New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Many point to the music of the late 1970s as a return to roots. And, in many ways it was. Crushing the myth that the songs of Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly were of a bygone era, bands like the Kingbees showed — and proved - those '50s sounds were not of a time, but timeless.
Singer/guitarist Jamie James formed the Kingbees after a stint with a re-formed Steppenwolf. He knew there was still a place for good rock 'n' roll, as evidenced by bands like Stray Cats and the Blasters. With bassist Michael Rummans, and Rex Robert on drums, the trio cut a demo tape for interested label RSO Records. After a remix by David J. Holman (whose multi-platinum work includes everything from the Grease soundtrack to Sixteen Stone by Bush and No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom) the Kingbees were signed to RSO Records in 1979.
With Holman and industry veteran Rich Fitzgerald behind the board, their debut arrived the following year. Straight ahead, reverential and just plain fun — the album's single "My Mistake" became a hit in Detroit, and the Kingbees were soon spinning on turntables worldwide. It was a clean breath of fresh air in the cloudy air of polluted pop.
Omnivore Recordings, in conjunction with James, will reissue reissue the Kingbees' classic, self-titled debut on CD and digital, on April 28, 2015. The release is expanded with unissued bonus tracks for its 35th anniversary. The original ten tracks are joined by five songs from the demo that got them signed and three live performances from the tour for that classic release. Packaged with unseen photos, memorabilia and new notes from James himself, The Kingbees is set to reignite their fan base, and lovers of rock in general.
In his liner notes, James chronicles how a roots band on a major label fared in the marketplace: "Six weeks went by after the record was released, and nothing was happening. Radio wasn't sure where our music belonged. Yes, it's true we wanted to come up with a sound of our own, but perhaps it had backfired. We were local L.A. club-scene stars - but national underdogs! Then magically, a disc jockey at WWWW-FM in Detroit, played "My Mistake" on his late-night show, even though it was not on the station's playlist. The phone lines lit up with requests. From there, it caught on in Detroit, and I soon got a phone call from (RSO label president) Al Coury yelling, 'Jamie, we've got a hit! We've got a hit in Detroit!' Well that led to airplay across the nation, and it turned out to be a hit for three unlikely underdogs — or should I say, 'underbees'?"
James last appeared on the Omnivore soundtrack to the critically acclaimed soundtrack to Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, but this is where the stinger stung the first time.
Track Listing
Sweet Sweet Girl to Me
My Mistake
Man Made for Love
No Respect
Fast Girls
Shake-Bop
Once Is Not Enough
Ting-A-Ling
Follow Your Heart
Everybody's Gone
Bonus Tracks
My Mistake (Demo)
Man Made For Love (Demo)
Burnin' the Town Tonight (Demo)
Ting-A-Ling (Demo)
Fast Girls (Demo)
Somethin' Else (Live)
Not Fade Away(Live)
Bo Diddley (Live)
