"The King Is Dead"
Single by Tony Cole
from the album If The Music Stops
B-side"Ruby"
Released1972
Recorded1972
GenrePop
Length2:52
Label20th Century (US)
Songwriter(s)Tony Cole (words and music)[1]
Producer(s)David McKay
Tony Cole singles chronology
"The King Is Dead"
(1972) 		"Suite: Man and Woman"
(1972)

"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 Tony Cole's debut album If The Music Stops (1972). That year the song was also released as a single, 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,[3] or on the UK Singles 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"[4]

Johnny Hallyday version (in French)

"Gabrielle"
Single by Johnny Hallyday
from the album Derrière l'amour
B-side"Né pour vivre sans amour"
ReleasedSeptember 3, 1976 (1976-09-03)
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)French adaptation
Long Chris, Patrick Larue
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).[5]

Charts

Chart (1976) Peak
position
France (singles sales)[5] 1
Chart (2009) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop Back Catalog Singles Flanders)[6] 20

References

  1. ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1974. pp. 403–.
  2. ^ a b c 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. ^ "Tony Cole (Chart history)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  4. ^ "Tony Cole - The King Is Dead (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. 1977. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  5. ^ a b "Gabrielle - Johnny Hallyday - Hit-Parade.net". Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  6. ^ "ultratop.be - Johnny Hallyday - Gabrielle". Ultratop. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
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