Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the bands history. They exerted a strong influence on the early s progressive rock movement, including on contemporaries such as Yes and Genesis , and continue to inspire subsequent generations of artists across multiple genres. The band's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King , remains their most commercially successful and influential release. In mid, Fripp disbanded this line-up, recruited new members Bill Bruford formerly of Yes , John Wetton , David Cross and Jamie Muir , and changed the group's musical approach, drawing from European free improvisation and developing ever more complex compositions.
King Crimson disbanded at the end of Drawing influence from African music, gamelan , post-punk and New York minimalism , this band lasted three years, resulting in the trio of albums Discipline , Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair The double trio participated in another three-year cycle of activity that included the album Thrak After another hiatus, the band reformed for a tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of their formation, with Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree being added, and Levin returning in place of Gunn.
Following another hiatus β , during which Fripp was thought to be retired, King Crimson came together again in , this time as a septet and, later, octet with an unusual three-drumkit frontline, and new singer and secondary guitarist Jakko Jakszyk. This version of King Crimson toured from to After the band's final show in , Fripp commented that King Crimson had "moved from sound to silence.
They hovered on the edge of success, and even made a television appearance, but were never able to make a commercial breakthrough. Attempting to expand their sound, the three recruited Ian McDonald on keyboards, reeds and woodwinds. McDonald brought along two new participants: his then-girlfriend, former Fairport Convention singer Judy Dyble , whose brief tenure with the group ended when the two split, [ 13 ] [ 14 ] and lyricist, roadie, and art strategist Peter Sinfield , with whom he had been writing songs β a partnership initiated when McDonald had said to Sinfield regarding 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? No longer interested in Peter Giles' more whimsical pop songs, Fripp recommended that his old friend, fellow guitarist and singer Greg Lake could join to replace either Peter or Fripp himself.
