A country rock band that formed in 1976 and was signed to Arista Records.
This lone, self-titled 1976 album from the Funky Kings consists of three L.A. based songwriters--Jack Tempchin, Richard Stekol, and Jules Shear--along with drummer Frank Cotinola, bass guitarist Bill Bodine, and steel guitar & dobro specialist Greg Leisz. Tempchin had written "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Already Gone" which the Eagles turned into big hits, and Stekol had previously been a member of the group Honk. Shear was just getting started in the music industry at this point, but he subsequently went on to lead the band Jules and the Polar Bears, and he's also written what are now highly familiar '80s hits including Cyndi Lauper's "All Through The Night" and the Bangles "If She Knew What She Wants".
Released on Arista, the "Funky Kings" album flopped, missing the US Billboard Top 200 altogether, despite the minor success of the single "Slow Dancing" which Johnny Rivers covered shortly afterward and landed with a Top 10 gold single.
This is a damn good album though. Produced by the late, legendary Doors producer Paul A. Rothchild, "Funky Kings" has a mid-'70s soft rock/country rock vibe a la the Eagles, with performances that are super-professional, but still lively and spirited.
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