Burnin' Sky

Burnin' Sky is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Bad Company. It was released on 3 March 1977.^[2] Burnin' Sky was recorded in France at Château d'Hérouville in July and August 1976 with future Rolling Stones engineer Chris Kimsey. Its release was delayed until March 1977 so to not compete with the band's then-current album Run with the Pack.

Burnin' Sky
Studio album by Bad Company
Released	3 March 1977
Recorded	July–August 1976
Studio	Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France
Genre	Hard rock blues rock
Length	44:48
Label	Island
Producer	Bad Company
Bad Company chronology
Run with the Pack (1976) Burnin' Sky (1977) Desolation Angels (1979)
Singles from Burnin' Sky
"Everything I Need" Released: February 1977 "Burnin' Sky" Released: May 1977 (US)[1]

The album peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and No. 17 in the UK Albums Chart. The album was remastered and re-released in 1994. The cover is similar to the poster for the 1969 Sam Peckinpah film The Wild Bunch. In the 2000 movie Almost Famous, the fictitious band Stillwater's first T-shirt is strikingly similar to the Burnin' Sky album cover.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Record Mirror	[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]

The New York Times noted the "subtler, quieter approach," writing that "the results sounded oddly somnolent."^[6]

Track listing

All songs by Paul Rodgers unless otherwise noted.

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Burnin' Sky"		5:09
2.	"Morning Sun"		4:07
3.	"Leaving You"		3:23
4.	"Like Water"	Paul Rodgers, Machiko Shimizu	4:18
5.	"Knapsack"	Friedrich-Wilhelm Möller, Antonia Ridge	1:20
6.	"Everything I Need"	Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke, Boz Burrell	3:22

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Heartbeat"		2:36
8.	"Peace of Mind"	Simon Kirke	3:22
9.	"Passing Time"		2:30
10.	"Too Bad"	Mick Ralphs	3:47
11.	"Man Needs Woman"	Mick Ralphs	3:43
12.	"Master of Ceremony"	Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke, Boz Burrell	7:10

2017 reissue disc two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Burnin' Sky" (Take 2, Alternate Vocal & Guitar)	Rodgers
2.	"Morning Sun" (Take 3 Early Version)	Rodgers
3.	"Leaving You" (Take 1, Alternative Vocal)	Rodgers
4.	"Like Water" (Take 1, Rough Mix)	Rodgers, Shimizu
5.	"Knapsack (The Happy Wanderer)" (Early Run Through)	Möller, Ridge
6.	"Everything I Need" (Take 2, Rough Mix)	Rodgers, Ralphs, Kirke, Burrell
7.	"Peace of Mind" (Alternate Version)	Kirke
8.	"Passing Time" (Alternative Vocal)	Rodgers
9.	"Too Bad" (Full Version)	Ralphs
10.	"Man Needs Woman" (Alternative Vocal & Guitar)	Ralphs
11.	"Too Bad" (Early Version, Mick Ralphs Vocal)	Ralphs
12.	"Man Needs Woman" (Take 2, Early Version, Mick Ralphs Vocal)	Ralphs
13.	"Burnin' Sky" (Take 1, Alternative Vocal)	Rodgers
14.	"Unfinished Story" (Previously Unreleased)	Rodgers

Personnel

Bad Company

• Paul Rodgers – vocals, guitar, piano, accordion
• Mick Ralphs – guitar, keyboards
• Simon Kirke – drums
• Boz Burrell – bass

with:

• Mel Collins – saxophone, flute
• Tim Hinkley – keyboards

Technical

• Chris Kimsey - engineer

Charts

Chart (1977)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[7]	15
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8]	16
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9]	14
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10]	32
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[11]	32
UK Albums (OCC)[12]	17
US Billboard 200[13]	15

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[14]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.