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King Crimson

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

King Crimson was an English rock band, founded in London in 1968 by guitarist Robert Fripp, drummer Michael Giles, bassist and singer Greg Lake, wind player and keyboardist Ian McDonald and lyricist Peter Sinfield. Fripp was the only member who stayed throughout its history. The band broke through in July 1969 as the support act for The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park. In October of that year In the Court of the Crimson King appeared, which is regarded as one of the cornerstones of progressive rock. The opening track 21st Century Schizoid Man was hard and distorted, while other tracks were bathed in the sound of the Mellotron.

Music and breakthrough

The first line-up fell apart after only a year; Lake left for Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Fripp carried on with new musicians each time, on In the Wake of Poseidon (1970), Lizard (1970) and Islands (1971). From 1972 he worked with drummer Bill Bruford and bassist John Wetton, among others, and made the more experimental Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973) and Red (1974). In the 1980s a new group came along with Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, which worked influences of new wave, minimal music and Indonesian gamelan into Discipline (1981).

Influence

King Crimson drew inspiration from classical music, jazz, folk and free improvisation, and liked to play in unusual time signatures. The music sounded more European than the blues rock of its contemporaries. The band had a great influence on Yes and Genesis, and later on alternative rock and metal. In 2021 King Crimson came to a definitive end.

Line-up

Core members only; touring and session musicians are not listed.

Period 1 1968–1969
Period 2 1970–1972
Period 3 1972–1974
Period 4 1981–1984
Double Trio 1994–1999
Period 6 2000–2003
Period 7 2013–2021

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to the title track In the Court of the Crimson King and notice the Mellotron: the choirs and strings you hear are recordings on tape, played back via a keyboard. Hear how that sound makes the song solemn and grand.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: Artists