MICHAEL WESTON KING

He is the former leader of U.K. Alt Country pioneers The Good Sons, with whom he made 4 critically acclaimed albums in a seven year career, which was recently celebrated by the double album, Cosmic Fireworks-The Best of The Good Sons (1994-2001).

MOJO magazine wrote "The band who must rate as England's very own Uncle Tupelo.  A truly thrilling collection.", while www.americana-uk.com said "The British band that played alt. country before anyone knew what the hell it was. Had the Good Sons done this same thing across the Atlantic, they would surely have been acclaimed trailblazers."

For the past six years he has been a solo troubadour, touring all over the world, performing with the likes of Nick Cave, John Cale, Roger McGuinn, Steve Earle, Guy Clark , Chris Hillman, Ron Sexsmith, Steve Forbert, Son Volt, and many more, and releasing five beautiful, articulate albums along the way.

As fine a singer songwriter as Gram Parsons’ CHRIS HILLMAN

Michael Weston King has a voice part Nashville balladeer and part Alt Country hero.........a cross between Nick Cave and Rodney Crowell. THE INDEPENDENT

Like Tim Hardin, Phil Ochs or Townes van Zandt, King transmutes squalor and self-laceration into pure gold. MOJO

Many different artists have recorded his songs, while a number of his songs have also been used in TV shows in America and Germany.  Beautiful Lies, a songbook of his work, was published in 2005,  Happy Infidels, a play by the Irish writer Brian Richmond, was based around 12 of Michael's songs, and he is currently working on a book about some of the greatest 'lost' songs of the past 40 years.

A solo retrospective collection, The Tender Place, was released in November 2006, while his latest album, A New Kind of Loneliness, including contributions from Chris Hillman, Ron Sexsmith and Jackie Leven, was released in May 2007 to critical acclaim, and has been widely hailed as his best album to date;

A powerful work of unblinking emotional seriousness.  Entombed in gorgeously sepulchral tunes, the effect is quite magnificent. King is a special talent. The Word

MWK has entered the rarefied field of classic singer songwriters. USA Entertainment News

A new live album Crawling Through The USA, recording during his most recent tour of N America has just been released,on Valve Records,  while work on a pure country duets album, with the acclaimed singer Lou Dalgleish , and featuring the talents of Geraint Watkins, Martin Belmont, and others,has just been completed and is scheduled for release in 2009.

Short Biography

Michael Weston King, is widely acknowledged as one of Britain's finest singer songwriters,  Admired by the likes of Chris Hillman, Ron Sexsmith, and the legendary Townes van Zandt (who recorded one of Michael's songs), he draws his influence from a wide range of styles, from Pop to Folk, from Country music to Soul.

 

Discography (excerpt)

1982 -'87 Lead singer/songwriter with Fragile Friends

Albums:
1983 Four Play Own

Singles:
1984 Paper Doll KC(KC001)
1985 The Novelty Wears Off KC(KCT1)

1989 - 1993 Guitarist with Gary Hall and The Stormkeepers

Albums:
1991 Wide Open To The World Run River (RRA0015)

Singles:
1991 Jesus Christ / Lighten Up Your Load Suzanne Run River
1992 Where The River Meets The Sea (EP) Ammi / Freestyle (CDAMMI102)

1993 - 2002 Lead singer, guitarist, songwriter with The Good Sons

Albums:
1995 Singing The Glory Down Glitterhouse (GRCD 379)
1996 The King's Highway Glitterhouse (GRCD 402)
1997 Wines, Lines & Valentines Glitterhouse (GRCD 427)
1998 Angels In The End (U.S. Release) Watermelon/Sire (WM CD 10 68)
2001 Happiness Floating World (FW009)
2004 Cosmic Fireworks - The Best of The Good Sons Phantasmagoria Records (Melinda 803)

Singles:
1994 The Good Sons Own (4 song E.P. cassette release only)

1999 - present day - Solo Artiste

Albums:
1999 God Shaped Hole Glitterhouse (GRCD 463)
2002 Live...In Dinky Town Twah! Records (Twah!121)
2002 Live...In Dinky Town Floating World (FW 010)
2003 A Decent Man Floating World (FW 016)
2004 Absent Friends MurderedWithKindness (MWK001)
2005 The Tender Place Phantasmagoria Records (Melinda 811)
2006 Love's A Cover Glitterhouse (GRCD 657)
2006 A New Kind of Loneliness (US version) Poptown Records (703071001623)
2007 A New Kind of Loneliness (European version) Floating World (FW 031)
2008 Crawling Through The USA Valve Records (Valve 8087)

Singles :
2003 Celestial City Floating World (FW024)
Bootleg albums:
1999 Old, New, Lonesome & Blue Michael Weston King, Live, solo, recorded at The ABS Club in Cologne. 10/10/99
2002 For The Sake Of The Song - A Tribute toTownes Van Zandt Michael Weston King recorded live at the Willem 2 Concerthall in Hertogensbosch, Netherlands 06/01/2002 performing Riding The Range, Lay Me Down, Lovers Lullaby (PERSONAL TVZ 006 CD)
2003 In The Woods (live bootleg) Michael Weston King, Live, solo, recorded at In The Woods in Hollandsche Rading, Holland on 15/ 7/05 (woods 12)

DVD:
2005 OBS 8 - A' la carte - Various artists, features Michael Weston King & The Decent Men live at OBS festival Beverungen, Germany June 2004, performing High Days, Holy Days
2007 The Crowning Story ("From A Good Son to A Decent Man') Michael Weston King -1995 - 2005......a career retrospective Released on Borderdreams / Dock
Michael Weston King songs recorded by other artists:
1997 Riding The Range appears on Rear View Mirror performed by Townes Van Zandt with The Good Sons (Normal203)
1997 Watch My Dreamboats Sail appears on From These Hills by Carolyn Hester (RGFCD 033).
1997 Riding the Range appears on the 7" vinyl single EP entitled Riding the Range by Townes Van Zandt (Exile Records-Ex 7013)
2007 Songs for the Next Generation ARC Music Group, promotional use only. A collection of 17 cover versions of songs written by MWK.
Features:
Tim Hardin 65' - Christine Olhman and Andy York / The Grass Has Grown Over - Dave Hawkins / Always The Bridesmaid - The Reveres / Watch My Dreams Boat Sail - Carolyn Hester / 35 Regrets - Captain Tractor / Mathilda - Duane Jarvis / God's Other Son - Michael Hamilton / Lay Me Down - Terry Lee Hale / From Lover's Lane To Liverpool - Vinny Peculiar / Fade Away - Markus Rill / I Fall Behind - Dean Owens / Beautiful Lies - John Howard / Reserved for a Me and You - The Rizdales / Help Me to Find - One Bar Town / My Heart Stopped Today - The Watchman / Cosmic Fireworks - Lou Dalgleish
2007 Lost appears onSongdust 3 by Rich Mason (Disques de Rien, Rien0096)
2009 Fade Away appears on Bag Of Tricks by Markus Rill
2009 Beautiful Lies appear on Collectables by John Howard

Other albums featuring tracks by Michael Weston King / The Good Sons:

1995 Out of the Blue Vol 1 Glitterhouse compilation features Gods Other Son (The Good Sons)
1996 Out of the Blue Vol 2 Glitterhouse compilation features Riding The Range (The Good Sons with Townes Van Zandt)
1996 Out of the Blue Vol 3 Glitterhouse compilation features Higher Ground (Michael Weston King & Phil Abram - acoustic version - previously unreleased.)
1997 Out of the Blue Vol 4 Glitterhouse compilation features Straight To You (The Good Sons)
1997 HMV's Alternative Country Various Artists (RTMCD 997). features Angels In The End (The Good Sons)
1998 Out of the Blue Vol 5 Glitterhouse compilation features Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down
(Michael Weston King & Phil Abram recored live at The Paradiso, Amsterdam)
1998 Have One Glitterhouse compilation (GRCD 425) features Mathilda (The Good Sons)
1998 Down On The Farm Various Artists (DOTFPROMO 3) features Fade Away (The Good Sons)
2000 Out of the Blue Vol 7 Glitterhouse compilation features Lay Me Down (Michael Weston King)
2000 Come Fly With Us Glitterhouse compilation (GRCD 466) features Lay Me Down (Michael Weston King)
2000 Seka Sister Vol 2 Various Artists (Twah! 155/EFA 61115-2) features Sad, Sad Truth (The Good Sons) - previously unreleased.
2002 Chooglin' - A Tribute To The Songs Of John Fogerty Various Artists drenrecords (DNCD018) The Good Sons perform Someday Never Comes
2003 Floating World Records sampler features Celestial City (Michael Weston King)
2003 Seka Sister Vol 3 Various Artists (Twah! ) features I Fall Behind (Michael Weston King)
2004 Floating World Records sampler features I Fall Behind (Michael Weston King)
2004 Nevermind - Glitterhouse is 20 - 20th anniversary celebration album Glitterhouse compilation (GRCD 617) features Riding The Range (The Good Sons with Townes Van Zandt)
2005 Hardcover University -Phantasmagoria Compilation Vol 1 features Happy Infidels (The Good Sons) and Simple Twist of Fate (Michael Weston King)
2005 Dylan Covered Mojo Magazine Bob Dylan tribute cover mount cd features Simple Twist of Fate (Michael Weston King)
2005 Songs From Hell's Ditch Vol 2 features Lay Me Down - resurrection version (Michael Weston King & The Decent Men)
2005 Friends of Americana UK Vol 2 No. 11 features Celestial City (Michael Weston King)
2006 Revolver Reloaded Mojo Magazine Beatles tribute cover mount cd features For No One (Michael Weston King)
2006 The ARC Classics - COUNTRY (AMC CM 0906) ARC Music Group sampler, (promotional use only) features God's Other Son (The Good Sons). Also features One Bar Town's version of Help Me Find.
2006 Northernline - The British at NXNE on Invisible Hands Music, features The Last Hurrah (Michael Weston King)
2006 Mr Music Country Vol. 8 (MMCD325) features My Heart Stopped Today (Michael Weston King)
2007 UN-HERD Vol. 3 Rock n Reel cover mount cd features It Will End In Tears (Michael Weston King)
2007 Old Wines New Skins & The Folk Handbook (Backbeat Books) MWK contributes his version of the trad. folk song What Is The Life Of A Man to the CD which accompanies the book
2008 Moseley Folk Festival 2008 - Anthology - features My Heart Stopped Today (Michael Weston King)

Michael Weston King guest appearances on other artists albums:

2001 Creatures Of Light and Darkness Jackie Leven Cooking Vinyl (COOKCD 213 )
MWK contributes backing vocals on The Sexual Loneliness Of Jesus Christ and Wrapped up in Blue
2002 Whatever It Takes Rich Mason Disques de Rien(Rien 0080)
MWK contributes lyrics and lead vocals on Swing
2004 A Tribute To Frankie Miller Various Artsists Eagle Records (ETGBX227)
MWK contributes guitar and backing vocals on I Would Gladly Go Blind
2005 Elegy for Johnny Cash Jackie Leven Cooking Vinyl (COOKCD331)
MWK contributes guitar and backing vocals on I Would Gladly Go Blind
2005 Live at Union Chapel, London Townes van Zandt Tomato (TOM-3019)
MWK writes the liner notes
2007 Homesick For Nowhere Hobotalk Glitterhouse (GRCD
MWK contibutes backing vocals on

Publications:
2005 Beautiful Lies....The Songs of Michael Weston King (Songbook) - Twah! Publishing
2006 Cookin Fund Raising For Special Needs Information Point - SNIP. (Cookbook) -
2007 The Folk Handbook (Backbeat Books) MWK contributes his version of the trad. folk song What Is The Life Of A Man

Writer:
Contributor of articles, features and reviews for The Independent, Country Music International, Maverick, Get Rhythm.
Liner notes written for Townes Van Zandt Live at Union Chapel, London 1994 (Tomato Records)


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