Unhealthy Firm’s affect has crossed generations since its self-titled debut in 1974. The primary tribute album to the newly inducted Rock and Roll Corridor of Famers, Can’t Get Sufficient: A Tribute to Unhealthy Firm, contains 9 BadCo classics and one iconic Free tune from artists together with Slash that includes Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, The Struts, Soiled Honey, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and Phil Collen, Halestorm, The Fairly Reckless, and others. Plus, there are visitor appearances from Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke. Classic Guitar spoke with two guitarists about their contributions; vocalist/lead guitarist Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke, which covers “Run with the Pack” (with Rodgers and Mastodon’s Brann Dailor) and guitarist Ben Wells of Black Stone Cherry, which performs “Burnin’ Sky.”

How had been you invited to take part?
Charlie Starr: (Radio and tv host) Eddie Trunk, who’s a buddy and such an important man, referred to as and mentioned, “Can I give your telephone quantity to Unhealthy Firm’s administration? They’re placing collectively a tribute document.” I mentioned, “Completely.” They referred to as later that day. I mentioned, “We’re all in with each ft. The place will we begin?”
Ben Wells: We had been recording our new EP again in April, and the humorous factor is we had simply completed monitoring drums and our drummer, John Fred Younger, was taking his drums to our storage facility. As quickly as he drove away, we get a telephone name from our supervisor. He mentioned, “You’ve simply been requested to be part of this Unhealthy Firm factor. Do you guys assume you possibly can document this tune whilst you’re within the studio and knock it out? They want it fairly quickly.” We had been like, “One hundred percent. We’re honored.” We had chills once we bought requested, so we referred to as John Fred and mentioned, “Hey, you’re going to have to show round.” He mentioned, “You’re kidding me…” He thought we had been joking about being requested. When he came upon it was actual, he mentioned, “I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

How did you resolve which tune to do?
CS: I requested proper off the bat. I mentioned (to co-executive producer Gary Spivack), “Can I select the tune?” I went down the checklist and a few had already been chosen. I mentioned, “It could be simpler when you inform me what’s obtainable.” He mentioned, “The songs obtainable are ‘Run with the Pack,’” and I mentioned, “Proceed, however you bought me proper there.” He mentioned “Seagull,” however Def Leppard wound up doing that. As quickly as he mentioned “Run with the Pack,” my thoughts’s eye may see it and my thoughts’s ear may hear us doing it.
BW: We had been requested particularly to do this tune, so we had been like, “Completely, we’ll go in, flip it up, and make it our personal however hold it true.”

Had you ever performed the tune in your current or earlier bands?
CS: I don’t assume any of us had ever performed it. We’d performed numerous different Unhealthy Firm songs. That was one other fascinating side – placing it collectively. Everyone realized it of their spare time – you don’t wish to get the stink eye when you are available in and don’t know the tune. However we organized it within the studio and had a few tweaks for the ending; the unique has orchestration on the finish. We turned that every one into guitar as a result of we have now three guitar gamers.
BW: I don’t assume we’ve ever achieved “Burnin’ Sky.” We did Free’s “Hearth and Water” and Unhealthy Firm’s “Can’t Get Sufficient.” All we needed to do is, primary, do our factor. And, quantity two, don’t mess it up.

Which guitars and equipment did you utilize?
CS: I performed a ’56 Les Paul TV Junior and a ’65 Vox AC15 Twin. I figured I wasn’t going to be mistaken enjoying a British amplifier as a result of that’s most likely what Mick Ralphs would’ve used. I additionally used an outdated MXR Part 45 with the script emblem.
BW: I performed a Les Paul Basic and we’re all utilizing the Line 6 Helix to document and play reside. My preset is sort of a Peavey 5150 setup, which was my first tube head. – Bret Adams

This text initially appeared in VG’s December 2025 subject. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.