Joy (Paul King album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Joy
Type = Album
Artist = Paul King


Released = 1987
Recorded = Multi Level Unique Recording Studios Greene Street Studios, NYC
Genre = Pop rock
Length = 43:21
Label = CBS
Producer = Dan Hartman
Reviews =
Last album = "Bitter Sweet" (1986)
This album = "Joy" (1987)
Next album = "The Best of King - Love & Pride" (1998)

"Joy" is the only solo album by British singer Paul King, released in 1987, on CBS label, after King, the new wave band he was lead singer for, and who took their name from his own surname, split up in 1986.

Per se, and especially compared to the huge success achieved with the group (they scored two UK Top Ten albums, which both went gold, two Top Ten hit singles, a Top 20, and two more Top 30 singles), Paul's solo work fails to impress: it does not crack the charts, and turns out to be rather disappointing, maybe because of the seemingly apparent lack of reasons why the talented members of a band such as King has suddenly to go their own separate ways (at least in the fans and critics' general opinion). Moreover, while King was in fact one of the few musical groups in the Eighties who did not use synth more than anything else, instead using real instruments a lot, which gave that live vibe to their studio efforts too, Paul doubled the use of keyboards in his solo work.

Also, the arrangements resulted as heavier, especially as concerns brass, due to the presence of an actual big band, opposed to the great simplicity of King's - i.e. the band - music, straightforward and based on the traditional five-element line-up: lead vocals, keyboards, bass guitar, guitar, and drums. As for the latter, it was played by producer Richard James Burgess on the group's debut album "Steps in Time", and by Adrian Lillywhite on their second long playing "Bitter Sweet", whereas here it is the guitar to shift, approximately every two songs (four guitar players are hired), and the drums are regularly played by David Beal. As for keyboards, two musicians are recruited, Philippe Saisse e Robbie Kilgore, which spoils a little (or a lot, depending upon the various songs, and though Saisse being a smooth jazz and New Age music keyboardist) the typical live sound that Paul had succeeded in creating with his former band, even in the recording studio.

Paul King's debut solo album does not chart at all, and only produces a minor hit out of two single releases: "I Know", which stalls at Number 58, and "Follow My Heart", which fails to chart in the UK Top 75. Produced by American musician Dan Hartman, the record also features singer Nona Hendryx, on female background vocals to "Slow Motion," the last but one song of the track listing. The most apparent difference between the pop rock-oriented sound of this work and the more new wave-sounding two LPs by King group is to be identified, not only in the double keyboard, but also in the extensive use of brass (being especially self-evident in the first single "I Know"), played by The Uptwon Horns quartet, as well as in background vocals, recorded in two separate sessions, one held in Detroit and the other in New York. The song called "Star" was co-written by Paul along with ex colleague Mike Roberts, keyboard player in King band. In general, Paul's heartfelt, soulful voice, and his literarily poetic lyrics remain more or less unaltered, making the shift from the group's to solo work a little less abrupt. Perry Haines' management and The Unity Club fan club are also unchanged.

Track listing

#"Follow My Heart" - 4:43 (P. King/D. Hartman)
#"When You Smile" - 4:24 (P. King/D. Hartman/P.Haines)
#"I Know" - 3:37 (P. King/D. Hartman/C. Midnight)
#"Pass on By" - 3:37 (P. King)
#"Some Risks" - 4:20 (P. King)
#"One Too Many Heartaches" - 3:58 (P. King/D. Hartman/C. Midnight)
#"Star" - 3:21 (P. King/M. Roberts)
#"It's Up to You" - 3:12 (P. King)
#"So Brutal" - 5:00 (P. King)
#"Slow Motion" - 3:57 (P. King/D. Hartman/C. Midnight)
#"Glory's Goal" - 3:12 (P.King)

ingles from the album

*1987 - "I Know" (UK #58)
*1987 - "Follow My Heart" (n.c.)

Credits

The bare essentials

*Paul King: vocals, piano and synth
*David Beal: drums
*TM Stevens: bass guitar
*Philippe Saisse, Robbie Kilgore: keyboards
*Phil Grande (#2, 3, 6, 7, 10); Carlos Alomar (#1, 6); Graham Simmonds (#5, 8, 9, 10, 11); Steve Conti (#6): guitars

Additional musicians

*Mino Cinelu, Linda Curtis: percussion

The Uptown Horns

*Crispin Cioe: alto baritone saxophone
*Bob Funk: trombone
*Arno Hecht: tenor saxophone
*Hollywood Paul Litteral: trumpet

Additional vocalists

*Nona Hendryx: background vocals #10

The Detroit Chapter

*Carolyn Franklin & The Prima Donnas (Brenda Corbett & Margaret Branch): background vocals Detroit sessions

The New York Chapter

*B.J. Nelson, Maggie Ryder, Kurtis King, Charlie Midnight, Dan Hartman: background vocals New York sessions

Production

*Dan Hartman: producer, additional guitar and keyboards
*Chris Lord Alge: mixing
*Rod Hui: additional recording

taff

*Bill Smith Studio: sleeve design
*Butch Martin: photography
*Bill Smith: location photography
*Perry Haines for Dolphins Lovers Limited: management

Release details

External links

* [http://www.paulking.it www.paulking.it] : Italian fans club (Italian and some English pages)
* [http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=143451 eil.com] : cover art and track listing