It would be ludicrous to state that to be the reason why, in my opinion, the work of The Kinks is highly underrated for over 30 years already, but having signed to the Pye label was not the wisest decision it seems in hindsight. The question is, why hadn't any other label recognised the potential of this band? Did it have another option? I don't know. The Kinks' legacy is quite clearly badly taken care of and that may be because the label simply doesn't exist any more, for a long time at that. This should change. So, who is willing to start the Ray Davies and The Kinks appreciation society?
In the Dutch Top 40 it is 1966 and great times are awaiting the band and its fans. The big breakthrough is nigh.
Dedicated Follower Of Fashion (1966, 1)
Someone gave one of The Kinks' guitarists a resonator guitar, I know hear in 2022. No matter how often I have heard the song, I had no clue and hadn't, seriously, listened to the song for years. Another one of the singles I was given by my cousin. The second song where Ray Davies looks at the world around him and starts reporting on it in the form of a song. (I am listening to a horrible stereo mix. Only Ray is on the right. The rest is on the left speaker.) Carnaby Street was the center of the world or so it thought and the Carnabishian Army is what is described here.
Now what made this song The Kinks' first number one hit here in The Netherlands? It starts out rather odd, Dedicated Follower Of Fashion does. Acoustic and loud. It's not someone expects to hear on a hit single. Also, it is not an easy song to sing along with, except the "yes it is" part. Far from I'd opine in fact. The music has a little country flavour, as well as referencing music from Davies' youth or even his parents' age, but is also a little messy. The walking bass is nice but who buys a single for that? The typical The Kinks piano is once again played by Nicky Hopkins. Altogether it is as weird as the text may have sounded at the time. In short, I have no clue why this one went to the top. Perhaps the easy answer is: the country was ready for The Kinks and the band delivered.
Now the intro to Sunny Afternoon. Speaking of a suave opening! The chromatic intro is fantastic. Dave's oohs coming in under the rather cynical but resigned sounding lyrics of Ray. This is one of The Kinks' singles I can listen to all day and it is not even my real favourite. That descending bass line opening the song is so good. Something the band will do again later on. Never waste a brilliant idea. The taxman under Prime Minster Wilson was a topic to write songs about in 1965-66.
Musically the band dives a little deeper than ever before. The arrangement is much better worked out that ever before. The piano is well known by now but the melodica coming with it is new (both Nicky Hopkins). The acoustic guitar has become normal by now. Is there even an electric one on the song? Yes, the accents in the bridge of course. Who listens carefully can here Ray's (then) wife Rasa singing along as well.
In 1969 I had a neighbour friend, Hans. He had a lot of singles which he gave away or sold to friends when he'd heard them enough. This is one of them. Thank you, Hans. I still treasure it.
Let's pause for a moment. We are one and a half year underway with our The Kinks overview. Just look back for a few seconds and let the transition get to you. From a proto punk band, playing power chords, to the soft ballads and now this kind of song that nobody else was doing, once again. Sure, many followed suit, Cat Stevens e.g. The Kinks by mid 1966 were on another plain, going their own way. Scoring its second top 1 hit here with Sunny Afternoon.
Now I know 100% certain that this is my first The Kinks single, in the sense of knowing when it was a hit and owning it, with 'Mr. Pleasant'. Why? Because I remember it being played on the radio and by my cousin on birthdays. (And no, not the next one. How that can be, I don't know. I think because I really, really liked Dandy.) And still do.
It is fairly unique as the song was not released as a single in most countries. It was here and made the top 3. It was also a hit for Herman's Hermits and perhaps that is why the Dutch label decided to release it also. Listening to the song for the first time in some years, immediately tickles my inner child. I hear my four year old brother sing "Dandy in de go now". What I notice as an adult, is how well this song is crafted. The descending chords, are simply well done. They give Dandy an immediate change of tone. From the exuberant Dandy part to a far darker mood, looking beyond the dandy part of the person sung to. Ray Davies' voice is totally shot at the end. I've never heard him this raw. It gives the song so much extra. The bridge is simply great, if not stunning.
Again an acoustic guitar drives the song, with a piano clearly playing the fun notes. The bass is also extremely nice. as a whole this song totally works and became a hit because it is one. What was wrong with you in the U.K.?
And the b-side? That is fantastic as well. This week I listened to one of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour shows, on telephones. And so I heard for Party Line for the first time in years. I love this song perhaps even more than Dandy. What a 45 with these two songs on it.
On Wikipedia I read that the sleeve I have is the German sleeve. So did Ter Meulen in Rotterdam buy up rest badges of singles from Germany and sell them for fl 0,59? Thank you Ter Meulen.
The hit in the rest of the world at the same time as 'Dandy' was Dead End Street. Another one of Ray Davies' social commentary songs, perhaps his most so, so far. The drab live in the U.K. in 1966 is highlighted here, a topic that really had nothing to do with a pop song, not with beat, nor with the swinging 60s. Being stuck in nothing, going nowhere, is the digest of Dead End Street.
At the same time it is the most upbeat song with no chance to anything as a topic. No matter how you describe it, this is a fun song. The trombone underscores the "deadness", the rest of the band makes sure the song is alive and cheerful. The rolling piano, that typical The Kinks piano sound, leads parts of the song even. It is Ray Davies playing it. Perhaps the piano because of this is more prominent than ever before. It is the electric guitar that is moving to the background more and more. You will hear a few single notes played very staccato, that's all. Once again, The Kinks produced a great single. Ray Davies was knocking them out of his sleeve as it were. Although John Matthews' trombone solo is sort of fun at the end, it could have been a bit shorter. Final note, as far as I know, this is the first The Kinks single with John Dalton on bass.
And here is the absolute favourite of my youth. Listening to it today I still understand why. Having had no clue what this song was about, then, all I heard was that upbeat music, that great piano, that trombone and the great melody. This song is so good. It has something of a carnival song, a pop song, a traditional Dutch pop song, vaudeville and a rock and roll, honky tonk piano. And then I have not even started on the harmonies. The best of the band's to date. It seemed to have all that a young boy needed to be musically satisfied. I could listen to it all day long and probably still can.
It is June 2022 and I'm listening to Mr. Pleasant for the first time in years. The effect it has on me is exactly the same, I think. Mr. Pleasant makes me happy and sad at the same time. It has this bittersweet quality. The Kinks capture this feeling so well here. Ray Davies is laughing at "Mr. Pleasant", straight at his face, in the same way as he did with "Dandy". Musically it is captured in a rolling, round sound that comes across as a party song, but the chords do not match. And exactly this, so I realise now, is what makes this song so strong. The piano just rolls on, the "simple", like a carnival song here, produces that party vibe. Next comes the vocal melody and the harmonies of "Mr. Pleasant, Mr. Pleasant", etc., underneath the "Mr.Pleasant is good, is fine", etc. This is sheer sadness. And there is the mysterious bridge that has a totally different mood once again. Both Nicky Hopkins and Pete Quaife and Rasa Davies are on the record.
The return of the chromatically descending chords. One of the most sentimental songs by The Kinks and of course one of the band's greatest hits. Their third number 1 here in NL and last in this selected time period. Waterloo Sunset is a beautiful song and that has to do with that unashamedly sentimentality. The acoustic guitar drives the song and Dave Davies lays down (muted) accents on the electric. The bass is softly going downwards, to start all over again all over the song. The drums are ever so subtle. Rasa Davies has her most prominent role as background singer. She is very clearly heard all through the song. It is 1967 and finally The Kinks admit a little psychedelia into one of its songs. The end gets an ever so light psychedelic flavour, perhaps symbolising the sunset over the river. Waterloo Sunset is a song that is full of restraint, which allows the relaxed atmosphere to dominate the song and Ray smooching his way round "Terry and Judy", accompanying them across the river and to their gazing on the sunset. Beauty, that's the word alright. Oh, yeah, thank you Tineke also for this single.
Yes, you are right, strictly speaking this is not a The Kinks single but a Dave Davies solo recording. I've opted to bring it along, as in all other ways it is a The Kinks single, written by Dave Davies. You can find it on a The Kinks albums, credited to the band, so there you go. Ray wrote the 'la la la' part, Rasa sings the background vocals and the band plays, with Nicky Hopkins on piano.
Death Of A Clown would have fitted perfectly among the songs in this list as a The Kinks single. This song is truly sad. It is as sad as the topic. Dave Davies sets the stage within a few lines. This circus has outlived itself and goes from bad to worse in a few verses. The intro, played by Nicky Hopkins, sounds like a pop version of a Hungarian gypsy song. It makes Death Of A Clown special immediately. It sounds so different because of it. Again the rhythm has this pre-1960s and even older stamp on it. The Kinks were so far removed from what was going on in the U.K. It really set them apart. The Small Faces had 'Itchycoo Park' of course, but that was drenched in psychedelia. The Kinks have nothing to do with that. No matter how sad Death Of A Clown is, it is a song one can sing along to, but there's no need to do so, really. Listening tells the story and Dave Davies shows himself an accomplished singer and songwriter, although he turned out to be an extremely lazy one.
There is more to come next week.
Wout de Natris
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