The King Brothers were a British pop vocal trio popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They are best remembered for their cover versions of " Standing on the Corner" and " A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)". [1]
Career
The group was composed of three brothers who first performed together professionally on the TV show Shop Window in 1952. [2] Initially performing as The King Three, they appeared on the BBC Television early in their career on Six-Five Special, [3] and by 1957 had been named "top vocal group" in the reader's poll for the NME. [2] Their first hit on the UK Singles Chart was their cover of " A White Sport Coat", which hit No. 6 in 1957. In October 1960, they were again voted "top vocal group" in the NME reader's poll. [4] They had a string of successful singles through to 1961, after which time they continued recording, but found their popularity waning. [1]
Group leader Denis King later became an award-winning composer for television, film, and musicals; among other things, he wrote the theme music for The Adventures of Black Beauty and Lovejoy. [1] Michael King was married to the actress Carol White, with whom he had two sons, Sean and Stephen. [5]
Members
- Denis King (born 25 July 1939, Hornchurch, Essex)
- Michael King (25 April 1935, Barking, Essex – 9 November 2018) [6]
- Anthony King (born 31 January 1937, Barking, Essex) [1]
Singles
- 1957 "Marianne" / "Little By Little"
- 1957 " A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)" / "Minne Minnehaha!" (UK No. 6) [7]
- 1957 " In the Middle of an Island" / "Rockin' Shoes" (UK No. 19) [7]
- 1957 " Wake Up Little Susie" / " Winter Wonderland" (UK No. 22) [7]
- 1958 " Put A Light In The Window" / " Miss Otis Regrets" (UK No. 25) [7]
- 1958 "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" / "Six-5 Jive"
- 1958 " Moonlight and Roses" / "Torero"
- 1958 "Sitting In A Tree House" / "Father Time"
- 1959 " Leaning on a Lamp Post" / " Thank Heaven for Little Girls"
- 1959 "Hop, Skip And Jump" / "Civilization"
- 1959 " Makin' Love" / "Caribbean"
- 1960 " Standing on the Corner" / "The Waiter And The Porter And The Upstairs Maid" (UK No. 4) [7]
- 1960 "Mais Oui" / "Gotta Feeling" (UK No. 16) [7]
- 1960 "Doll House" / "Si Si Si" (UK No. 21) [7]
- 1960 " Seventy-Six Trombones" / "I Like Everybody" (UK No. 19) [7]
- 1961 "Goodbye Little Darling" / " Tuxedo Junction"
- 1961 "The Next Train Out Of Town" / " Sabre Dance"
- 1961 "The Language of Love" / "Go Tell Her For Me"
- 1962 "King Size Twist" / "Oh! What A Fool I've Been"
- 1962 "Everybody Back To Our Place/ "Don't Fly Away Flamingo"
- 1962 "Nicola" / "Way Down The Mountain"
- 1963 "One Boy Too Late" / "I've Got That Feeling Once Again"
- 1963 "Anyone Else" / "The Rainbow's End"
- 1964 "Real Live Girl" / "Every Time It Rains"
- 1965 " Mister Sandman" / "I Want To Know"
- 1966 "Jo Jo" / "Peculiar"
- 1966 " Remember When (We Made These Memories)" / "Everytime I See You"
- 1966 "Symphony For Susan" / "My Time"
- 1967 " My Mammy" / " Some Of These Days"
- 1967 "My Mother's Eyes" / " I'm Old Fashioned"
- Tupperware ( EMI) [8]
- 1967 There's No Business Like Our Business EP: " There's No Business Like Show Business" / "High Society" / "The Tupperware Brigade" / "Good News"
See also
- Chappell & Co Ltd v Nestle Co Ltd [1960] AC 87, a court case fought over royalties for the song "Rockin' Shoes"
References
- ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 234. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
- ^ a b The King Brothers at 45rpm.org
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 37. CN 5585.
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 87. CN 5585.
- ^ Reed, Rex (1969). Conversations in the Raw (First ed.). New York: World Publishing Co. p. 267.
- ^ "Mike King, guitarist with the Fifties vocal trio, the King Brothers". The Daily Telegraph. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Search for "King Brothers" performed at Everyhit.com database on July 15, 2008.
- ^ "The King Brothers - There's No Business Like Our Business - Tupperware - UK". 45cat. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
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