|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZKING, Jonathan(b 6 Dec. '44, London) Pop enterpreneur. First fame while at Cambridge U. with coy protest song ‘Everyone's Gone To The Moon' (no. 4 '65); then wrote and produced ‘Good News Week' (no. 5) as Hedgehoppers Anonymous; later hosted a TV show. He became assistant to Sir Edward Lewis at Decca Records, where he was embroiled in the controversy over the original sleeve of the Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet LP, and discovered Genesis, producing their lamentable debut From Genesis To Revelation '69; enjoyed his own top 30 hit ‘Let It All Hang Out' '70. Predicted teenypop phenomenon of early '70s, producing early Bay City Rollers hits and contributing his own increasingly awful stuff under a variety of pseudnyms: ‘Johnny Reggae' as the Piglets, ‘Loop Di Love' as Shag, ‘Jump Up And Down And Wave Your Knickers In The Air' as St Cecilia, ‘Uno Paloma Blanca' under his own name, etc. Even he could not suppress his own skill with good material: his own cover of the Stones' ‘Satisfaction', the Four Tops' ‘It's The Same Old Song' (as Weathermen), Tavares' ‘It Only Takes A Minute' (as One Hundred Ton And A Feather) were well done. Formed own label UK, gave early breaks to 10cc, Kursal Flyers; also Australian Kevin Johnson's only UK hit ‘Rock'n'Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)' '75. He predictably claimed to have foreseen punk rock, but by 1980 his impetus was gone; he was a disc jockey in London and NYC; in the '80s hosted an engaging UK TV show Entertainment USA, combining travelogue and music (but weirdly managed to report on Kansas City and New Orleans presenting pop videos that had nothing to do with the local music). He persistently and loudly criticised Live Aid '85, but his carping vanity could be taken for granted. Prod. TV show No Limits '86. In 2001 he was sentenced to seven years in jail for seducing teen-aged boys, some of whom were under age, which he had been doing for decades. Former Radio One DJ Chris Denning, who had been an associate of King's in a disco for teenagers called the Walton Hop in the 1970s, was also being sought by British authorities, having served a couple of years in jail |