The opening theme of Return Of The King was my first keyboard composition written
on my first synth, a simple yet effective Crumar Performer. We were playing in
Sebring FL at the Rendezvous Lounge in the Nan-Ces-O-Wee, a decrepit but once-
cool downtown hotel. I was jamming in my room one afternoon, looking out the
window at a huge avocado tree and a beautiful Florida sky. In my initial song notes, I
called it 'Clouds' because it sounded like the puffy clouds I was looking at as I
played. At our next rehearsal, I showed it to John. He played it on his B3 while I
came up with the opening guitar parts on my beautiful and versatile gold-top Gibson
Les Paul Signature guitar (dammit..."the one that got away"). Pretty soon John,
Michael and Jimmy each contributed seminal musical ideas as the song took shape.
John suggested some appropriate lyrics, and in an afternoon...maybe two...'Clouds'
became 'Return Of The King'. As we composed and completed it, I was stoked that
my simple chord progression had inspired such a full band collaboration in the style
of the Prog Rock bands we were all enamored with. This version was recorded at
John & Teri Lubotsky's house in 2008 during the session celebrating Michael's 50th
birthday and Pluto Jones' 30th anniversary. There's also an earlier version, recorded
live by Pluto Jones in June 1980 at the Brass Monkey Lounge in Marathon in the
Florida Keys.
Return Of The King © 2024 - Pluto Jones