Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a new boxed set featuring all of the albums recorded by the legendary ARTHUR BROWN & KINGDOM COME issued between October 1971 and April 1973. The band came together in 1970 following ARTHUR BROWN’s failed attempt to form a new band upon the disillusion of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown in 1969. Based in rural Dorset, Arthur had undertaken rudimentary recordings with the bands The Puddletown Express and Rustic Hinge before forming a new, more satisfactory band KINGDOM COME.
The initial group came together with a line-up of ARTHUR BROWN (vocals), BOB ELLWOOD (guitars), DAVE AMBROSE (bass), ROB TAIT (drums) and PETE BAILEY (percussion) to record a lengthy jam session in the studio. This tape was impressive enough to lead to a contract with Polydor Records and the album GALACTIC ZOO DOSSIER was the first album by the band. Issued in October 1971, the album featured Arthur Brown joined by ANDY DALBY (lead guitar / vocals), MICHAEL “GOODGE” HARRIS (keyboards), DESMOND FISHER (bass), JULIAN BROWN (VCS3 Synthesiser) and MARTIN STEER (drums). The band’s debut album was a conceptual work loosely based upon the subject of humanity living in a zoo and subject to cosmic forces. As a group, Kingdom Come took the mantle from where the Crazy World of Arthur Brown had left off, presenting a highly theatrical show which utilised the VCS 3 synthesiser and presented a form of experimental rock music which was far ahead of its time. This led to them becoming a popular act on the festival circuit (their memorable appearance at the 1971 Glastonbury Fayre was captured in the documentary film of the same name).