What If Punk Never Happened

Last updated
"What If Punk Never Happened"
Song by The King Blues
from the album Save the World. Get the Girl
LanguageEnglish
Recorded2008
Genre Spoken word, art punk
Length6:40
Label Field, Island
Songwriter(s) Jonny "Itch" Fox, Peter Miles
Producer(s) Peter Miles, Clive Langer

"What If Punk Never Happened" is a song recorded by English punk rock band The King Blues, and is the eleventh and final track on their second studio album Save the World. Get the Girl . It is a 6-minute and 40-second spoken word song which tells a story of what a town would be like had they never discovered punk.

Punk rock is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in 1960s garage rock and other forms of what is now known as "proto-punk" music, punk rock bands rejected perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. They typically produced short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY ethic; many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through independent record labels and other informal channels.

The King Blues band

The King Blues are a British punk rock band from London, England, credited for fusing punk and hip hop together with influences from ska and spoken word. Tariq Ali described the band's sounds as 'rough, radical music that should unsettle the rulers of this country. A new generation of musicians are challenging war-monger politicians and their courtiers'. Influences include Public Enemy, The Clash and The Specials. Lead singer Jonny "Itch" Fox describes the band's sound as 'rebel street music.'

<i>Save the World. Get the Girl</i> album by The King Blues

Save the World · Get the Girl is the second album by The King Blues. It was released on 20 October 2008. Four singles were released from the album: "My Boulder", "Let's Hang the Landlord", "Save the World · Get the Girl", and "I Got Love". "I Got Love" reached #96 in the UK Singles Chart. The album has been received very well by fans and critics. The band hoped to make the top 75 on the albums chart starting 27 October; however, the album did not do so, peaking at #113.

The track was co-written by producer Peter Miles who recorded the backing track after Itch emailed him an mp3 of the rough draft of the original poem and Itch's final vocal was laid down a few weeks later during the final mixing sessions of the album.

Jonny "Itch" Fox musician

Jonathan "Jonny" Fox, better known simply by his stage name Itch, is an English rapper. Fox is the lead vocalist and ukulelist of The King Blues, previously performing briefly as a solo musician during the band's absence.

Despite its length and its lyrics which contain several expletives, the track has been played on BBC Radio 1 by Rob da Bank, [1] Mike Davies, [2] [3] and as part of the "Versus" section of Zane Lowe's show. [4]

Rob da Bank English DJ

Robert John Gorham, known by the pseudonym Rob da Bank, is an English DJ and co-founder of music festivals Bestival, originally on the Isle of Wight and now moved to Lulworth, Dorset and Camp Bestival, also in Lulworth. He presented a show on BBC Radio 1 which focused on promoting new left field music. Examples of artists featured on his show include Tipper, Moloko and a host of unsigned acts.

Mike Davies is an American firefighter and former disc jockey on BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom.

Zane Lowe New Zealand DJ

Alexander Zane Reid Lowe is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter.

"What If Punk Never Happened" has been remixed by Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip. The King Blues have also made the original a cappella available for free download to enable anyone to remix it. [5]

Bands mentioned in the song

There are many bands name-dropped in the song. In order, these are:

The Beatles English rock band

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The line-up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr led the band to be regarded as the foremost and most influential in history. With a sound rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the group were integral to the evolution of pop music into an art form, and to the development of the counterculture of the 1960s. They often incorporated elements of classical music, older pop forms, and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways, and in later years experimented with a number of musical styles ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As they continued to draw influences from a variety of cultural sources, their musical and lyrical sophistication grew, and they came to be seen as embodying the era's sociocultural movements.

Nirvana (band) American rock band

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. It was founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic. Nirvana went through a succession of drummers, the longest-lasting and best-known being Dave Grohl, who joined in 1990. Though the band dissolved in 1994 after the death of Cobain, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock and roll culture.

Green Day American rock band

Green Day is an American rock band formed in 1986 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt. For much of the band's career, they have been a trio with drummer Tré Cool, who replaced John Kiffmeyer in 1990 prior to the recording of the band's second studio album, Kerplunk (1991).

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References

  1. ↑ Radio 1 - Rob da Bank - Tracklisting. BBC. Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  2. ↑ Radio 1 - Mike Davies - Tracklisting. BBC. Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  3. ↑ Radio 1 - Mike Davies - Tracklisting. BBC. Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  4. ↑ Radio 1 - Zane Lowe - Tracklisting. BBC. Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  5. ↑ The King Blues: Want To Remix "What If Punk Never Happened?". Thekingbluesuk.blogspot.com (2008-09-15). Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
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