THE KINGS

THE KINGS are:
Mr. Zero – guitars
Sonny Keyes – keyboards, vocals
Todd Reynolds – drums
David Diamond – lead vocals, bass

playlist:
01 It’s Okay
02 Shoulda Been Me
03 Always Off The Deep End
04 Live At Heatwave – California Girls
05 My Habit
06 Unstoppable
07 Love Store
08 Go Away
09 Nowhere To Go But Gone
10 Right To The Top
11 Because of You
12 Partyitis
13 I Know So
14 This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ to Glide
15 Need Ya Babe
16 Clean Shot

The Kings – Mister Zero:
“We still love and believe in what we are doing as a rock band”

Whoever said that kings belong to fairy tales is lying.
The Kings have been with us, by our side at every rock concert for many years.
This cologne lasts years and in fact is expensive and very successful.
Let’s take it all from the beginning.
In the late 70s, the band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia and Oakville, Ontario, Canada, they were originally known as Whistle King.
The Kings know the recipe very well as they enlivening the audience with their passionate rhythmic and pure struggle of their voice with the rock element.
Their first album ‘The Kings Are Here’ went gold in Canada and it was re-released on cd as ‘The Kings Αre Ηere Αnd Μore’, combined sales have won the platinum position as they deserve it.
Do you know that their seque ‘This Beat Goes On/Switchin To Glide’ released and it was caught on all over the USA and Canada with huge airplay in every major market and stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for six months.
At the time, it was rightly considered the most promising group by Cashbox Magazine and nominated for a Juno Award.
Their next stop was ‘RSVP’, which contains the classic festive ‘This Christmas’, followed by ‘Unstoppable’.
And it was really unstoppable like its title.
Highlights:
Their documentary, about the greatest success of the Kings, ‘Anatomy of a One-Hit Wonder’ and ‘Live Trilogy’, which includes ‘The Lost Tapes of a Seventies Bar Band’, ‘Party Live in ’85’ and the DVD ‘No Covers-Live at O’Tooles Roadhouse’.
Αs their entire road is a clear proof of their excellence and professionalism.
In 2019, these rock music hunters released two segue songs ‘Circle of Friends/Man That I Am’ by the famous producer Bob Ezrin.
Are you thirsty for more?
Have anyone of you heard the magical ‘A Rose for Your Stone’?
Or do you prefer ‘Always Off The Deep End’, or what about the track ‘I Know So’?
All these and more are little jewels of the legends!
Mister Zero, the songwriter and the guitarist of the band is here drop to talk about everything at radio highway pirates.
Let΄s enjoy them!
What is the history of The Kings in a few lines and who are the people who make them up?
“The Kings are a Canadian rock band who got together in the ‘70s with the aim of writing original songs and making records. Original members were David Diamond, lead vocal and bass guitar, Sonny Keyes, keyboards and vocals, Max Styles, drums and Mister Zero, guitar.”
How about the first name of the band Whistle King came out?
“Our singer David Diamond was driving semi trucks at the time and his ‘handle’ on the CB radio was ‘Whistleking’ and so we thought that would be a good name, then we shortened it.”
What do you remember from your meeting with the great producer Bob Ezrin?
“Bob had finished with Pink Floyd and ‘The Wall’ and was back in hometown Toronto and stopped by Nimbus 9 Studio where we were working on our indie album at night. He’d worked with Alice Cooper and others there and our manager played him what we were doing and he thought we had something. And so he went to LA and got us a major label deal with Elektra Records. A real Cinderella story!”
How did you feel and what did you get on the 40th anniversary of the release of your first album ‘The Kings are Here’?
“It was hard to wrap our heads around that milestone. We’ve never stopped writing, recording and doing gigs and although we’ve had some tough times, we still believe in what we do. Around that time ‘This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ to Glide’ was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and we received a Gold Single Award for that and a Platinum Award for the album ‘The Kings Are Here’…. great stuff!”
What was the reason that you released the documentary ‘Anatomy of a One-Hit Wonder’?
“We felt we had a story to tell and since everyone thinks we are a ‘One-Hit Wonder’, we decided that we’d call ourselves that before other people did. We focused on the music and how it came to be and left the sex and drugs part out because that stuff has been done to death and is boring. It is a great look at how we worked hard and got somewhere with it.”
How do you feel that the band Cherry Poppin’ Daddies released a single cover of ‘Switchin’ to Glide’?
“There’s lots of bands doing it on youtube, the Daddie’s version isn’t too bad musically, but the video is pretty bad.”
What do you have to tell us about your ‘Live Trilogy’?
“We wanted to give people a chance to see what we were like at different points in our journey. The first part is ‘The Lost Tapes of a Seventies Bar Band’ which captures us recorded live in a local club when we first got going, doing covers and originals. It’s great to have this, a real time capsule. Next is ‘Live at Heatwave’ which is us filmed live at a concert in 1980 at Mosport Race Track near Toronto. Also on the bill were Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, B-52’s, Pretenders and more. It’s an incredible movie and again captures us at a fantastic moment. Next is the ‘No Cover Live at O’Toole’s’ video and is from the early ‘90s in another club, once again showing the quality and energy of our live gigs.”
What have been the biggest hits for you so far and why?
“Well, while we have lots of great songs, we’ll always be known for ‘This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ to Glide’ and we don’t have a problem with that, we love it!”
The Kings of 80΄s are different from The Kings now?
“Our original drummer Max Styles quit in 1983 or so and since then we’ve had a lot of other guys but Todd Reynolds came on board in 2007 and he’s a keeper.”
If we could compare musically, between the ‘80s and now, what would you prefer and why?
“In our band, there’s a link through the decades with what we do. But in general, music back then was more authentic because the technology wasn’t in place to let you have no talent or ability and still make records. The analog world was better than this one.”
Do you want to say something that you haven’t said above?
“Just that we still love and believe in what we are doing as a rock band and people pick up on that, when we have fun at our shows.”
How about your plans?
“Our new album ‘The Longest Story Ever Told’ is out and it’s either our best or close to it. We’re really happy with it and hope people check it out. We’re also playing more shows and would love to have everyone come out and have a good time with us!”
Maria Stella Tsatsi