Kill the King
A song played live a year before it was recorded in the studio, which Dio said is really about a game of chess.
Rainbow, from Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978)
- Written by
- Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Cozy Powell
- Released
- 1978
- Length
- 4:29
- Album
- Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
Play on hypersongs (1)Play on hypersongs (2)
"Kill the King" was written by Blackmore, Dio and Powell. It was played live before it was recorded: the version on On Stage, from recordings made in September 1976 and released in July 1977, runs 5:32, and the studio version on Long Live Rock 'n' Roll in 1978 runs 4:29. It opened Rainbow's 1977 shows, including the filmed Munich concert of October 20, 1977, where it runs 4:38 on the CD and 4:42 on the DVD. Which of these our two uploads are is not known.
It came out as a single in the United Kingdom in September 1977, with "Man on the Silver Mountain" and "Mistreated" as double B-sides, and was Rainbow's first UK chart entry at number 44; a 1981 reissue reached 41. Dio said that despite its violent imagery it is about a chess game, checkmating the king. Ultimate Classic Rock called it treasonous and no-holds-barred.
On stage
- 1977-10-20, Olympiahalle, Munich The opener of the filmed show.
More songs by Rainbow
Where to go next
Reference
- Songfacts: Kill the King The chess meaning and chart history.
- On Stage on Wikipedia Recording dates and venues per track.
Live performance archives
- Rockpalast Archiv: Rainbow Setlists for the 1977 and 1995 TV shows.
Sources
- On Stage (Rainbow album), Wikipedia
- Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, Wikipedia
- Kill the King, Songfacts
- Live in Munich 1977, Wikipedia