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The King Is Dead (Tony Cole song)

"The King Is Dead"
Single by Tony Cole
from the album If The Music Stops
B-side"Ruby"
ReleasedDecember 1972[1][2]
Recorded1972
GenreFolk rock
Length2:52
Label20th Century (US)
Songwriter(s)Tony Cole (words and music)[3]
Producer(s)David McKay
Tony Cole singles chronology
"When We Get There"
(1971) 		"The King Is Dead"
(1972) 		"Suite: Man and Woman"
(1972)
Alternative cover
Single sleeve of the 1977 French reissue
Audio
"The King Is Dead" on YouTube

"The King Is Dead" is a song written and originally recorded by Australian singer and songwriter Tony Cole. Produced by David McKay, it was part of Cole's debut album If The Music Stops (1972). That year the song was also released as a single that December, with "Ruby" on the flip side.[2]

Background and commercial performance

"The King Is Dead" was the second single released from Tony Cole's debut album If The Music Stops (1972). U.S. Billboard magazine picked the single for its "Radio Action and Pick Singles" section.[2] The review was:

Second cut from his debut LP is a more driving, commercial rhythm ballad loaded with Top 40 potential.[2]

Nevertheless, the song didn't chart either on U.S. Billboard's charts,[4] or on the UK Singles Chart. It was re-released in 1977 in France to capitalize off of the success of the French version by Johnny Hallyday (titled "Gabrielle" after the first line of the song), however, this also failed to chart.

Track listings

7" single 20th Century Records (1972, United States)

A. "The King Is Dead" (2:52)
B. "Ruby" (2:32)

7" single Jare International 410 067 EA (1977, France)

A. "The King Is Dead"
B. "Natural Dance"[5]

Johnny Hallyday version (in French)

"Gabrielle"
Single by Johnny Hallyday
from the album Derrière l'amour
LanguageFrench
B-side"Né pour vivre sans amour"
ReleasedSeptember 3, 1976 (1976-09-03)
Recorded1976
StudioStudio 92, Boulogne-Billancourt
GenreSoft rock, pop rock, chanson
Length2:53
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)French adaptation
Long Chris, Patrick Larue
Producer(s)Jacques Revaux
Johnny Hallyday singles chronology
"Derrière l'amour"
(1976) 		"Gabrielle"
(1976) 		"Le cœur en deux"
(1977)
Music video
"Gabrielle" (French TV, 1983) on YouTube

Several years later the song was adapted into French (under the title "Gabrielle") by Long Chris and Patrick Larue and recorded by Johnny Hallyday. His version was released as a single in 1976 and spent three consecutive weeks on the singles sales chart in France (from 16 September to 6 October).[6]

Charts

Chart (1976) Peak
position
France (singles sales)[6] 1
Chart (2009) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop Back Catalog Singles Flanders)[7] 20

References

  1. ^ "Tony Cole - The King Is Dead".
  2. ^ a b c d Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (9 December 1972). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 42–. ISSN 0006-2510. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1974. pp. 403–.
  4. ^ "Tony Cole (Chart history)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  5. ^ "Tony Cole - The King Is Dead (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. 1977. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  6. ^ a b "Gabrielle - Johnny Hallyday - Hit-Parade.net". Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  7. ^ "ultratop.be - Johnny Hallyday - Gabrielle". Ultratop. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
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