King (band)

King was a British New Wave pop band of the mid-eighties from Coventry. The band were formed from the remnants of Birmingham rock-ska band The Reluctant Stereotypes - which not also contained producer Paul Sampson. Riding on the back of the Two Tone wave, they had two UK Top 10 albums on CBS both produced and mixed by Richard James Burgess.^[1] After the demise of The Reluctant Stereotypes, singer Paul King formed "The Raw Screens" who perfected their act and style to what King and his manager Perry Haines called multi-tone, and then in 1983 relaunched the group as self-named Eighties band King.^[2] As lead singer, King was famed for his cockatoo haircut and spray painted Doc Marten's Boots - a look described "like the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But, hell, the girls loved him;"^[3] while Burgess produced and drummed on most of the band's songs. The band released two UK Top 10 albums on CBS both produced and mixed by Burgess, who also played drums on most of Steps in Time. The CBS albums were both certified Gold and produced five hit singles, the most successful being the UK no.2 hit Love & Pride. King as a band lasted just over one year, so Paul King went solo with an album titled "Joy" produced by American producer Dan Hartman.^[4]

King Discography

Singles

• "Love & Pride" (1984) UK #84
• "Love & Pride" (re-release) (1985) US #55 UK #2
• "Won't You Hold My Hand Now" (1985) UK #24
• "Alone Without You" (1985) UK #8
• "The Taste Of Your Tears" (1985) UK #11
• "Torture" (1986) UK #23
• "I Know" (1987) - Paul King solo UK #59
• "Follow My Heart" (1987) - Paul King solo Failed to chart

Albums

• Steps in Time (1984) - King
• Bitter Sweet (1985) - King
• Joy (1987) - Paul King

Coling Heanes - drums

References

Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 7th Edition - 1988