| The King Is Dead | |
| Cover: | Tony cole The king is dead.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Tony Cole |
| Album: | If The Music Stops |
| B-Side: | Ruby |
| Released: | December 1972[1] |
| Recorded: | 1972 |
| Genre: | Folk rock |
| Length: | 2:52 |
| Label: | 20th Century (US) |
| Producer: | David McKay |
| Prev Title: | When We Get There |
| Prev Year: | 1971 |
| Next Title: | Suite: Man and Woman |
| Next Year: | 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 Cole's debut album If The Music Stops (1972). That year the song was also released as a single that December, with "Ruby" on the flip side.[2]
"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. The review was:
Nevertheless, the song didn't chart either on U.S. Billboard's charts,[3] or on the UK Singles Chart. It was re-released in 1977 in France to capitalize off of the sucess of the French version by Johnny Hallyday (titled "Gabrielle" after the first line of the song), however, this also failed to chart.
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]
| Gabrielle | |
| Cover: | Johnny hallyday Gabrielle.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Language: | French |
| Artist: | Johnny Hallyday |
| Album: | Derrière l'amour |
| Recorded: | 1976 |
| Studio: | Studio 92, Boulogne-Billancourt |
| Genre: | Soft rock, pop rock, chanson |
| Length: | 2:53 |
| B-Side: | "Né pour vivre sans amour" |
| Label: | Philips |
| Producer: | Jacques Revaux |
| Prev Title: | Derrière l'amour |
| Prev Year: | 1976 |
| Next Title: | Le cœur en deux |
| Next Year: | 1977 |
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]
| Chart (1976) | Peak position | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| France (singles sales) | 1 | ||
| Chart (2009) | Peak position | ||
| Belgium (Ultratop Back Catalog Singles Flanders)[6] | 20< | ----> |