1. The Kingpins ar… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two bands called The Kingpins.
1. The Kingpins are a "road-tested, consumer-approved" rock quintet from Montreal, Canada, with a past as a ska unit with a brass section, organ, spy-flick guitar licks and rock-steady rhythms. The first Kingpins single, 'On the Run', won a MiMi (Montreal Independent Music Industry) award for 'Best Single' in 1995. The following year saw the dawn of their own label Stomp Records and the first Kingpins full-length, 'Watch Your Back?'. By 1997 the band was on newspaper covers and national TV, trapped between grunge and techno. The band's second album, 'Let's Go To Work' (1999), got them nationwide mainstream airplay, headline gigs all over Europe, NorthAmerica and Japan, as well as breakout slots on packages like the Warped Tour. Their third full-length, 'Plan of Action', saw them make choices. The line-up was stripped down to a five-piece, with Lorraine taking up vocal duties full-time. While maintaining solid ties to the rhythms and positive energy of ska, they explored punk, pop, new wave, moving balladry, even breakbeats. The album raced to the top of the Canadian college charts.
2. The Kingpins were a young and wild garage beat band from South London, United Kingdom, in the mid-1960s, fronted by Ray Neale. They made a handful of recordings, but never released a record at the time... not under the moniker The Kingpins anyway. They did masqurade as Those Fadin' Colours for a single on the Ember label and as Orange Seaweed for a single on Pye. Some of their recordings as The Kingpins popped up in later decades on some compilations of 1960s garage beat, freakbeat and mod proto-psychedelic mod beat, notably 'You're My Girl'.
Takin' it Uptown
The Kingpins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I love the drum & bass
And I like the Rock 'n Roll
In the right time and place
But the sound that always moves me
The one that always drives me
It makes me feel so good
So way down deep inside me
Reggae come down from the alley
And we're taking it uptown
And we're on the main street now
We got the sounds of the underground
And we're takin' it uptown
You know I can sing the disco
And I can sing the blues
Rap to the hip hop
So many styles to choose
But the one that always grabs me
And puts me in the mood
Is the sweet sounds of ska
Come on everybody move
Reggae come down from the alley
And we're taking it uptown
And we're on the main street now
We got the sounds of the underground
And we're takin' it uptown
You got to move your feet
You gotta move your bottom
This here one sound for each and everyone
One called JFK, me is born Canadian
Rap to the sound they call Jamaican
This here sound originating from the Island
Spread out to America and in England
Comin' from the ghetto but it's made for everyone
Now you hear it playing on the radio station
Reggae come down from the alley
And we're taking it uptown
And we're on the main street now
We got the sounds of the underground
And we're takin' it uptown
In "Takin' it Uptown," The Kingpins are expressing their love for different kinds of music, but ultimately they always come back to one genre that moves them the most- reggae. They acknowledge that they enjoy techno, drum & bass, rock 'n roll, disco, blues, hip-hop, and ska, but nothing compares to the power and emotions of reggae music. The lyrics mention that they're taking the reggae sound uptown, which suggests that they're bringing this traditionally Jamaican music to mainstream audiences. They want everyone to feel the joy and groove that reggae music has brought to their lives.
The track portrays how reggae music brings people of different backgrounds and cultures together. The lyrics mention that the sound originated from the island, referring to Jamaica, and how it spread to America and England. The lines "Comin' from the ghetto but it's made for everyone / Now you hear it playing on the radio station" highlight how reggae music is a product of the oppressed and impoverished Jamaican society. Yet, it has the power to reach international audiences and connect with people from all walks of life. The song encourages listeners to move their feet and bottoms to the reggae sound, inviting everyone to be part of the Jamaican musical tradition.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I love the techno
I have an appreciation for electronic dance music
And I love the drum & bass
I particularly enjoy this sub-genre of electronic music
And I like the Rock 'n Roll
I find pleasure in classic rock music
In the right time and place
When it's suitable for the moment
But the sound that always moves me
The type of music that impacts me emotionally
The one that always drives me
The type of music that motivates me to move, dance, or sing along
It makes me feel so good
It has a positive effect on my mood and emotional state
So way down deep inside me
It affects me on a personal, deep level
Reggae come down from the alley
A style of music originating from a location that's not necessarily mainstream
And we're taking it uptown
Bringing the music to a more prominent or recognized area
And we're on the main street now
It's now in a highly visible and recognizable location
We got the sounds of the underground
We're playing music that's not necessarily mainstream or popular
And we're takin' it uptown
Again, bringing the music to more widely recognized areas
You know I can sing the disco
I can perform music from the disco era
And I can sing the blues
I can perform music from the blues genre
Rap to the hip hop
I can perform music from the hip hop genre
So many styles to choose
There are multiple styles of music that I can perform
But the one that always grabs me
The style of music that I'm consistently drawn to
And puts me in the mood
The music that has a strong emotional effect on me
Is the sweet sounds of ska
The specific genre of ska music resonates with me
Come on everybody move
The music is meant to inspire people to dance
You gotta move your feet
Encouraging people to dance and be active
You gotta move your bottom
A playful way of emphasizing the need to dance and move around
This here one sound for each and everyone
The music is meant to be enjoyed by all people
One called JFK, me is born Canadian
A reference to the Jamaican Flying Squad, a group of police officers that operated in Jamaica, and a statement of national origin
Rap to the sound they call Jamaican
Performing music with a Jamaican influence
This here sound originating from the Island
Referring to ska music originating from Jamaica
Spread out to America and in England
Ska music has become popular in America and England
Comin' from the ghetto but it's made for everyone
Although ska music originated in a lower-income area, it's meant to be enjoyed by all people
Now you hear it playing on the radio station
Ska music has become popular enough to be played on mainstream radio stations
Contributed by Reagan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.