King Crimson

King Crimson performing in 2003. Image by Hunter Desportes.

### Labels

Island ∙ Atlantic ∙ Vertigo ∙ Polydor ∙ EG ∙ Virgin ∙ Warner Bros. ∙ Caroline ∙ Discipline Global Mobile

### Associated Acts

Giles, Giles and Fripp ∙ Emerson, Lake & Palmer ∙ Yes ∙ McDonald and Giles ∙ UK ∙ ProjeKcts ∙ 21st Century Schizoid Band ∙ Porcupine Tree ∙ HoBoLeMa ∙ Crimson Jazz Trio ∙ Asia

### Members

Robert Fripp ∙ Mel Collins ∙ Tony Levin ∙ Pat Mastelotto ∙ Gavin Harrison ∙ Jakko Jakszyk ∙ Bill Rieflin ∙ Jeremy Stacey

King Crimson are an extremely influential progressive rock band from England. King Crimson and their incredibly high levels of Geniousity are highly respected on the Prog Rock server. The band has been led by Robert Fripp since its creation in 1968. The band's debut album, 'In the Court of the Crimson King', is highly regarded in prog circles, and many consider it one of the most influential prog rock albums ever made. The band has also produced many other classic prog albums, like 'In the Wake of Poseidon' (1970), 'Lizard' (1970), 'Islands' (1971), 'Larks' Tongues in Aspic' (1973), 'Starless and Bible Black' (1974), 'Red' (1974), 'Discipline' (1981), + many more.

(Almost) every incarnation of the band has consisted entirely of extremely proficient musicians playing verily difficultmore music. The band are known for some extremely difficult pieces, like "Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part One" (1973), "Fracture" (1974), "FraKctured" (2000), and "Islands" (1972). As with all progressive rock bands, King Crimson are quite pretentious, with their pretentiousness reaching critical levels in the late 1990s, when the prog metal music they were making at the time, edgy 90s prog metal aesthetics, and dividing the bands into "ProjeKckckcts" (get it Kc is like King crimson, like the name of the band, is Kc, right? so whenever there's a "k" sound just write it as "Kc" because Robert Fripp genious👊) all combined into a horrible mess with questionable musical quality.

### Current Members

As of the band's latest concert, these 8 musicians are considered members of King Crimson

#### Robert Fripp

He's like, the best. Fripp has a habit of curing his headaches by breaking up the band.

#### Mel Collins

A 'winds player' when basically all he does now is noodle on the alto sax on metal songs. He was on King Crimson's best reknown tracks such as "Indoor Games," "Ladies of the Road," and "A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls." He was also in Camel, so that's pretty cool.

#### Tony Levin

He plays bass guitar but he also plays Chapman Stick. Have you heard of a Chapman Stick? Its a really cool instrument where its like a guitar and bass guitar combined into one except you only have the frets.

#### Jakko Jakszyk

Known for his rendition of King Crimson's greatest songs "Indoor Games" and "Ladies of the Road."

#### Bill Rieflin

brufords\_replacement\_03.exe but he now plays keys

### Former Members

As the lineups of the band changed, many band members found themselves crushed under the Crimson Hairy Sack.

#### Peter Sinfield

Known for his (sometimes) amazing lyrics. Served as a sort of goblin groupie for the first incarnation of KC. Managed to hang on to KC until 'Islands', after which he was outed after Fripp read the horrendously racist lyrics on 'Ladies of the Road'.

#### Greg "Boating" Lake

Bearer of one of the beautifulmost voices in all of Prague. Ejected from the band due to chronic lack of ladders. Went on to form Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

#### Michael Giles

The first drummer of the band. Not much is known about him except the fact that he looked damn good in the late 60s.

#### Ian McDonald

Basically the mastermind behind 'In the Court'. As the bands music got darker, he found himself increasingly uncomfortable with the direction the music was heading in, much preferring airy-fairy shit himself. Ironically, 'Islands', made after his departure, is exactly that. He eventually joined the not-prog band Foreigner and quit before anyone started caring about them.

#### Gordon Haskelled Many People

Vocalist on 'Lizard'. Didn't even like the music. Became a jazz singer and raving lunatic in later years.

#### Andy McCulloch

Hit the drum on 'Lizard'. Went on to join Greenslade before deciding that music is a fat bitch and became a yachtmaster. Whatever that is.

#### Ian Wallace

Hit the drum on 'Islands'. Despite wanting to continue in the band, Ian, Boz, and Mel were kicked as they weren't epic + Awesome enough to play what Fripp had in mind. Later played with several artists, like Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton etc.

#### Boz Burrell

Screamed into mic and play bass on 'Islands'. Couldn't play bass initially but Fripp forced him to. Known for his innovation in scat singing. Later joined the not-prog band Bad Company

#### Bill Bruford

Basically the best drummer ~~ever~~ in the band. All later drummers fall only as a pale imitation. Hit the drum on 'Larks' Tongues in Aspic', 'Starless and Bible Black', 'Red', 'Discipline', 'Beat', 'Three of a Perfect Pair', and 'THRAK', and DAMN did he hit the drum good. Can lay down a fat beat in 19/8 like no other. Bruford is so genious that he found out that performed music is a meme and became a professor in how to professionally Music. Was also the first drummer of Yes.

#### John Wetton

Bass player and vocalist for LTiA, SaBB, and Red. Known for his tremendous, YUGE tone of the bass and unique 'wet sock' style of singing. Had a bass tone that could make women instantly orgasm. He later revelealed that half of his bass tone comes from recklessly playing like a chimp and damaging the hand. Broke a few bass strings ~~and probably a few hymens too.~~

#### David Cross

Beautiful violin child. Played violin and Mellotron for the band before getting kicked out for not being loud enough right before the sessions for 'Red'.

#### Jamie Muir

Absolute madman whose madmannery is only rivaled by that of Fripp. Hit the drum, gong, wet cement, chain, horn, bells, basically anything percussive, on 'Larks' Tongues in Aspic'. Had previously made free jazz with some other guys. Decided music was too boring before becoming a Buddhist priest. He breifly returned to music in the 80s but decided it was boring again and became a painter.

#### Trey Gunn

Played the Warr Guitar, a huge instrument of similar nature to the Chapman Stick. The downside of the Warr Guitar is that its heavy as fuck, which is why Trey suffers from back problems.

#### Adrian Belew

Madman second guitarist for the band from 'Discipline' to 'The Power To Believe'. Got really salty when he wasn't invited to the reunion and they started playing his songs without him. Known for making odd noises with his guitar, which is basically why he became a member of KC in the first place. Had previously played with Frank Zappa, David Bowie, and Talking Heads. He created the best KC song, "The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum".

#### Chris Gibson (Touring Member)

Chris subbed for Bill Rieflin 2017 Fall Tour for 23 shows in the US. chrisgibsonmusic.com