''Mean Business'' is the second and final studio album by

The Firm The FIRM (stylized as The FIRM) is a brand of exercise videos and equipment currently owned by Gaiam. The original "The FIRM" videos are best known for popularizing a hybrid of aerobic exercise and weight training. History In 1979, Anna Bens ...

, released by

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

on 3 February 1986. Repeating the same bluesy formula as on the first album, ''

'' (1985), ''Mean Business'' did not achieve the same commercial success. One of the album's tracks, "Live in Peace", was first recorded on

Paul Rodgers Paul Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of numerous bands, including Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law. He has also performed as a solo artist, and co ...

' first solo album in 1983, ''

Cut Loose ''Cut Loose'' is the 1983 debut solo album by Paul Rodgers, of Free and Bad Company fame. Unlike his other work, Rodgers plays all the instruments on this album. It was recorded at his house in Kingstone. The song "Live in Peace" was later re-r ...

''. The versions differ in that Chris Slade played the drums at half tempo compared to the original version, apart from the ending. Paul Rodgers has recently played a new version on his new compilation album Live in Peace. The album's title was intended to have a double meaning: that the music business is a hard one, and that the band was serious about its music ("The Firm mean business"). However, perhaps due to the lukewarm-at-best critical and financial success which the band met, Page and Rodgers decided to disband The Firm within months of this album's release. The album peaked at #22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. and at #46 on the UK Albums Chart. The single "All the King's Horses" spent four weeks at the top of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''s

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...

chart. "Fortune Hunter" was originally co-written by Page and Chris Squire for the aborted XYZ project in 1981. Squire was not credited on The Firm's version.

Track listing

Personnel

Band

– vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, producer *

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

– acoustic and electric guitars, producer * Tony Franklin – fretless bass, keyboards, synthesizer, rhythm guitar on Dreaming, back vocals * Chris Slade – drums and percussion

Other

* Julian Mendelsohn – producer * Aubrey Powell Productions – cover design * Barry Diament – mastering

Charts

Album

Singles

References

{{Authority control The Firm (rock band) albums 1986 albums Albums produced by Jimmy Page Atlantic Records albums Albums produced by Julian Mendelsohn