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Copeland originally intended to record "Don't Care" with The Police but [[Sting]] had difficulties identifying with the lyrics and felt he couldn't do it justice. Sensing that the song had potential, Copeland went on to record it himself, playing all the instruments and singing. In order not to disrupt the career of The Police, which at the time was an emerging band, Copeland chose to record under the pseudonym "Klark Kent". Released as a single by [[A&M]] in 1978, "Don't Care" reached number 48 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]<ref>[http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/klark%20kent/ Klark Kent UK Chart History], The Official Charts.</ref> When Klark Kent was subsequently invited to [[Top of the Pops]] to perform the song, Copeland, Sting, [[Andy Summers]], Kim Turner and [[Miles Copeland]] showed up wearing masks to disguise their identity.
Copeland originally intended to record "Don't Care" with The Police but [[Sting]] had difficulties identifying with the lyrics and felt he couldn't do it justice. Sensing that the song had potential, Copeland went on to record it himself, playing all the instruments and singing. In order not to disrupt the career of The Police, which at the time was an emerging band, Copeland chose to record under the pseudonym "Klark Kent". Released as a single by [[A&M]] in 1978, "Don't Care" reached number 48 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]<ref>[http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/klark%20kent/ Klark Kent UK Chart History], The Official Charts.</ref> When Klark Kent was subsequently invited to [[Top of the Pops]] to perform the song, Copeland, Sting, [[Andy Summers]], Kim Turner and [[Miles Copeland]] showed up wearing masks to disguise their identity.


The success of "Don't Care" prompted Copeland to record and release three other singles - "Too Kool to Kalypso", "Away from Home" and "Ritch in a Ditch". Eventually the project solidified in an album comprising eight tracks. The "t" from "Ritch in a Ditch" was omitted from the album version. Like the first two of The Police's albums, ''Klark Kent'' was recorded on a minimal budget at Surrey Sound Studios with [[Nigel Gray]] engineering. Some of the music and themes in the album reflect Copeland's songwriting for The Police. They are normally in an upbeat tempo and address with sarcasm issues like suburban living and [[Third World]] politics. The song "Guerrilla" features some Arab words Copeland learned while growing up in [[Beirut]]. The main riff of the song "Excessess" would be re-used later for the soundtrack of "[[Rumble Fish]]". "Theme from Kinetic Ritual" would later be used by [[MTV]] as the opening theme of the show "The Cutting Edge". Copeland disseminated a few hints about his real identity in the design of the album. In the inner sleeve there is a collage of pictures where a photograph of The Police performing with [[Henry Padovani]] is visible. In all the pictures in the album Copeland can be seen wearing a black and yellow sweater with hooped stripes in reference to how Sting originally earned his nickname. The sinlge "Don't Care" also includes the line "You know I'm fooling with my fake ID/So you don't need to check my history".
The success of "Don't Care" prompted Copeland to record and release three other singles - "Too Kool to Kalypso", "Away from Home" and "Ritch in a Ditch". Promotional videos were shot for "Away from Home" and "Too Kool to Kalypso". Eventually the project solidified in an album comprising eight tracks. The "t" from "Ritch in a Ditch" was omitted from the album version. Like the first two of The Police's albums, ''Klark Kent'' was recorded on a minimal budget at Surrey Sound Studios with [[Nigel Gray]] engineering. Some of the music and themes in the album reflect Copeland's songwriting for The Police. They are normally in an upbeat tempo and address with sarcasm issues like suburban living and [[Third World]] politics. The song "Guerrilla" features some Arab words Copeland learned while growing up in [[Beirut]]. The main riff of the song "Excess" would be re-used later for the soundtrack of "[[Rumble Fish]]". "Theme from Kinetic Ritual" would later be used by [[MTV]] as the opening theme of the show "The Cutting Edge". Copeland disseminated a few hints about his real identity in the design of the album. In the inner sleeve there is a collage of pictures where a photograph of The Police performing with [[Henry Padovani]] is visible. In all the pictures in the album Copeland can be seen wearing a black and yellow sweater with hooped stripes in reference to how Sting originally earned his nickname. The sinlge "Don't Care" also includes the line "You know I'm fooling with my fake I.D./So you don't need to check my history".


All eight tracks on the EP were later collected in the 1995 album ''[[Kollected Works]]'', with all of the Klark Kent single-only tracks.
All eight tracks on the EP were later collected in the 1995 album ''[[Kollected Works]]'', with all of the Klark Kent single-only tracks.

Revision as of 12:40, 13 January 2018

Untitled

Klark Kent is the debut solo album of Stewart Copeland, and the first solo album recorded by any band member of The Police. The album was released in 1980 as a 10 inch EP on green vinyl. It was later re-released on back vinyl as a 12 inch. It includes the song "Don't Care", who entered the UK Top 50 two years earlier.

Background

Copeland originally intended to record "Don't Care" with The Police but Sting had difficulties identifying with the lyrics and felt he couldn't do it justice. Sensing that the song had potential, Copeland went on to record it himself, playing all the instruments and singing. In order not to disrupt the career of The Police, which at the time was an emerging band, Copeland chose to record under the pseudonym "Klark Kent". Released as a single by A&M in 1978, "Don't Care" reached number 48 in the UK Singles Chart[1] When Klark Kent was subsequently invited to Top of the Pops to perform the song, Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers, Kim Turner and Miles Copeland showed up wearing masks to disguise their identity.

The success of "Don't Care" prompted Copeland to record and release three other singles - "Too Kool to Kalypso", "Away from Home" and "Ritch in a Ditch". Promotional videos were shot for "Away from Home" and "Too Kool to Kalypso". Eventually the project solidified in an album comprising eight tracks. The "t" from "Ritch in a Ditch" was omitted from the album version. Like the first two of The Police's albums, Klark Kent was recorded on a minimal budget at Surrey Sound Studios with Nigel Gray engineering. Some of the music and themes in the album reflect Copeland's songwriting for The Police. They are normally in an upbeat tempo and address with sarcasm issues like suburban living and Third World politics. The song "Guerrilla" features some Arab words Copeland learned while growing up in Beirut. The main riff of the song "Excess" would be re-used later for the soundtrack of "Rumble Fish". "Theme from Kinetic Ritual" would later be used by MTV as the opening theme of the show "The Cutting Edge". Copeland disseminated a few hints about his real identity in the design of the album. In the inner sleeve there is a collage of pictures where a photograph of The Police performing with Henry Padovani is visible. In all the pictures in the album Copeland can be seen wearing a black and yellow sweater with hooped stripes in reference to how Sting originally earned his nickname. The sinlge "Don't Care" also includes the line "You know I'm fooling with my fake I.D./So you don't need to check my history".

All eight tracks on the EP were later collected in the 1995 album Kollected Works, with all of the Klark Kent single-only tracks.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Allmusic[3]
(Kollected Works)
Smash Hits7/10[4]

Reviewing the album for Smash Hits in 1980, Red Starr described the album as "unpretentious" and "light-hearted". He described the songs as "energetic, utterly straightforward and reasonably tuneful, if a bit lacking in the lyrical department". He went on to say the musicianship was "excellent" and "relaxed and inventive".[4]

Track listing

All songs written by Klark Kent.

  1. "Don't Care" – 2:08
  2. "Away from Home" – 2:55
  3. "Ritch in a Ditch" – 2:46
  4. "Grandelinquent" – 3:09
  5. "Guerilla" – 3:32
  6. "Old School" – 2:44
  7. "Excess" – 3:12
  8. "Theme for Kinetic Ritual" – 4:18

Kollected Works

Untitled

Kollected Works is a compilation of songs that Stewart Copeland wrote under the pseudonym Klark Kent released only on CD in 1995. It includes all the songs from Klark Kent, four "Klark Kent" non-album single tracks, a new version of "Love Lessons", a song originally recorded by Colts (Stewart Copeland and Derek Holt) in 1986, and two previously unreleased tracks - "Strange Things Happen" and "Stay Ready". "Strange Things Happen" has been recorded around the time of Copeland's journey to Africa, leading toward his LP and film The Rhythmatist. An alternative, slightly longer version of "Strange Things Happen" was released on the soundtrack album The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Like the new version of "Love Lessons", "Stay Ready" uses a drum machine instead of drums. Both previously unreleased tracks were recorded at The Worried Rabbit Studio in Assyria.

In their retrospective review, Allmusic panned the "Klark Kent" album, arguing that Copeland only recorded it for ego-driven reasons, and that his vocals make the songs unbearable. They concluded "the album only really succeeds when Copeland sticks to instrumentals".[2] Despite this, Allmusic also made Kollected Works an album pick and published a review declaring it to be "inventive new wave pop of the highest order" and "a record that combined the musical sensibilities of the Police and the lyrical concerns of Weird Al Yankovic". The reviewer applauded the album's humor and eccentricity, while contending that the tracks also have plenty of musical depth to make them hold up to repeated listens.[3] Copeland recorded another track under the pseudonym Klark Kent - "Yo Ho Ho". The song was released on the IRS compilation album "Just in Time for Christmas" in 1990 but it is not included in this CD.

Track listing

All songs written by Klark Kent

  1. "Too Kool to Kalypso" - 2:28
  2. "Strange Things Happen" - 2:42
  3. "Thrills" - 2:24
  4. "Excess" - 3:02
  5. "Love Lessons" - 3:31
  6. "Office Girls" - 2:19
  7. "Away from Home" - 2:58
  8. "Don't Care" - 2:11
  9. "Grandelinquent" - 3:11
  10. "My Old School" - 2:46
  11. "Ritch in a Ditch" - 2:29
  12. "Theme for Kinetic Ritual" - 4:22
  13. "Stay Ready" - 3:04
  14. "Office Talk" - 7:14
  15. "Guerilla" - 3:30 (hidden track)

Personnel

  • Stewart Copeland - lead and backing vocals, drums, guitar, bass (except on "Love Lessons"), piano, typewriter, kazoo, synthesizer and drum machine on "Stay Ready" and "Love Lessons".

References

  1. ^ Klark Kent UK Chart History, The Official Charts.
  2. ^ a b Collins, Paul. Klark Kent at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  3. ^ a b Foss, Richard. Klark Kent at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
  4. ^ a b Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (June 26 – July 9 1980): 31.
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