Key Changes: A Musical Memoir

Key Changes is an extremely frank, personal account of the highs and lows of show business, from post-war Twice Nightly Variety to the present day. Denis King is a witty anecdotalist; the stories he tells are funny, poignant, and eye-opening. In the 1950s and early 1960s Denis was a member of Britain's first boy band, The King Brothers. Since then he has composed more than 200 TV themes, including ITV's award-winning The Adventures of Black Beauty, and has collaborated with numerous theatre legends to write more than 25 stage musicals - Privates On Parade among them. His career has encompassed every aspect of show business from singing and performing to producing and composing; he has experienced success alongside disaster and betrayal; and the artists with whom he has worked read like a Who's Who of British and American stage and screen. But Key Changes is not merely a potted history or a lengthy name-drop. It is actually an intimate portrait of the grind as well as the glamour in what most people outside the entertainment industry often assume is a charmed way to earn a living. “I’ve known Denis King for many years but in spite of that, I would strongly recommend this book.” - Barry Cryer “Denis King changed my life. I remember seeing The King Brothers on TV and I thought, ‘Yes! I could do that!’ but I was too tall. So I had the operation and the rest is history.” - Bill Oddie “His skills as racy raconteur and dry-as-a-bone humorist are as legendary as his tinkling fingers and classic compositions.” - Maureen Lipman “Standing On The Corner – yes, one of the great records of that year. Or that month, certainly. I remember The King Brothers as some of the liveliest, freshest, most exciting, oddly-attractive young men I’d ever seen on TV. I know Elvis borrowed a lot of tricks from The King Brothers.” - Michael Palin “Denis is a trusty friend, a favourite collaborator, a fine musician, and a true original. Though what exactly he was originally, I really couldn't say.” - Alan Ayckbourn