Kingdom of Doom
Encyclopedia
"Kingdom of Doom" is a song by the supposedly unnamed British alternative rock
supergroup
The Good, The Bad & The Queen, made up of Damon Albarn
, Paul Simonon
, Simon Tong
and Tony Allen
and is the fourth track on their 2007 album
The Good, the Bad and the Queen
(see 2007 in British music
).
The song was also released as the band's second single
in January 2007. Note that the single release, issued a week before the album came out, quite clearly credits the artist as The Good, The Bad & The Queen, although Albarn later claimed the band was unnamed, and that The Good, The Bad & The Queen was simply the name of the album.
Upon release, the single charted at #20, the only one of the band's three singles to reach the Top 20
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
The Good, The Bad & The Queen, made up of Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
, Paul Simonon
Paul Simonon
Paul Gustave Simonon is an English musician and artist best known as the bass guitarist for punk rock band The Clash. Recent work includes his involvement in the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Damon Albarn, Simon Tong and Tony Allen, released in January 2007...
, Simon Tong
Simon Tong
Simon Tong is a guitarist and keyboardist who was a member of The Verve between 1996 and 1999 and is currently a member of Erland and the Carnival and Transmission. He has also played on tour with Blur, Gorillaz and the unnamed supergroup responsible for The Good, the Bad & the Queen...
and Tony Allen
Tony Allen (musician)
Tony Oladipo Allen is aNigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter who currently lives and works in Paris. He is currently writing his autobiography "Tony Allen: Master Drummer of Afrobeat" with author/musician Michael E...
and is the fourth track on their 2007 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
The Good, the Bad and the Queen
The Good, the Bad and the Queen
The Good, the Bad & the Queen is the album by an ostensibly unnamed British alternative rock supergroup also commonly referred to as The Good, The Bad & The Queen, and made up of Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Simon Tong and Tony Allen. The album was released in January 2007...
(see 2007 in British music
2007 in British music
This is a summary of the year 2007 in British music. It was the first year of digital downloads being fully integrated into the charts, leading to many songs not given physical releases to enter the chart on download sales alone. Leona Lewis had the most successful single of the year, with Bleeding...
).
The song was also released as the band's second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in January 2007. Note that the single release, issued a week before the album came out, quite clearly credits the artist as The Good, The Bad & The Queen, although Albarn later claimed the band was unnamed, and that The Good, The Bad & The Queen was simply the name of the album.
Upon release, the single charted at #20, the only one of the band's three singles to reach the Top 20
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Track listings
- Promo CD CDRDJ6732
- "Kingdom of Doom" - 2.42
- Gatefold 7" R6732
- "Kingdom of Doom" - 2:42
- "The Good, the Bad and the Queen" (live at The Tabernacle) - 4:22
- Red vinyl 7" RS6732
- "Kingdom of Doom" - 2:42
- "Start Point (Sketches of Devon)" - 4:47
- CD CDR6732
- "Kingdom of Doom" - 2:42
- "Hallsands Waltz (Sketches of Devon)" - 2:55
- "The Bunting Song (live at The Tabernacle) - 3:57
- Download
- "Kingdom of Doom" (live at The RoundhouseThe RoundhouseThe Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
) - 3:20
Trivia
- The artwork for the red vinyl 7" format of the single was created by the band's bassistBassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Paul SimononPaul SimononPaul Gustave Simonon is an English musician and artist best known as the bass guitarist for punk rock band The Clash. Recent work includes his involvement in the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Damon Albarn, Simon Tong and Tony Allen, released in January 2007...
.
- The artwork for the red vinyl 7" format of the single, the building somewhat resembles Kong Studios from Damon AlbarnDamon AlbarnDamon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
s other band GorillazGorillazGorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
.
- The line of the song "all of the ravens fly across the moon" could be symbolic for the demise of the United Kingdom. Since the time of Charles II ravens have been residing at the Tower of London. And legend says that doom will fall upon the Kingdom if the ravens leave the tower. Currently, there are eight ravens that are free to roam the tower complex, but have had their wings clipped to prevent them from flying away.
Chart positions
| "Kingdom of Doom" - UK Singles Chart | ||
|---|---|---|
| Week | 1 | 2 |
| Position |
Track reviews
External links
- "Kingdom of Doom" (link is no longer in use) songography page at The Good, The Bad & The Queen unofficial fansite.
- "Kingdom of Doom" (link is no longer in use) discography page at The Good, The Bad & The Queen unofficial fansite.