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
Julia
King's X Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rocket ships delay
Guess they're all afraid
Heard it's gonna rain
Julia...
You don't have to cry
I'll do what you want me to...
Your superman
Forward never straight
Concentrate...relate
Easy to be fake
Blame it on my faith
Julia...
You don't have to cry
I'll do what you want me to...
Your superman
Who would have figured
She'd not pull the trigger
A light in the sky
Was a spark of delight
Crimson and clover
Send rover right over
To dance on my table
And stay up all night
Julia...
You don't have to cry
I'll do what you want me to...
Your superman
The song "Julia" by King's X is a poetic narrative detailing the singer's commitment to being a protector for his dear friend, Julia. He assures her that she does not have to cry, and he will do anything that she wants him to do, playing the role of her superman. The lyrics contain some obscure references that might have deeper meanings. For example, the reference to monsters, rocket ships, and the fear surrounding them could imply that the world is changing, and people are losing their sense of security. The line "Forward never straight, concentrate...relate, easy to be fake, blame it on my faith" suggests that the singer is trying to remain focused even though life is not easy. He knows that people are always judgmental and fake, but he will not let any of that blur his perception of reality.
The following stanza is somewhat cryptic: "Who would have figured, she'd not pull the trigger, a light in the sky, was a spark of delight." There are several possible interpretations of these lines. It could be that Julia was suicidal but overcame it, or something else that resulted in a positive surprise. The subsequent line, "Crimson and clover, send rover right over to dance on my table and stay up all night," appears to be a reference to various rock culture icons, such as the song "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells, and the Rolling Stones' album "Their Satanic Majesties Request." Perhaps the singer and Julia are reminiscing over their mutual love for music and taking solace in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Monster's gone away
Something big or scary has been eradicated or disappeared.
Rocket ships delay
Advanced technology, such as spacecraft, is somehow postponed or not working as expected.
Guess they're all afraid
People are scared or hesitant about something perhaps related to the previous lines.
Heard it's gonna rain
There is a forecast of rain or trouble ahead.
Julia...
A reference to someone named Julia, who may be experiencing sadness or difficulty.
You don't have to cry
The singer is consoling Julia and offering comfort in some way.
I'll do what you want me to...
The singer is willing to satisfy Julia's wishes or needs.
Your superman
The artist self-identifies as someone strong and capable of protecting and helping Julia.
Forward never straight
Life can be full of twists and turns and not always straightforward.
Concentrate...relate
The artist urges to pay attention and communicate effectively to succeed.
Easy to be fake
It can be effortless to put on a facade instead of being truthful.
Blame it on my faith
The artist attributes something they did or happened to them as a result of their religious beliefs.
Who would have figured
Expressing surprise or disbelief at a situation that happened.
She'd not pull the trigger
Someone chose not to do something potentially harmful or destructive.
A light in the sky
Seeing something bright or hopeful in the darkness or uncertainty of life.
Was a spark of delight
Something brought joy or felt good despite other issues going on.
Crimson and clover
A reference to a popular song or plant that may mean something to the artist or relate to the situation.
Send rover right over
Inviting someone to come over or visit the singer.
To dance on my table
Enjoying life and having fun in the moment.
And stay up all night
Continuing to have a good time and not wanting it to end.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind