"King of the Mountain" is a song by British singer-songwriter Kate Bush. Taken from her album Aerial, it was released in 2005 and is the album's only single. The song was written and produced by Bush.
"King of the Mountain" was released as a single by EMI Records on 24 October 2005, Bush's first single since "And So Is Love", which had been released 12 years before. It was first played on BBC Radio 2 on 21 September 2005. Written about ten years before most of the songs on Aerial, the lyrics enquire whether Elvis Presley might still be alive someplace, "...looking like a happy man..." and playing with "Rosebud", Kane's childhood's sled, and comment on the pressures of extreme fame and wealth. In a November 2005 interview with BBC Four's "Front Row" Bush said, "I don't think human beings are really built to withstand that kind of fame." Sung in a slightly slurred Elvis-type manner, the track was produced by Bush; the recording was engineered by Del Palmer and mastered by James Guthrie. The cover art is a drawing by her son Bertie.
King of the Mountain is a 1981 film starring Harry Hamlin, Joseph Bottoms, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Richard Cox, Seymour Cassel and Dennis Hopper about a group that race their cars up and down Mulholland Drive for both money and prestige.
The film's primary focus is Steve (Harry Hamlin), who has found himself generally content with his uncomplicated life of working and racing. This creates some amount of tension between him and his friends, who have been losing their interest in racing and have been attempting to make serious inroads in the music industry. Steve's blossoming relationship with singer Tina (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) causes him to re-think his mantra, as he realizes that a truly fulfilling life involves more than just work and play.
The film was poorly regarded critically and did not perform well in the box office, although it was significant in being among the first films about street racing and communities of street racers, as well as because it was inspired by the activities of real people who raced in the Los Angeles area. It also marked somewhat of a return for Dennis Hopper, who had spent several months secluded away from Los Angeles prior to making his appearance.
King of the Mountain may refer to:
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"King of the Mountain" the title of a song written by Larry Boone and Paul Nelson. First recorded in 1991 by George Jones for his album And Along Came Jones, the song was also cut by Boone on his 1993 album Get in Line.
It was later covered by American country music artist George Strait, and was released in December 1996 as the fourth and final single from his album Blue Clear Sky. The song reached #19 in the United States and number 27 in Canada. Even though the song was his lowest peaking single since 1992's, "Lovesick Blues", it was one of the most critically acclaimed country songs in years.
Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "lyrically powerful weeper, and Strait's performance exudes oceans of mournful regret."
"King of the Mountain" debuted at number 48 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of December 21, 1996.