Effective period / Period of releases: 1976

Members: Jules Shear, Greg Leisz, Bill Bodine, Jack Tempchin, Frank Cotinola, Richard Stekol

Formed in 1976 for Clive Davis's Arista Records, Funky Kings was an odd teaming of a funk rhythm section with country rock singer-songwriters and musicians-- Eagles songwriter Jack Tempchin ("Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Already Gone"), Jules Shear, and Richard Stekol, with pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz. They disbanded after one album, but they did create the original version of Tempchin's "Slow Dancing," a major hit for Johnny Rivers in 1977.