114 - Gang Of Four with Jon King (Leeds)

Jon King joins us to talk about the early years & formation of the Gang of Four - formed at Leeds University while Jon studied art.

Jon was born in South London but moved to a village near Sevenoaks in Kent & while the King household rarely featured music, Jon grew up listening to Motown & Trojan Records before discovering Bob Dylan & the Velvet Underground.

Another notable formative experience was bumping into John Lennon on Sevenoaks high street, the Beatles were in the area to film the video for Strawberry Fields Forever. Lennon also purchased the circus poster which inspired Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite on the same visit.

Once up in Leeds, Jon blagged a trip to New York under the guise of needing to see Jasper John’s paintings in the flesh. While there he attends CBGBs & sees Richard Hell & the Voidoids, the Dead Boys & the other seminal New York bands.

Gang Of Four’s first gig takes place in the basement of the Corn Exchange in Leeds & not long after Buzzcocks manager Richard Boon invited them to open for them on tour.

The bands debut single Damaged Goods comes out on Fast Product Records but the band soon sign with EMI.

The band’s debut album Entertainment! is released to universal acclaim & leads to a deal with Warner Brothers in the US & similar praise from the likes of Greil Marcus & Jerry Wexler.

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