King Crimson are a musical group founded by guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Michael Giles in 1969. Their style has typically been categorized as progressive rock, although it also has diverse influences from jazz, classical, experimental, psychedelic, New Wave, heavy metal, gamelan and folk music. Although King Crimson has garnered little radio or music video airplay, they have a devoted following. Their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, is widely regarded as a landmark in the history of the progressive rock genre; their later excursions into even more unconventional territory have been influential on many contemporary musical artists.

In the late 1960s the band were very influential in popularising a previously unknown mellotron rock style; throughout the early 1970s their membership fluctuated with forays into jazz and funk at times before becoming a more stable unit in the mid 1970s, developing an improvisational sound influenced by heavy metal before breaking up. The band reformed in the early 1980s for three years, with a New Wave and gamelan-influenced sound, before breaking up again for around a decade. The 1990s saw King Crimson meld aspects of their 1980s and 1970s sound, which has continued into the 2000s, during which time several splinter groups of King Crimson known as "ProjeKcts" appeared.

Though its membership has fluctuated considerably throughout its existence, the band continues to perform and record music. The only constant member of King Crimson has been Fripp, who has arranged several disparate lineups of King Crimson, often working in different genres. However, he has stated that he does not necessarily consider himself the band's leader, describing King Crimson as "a way of doing things", and noting that he never originally intended to be seen as the head of the group.

History

1960s

In the Court of the Crimson King

Michael Giles, a drummer, and his brother and bassist Peter put out an advertisement for a singing organist. Robert Fripp, a guitarist who did not sing, responded. The improbable trio of Giles, Giles and Fripp was formed. They recorded one album together, The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp. Fripp said of the encounter: "The Giles Brothers were looking for a singing organist. I was a non-singing guitar player. After 30 days of recording and playing with them I asked if I got the job or not — joking like, you know? And Michael Giles rolled a cigarette and said, very slowly, 'Well, let's not be in too much of a hurry to commit ourselves, shall we?' I still don't know if I ever got the job."

Giles, Giles and Fripp's debut record had not been particularly successful, and the group continued to evolve. Fripp had seen the band 1-2-3 (later known as Clouds) at the Marquee, which inspired some of Crimson's penchant for classical melodies and jazz-like improvisation. The first musician to be added to their new lineup was the multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald on keyboards, reeds and woodwinds, who had been writing songs with lyricist Peter Sinfield in a band called Infinity (which briefly included Fairport Convention singer Judy Dyble). McDonald said to Peter Giles in 1968 of his band Creation: "Peter, I have to tell you that your band is hopeless, but you write some great words. Would you like to get together on a couple of songs?" One of the first songs McDonald and Sinfield wrote together was "In the Court of the Crimson King". Fripp's childhood friend, singer-guitarist Greg Lake, was recruited by the others and replaced Peter Giles on bass, also taking on lead vocals for the band. Thus, the first incarnation of the band was conceived on November 30, 1968 and first rehearsed on January 13th, 1969. Shortly afterward, they purchased a mellotron, and began using it to create an original orchestral rock sound.

The name King Crimson was coined by lyricist Peter Sinfield as a synonym for Beelzebub, prince of demons. According to Fripp, Beelzebub would be an anglicised form of the Arabic phrase "B'il Sabab", meaning "the man with an aim". However, the original name is understood to be from ba'al zebul, "Lord of the High Place". (The name was later popularly corrupted to ba'al zevel, "Lord of the Dungheap", and ba'al zevuv, "Lord of the Flies", because the god's statue was constantly covered in blood.)