Retro Spins: King - Steps In Time

 

The 80's may have been dominated by a Prince, but there was also a King. While the latter didn't get their fair shake, they definitely should have.

King were a British new wave band formed from the remnants of the ska band, The Reluctant Stereotypes. While they would go on to have two top thirty hits in 1985 in the UK, as well as the number two hit in the US, Love and Pride, major success didn't seem to follow. The group was formed by Paul King on vocals and piano, and he was backed up by Mick Roberts (keyboards), Anthony Wall (bass / guitar), Jim Lantsbery (guitar), John Hewit, Adrtian Lillywhite, and Colin Heanes (all on drums).

The group released two albums in their career, Steps In Time (1984) and Bitter Sweet (1985). The band split up in 1986, and Paul King would release a solo album, Joy, in 1987. However, this lone venture would only yield the minor hit, I Know. Paul would later serve a brief stint as a VJ for MTV in the 90's.

Now, I will admit that I missed out completely on King in the 80's. The band didn't hit my radar until Christmas of 2021, when I received an awesome set of Now - Forgotten 80's albums from my girl. It was here that I would first hear the track, Love And Pride, instantly liking it. It quickly became the most played track from the CD set. It also intrigued me to see what albums the band had released, and more importantly, if they were available on CD.

As typically is the case with older 80's albums, I wasn't expecting to find they albums had been released on CD. Further, if they had, I expected them to be so obscure that they would be stupid expensive. I was happy to be wrong on both counts.

Not only were both albums pressed on disc, but I was able to get them both for fifteen dollars each. Okay, for a used CD, that is kind of expensive, but not ridiculously dumb as others which I've seen as high as $500.00. Still, there weren't many available, with the majority being overseas. Despite this, I was able to find a pair of US seller with them, and jumped on them fast.

As I played through their debut album, Steps In Time, I found myself immediately hooked. I was digging the new wave sound, which was heavily impacted by a groovy bass line. It sounded almost like a contender with Duran Duran, if Duran also incorporated ska into their sound.

I really found myself invested and enjoying this album, which only begged the question more, "What happened?" Why didn't King soar up the charts in the 80's becoming international superstars? From my perspective, they certainly had a marketable sound. I just really feel like they could have, and should have been, much larger than they were.

It was only within the last ten to twelve minutes of the album that I really heard any tracks that I didn't particularly care for. The first two-thirds of Steps In Time were solid. So many tracks got added to my shuffle list. Since then, I've also continued to play Love And Pride into the ground. It's just one of those tracks I've yet to get tired of. It's catchy, fun, and really enjoyable. If nothing else, I recommend you give that song a go.

Honestly, I'm really excited to immediately jump into their follow up album, Bitter Sweet, to see what hidden gems are contained within. But until then, that wraps this Retro Spins up.

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