Kings & Queens (Jamie T album)

Kings & Queens
Studio album by Jamie T
Released	7 September 2009 (UK) 6 October 2009 (USA)
Recorded	2008–2009
Genre	Indie rock post-punk revival hip hop
Length	40:42
Label	Astralwerks, Virgin, Tearbridge International
Producer	Jamie T, Ben Coupland
Jamie T chronology
Chaka Demus (2009) Kings & Queens (2009) The Man's Machine (2009)
Singles from Kings & Queens
"Sticks 'N' Stones" Released: 29 June 2009 "Chaka Demus" Released: 31 August 2009 "The Man's Machine" Released: 23 November 2009 "Emily's Heart" Released: 15 March 2010

Kings & Queens is the second album by English singer-songwriter Jamie T, released first in the UK on 7 September 2009. The album reached No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart.

Singles

The first single released from the album was "Sticks 'n' Stones" released on 29 June 2009. The titular EP featured three B-sides: "St. Christopher", "On The Green", and "The Dance of the Young Professionals"; and reached No. 15 on the UK singles chart.

"Chaka Demus" was the second single to be released from the album and was out a week before the album, on 31 August. It peaked at No. 23 on the UK singles chart. The namesake EP also featured three B-sides: "Forget Me Not (The Love I Knew Before I Grew)" (feat. Hollie Cook & Ben Bones), "Planning Spontaneity", and "When They Are Gone (For Tim)".

"The Man's Machine" was the third single from the album, released on 23 November 2009. The song interpolates intros from the Angelic Upstarts with The Rockin' Berries' cover of "Poor Man's Son", among a few others. This EP, too, featured three B-sides: "Believing in Things That Can't Be Done"; "Jenny Can Rely on Me"; and "Man, Not a Monster".

The album's fourth single—a re-recorded version of "Emily's Heart", along with a cover Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City" as a B-side—was released on 15 March 2010. A music video for "Emily's Heart" preceded it on February 2010.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	74/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Alternative Press	[3]
AltSounds	[4]
CHARTattack	[5]
Drowned in Sound	[6]
Evening Standard	[7]
The Guardian	[8]
The List	[9]
musicOMH	[10]
NME	[11]
NOW	[12]
The Observer	[13]
PopMatters	[14]
Robert Christgau	[15]
The Scotsman	[16]
The Telegraph	[17]

The album received much praise in reviews from critics, with Brianna Saraceno of Drowned in Sound proclaiming it "a resounding success". ^[6] Dan LeRoy of Alternative Press likened him to a "clash" between The Clash's Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. ^[3] According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Kings & Queens received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 from 13 critic scores. ^[1]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Jamie Alexander Treays, unless otherwise indicated. ^[18]

Kings & Queens track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"368"	Jamie Treays	Jamie T Jason Cox • James Dring	4:43
2.	"Hocus Pocus"	Treays	Jamie T Ben "Bones" Coupland	3:30
3.	"Sticks 'n' Stones"	Treays	Jamie T Bones Cenzo Townshend	4:00
4.	"The Man's Machine"	Treays Coupland / Thomas Mensforth • Raymond Cowie [a] / JoAnne Bratton Bob Hamilton Ronnie Savoy Steve Venet [b] / Tony Fisher • Emmett Nixon • Robert Reed • Taylor Reed [c]	Jamie T Bones Stephen Street	4:50
5.	"Emily's Heart"	Treays	Jamie T Cox Dring	4:07
6.	"Chaka Demus"	Treays	Jamie T Cox Dring Tom Elmhirst [d]	3:34
7.	"Spider's Web"	Treays	Jamie T Bones	4:44
8.	"Castro Dies"	Treays Tom Stanley	Jamie T Stanley	2:59
9.	"Earth, Wind & Fire"	Treays Bones Joan Baez [e]	Jamie T Bones	3:45
10.	"British Intelligence"	Treays	Jamie T Cox Dring	3:18
11.	"Jilly Armeen"	Treays	Jamie T Bones Jimmy Robertson	3:12
Total length:				40:42

Bonus tracks (iTunes only) ^[f]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
12.	"The Curious Sound" (feat. Ben Bones)	Treays Coupland	Jamie T Bones	2:52
Total length:				43:34

Bonus tracks (limited) ^[g]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Direction Home"	Treays	Jamie T Bones	2:34
Total length:				46:08

Bonus tracks (Japanese edition) ^[h]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"St. Christopher"	Treays	Jamie T Bones	3:57
15.	"On the Green"	Treays Coupland	Jamie T Bones Robertson	3:36
16.	"Spider's Web" (live at the Electric Ballroom)	Treays	Jamie T Bones	4:44
17.	"Chaka Demus" (Toddla T remix)	Treays	Toddla T Jamie T Cox Dring Elmhirst	3:34
Total length:				1:01:59

Notes

• ^{^[a]} During the intro to "The Man's Machine", ^[6] an amalgamation of three spoken word intros from the Angelic Upstarts' 1981 Live album are blended: "Police Oppression", "Kids on the Streets", + "You're Nicked"—with the latter being the most prominently featured. ^{[18] [19]}
• ^{^[b]} Throughout the intro, an interpolation of The Rockin' Berries' cover version of "Poor Man's Son" underscores the monologue. ^{[18] [20]} It was first recorded by The Reflections, who were signed by co-lyricist JoAnne Bratton's label. ^[21]
• ^{^[c]} Excerpts of other songs sampled during verses of "The Man's Machine" include: "Pump Me Up" by Trouble Funk; "The Trouser Press" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band; & "Watch Yourself" by Nine Below Zero. However, only the former received songwriting credits. ^[18]
• ^{^[d]} Albeit uncredited, the opening melody of "Chaka Demus" was interpolated from The Banana Splits' TV theme song, "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)". ^{[4] [11]}
• ^{^[e]} A sample from Joan Baez's rendition of "Queen of Hearts" was utilized for the intro to "Earth, Wind & Fire". Although traditional, she received composition credit. ^[14]
• ^{^[f]} "The Curious Sound" was available via iTunes downloads only. ^[22]
• ^{^[g]} "Direction Home" was only available on select streaming services. ^[23]
• ^{^[h]} Both "On the Green" and "St. Christopher" first appeared on the Sticks 'n' Stones EP, which preceded this album's initial UK + USA releases. ^[24]

Release in Japan

Kings & Queens was released in Japan by Tearbridge International on 17 February 2010. ^[25]

Sales and certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [26]	Gold	100,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Kings & Queens Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2012. Summary: The London-based artist releases his follow-up to his Mercury Prize-nominated debut album.
2. John, Bush. Kings & Queens – Jamie T. / Album / AllMusic Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
3. LeRoy, Dan (29 September 2009). "FILE UNDER: Clash-ing Personalities". Alternative Press . ISSN   1065-1667. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2025. But as the surprisingly leaden disco thumper "Earth, Wind & Fire" also suggests, the collection as a whole has a transitional feel, as though Jamie T is still finding his way between the two poles of his primary inspiration.
4. deadletteroffice (29 December 2009). "Jamie T: Kings & Queens". AltSounds . Archived from the original on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2010. It's a truly eclectic album and all the better for it: the pots-and-pans percussion on opener "368" is joined by an infectious, helium-voiced chorus hook which leads into the no-nonsense brit-pop of "Hocus Pocus"…
5. Gormely, Ian (15 October 2009). "Jamie T — Kings & Queens". CHARTattack . ISSN   1198-7235. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2012. Rather than playing the sad-bastard-with-acoustic-guitar role, T throws every modern genre in to a blender and pours out pop culture alchemy, mixing pop, hip-hop, Britpop, punk, and indie bedroom recording sounds along with cheeky British wit to create fun, fluid tracks like "Sticks 'N' Stones".
6. Saraceno, Brianna (8 September 2009). Adams, Sean (ed.). "Jamie T: Kings & Queens". Drowned in Sound . Retrieved 30 January 2025. "The Man's Machine" is an incredibly deceptive song, commencing with a minute long intro/sample; but once the beat comes in and the keyboard and guitar wash over you,…
7. Pearson, Rick (4 September 2009). Greig, Geordie (ed.). "CDs of the Week: POP; Jamie T — Kings & Queens (Virgin)". Evening Standard . ISSN   2041-4404. Archived from the original on 10 September 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2025– via ThisIsLondon.co.uk. At moments like this, Treays sounds like that most loathed of things among songwriters: a spokesperson of a generation.
8. Sullivan, Caroline (3 September 2009). Rusbridger, Alan (ed.). "REVIEW – Jamie T: Kings & Queens" . The Guardian . eISSN   1756-3224. ISSN   0261-3077. OCLC   60623878 . Retrieved 20 May 2012. What has survived, though, is Treays's minutely detailed, articulate vignettes, which justify claims that he's an urban poet to rival Mike Skinner.
9. Paul, Nicola (3 September 2009). "Jamie T – Kings & Queens". The List . No. 639. ISSN   0959-1915. Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2025. "Sticks'n'Stones" is stand-out classic Jamie T and the album highlight – if only to applaud a man with the ability to rhyme 'Hampton Wick' with 'lightweight prick'.
10. Cragg, Michael (9 September 2009). "Jamie T – Kings & Queens (Virgin) — Album Reviews - musicOMH". musicOMH . ISSN   2516-6220. Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2025. Instead, it's a second album that builds on the success of the debut, expanding the sound without losing any of what made Jamie T so interesting in the first place.
11. Mackay, Emily; Robinson, Martin (8 September 2009). Abbott, Jeremy (ed.). "Album review: Jamie T – Kings & Queens". NME . ISSN   0028-6362 . Retrieved 20 May 2012. If that doesn't get the tweens robbing in glee then "Chaka Demus" will, a song which uses the theme tune to The Banana Splits to nefarious ends.
12. Rennie, Andrew (14 October 2009). Hollett, Michael (ed.). "Disc Review / Jamie T / Kings & Queens (Virgin/EMI)". NOW . Vol. 29, no. 7. ISSN   0712-1326. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2012. T relates to impetuous youth on a primal level for good reason: he's still there.
13. Mulholland, Gary (11 July 2009). Mulholland, John (ed.). "Pop review: Jamie T, Kings & Queens" . The Observer . ISSN   0029-7712. OCLC   50230244 . Retrieved 29 January 2025– via The Guardian Weekly. From there, it's easy to hear how much Joe Strummer's penchant for world music on Sandinista! and Combat Rock informs the frustrated sadness of Kings & Queens, especially on "Hocus Pocus" (the friends that drag you down), "Spider's Web" (illicit affairs; Americans comparing Obama to Osama; and the intifada/Palmer gag) and "British Intelligence" (surveillance paranoia).
14. Raper, Dan (3 November 2009). "Jamie T: Kings & Queens Review (EMI)". PopMatters . OCLC   1122752384. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2025. (Joan Baez at the beginning of "Earth, Wind & Fire" is a highlight).
15. Christgau, Robert (2009). "Jamie T – Kings & Queens". Dean of American Rock Critics. Retrieved 31 January 2025. London logorrheic milks the romance of punk for hooks and pathos ("368", "Castro Dies").
16. Shepherd, Fiona (7 September 2009). McLellan, John (ed.). "Album Review: Jamie T - Kings & Queens". The Scotsman . ISSN   0307-5850. OCLC   614655655. Archived from the original on 19 September 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2025. Like Glasvegas on their debut album, Treays treats the endemic hardman culture of the inner city with conflicted empathy.
17. McCormick, Neil (2 September 2009). "Jamie T: Kings & Queens, CD review" . The Daily Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235. OCLC   49632006 . Retrieved 2 February 2025. Jamie T's Kings & Queens is like a young Damon Albarn rapping with The Clash.
18. "Jamie T* — Kings & Queens". Discogs . 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2025. "Watch Yourself" by Nine Below Zero, courtesy of Mercury Records Limited. "The Trouser Press" by The Bonzo Dog Band Doo Dah Band included courtesy of EMI Records Limited……Contains samples of "Police Oppression" + "You're Nicked" written by T. Mensforth, R. Cowie; used by kind permission of Maxwood Music Ltd.; Trouble Funk – "Pump Me Up" written by Fisher, Nixon, Reed, Reed; used by kind permission of Swing Beat Songs d.b.a. Tuff City Records. "Poor Man's Son" written by Bratton, Hamilton, Savoy, Venet; used by kind permission of Tro Essex Music Ltd.
19. Skene, Gordon (16 September 2020). "Angelic Upstarts – In Session - 1981 — Past Daily Soundbooth". Past Daily. Recorded for John Peel . Retrieved 3 February 2025– via BBC Radio 1. In 2009, punk-influenced singer-songwriter Jamie T sampled vocals from the album Angelic Upstarts: Live on his song "The Man's Machine".
20. The Rockin' Berries (21 July 2021). Poor Man's Son (Audio clip). Retrieved 1 February 2025– via YouTube. Released on: 1964-01-01
21. Kirby, Michael Jack (13 June 2013). "THE REFLECTIONS – "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet"". Way Back Attack. Retrieved 2 February 2025. …made the most impact of all with "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet".
22. Jamie T (8 November 2009). Spotify: Kings & Queens (Album) (Audio .mp3). Astralwerks . Retrieved 2 February 2025– via Spotify.
23. Jamie T (9 September 2009). Spotify: Kings & Queens (Album) (Audio .mp3). Astralwerks . Retrieved 3 February 2025– via Spotify.
24. "Jamie T ~ Sticks 'N' Stones ~ UK 12" vinyl single (12 inch record / Maxi-single)". 991.com. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
25. "Kings & Queens ： Jamie.T ： avex network". Avexnet.jp. 17 February 2010. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
26. "British album certifications – Jamie T – Kings and Queens". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 8 March 2022.