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{{Short description|1970s British rock band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Refimprove|date=June 2010}}
{{Refimprove|date=June 2010}}
{{distinguish|Kingdom Come (German band)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Kingdom Come
| name = Kingdom Come
| alias = Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/journey-mw0000320953 AllMusic]</ref>
| background = group_or_band
| origin = United Kingdom
| origin = United Kingdom
| genre = [[Psychedelic music|Psychedelic]], [[experimental music|experimental]], [[progressive rock]]
| genre = {{hlist|[[Psychedelic rock]]|[[experimental rock]]|[[progressive rock]]}}
| associated_acts = [[The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (band)|The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]]
| associated_acts = [[The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (band)|The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]]
| years_active = 1970–1974
| years_active = 1970–1974
| past_members = [[Arthur Brown (musician)|Arthur Brown]]<br>[[Andy Dalby]]<br>Martin Steer<br>[[Phil Curtis|Phil Shutt]]<br>Victor Peraino<br>Julian Paul Brown<br>Michael Harris<br>Desmond Fisher
| past_members = [[Arthur Brown (musician)|Arthur Brown]]<br>[[Andy Dalby]]<br>Martin Steer<br>[[Phil Curtis|Phil Shutt]]<br>Victor Peraino<br>Julian Paul Brown<br>Michael Harris<br>Desmond Fisher
}}
}}


'''Kingdom Come''' were a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[musical ensemble|band]] of the 1970s, that played [[Psychedelic rock|psychedelic]], experimental [[progressive rock]] music. They were fronted by [[Arthur Brown (musician)|Arthur Brown]], who gave them his theatrical style and operatic voice. The combination ensured that the band was a hit on Britain's [[music festival|festival]] circuit, but lack of record sales, indifference from music critics, and poor [[record label]] promotion (especially in the [[United States|US]]) led to its eventual demise in 1974. The band was later marketed as ''Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come'' in the United States due to name conflicts with an unrelated [[Kingdom Come (band)|band with the same name]].
'''Kingdom Come''' were a British [[rock music|rock]] band fronted by [[Arthur Brown (musician)|Arthur Brown]]. The band was recognized for Brown's theatrical and operatic singing, and a sound that drew from [[psychedelic rock|psychedelic]] and [[progressive rock]]. This combination made the band a hit on Britain's festival circuit, but lack of record sales, indifference from music critics, and poor record label promotion (especially in the US) led to its eventual demise in 1974.

The band was later marketed as '''Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come''' in North America due to name conflicts with an unrelated [[Kingdom Come (German band)|band with the same name]]. Despite their lack of commercial success, Kingdom Come's 1973 album ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'' has received generally positive retrospective reviews from critics. Alan Holmes of ''Freq'' said that "''Journey'' was so far ahead of its time that you have to keep checking the sleeve to make sure that it really does say 1973 and not 1983" and that the album was "not only Arthur Brown's masterpiece, but also one of the truly great albums of the seventies."<ref name=autogenerated5>{{Cite web|url=http://freq.org.uk/reviews/arthur-brown-kingdom-comekingdom-journey/|title=Arthur Brown – Kingdom Come/Kingdom Come – Journey « Freq|website=Freq.org.uk|accessdate=17 November 2019}}</ref>

The album was also "most noted in retrospect as one of the first rock records to use a drum machine, which was still quite a novelty back in 1973".<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/journey-mw0000320953|title=Journey – Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Arthur Brown – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=2 January 2018}}</ref>


==Band history==
==Band history==
After the collapse of [[The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]] in 1969, when keyboardist [[Vincent Crane]] and drummer [[Carl Palmer]] left to eventually form [[Atomic Rooster]], Brown worked with a varied group of musicians on projects called Strangelands, Puddletown Express, and (briefly) the [[Captain Beefheart]]-influenced Rustic Hinge, before finding the musicians who would make up Kingdom Come.<ref>Marshall, 106-111.</ref> Chief among these was guitarist [[Andy Dalby]], who was the only consistent member after Brown himself.
After the collapse of [[The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]] in 1969, when keyboardist [[Vincent Crane]] and drummer [[Carl Palmer]] left to eventually form [[Atomic Rooster]], Brown worked with a varied group of musicians on projects called Strangelands, Puddletown Express, and (briefly) the [[Captain Beefheart]]-influenced Rustic Hinge, before finding the musicians who would make up Kingdom Come.<ref>Marshall, 106-111.</ref> Chief among these was guitarist [[Andy Dalby]], who was the only consistent member after Brown himself.


Apart from Brown and Dalby, at the time of their first album "Galactic Zoo Dossier" the band included Julian Paul Brown (no relation, synthesizer), Michael "Goodge" Harris (keyboards), Desmond Fisher (bass), and Martin "Slim" Steer (drums). The band appeared at the 1971 [[Glastonbury Fayre]] and featured in the accompanying film of the same name. By the time of their second album, "Kingdom Come", Julian Paul Brown had left and Desmond Fisher was replaced by [[Phil Curtis|Phil Shutt]], later known as Phil Curtis. Steer left in mid-1972 to be replaced by a drum machine. Harris left shortly before the recording of their final album, "Journey" and was replaced by American keyboard and synthesizer player Victor Peraino.
Apart from Brown and Dalby, at the time of their first album, ''[[Galactic Zoo Dossier]]'', the band included Julian Paul Brown (no relation, synthesizer), Michael "Goodge" Harris (keyboards), Desmond Fisher (bass), and Martin "Slim" Steer (drums). The band appeared at the 1971 [[Glastonbury Festival]] and featured in [[Glastonbury Fayre (film)|the accompanying film]]. By the time of their second album, ''Kingdom Come'', Julian Paul Brown had left and Desmond Fisher was replaced by [[Phil Curtis|Phil Shutt]], later known as Phil Curtis. Steer left in mid-1972 to be replaced by a drum machine. Harris left shortly before the recording of their final album, ''Journey'', and was replaced by American keyboard and synthesizer player Victor Peraino.


Brown stated in an interview with an English music magazine that the three albums were intended to present a thematic progression.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} The first focused on the state of humankind in the present, the second on the human animal itself and the dichotomy between the body and mind, and the third focused on cosmic and spiritual matters.
Brown stated in an interview with an English music magazine that the three albums were intended to present a thematic progression. The first focused on the state of humankind in the present, the second on the human animal itself and the dichotomy between the body and mind, and the third on cosmic and spiritual matters.


For [[synthesizers]] Kingdom Come used the [[VCS3]], and the [[Mellotron]] and [[Theremin]] also figured prominently in the group's repertoire, especially after the addition of Victor Peraino in the band's line-up. On the final album, ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'', recorded in November 1972, there was no drummer either on the record or on tour; all the drum sounds were from the Bentley Rhythm Ace, an early [[drum machine]] manufactured by the [[Ace Tone]] company of Japan (Ace Tone later evolved into the [[Roland Corporation]]). ''Journey'' was the first album on which a drum machine produced all the percussion.
For [[synthesizers]] Kingdom Come used the [[VCS3]], and the [[Mellotron]] and [[theremin]] also figured prominently in the group's repertoire, especially after the addition of Victor Peraino in the band's line-up. On the final album, ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'', recorded in November 1972, there was no drummer either on the record or on tour; all the drum sounds were from the Bentley Rhythm Ace, an early [[drum machine]] manufactured by the [[Ace Tone]] company of Japan (Ace Tone later evolved into the [[Roland Corporation]]). ''Journey'' was the first album on which a drum machine produced all the percussion.


A number of factors contributed to the end of Kingdom Come, including mediocre album sales, critical disdain, the revolving door membership of the band, and Brown's frustration with the music business in general.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} The band dissolved rather than officially breaking up, with Brown citing a desire to play simpler music and opt for a simpler lifestyle in general in later interviews.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} Following their split, Peraino returned to Detroit, where he made an album called "No Man's Land" in 1975 with some local musicians as Victor Peraino's Kingdom Come. Nearly 40 years later, in 2014, Peraino made another album, "Journey In Time" under the same group name, this time with guest appearances from Arthur Brown on 5 of the tracks.
A number of factors contributed to the end of Kingdom Come, including mediocre album sales, critical disdain, the revolving door membership of the band, and Brown's frustration with the music business in general. The band dissolved rather than officially breaking up, with Brown citing a desire to play simpler music and opt for a simpler lifestyle in general in later interviews. Following their split, Peraino returned to Detroit, where he made an album called ''No Man's Land'' in 1975 with some local musicians as Victor Peraino's Kingdom Come. Nearly 40 years later, in 2014, Peraino made another album, ''Journey in Time'', under the same group name, this time with guest appearances from Arthur Brown on five of the tracks.


==Discography==
==Discography==
===Studio albums===
* ''Galactic Zoo Dossier'' (1971)
* ''[[Galactic Zoo Dossier]]'' (Polydor, October 1971)
* ''Kingdom Come'' (1972)
* ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'' (1973)
* ''Kingdom Come'' (Polydor, October 1972)
* ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'' (Polydor, April 1973)
* ''Jam'' (1994, recorded in 1970)
* ''Jam'' (Voiceprint, 1995; recorded in 1970)

===Compilations===
* ''The Lost Ears'' (Gull, 1976)
* ''Eternal Messenger (An Anthology 1970–1973)'' (5CD box set) (Esoteric Recordings, 2021)


==References==
==References==
Line 36: Line 47:
==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
* Marshall, Polly. ''The God Of Hellfire, the Crazy Life and Times of Arthur Brown''. SAF Publishing. {{ISBN|0-946719-77-2}}.
* Marshall, Polly. ''The God Of Hellfire, the Crazy Life and Times of Arthur Brown''. SAF Publishing. {{ISBN|0-946719-77-2}}.

==External links==
* {{Discogs artist|Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:English progressive rock groups]]
[[Category:English progressive rock groups]]
[[Category:Space rock musical groups]]
[[Category:English psychedelic rock music groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1970]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1974]]

Latest revision as of 15:25, 31 July 2024

Not to be confused with Kingdom Come (German band).
Kingdom Come
Also known asArthur Brown's Kingdom Come[1]
OriginUnited Kingdom
Genres
Years active1970–1974
Past membersArthur Brown
Andy Dalby
Martin Steer
Phil Shutt
Victor Peraino
Julian Paul Brown
Michael Harris
Desmond Fisher

Kingdom Come were a British rock band fronted by Arthur Brown. The band was recognized for Brown's theatrical and operatic singing, and a sound that drew from psychedelic and progressive rock. This combination made the band a hit on Britain's festival circuit, but lack of record sales, indifference from music critics, and poor record label promotion (especially in the US) led to its eventual demise in 1974.

The band was later marketed as Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come in North America due to name conflicts with an unrelated band with the same name. Despite their lack of commercial success, Kingdom Come's 1973 album Journey has received generally positive retrospective reviews from critics. Alan Holmes of Freq said that "Journey was so far ahead of its time that you have to keep checking the sleeve to make sure that it really does say 1973 and not 1983" and that the album was "not only Arthur Brown's masterpiece, but also one of the truly great albums of the seventies."[2]

The album was also "most noted in retrospect as one of the first rock records to use a drum machine, which was still quite a novelty back in 1973".[3]

Band history

[edit]

After the collapse of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown in 1969, when keyboardist Vincent Crane and drummer Carl Palmer left to eventually form Atomic Rooster, Brown worked with a varied group of musicians on projects called Strangelands, Puddletown Express, and (briefly) the Captain Beefheart-influenced Rustic Hinge, before finding the musicians who would make up Kingdom Come.[4] Chief among these was guitarist Andy Dalby, who was the only consistent member after Brown himself.

Apart from Brown and Dalby, at the time of their first album, Galactic Zoo Dossier, the band included Julian Paul Brown (no relation, synthesizer), Michael "Goodge" Harris (keyboards), Desmond Fisher (bass), and Martin "Slim" Steer (drums). The band appeared at the 1971 Glastonbury Festival and featured in the accompanying film. By the time of their second album, Kingdom Come, Julian Paul Brown had left and Desmond Fisher was replaced by Phil Shutt, later known as Phil Curtis. Steer left in mid-1972 to be replaced by a drum machine. Harris left shortly before the recording of their final album, Journey, and was replaced by American keyboard and synthesizer player Victor Peraino.

Brown stated in an interview with an English music magazine that the three albums were intended to present a thematic progression. The first focused on the state of humankind in the present, the second on the human animal itself and the dichotomy between the body and mind, and the third on cosmic and spiritual matters.

For synthesizers Kingdom Come used the VCS3, and the Mellotron and theremin also figured prominently in the group's repertoire, especially after the addition of Victor Peraino in the band's line-up. On the final album, Journey, recorded in November 1972, there was no drummer either on the record or on tour; all the drum sounds were from the Bentley Rhythm Ace, an early drum machine manufactured by the Ace Tone company of Japan (Ace Tone later evolved into the Roland Corporation). Journey was the first album on which a drum machine produced all the percussion.

A number of factors contributed to the end of Kingdom Come, including mediocre album sales, critical disdain, the revolving door membership of the band, and Brown's frustration with the music business in general. The band dissolved rather than officially breaking up, with Brown citing a desire to play simpler music and opt for a simpler lifestyle in general in later interviews. Following their split, Peraino returned to Detroit, where he made an album called No Man's Land in 1975 with some local musicians as Victor Peraino's Kingdom Come. Nearly 40 years later, in 2014, Peraino made another album, Journey in Time, under the same group name, this time with guest appearances from Arthur Brown on five of the tracks.

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
  • Galactic Zoo Dossier (Polydor, October 1971)
  • Kingdom Come (Polydor, October 1972)
  • Journey (Polydor, April 1973)
  • Jam (Voiceprint, 1995; recorded in 1970)

Compilations

[edit]
  • The Lost Ears (Gull, 1976)
  • Eternal Messenger (An Anthology 1970–1973) (5CD box set) (Esoteric Recordings, 2021)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ AllMusic
  2. ^ "Arthur Brown – Kingdom Come/Kingdom Come – Journey « Freq". Freq.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Journey – Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Arthur Brown – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ^ Marshall, 106-111.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Marshall, Polly. The God Of Hellfire, the Crazy Life and Times of Arthur Brown. SAF Publishing. ISBN 0-946719-77-2.
[edit]
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