King King
Rush Hour (Radio Remix Single)
(Manhaton Records)
If you have ever visited JLTT then you may have read the name King King on the website occasionally. If you haven’t visited the website before than don’t worry! King King is a British blues rock band who have released three studio albums on Manhaton Records (Robin Trower, Ben Poole, Hatfitz and Cara, Stevie Nimmo) and have been touring all over the world extensively.
Their latest album ‘Reaching For The Light’ has received critical acclaim (especially from JLTT) and has resulted in radio airplay on Planet Rock as well as sold out venues and tours. Oh and they toured the UK as the special guest for the legend that is John Mayall and classic rock band Thunder. Not bad eh?
Well they have a new single being released from their new album entitled ‘Rush Hour’ and it is released on Monday 18th April 2016. The song began its life in the mind of a fifteen year old Alan Nimmo (Lead Vocalist and Guitarist) as he grew up in Scotland. At that point the song wasn’t finished but as you listen to the first line ‘From the moment that I wake up, till the very last, the look in my eye feels like Rush Hour’ you immediately go ‘My God this was written by a fifteen year old! Remarkable!’
The reason for that reaction is that the lyrics are so mature in content and sound like something that should be on a Sixties blues compilation album. However, I must stress that King King is not just one person; on Hammond Organ and keyboards you have Bob Fridzema, electric bass comes from Lindsay Coulson and on the drums is the multi-talented Wayne Proctor (who also co-mixed and co-produced this release).
I absolutely love this track because it allows the entire band to showcase their skills due to the amount of space in the song. It is not about one person hogging the limelight but rather a strong group effort that performs as a tight unit. That is why they have built up a loyal fan base over time and why this is a highlight on ‘Reaching For The Light’.
I must admit, I do prefer the album version of this song and the reason for that is that I feel that radio remixes as a whole can take away some of a song’s magic. This version is very guitar and drum driven whereas I think it would benefit from a bit more of an emphasis on the keyboards to make it a bit more three-dimensional like on the album.
With that being said, I believe it was a wise decision to release ‘Rush Hour’ as a single as it is one of their musical gems in their crown. I suspect radio will support this release just like they have done with previous single ‘Hurricane’. I think this song should be played at around five o‘clock during the real rush hour as people are driving home for maximum effect.
I look forward to their UK tour in May 2016 with special guest Dan Patlansky as well as own summer their festival appearances such as Ramblin Man Fair on Sunday 24th July 2016.
Glenn Sargeant
King King’s new single ‘Rush Hour’ is out now on Manhaton Records. King King’s third studio album ‘Reaching For The Light’ is also out now on Manhaton Records.
For all of our articles about King King including an exclusive 20 Questions with the band, search here: http://bit.ly/1pcJBJC
For information on King King’s May 2016 UK Tour with special guest Dan Patlansky visit our news announcement here: http://bit.ly/1lDBnaN
For more information on King King visit their official website here: http://bit.ly/1SoAo8D
(Thanks to Peter Noble at Noble PR for help with this review)
