Michael Weston King
Encyclopedia
Michael Weston King is an English singer and songwriter
known for his lyrical and melancholic songs, his sonorous voice, as well as his dry, on-stage humour.
. By the mid 1980s, he joined forces with some like minded souls and spent the next four years touring Europe with the country rock band Gary Hall and The Stormkeepers. Releasing two albums and two singles, one for the major label BMG, the band split in 1991. It was at this time that Michael formed The Good Sons. Taking their name from the Nick Cave
album, The Good Son
, they set about trying to proffer an authentic British alternative to, what for them, was the most exciting form of music currently on offer, and hailing from America, the burgeoning Alt. Country movement.
In 1995 they signed to the German label Glitterhouse Records who released their debut album, Singing The Glory Down, with the band drawing instant and favourable comparisons with their current U.S. counterparts The Jayhawks, Son Volt
, Steve Earle
and Joe Henry
.
The band continued to tour, opening for the likes of Joe Ely, Blue Rodeo and Joe Henry, as well as headlining shows. In 1996 they released the much more acoustic orientated album, The Kings Highway, and then followed it up in 1997 with the rockier, Wines, Lines and Valentines, their third album in as many year for Glitterhouse.
Over in Austin, Texas
, Heinz Geissler at Watermelon Records had been given a copy of Singing The Glory Down, and signed the band. "Wines, Lines and Valentines" was both re-packaged, and re-titled as Angels In The End. Watermelon, however, failed by late 1998.
In October 1999, King released his debut solo album, God Shaped Hole.
In April 2000 The Good Sons decided to re-convene, and eventually recorded the album Happiness. The band broke up again in 2002.
In 2002, King released Live...In Dinky Town. Next came A Decent Man, and September 2004 saw the release of Cosmic Fireworks - The Best of The Good Sons (1994–2001), on the German label Phantasmagoria, and also King’s first release on his own MurderedWithKindness label, Absent Friends. 2005 meanwhile saw another Phantasmagoria release, this time a retrospective album focusing on King’s solo work from 1999–2005, called The Tender Place. In 2007, he released A New Kind of Loneliness. The end of 2008 also saw the release of a 3rd live album, Crawling Through The USA.
In 2010, King released I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be A Soldier.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
known for his lyrical and melancholic songs, his sonorous voice, as well as his dry, on-stage humour.
Background
King was born in Derbyshire, but brought up in the Lancastrian seaside town of SouthportSouthport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
. By the mid 1980s, he joined forces with some like minded souls and spent the next four years touring Europe with the country rock band Gary Hall and The Stormkeepers. Releasing two albums and two singles, one for the major label BMG, the band split in 1991. It was at this time that Michael formed The Good Sons. Taking their name from the Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
album, The Good Son
The Good Son (album)
The Good Son is the sixth album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1990 . It was preceded by the release of "The Ship Song/The Train Song" single. "The Weeping Song/Cock's 'n' Asses" was later also released as a single. After an album as dark and intense as Tender Prey, some fans were...
, they set about trying to proffer an authentic British alternative to, what for them, was the most exciting form of music currently on offer, and hailing from America, the burgeoning Alt. Country movement.
In 1995 they signed to the German label Glitterhouse Records who released their debut album, Singing The Glory Down, with the band drawing instant and favourable comparisons with their current U.S. counterparts The Jayhawks, Son Volt
Son Volt
Son Volt is an alternative country group formed by Jay Farrar in 1994 after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo.-History:The group formed after Farrar met Jim and Dave Boquist during the final Uncle Tupelo tour. Together with former Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn, the band rehearsed and...
, Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
and Joe Henry
Joe Henry
Joseph Lee "Joe" Henry is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Henry's musical style spans several genres, including alt. country, rock, jazz and folk.- Early years :...
.
The band continued to tour, opening for the likes of Joe Ely, Blue Rodeo and Joe Henry, as well as headlining shows. In 1996 they released the much more acoustic orientated album, The Kings Highway, and then followed it up in 1997 with the rockier, Wines, Lines and Valentines, their third album in as many year for Glitterhouse.
Over in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Heinz Geissler at Watermelon Records had been given a copy of Singing The Glory Down, and signed the band. "Wines, Lines and Valentines" was both re-packaged, and re-titled as Angels In The End. Watermelon, however, failed by late 1998.
In October 1999, King released his debut solo album, God Shaped Hole.
In April 2000 The Good Sons decided to re-convene, and eventually recorded the album Happiness. The band broke up again in 2002.
In 2002, King released Live...In Dinky Town. Next came A Decent Man, and September 2004 saw the release of Cosmic Fireworks - The Best of The Good Sons (1994–2001), on the German label Phantasmagoria, and also King’s first release on his own MurderedWithKindness label, Absent Friends. 2005 meanwhile saw another Phantasmagoria release, this time a retrospective album focusing on King’s solo work from 1999–2005, called The Tender Place. In 2007, he released A New Kind of Loneliness. The end of 2008 also saw the release of a 3rd live album, Crawling Through The USA.
In 2010, King released I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be A Soldier.
with The Good Sons
- Singing The Glory Down 1995
- The King's Highway 1996
- Wines, Lines and Valentines 1997
- Angels In The End 1998
- Happiness 2001
- Cosmic Fireworks - The Best of The Good Sons (1994–2001) 2004
Solo
- God Shaped Hole 1999
- Live...in Dinky Town 2002
- A Decent Man 2003
- Absent Friends 2004
- The Tender Place 2005
- Love's A Cover 2006
- A New Kind of Loneliness 2007
- Crawling Through The USA 2008
- I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be A Soldier 2010(10 August 2010). CD review: Michael Weston King: I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier, The ScotsmanThe ScotsmanThe Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
(30 August 2010). Music that's always on the move, Morning Star (UK newspaper)