Klark Kent (album)
Klark Kent | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | 1980 | |||
Studio | Surrey Sound Studios | |||
Genre | New wave, pop, rock | |||
Length | 24:44 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Producer | Stewart Copeland, Nigel Gray | |||
Klark Kent chronology | ||||
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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 black vinyl as a 12 inch with a grey and black sleeve. It includes the song "Don't Care", which had entered the UK Top 50 two years earlier.
Background
Copeland originally intended to record "Don't Care" with The Police but
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 in Leatherhead, 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 single "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".
Klark Kent was released on CD in Japan in 1986, and re-issued in 1991 on the Pony Canyon imprint. For unknown reasons, these were released with the name "Klerk Kant". Rumours suggest that this was due to potential litigation with DC Comics, owners of the "Clark Kent" identity.[
Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [3] |
Smash Hits | 7/10[4] |
When the Klark Kent album came out, The Police had just released Zenyatta Mondatta and were at the peak of their success, and as such it got a lot of media attention. It was widely assumed that this was Copeland working under a pseudonym. Copeland initially denied being Klark Kent, stating that Kent was just a friend and that he helped him making the album. In an interview on Australian TV in 1981 he stated that Kent was a young Hungarian ballet instructor trained by the CIA.[5] Eventually he admitted his involvement. Reviewing the album for Smash Hits in 1980, Red Starr described the album as "unpretentious" and "light-hearted" and 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.
Side one
- "Don't Care" – 2:08
- "Away from Home" – 2:55
- "Ritch in a Ditch" – 2:46
- "Grandelinquent" – 3:09
Side two
- "Guerilla" – 3:32
- "My Old School" – 2:44
- "Excess" – 3:12
- "Theme for Kinetic Ritual" – 4:18
Releases
1980. AMLE 68511. A&M Records. UK
1980. SP 70600. IRS Records. US
1986. D32Y3130. A&M Records. Japan
1991. PCCY-10276. A&M Records. Japan
Kollected Works
Kollected Works | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 1995 | |||
Recorded | 1978–1995 | |||
Genre | New wave, rock music, pop | |||
Length | 37:26 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | Stewart Copeland, Nigel Gray | |||
Klark Kent chronology | ||||
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Kollected Works is a compilation of songs that
Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [7] |
In a retrospective review, Paul Collins of
Personnel
- Stewart Copeland – lead and backing vocals, drums, guitar, bass, piano, typewriter, kazoo, synthesizer and drum machine on "Stay Ready" and "Love Lessons".
References
- ^ Klark Kent UK Chart History, The Official Charts.
- ^ Barry Miles and John Tobler, The Police: A Visual Documentary, Omnibus Press, London, 1984
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
- ^ a b Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (June 26 – July 9, 1980): 31.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: The Police '81 on "Touring, Klark Kent, & Sting Quitting?" Countdown Interview Feb 22. YouTube.
- ^ "Klark Kent – Don't Care".
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
External links
- Album Lyrics
- Kollected Works at MusicBrainz (list of releases)