King (new wave band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Paul King |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Headquarters | England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Number of employees | 5-7 (band members) |
King was a new wave ensemble from England, established in 1983, who gained significant chart recognition in 1984 with their popular track "Love & Pride", which climbed to number 2 on the UK charts. Within a single year, they delivered two albums that reached the Top 20 and earned Gold certification, alongside five singles that entered the Top 30.
Overview
Emerging from the former Coventry-based rock-ska group the Reluctant Stereotypes and collaborating with producer Paul Sampson, frontman Paul King shaped the band’s signature sound, which he and manager Perry Haines labeled as "Multi Tone." The band was rebranded as King in 1983, taking its name from Paul King.[1]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Paul King's notable look featured a mullet hairstyle paired with spray-painted Doc Marten's boots, which drew comparisons to the Child Catcher character from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Signed to CBS, King released two albums that both reached the UK Top 20, produced and mixed by Richard James Burgess, who also contributed drums on most tracks of their debut album Steps in Time. Their follow-up album, Bitter Sweet, included Adrian Lillywhite on drums. Both records achieved Gold status and spawned five successful singles. Notably, "Love & Pride" peaked at No. 2 in the UK and reached No. 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1985.[2]
Although they enjoyed commercial achievements, King disbanded in 1986.[1] Subsequently, Paul King pursued a solo career with his 1987 album Joy, produced by American musician Dan Hartman, followed by a brief stint as an MTV video jockey.[1]
In 1998, a compilation entitled The Best of King – Love & Pride was issued, containing 18 tracks including Paul King's solo single "I Know".[1] Cherry Red Records later remastered Bitter Sweet in 2007 and Steps In Time in 2010. They also released another compilation called Remixes & Rarities in 2018 featuring uncommon tracks absent from earlier reissues.
Line-up
- Paul King – lead vocals, piano
- Mick Roberts – keyboards, synthesizers, piano, backing vocals
- Anthony "Tony" Wall – bass guitar
- Jim "Jackal" Lantsbery – guitar, backing vocals
- John Hewitt – drums
- Adrian Lillywhite – drums
- Colin Heanes – drums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart positions | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | GER | IT | NL | US | |||
| Steps in Time |
|
6 | 49 | — | 17 | 140 |
|
| Bitter Sweet |
|
16 | — | 21 | — | — |
|
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart or were not issued in that country. | |||||||
Compilation albums
| Album Title | Release Information |
|---|---|
| The 12" Tape |
|
| The Best of King – Love & Pride |
|
| Remixes & Rarities |
|
| Soul On My Boots: The Collection |
|
Video albums
| Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| From Steps in Time to Bitter Sweet –The Video Singles |
|
Singles
| Single Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Positions | Certifications | Associated Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BEL (FL) | GER | IRE | ITA | NED | NZL | SWI | USA | ||||
| "Love & Pride" | 1984 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Steps in Time | |
| "Soul on My Boots" | 158 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Won't You Hold My Hand Now" | 112 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Love & Pride (reissued) | 1985 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 24 | 3 | 55 |
| |
| Won't You Hold My Hand Now (reissued) | 24 | 86 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Alone Without You | 8 | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 14 | — | — | Bitter Sweet | ||
| The Taste of Your Tears | 11 | — | 15 | — | — | — | 50 | — | — | — | |||
| Torture | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | (
) | |||
Solo
Paul King
- Joy (1987)