''Mean Business'' is the second and final studio album by The Firm, released by Atlantic Records on 3 February 1986. Repeating the same bluesy formula as on the first album, '' The Firm'' (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' 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 ...

''. The versions differ in that

Chris Slade Chris Slade (born Christopher Slade Rees; 30 October 1946) is a Welsh musician, best known for playing for the Australian rock band AC/DC. He drummed for the band from 1989 to 1994, performing on their 1990 album '' The Razors Edge'' along wit ...

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 Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

. The single "All the King's Horses" spent four weeks at the top of '' Billboard''s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "Fortune Hunter" was originally co-written by Page and

Chris Squire Christopher Russell Edward Squire (4March 1948 – 27June 2015) was an English musician, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes. He was the longest-serving original member, having r ...

for the aborted XYZ project in 1981. Squire was not credited on The Firm's version.

Track listing

Personnel

Band

* Paul Rodgers – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, producer * Jimmy Page – acoustic and electric guitars, producer * Tony Franklin – fretless bass, keyboards, synthesizer, rhythm guitar on Dreaming, back vocals *

– drums and percussion

Other

Julian Mendelsohn Julian Mendelsohn is an Australian record producer, audio engineer and mixer. Early life After completing school in Australia, Mendelsohn moved to the United Kingdom. He secured his first job in 1974 at Milner Sound Fulham Rd. Chelsea, run b ...

– 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