#1424: Kings Of The Sun

80s Snapshot:

• Number of songs on Hot 100: 1
• Highest peak position: 98
• Cumulative weeks on the Hot 100: 2

For the second time in just five artists, we’re once again heading down under to examine another Australian rock band. Whereas the band 1927 boasted an 80s-ready pop/rock sound, Kings Of The Sun were of a much harder ilk, blending the classic Australian hard rock sound of AC/DC with a touch of southern rock that had regained popularity in the United States in the second half of the 80s.

The band was formed in 1986 by brothers Jeffrey (vocals) and Clifford Hoad (drums), along with guitarist Ron Thiessen and bassist Anthony Ragg. Taking their name from a 1963 film of the same name (starring Yul Brynner), the quartet were each already veteran’s of Australia’s hard rock scene and hit the ground running with their debut single “Bottom Of My Heart.” It reached #47 on the Australian singles chart and earned the band a nomination for Most Promising New Talent at the 1986 Countdown Australian Music Awards.

On the strength of this initial success, Kings Of The Sun were signed stateside to RCA Records and toured the American hard rock circuit throughout 1987 while working on their first album. Thiessen had departed the band shortly before their signing, leaving Jeffrey Hoad to handle the guitar parts (Glenn Morris would serve as the band’s guitarist in live settings).

The lead single “Serpentine” from their self-titled debut album broke through onto AOR radio, debuting in April 1988 and peaking at #19 on the Album Rock Tracks chart (also reaching #48 on the Australian singles chart). The second single “Black Leather”, whose lighthearted nature and triplet feel are reminiscent of some of Poison’s biggest hits, also sported a risqué music video that was banned from MTV. Equal parts spurred on and hindered by that lack of exposure, “Black Leather” debuted at #98 on the Hot 100 on the July 30, 1988 chart, spending a second week in that position before falling off the chart.

Kings Of The Sun saw their star continue to rise throughout 1988, spending a month opening for KISS on the European leg of their Crazy Nights World Tour in September and releasing their self-title album in October. This momentum continued into December, supporting Guns N’ Roses in Australia for the final few dates of their massive Appetite For Destruction tour. However, at the December 19th show in Sydney, the band’s fortunes took a permanent downturn when Jeffrey Hoad took his pants off in front of the huge crowd and voiced negative sentiment about Guns N’ Roses (specifically that the band’s image and popularity were stolen valor from fellow Australian act Rose Tattoo).

Axl Rose summarily dissed them right back when Guns N’ Roses took the stage, and Kings Of The Sun were dropped from the tour. Hoad’s remarks soured the band’s appeal in both the eyes of the local Australian fans and the rock market as a whole. Their second album Full Frontal Attack reached just #93 on the Australian Albums chart in 1990, with lead single “Drop The Gun” making #82 on the Australian singles chart and #30 on the U.S. Album Rock Tracks chart. Though a third album followed in 1993, Kings Of The Sun’s days as a charting act in the hard-rock space were over.

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