. Kos did not hold back, did he? I mean he puts EVERYTHING into his playing here; he is so intense that it is a little bit frightening.

[hendrix950]

@Patfaki Listen to Crossroads live at The Isle of Wight (Best version) he really doesnt hold back thats what got me hooked, looking for Creams version happened to stumble upon such a thing... incredibe

[dudestr5552]

@hendrix950 Man where could I find Free at Isle of Wight?

[hendrix950]

@dudestr5552 Just type in " free crossroads live isle of wight" and pick the first one

[TheMullerFan]

jesus! how did he get his vibrato like that with .12s?!?! holy fuck

[gregalon]

@TheMullerFan And he was such a small dude too! Angus Young is the same way... he looks like he weighs 100 lbs soaking wet, but he shakes a string like he's Godzilla.

[cleveroonie]

@TheMullerFan i think erik klaption said that too (sorry bout the spelling my see is fuked on my laptop lol)

[micko11154]

@cleveroonie Eric Clapdout?

[REYTUYO]

COME TO STEAL YOUR MONEY...

[REYTUYO]

DFFDSFDS

[semrete]

Paul Kossoff is Undobtedly the Finest British Guitarist Ever. with LOVE

Rajesh Semrete Selassie Aggarwal FRSA

[kjgoya777]

Kossoff was a natural - he was amazing.

[Strokecity1]

Excellent!

[colleencharlie]

now thats how u use a les paul

[Andreagear4]

Das ist der pure Wahnsinn, man ist das genial.

Wenn Koss Guitare spielt geht das unter die Haut und es stehen einem die Haare zuberge.

Da kann man gar nicht genug von bekommen.

Leider gibt es soetwas heute nicht mehr.

[VarykGerai]

600 000 people? shit! thats crazy, would love to play infront of this crowd.

[fbono19]

simply amazing! Thanx for sharing :)

[theREALonekev]

GREAT posting -- it's good to see more

people discovering Free -- one of the greatest bands ever!

[Bronzecaster67]

Much better than the album-version !

Thanks for posting !

[ZenDogRadio]

A plus !

[hedleyjhg]

amazing!

[wildukthing]

Can't get enough of extended guitar solos when Paul Kossof is playing. Great!

[sludgefingers]

Great. Love it. Thnx for posting.

[ruffdiamondz]

Glad u like it!

[July41054AD]

That pic of Rogers @3:08 is priceless

[FedirSchys]

This is fuckin amazing. Never heard this version , though I've been eager to find the Free stuff. 100% Hard Rock.

[1sleofskye4]

Stunning, absolutely first class..... Only ever heard the album version before now; raw energy indeed, these guys are superb.

[dudestr5552]

Is it possible to find this on any album?

[ruffdiamondz]

Walk In My Shadow - The Collection. 2007 Spectrum.

Songs of Yesterday (Disc 2). 2000 Island Remasters. 5CD box set with booklet.

Have also recently posted Mr. Big (live Sunderland) which is from the box set.

[dudestr5552]

Sweet. I found where I can get "Songs of Yesterday" and will more than likely purchase it before too much longer. The guitar work on this version of the song is awesome.

[dpbuff]

this version was probably too raw for commercial release but for Kossoff fans like myself it demonstrates the excitement he could introduce into a song. thanks for posting this.

incidentally the middle solo is played on one string