First single from one of the leading singers of Bahian rock
Rock icon in Bahia, singer Jorge King launches his first solo work, after working in several authorial bands and cover projects, in over 30 years of career. Taking a few releases and hundreds of concerts to festivals, bars, discos and nightclubs in Bahia, Brazil and even England, the composer transcends his experience in groups such as Gridlock, Slow, Space Rovers, The Cross and King Cobra, and releases a song whose title could not be more emblematic: time for me.
King’s first signature song in Portuguese, this power ballad brings a mix of rock and hard blues, with a soft, melancholic and agonizing atmosphere at the same time. According to him, the composition was born out of boredom that struck him during his isolation in the Covid-19 pandemic. “I fought against ostracism musically,” he said, underlining that composing was the best way to position oneself in relation to the time we live in, the current world. “Even to understand me, to hear what I have to say.”
In this solo work, Jorge King had a luxury team, with the production of Martin Mendonça, from Pitty’s band, who was also in charge of the guitars and acoustic guitars, and signed the contract with his producer Praia dos Artistas. The bass was in the hands of Cadinho Almeida, requested by bands of the most diverse styles, from rock and hardcore to reggae and black music, and the drums were played by Guimo Migoya, historical rock, jazz and blues musician. The band was completed by Brenoski Libertae’s blues harmonica.
The recording took place at the WR studio, a musical reference in Bahia, led by Apu Tude, guitarist of the 90s band Úteros em Fúria, while the mixing and mastering was the responsibility of André T., who worked with Pitty, Cascadura, Retrofoguetes, BaianaSystem, Mateus Aleluia and Caetano Veloso, among dozens of artists.
According to Jorge King, the single time for me it is the first step of a new aspect of your career. “I wrote an entire album, but I intend to continue with the same methodology, without rushing. The way we produced this song was absolutely spontaneous, with almost no trial and error,” she said, guaranteeing that new songs will be coming soon. Since Jorge and Martin played together for more than a decade in the bands Gridlock and King Cobra, between the 1990s and 2000s, their relationship was like a “safe haven” when it came to venting King’s ideas.
FACES OF A ROCK TRAVELER
Jorge King began to frequent the Bahian underground rock scene in the 80s, and in the early 90s he became the drummer of The Cross, pioneer of doom metal in Brazil, with whom he released the demo tape The Fall in 1993. Two years later , took the first breakthrough in his career and took the scene by storm, appearing on stage as lead singer of the group Gridlock, accompanied by guitarist Martin and bassist Breno Carneiro, Brenoski Liberta, and harmonica by time for me.
Despite a short trajectory and only one officially released song, Revolution tears, which opens the Doisdabahia collection, from 1997, Gridlock marked the history of heavy metal in Bahia and projected Jorge as a singer. However, somewhat disappointed by the fatigue in the thankless authorial scenario, the singer and guitarist Martin created, in 1998, the band King Cobra, dedicated to the great successes of classic rock and hard rock. With this tribute project to the past, they dominated the nights of Salvador, playing every week for about four years. And Gridlock is gone.
In the early 2000s, the two separated and Jorge King went to Black Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, England. There, he participated in a few projects and faced the adventure of being a Brazilian singing British rock classics in the UK.
After this period of self-exile, he returned to Brazil and joined the progressive metal band Slow, with which he released the album Killer Mermaid in 2006. The group disbanded shortly after, but Jorge’s creations with the boys are been recorded for posterity.
Over the next ten years, Jorge reformulated King Cobra and embarked on new cover projects honoring groups such as Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and AC/DC, as well as joining stoner/grunge band Motrícia. Until, in 2016, he forms Space Rovers, also with a retro stoner rock imprint, but mixing blues, hard, metal, funk and psychedelic rock.
Space Rovers released their first self-titled EP in 2019. However, shortly after, in the midst of tribulations, the singer left the band, while the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020. From then on then, Jorge experienced social isolation with his family in the city of Valente, in the interior of Bahia, dedicating himself to writing stories and poems, as well as introspective musical experiences that led him to solo work.
After all this, Jorge King reappears, giving his face to slaps and caresses. And in clear Portuguese he announces to the world that now is the time to do it time for me.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
