King (new wave band)

King were a British new wave band which formed in 1984. The band achieved chart success in 1985, and are best known for their hit single "Love & Pride", which reached number 2 in the UK. The band had two Top 20 albums (both certified Gold) and five Top 30 singles in the space of a year.

This article is about the new wave band from the mid-1980s. For other musical ensembles of the same name, see King (band).

King
Paul King of the UK band King
Paul King of the UK band King
Background information
OriginCoventry, England
GenresNew wave[1]
Years active1984–1986
LabelsCBS
Past membersPaul King
Mick Roberts
Anthony "Tony" Wall
Jim "Jackal" Lantsbery
John Hewitt
Adrian Lillywhite
Colin Heanes

Overview

The band was formed from the remnants of Coventry rock-ska band the Reluctant Stereotypes, along with producer Paul Sampson. After the Reluctant Stereotypes, singer Paul King formed the Raw Screens, who perfected their act and style to what Paul King and his manager Perry Haines called "Multi Tone", a reference to "Two Tone", and then, in 1983, relaunched the group as band King from the surname of lead singer Paul King.[2][3]

As lead singer, Paul King wore a mullet haircut and spray-painted Doc Marten's Boots[2] – a look described "like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang".[4] The band released two UK Top 20 albums on CBS, both produced and mixed by Richard James Burgess, who also played drums on most of the debut album Steps in Time (the second LP, Bitter Sweet, saw Adrian Lillywhite on drums). Both albums were certified gold and produced five hit singles, the most successful being the UK No. 2 hit, "Love & Pride".[5] "Love & Pride" was King's only single to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 which peaked at No. 55 in September 1985.

Despite a year of success, the band split up in 1986.[2] In 1987, Paul King released a solo album entitled Joy,[2] produced by American producer Dan Hartman. After that, he briefly worked as a VJ for MTV.[2]

In 1998, a compilation album was released, entitled The Best of King – Love & Pride, with 18 tracks, featuring the band's greatest hits and stand-out tracks, including Paul King's one minor solo hit, "I Know".[2]

Cherry Red Records released a remastered version of Bitter Sweet in 2007 followed in 2010 by a remaster of Steps In Time and in 2018 by another King compilation entitled Remixes & Rarities, which contained rare tracks not found on the reissues.

Line-up
  • Paul King – 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

Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[6]		 GER
[7]		 IT
[8]		 NL
[9]		 US
[10]
Steps in Time
  • Released: 5 November 1984
  • Label: CBS
  • Formats: LP, MC
 6 49 — 17 140
Bitter Sweet
  • Released: 11 November 1985
  • Label: CBS
  • Formats: CD, LP, MC
 16 — 21 — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums
Title Album details
The 12" Tape
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: CBS
  • Formats: MC
The Best of King – Love & Pride
  • Released: October 1998
  • Label: Columbia
  • Formats: CD
Remixes & Rarities
  • Released: 15 June 2018
  • Label: Cherry Pop
  • Formats: 2xCD

Video albums
Title Album details
From Steps in Time to Bitter Sweet –The Video Singles

Singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[6][12]		 AUS
[13]		 BEL (FL)
[14]		 GER
[7]		 IRE
[15]		 IT
[8]		 NL
[9]		 NZ
[16]		 SWI
[17]		 US
[18]
"Love & Pride" 1984 84 — — — — — — — — — Steps in Time
"Soul on My Boots" 158 — — — — — — — — —
"Won't You Hold My Hand Now" 112 — — — — — — — — —
"Love & Pride" (re-release) 1985 2 8 3 8 3 15 2 24 3 55
"Won't You Hold My Hand Now" (re-release) 24 86 14 — — — — — — —
"Alone Without You" 8 — — — — 9 — 14 — — Bitter Sweet
"The Taste of Your Tears" 11 — 15 — — — 50 — — —
"Torture" 23 — — — — — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Solo

Paul King

References
  1. Morris, Chris (29 October 1994). "Indie Labels Thrive By Mining Majors' Catalogs For Reissues". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 44. p. 116. ISSN 0006-2510.
  2. Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 293. ISBN 1-85227-969-9.
  3. "BBC - Coventry and Warwickshire - Entertainment - Pop into the Past". Bbc.co.uk.
  4. "CoventryLive: Coventry news, sport, lifestyle and events". Coventrytelegraph.net.
  5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 301. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. "KING | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  7. "Suche - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  8. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Album" or Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "King".
  9. "Discografie King - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955–1996. Record Research. p. 412. ISBN 0898201179.
  11. "BRIT Certified". BPI. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  12. "UK Singles Charts: 1984 (including chart panel sales)". UKMIX Forums. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 166. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  14. "Discografie King - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  15. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  16. "charts.org.nz - Discography King". charts.nz. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  17. "Discographie King - hitparade.ch". www.swisscharts.com. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  18. Whitburn, Joel (2009). Top Pop Singles 1955–2008. Record Research. p. 532. ISBN 9780898201802.
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