King Charles - Loveblood

A Little Background

Around ten years back my daughter told me about the amazing guy she had seen live. She has excellent musical taste (takes after her dad) and we both went to see him at an all-day Festival at Hoults Yard in Byker and at the new Riverside next to the Tyne in Newcastle.

When I saw King Charles he was decked out as a seventeenth-century monarch with an electric guitar.

King Charles (born Charles Costa) is an English singer-songwriter who plays the guitar, piano, and cello. He is also a classically trained singer.

In 2009, he became the first British person to win the International Songwriting Competition in Nashville, Tennessee, for his song "Love Lust".[ The competition was judged by Tom Waits, Jeff Beck, Loretta Lynn and Jerry Lee Lewis, and following this victory King Charles was signed by Universal Republic/Island. His Wikipedia entry is here.

His official website is here

I hope the royal Family don't sue him over the name but I am sure that King Charles III will love Charles Costa's King Charles

The Album Loveblood

This was released in 2012 and charted at number 36, though that was in the days when record sales were beginning not to matter. This album has so much, full of great songs, uplifting, and fun and I still play it a lot today. Good music never dates.

So here are the songs with a few videos for you to get a taste of this excellent talent.

1 LoveBlood 2:44

A brilliant uptempo opener to the album, so great guitar work, sill but fun, cod pretentious lyrics (there is a lot of that on this album but you know King Charles' tongue is firmly in cheek)

2 Mississippi Isabel 3:03

A lovely song of lost love with an over the top silly video, but I love listening to this.

3 Bam Bam 2:55

One of the sillier songs but it leaves you with a big smile on your face, another love song but very upbeat and fun.

4 Love Lust 2:58

This is a love song referring to Mississippi Isabel, I am not sure if she was a beau of King Charles and some of the lyrics are skirting misogyny (Never Let A Woman Go,She can always be replaced) but then goes on to eulogise her. ("I'd give it all up for my hand in her hand")

5 Polar Bear 4:31

Probably the most ominous song on the album but still very listenable

6 Lady Percy 3:19

Totally ludicrous but I think it is my favourite song on the album.

7 Ivory Road 3:56

This is probably the most subdued song on the album, but some interesting analogies in the lyrics.

8 The Brightest Lights 3:36

This is a collaboration with Mumford and Sons and is a lovely uplifting almost evangelical song.

9 Beating Hearts 3:54

Another subdued but upbeat love song, ("My Love Outweighs My Lust For You"), just lovely.

10 Coco Chitty 3:25

Almost a standard AOR (Adult Oriented Rock) song, a little downbeat but you won't skip this.

11 Wilde Love 3:40

King Charles channels Oscar Wilde in the album closer with a great choral chorus.

Conclusion

As I wrote this I was listening to the album, and though some songs are better than others you never want to skip, and that is a sign of a great album. Have a listen to the songs and maybe get yourself a copy or listen on your streaming platform.

At the time King Charles updated Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire", I don't know if it was officially released but is great fun, but don't agree with the line "Labour Government You Embarrassed Us All"

Enjoy.