The Kingbees
Like the Stray Cats and the Polecats, the Kingbees revived rockabilly with an '80s new wave flavor. The band was formed by Jamie James (vocals, guitar) in 1979. Born in Toronto, Canada, James started playing guitar at the age of 13. He relocated to London, England in the '70s and released the single "Hello Little Girl." In 1973, he joined an R&B group in Detroit, Michigan. By the late '70s, James had moved to Southern California and became part of the area's rockabilly scene. With Michael Rummans (bass) and Rex Roberts (drums), James helped to return rockabilly to the pop landscape. The Kingbees signed with RSO, and their self-titled debut LP appeared in 1980. The album was initially a commercial bust until the track "My Mistake" hit number one in Detroit. It became the Kingbees' first of two singles -- "Shake Bop" was the other -- that penetrated the Billboard charts. The Kingbees also recorded material for the soundtrack to 1980's The Idolmaker. However, RSO went defunct just when their follow-up, The Big Rock, came out. James started performing with former Stray Cats members Lee Rocker and Slim Jim with regular gigs at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California. In 1993, James released Cruel World, followed by Crossroads in 2000. An expanded edition of the debut Kingbees album was released by Omnivore Records in 2015; the same label brought out an upgraded version of The Big Rock the following year.
© Michael Sutton /TiVo
Discography
21 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Kingbees
Alternative en Indie - Released by Omnivore Recordings on 1 jan. 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stepping Out 'N' Going
Rock - Released by Parlophone Sweden on 18 jun. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Big Rock
Punk en New Wave - Released by Omnivore Recordings on 17 jun. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Stories to Hold You Spellbound
Rockabilly - Released by The Kingbees on 25 sep. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Big Boys'n'pink Ladies
Rockabilly - Released by The Kingbees on 20 mrt. 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Best is yet to Come
Rockabilly - Released by The Kingbees on 2 sep. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Lucy Diamond
Rockabilly - Released by The Kingbees on 2 apr. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Candy Cane Twist
Rockabilly - Released by The Kingbees on 1 apr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Rockabilly - Released by The Kingbees on 8 mrt. 2024
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo