The group traces its beginnings to 1980, when Doug Pinnick and Jerry Gaskill, who had previously met while recording and touring with Phil Keaggy and touring with the band Petra, recruited Ty Tabor to join them. Calling themselves The Edge, the group extensively performed on the Springfield, Missouri bar and club circuit. The band specialized in Top 40 covers. By 1983, the name of the band had changed to Sneak Preview and they started to record original material. Sneak Preview released a self-titled LP with all original material in 1984.
The group relocated to Houston, Texas with the promise of a recording contract, but the deal fell through. However, it was there that the group met Sam Taylor, then vice president of ZZ Top's production company. Taylor quickly became the group's mentor and convinced them to change their name to King's X. Taylor was instrumental in helping the group secure a contract with Megaforce Records in 1987. Taylor would soon become the group's manager, producer and mentor, and was declared to be the fourth member of the group (according to some).
The group released its first album as King's X, entitled Out of the Silent Planet, in 1988. Despite being hailed by music critics, the album did not fare well commercially, peaking at #144 on the Billboard album charts. The band's 1989 sophomore release, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, fared slightly better from a commercial standpoint. Significantly, the song "Over My Head" received moderate airplay on MTV and radio. The increase in exposure would prove beneficial when the band released their third album, Faith, Hope, Love, in the fall of 1990.
Faith, Hope, Love was the group's first album to crack the US Top 100, with the help of the successful single "It's Love". The band landed a gig opening for AC/DC in the U.S. and Europe for the first half of 1991. They also toured with Living Colour, themselves near the peak of their popularity. The band was signed to major label Atlantic Records for their next release.
The band released their fourth album, King's X, in the Spring of 1992. But rising tensions with Taylor led to the group's most unfocused effort, and the album did not sell as well as Faith, Hope, Love. The only single from the album, "Black Flag" received only moderate airplay on MTV. Not long after the release of King's X, the band parted ways with Taylor. The details of the split have not been made public, but it was believed to be rather acrimonious. In the aftermath, King's X took over a year off to consider their collective future together. The band members followed other, non-musical pursuits - most notably, guitarist Ty Tabor took up semi-professionally racing motocross motorcycles.
In any case, by 1992 grunge was at the peak of its popularity and the group's trademark sound in no way resembled that of commercially successful acts such as Soundgarden or Pearl Jam (though, ironically, King's X were partly responsible for inspiring grunge; Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament once said, "King's X invented grunge"). Looking for a new sound and flavour (although not necessarily grunge), the band enlisted veteran producer Brendan O'Brien, who had recently produced Stone Temple Pilots' first album and Pearl Jam's second.
The resulting album, 1994's Dogman, showcased a much more muscular and heavy sound from the group, along with less abstract and spiritual lyrics. The record received a heavier promotional push from Atlantic and the band enjoyed a very successful tour, capped by an appearance at the Woodstock 1994 festival in August. But despite a return to the Top 100 for the group, the album failed to sell as well as Atlantic had hoped, and the label's support for the group quickly faded.
The band's third release under Atlantic, 1996's Ear Candy, would also be their last (not including a subsequent compilation) for the label. Although it sold to the band's sizeable core following, it lacked the mainstream success of previous efforts. The record was soon out of print, and it seemed that the group's chance for commercial success had come and gone.
The group moved to Metal Blade Records in 1998. Their first album for Metal Blade Records, Tape Head, signaled a new era for the band. They modified their creative methods by writing and recording the album together in the studio, rather than coming together to record songs that the individual members had written separately. Their next two albums, Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous and Manic Moonlight were created in this same way.
For their next album, Black Like Sunday, the group arranged and recorded an album full of songs that the band had regularly performed prior to releasing their first album for MegaForce Records, Out of the Silent Planet. The cover art for this album was selected from artwork submitted by fans.
Live All Over The Place was the band's final album for Metal Blade Records, and their first official live release. During the band's time with Metal Blade Records, the members of King's X (as a group and individually) have been musically prolific, releasing a number of solo albums (such as Doug Pinnick's two PoundHound albums and Emotional Animal, Ty Tabor's Naomi's Solar Pumpkin, Moonflower Lane, and Safety, and Jerry Gaskill's musically intriguing Come Somewhere,) and side projects (such as Ty Tabor's work with Platypus, Jughead, and The Jelly Jam). Doug Pinnick will be standing in for lead singer Corey Glover on Living Colour's August 2006 European tour.
The band's latest album, entitled Ogre Tones, was released in September 2005 on the InsideOut label. It was produced by famed rock producer Michael Wagener (Dokken, Extreme, Stryper, White Lion, Skid Row).
May 2008 will see the next studio release from the band, "XV", also on the InsideOut label. Production has again been handled by Michael Wagener.
King's X has in the past struggled with being identified as a Christian metal band. Many of their lyrics have a clear spiritual influence, but this comes from the individual faith of the members rather than an attempt to tap into that market in the way groups such as Stryper did. Their albums used to be marketed highly in Christian book stores, but after Pinnick announced in 1998 that he was a homosexual, their albums were removed from such places. This also caused the band to lose a large number of their Christian fans.
Ty Tabor has indicated in several interviews that King's X was not a Christian rock band.
King's X spiritually-tinged lyrics are less prominent in their later releases, though the band continues to infuse spiritual themes into their music.
The band's lineup has not changed since its inception:
* Doug Pinnick - Vocals, bass guitar
* Ty Tabor - Vocals, guitars
* Jerry Gaskill - Drums, percussion, vocals
Discography
* Out of the Silent Planet (March 23, 1988)
* Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (June 27, 1989)
* Faith Hope Love (October 23, 1990)
* King's X (March 10, 1992)
* Dogman (January 18, 1994)
* Ear Candy (May 20, 1996)
* Best of King's X (November 11, 1997)
* Tape Head (October 20, 1998)
* Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous (May 23, 2000)
* Manic Moonlight (September 25, 2001)
* Black Like Sunday (May 20, 2003)
* Live All Over the Place (November 2, 2004)
* Ogre Tones (September 27, 2005)
* XV (May 16-20, 2008)
Billboard positions
* KING'S X - Out Of The Silent Planet Weeks on Chart: 11 Peak: #144
* KING'S X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska Weeks on Chart: 18 Peak: #123
* KING'S X - Faith Hope Love Weeks on Chart: 24 Peak: #85
* KING'S X - King's X Weeks on Chart: 3 Peak: #138
* KING'S X - Dogman Weeks on Chart: 4 Peak: #88
Everywhere I Go
King's X Lyrics
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ive been in tears
ive been the clown
ive had my doubts
what if im wrong
then maybe not
i crossed my heart
and then forgot
i read the story
that you died
i turned the page
you were alive
with hope and love
but mostly faith
one day ill see you face to face
everywhere i go i see you there ah...
The lyrics of King's X's song "Everywhere I Go" capture a range of emotions and experiences, from tears and doubt to love and faith. The singer reflects on moments of vulnerability and uncertainty, questioning their own convictions and commitments. For example, they mention being in love but then questioning whether it's genuine ("then maybe not") and promising to stay true to a belief or promise but forgetting it soon after.
Despite these moments of doubt and confusion, the singer ultimately finds comfort and hope in the idea of seeing someone they care about again. The line "with hope and love but mostly faith" suggests that even though there is uncertainty and fear, love and faith are ultimately stronger than doubt. The repeated phrase "Everywhere I go I see you there" reinforces this idea that even though the person is no longer physically present, their memory and influence is everywhere around the singer.
Overall, the song conveys a message of grappling with difficult emotions but ultimately finding solace in the power of love and faith. The idea of seeing someone again after they have passed away is a common theme in many cultures and belief systems, and King's X captures this sentiment beautifully in their lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
ive been in tears
I have experienced feelings of sadness and cried
ive been the clown
I have acted silly or foolish to make others laugh
ive had my doubts
I have had uncertainties or hesitations
what if im wrong
I have questioned my own correctness
ive been in love
I have experienced feelings of intense affection for someone
then maybe not
But at times, I have doubted those feelings
i crossed my heart
I made a solemn promise
and then forgot
But I failed to remember or uphold that promise
i read the story
I heard about or learned of an event
that you died
It was reported that you had passed away
i turned the page
I continued on with my life or journey
you were alive
To my surprise, you were actually still alive
with hope and love
I now view life with a sense of optimism and affection
but mostly faith
Above all, my belief in something greater sustains me
one day ill see you face to face
I believe that someday, I will meet you in person
everywhere i go i see you there ah...
No matter where I go, I feel your presence or influence
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JERRY WAYNE GASKILL, DOUG T. PINNICK, TY RYAN TABOR, WILLIAM S. TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind