fbpx
Wikipedia

The Kinks

January 19, 2024

For their eponymous album, see Kinks (album). For other uses, see Kink.

The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s.[3][4] The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965. Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned "You Really Got Me",[4][5] became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States.[6]

The Kinks
Original lineup in 1965
From left: Pete Quaife, Dave Davies, Ray Davies and Mick Avory
Background information
OriginLondon, England
Genres
DiscographyThe Kinks discography
Years active1963–1996
Labels
Past members
Websitethekinks.info

The Kinks' music drew from a wide range of influences, including American R&B and rock and roll initially, and later adopting British music hall, folk, and country. The band gained a reputation for reflecting English culture and lifestyle, fuelled by Ray Davies' wittily observational writing style,[3][4][5][7] and made apparent in albums such as Face to Face (1966), Something Else (1967), The Village Green Preservation Society (1968), Arthur (1969), Lola Versus Powerman (1970), and Muswell Hillbillies (1971), along with their accompanying singles including the transatlantic hit "Lola" (1970).

After a fallow period in the mid-1970s, the band experienced a revival with their albums Sleepwalker (1977), Misfits (1978), Low Budget (1979), Give the People What They Want (1981) and State of Confusion (1983), the last of which produced one of the band's most successful US hits, "Come Dancing". In addition, groups such as Van Halen, the Jam, the Knack, the Pretenders and the Romantics covered their songs, helping to boost the Kinks' record sales. In the 1990s, Britpop acts such as Blur and Oasis cited the band as a major influence.[3]

The original line-up comprised Ray Davies (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Dave Davies (lead guitar, vocals), Mick Avory (drums, percussion) and Pete Quaife (bass). The Davies brothers remained with the band throughout its history. Quaife briefly left the band during 1966 and was replaced by John Dalton, though Quaife returned by the end of that year before leaving permanently in 1969, once again being replaced by Dalton. Keyboardist John Gosling was added in 1970 (prior to this, session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins played on many of their recordings). After Dalton's 1976 departure, Andy Pyle briefly served as the band's bassist before being replaced by Argent bassist Jim Rodford in 1978. Gosling quit in 1978 and was first replaced by ex-Pretty Things member Gordon John Edwards, then more permanently by Ian Gibbons in 1979. Avory left the group in 1984 and was replaced by another Argent member Bob Henrit. The band gave its last public performance in 1996, and broke up in 1997 as a result of creative tension between the Davies brothers.[8]

The Kinks have had five Top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100. chart. Nine of their albums charted in the Top 40.[9] In the UK, they have had seventeen Top 20 singles and five Top 10 albums.[10] Four Kinks albums have been certified gold by the RIAA and the band have sold over 50 million records worldwide. Among numerous honours, they received the Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Service to British Music".[11] In 1990, the original four members of the Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,[4][5] as well as the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005.

History edit

Formation (1962–1963) edit

 
6 Denmark Terrace, the childhood home of the Davies brothers. The front room is where the family's frequent Saturday night parties were held.

The Davies brothers were born in suburban North London on Huntingdon Road, East Finchley, the youngest and the only boys among their family's eight children.[12] Their parents, Frederick and Annie Davies, moved the family to 6 Denmark Terrace, Fortis Green, in the neighbouring suburb of Muswell Hill.[13] At home the brothers were immersed in a world of varied musical styles, from the music hall of their parents' generation to the jazz and early rock and roll their older sisters enjoyed.[13] Both Ray and his brother Dave, younger by almost three years, learned to play guitar, and they played skiffle and rock and roll together.[12]

The brothers attended William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School (later merged with Tollington Grammar School to become Fortismere School), where they formed a band, the Ray Davies Quartet, with Ray's friend and classmate Pete Quaife and Quaife's friend John Start (although they would also be known as the Pete Quaife Quartet, if the bass player landed a gig for them instead). Their debut at a school dance was well received, which encouraged the group to play at local pubs and bars. The band went through a series of lead vocalists, including Rod Stewart,[14] another student at William Grimshaw,[15] who performed with the group at least once in early 1962.[14] He then formed his own group, Rod Stewart and the Moonrakers, who became a local rival to the Ray Davies Quartet.[14]

In late 1962, Ray Davies left home to study at Hornsey College of Art. He pursued interests in subjects such as film, sketching, theatre, and music, including jazz and blues.[16] When Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated played at the college in December, he asked advice from Alexis Korner, who recommended Giorgio Gomelsky, the former Yardbirds manager, who put Davies in touch with the Soho-based Dave Hunt Band, a professional group of musicians who played jazz and R&B.[17] A few days after the Ray Davies Quartet supported Cyril Stapleton at the Lyceum Ballroom on New Year's Eve, Davies, while still remaining in the Quartet, joined the Dave Hunt Band which briefly included Charlie Watts on drums.[18] In February 1963, Davies left Dave Hunt to join the Hamilton King Band (also known as the Blues Messengers), which had Peter Bardens as pianist.[18] At the end of the spring term, he left Hornsey College with a view to study film at the Central School of Art and Design. Around this time the Quartet changed their name to the Ramrods.[19] Davies has referred to a show the fledgling Kinks played (again as the Ray Davies Quartet) at Hornsey Town Hall on Valentine's Day 1963 as their first important gig. In June, the Hamilton King Band broke up,[19] though the Ramrods kept going, performing under several other names, including the Pete Quaife Band, and the Bo-Weevils, before (temporarily) settling on the Ravens.[5][20] The fledgling group hired two managers, Grenville Collins and Robert Wace, and in late 1963 former pop singer Larry Page became their third manager. American record producer Shel Talmy began working with the band, and the Beatles' promoter, Arthur Howes, was retained to schedule the Ravens' live shows.[21] The group unsuccessfully auditioned for various record labels until early 1964, when Talmy secured them a contract with Pye Records. During this period they had acquired a new drummer, Mickey Willet; however, Willet left the band shortly before they signed to Pye.[20] The Ravens invited Mick Avory to replace him after seeing an advertisement Avory had placed in Melody Maker.[22] Avory had a background in jazz drumming and had played one gig with the fledgling Rolling Stones.[22]

Around this period, the Ravens decided on a new, permanent name: the Kinks. Numerous explanations of the name's genesis have been offered. In Jon Savage's analysis, they "needed a gimmick, some edge to get them attention. Here it was: 'Kinkiness'—something newsy, naughty but just on the borderline of acceptability. In adopting the 'Kinks' as their name at that time, they were participating in a time-honoured pop ritual—fame through outrage."[23] Manager Robert Wace related his side of the story: "I had a friend ... He thought the group was rather fun. If my memory is correct, he came up with the name just as an idea, as a good way of getting publicity ... When we went to [the band members] with the name, they were ... absolutely horrified. They said, 'We're not going to be called kinky!'"[23] Ray Davies' account conflicts with Wace's—he recalled that the name was coined by Larry Page, and referenced their "kinky" fashion sense. Davies quoted him as saying, "The way you look, and the clothes you wear, you ought to be called the Kinks."[23] "I've never really liked the name," Ray stated.[23]

Early years (1964–1965) edit

 
The Kinks in their red jackets, near Tower Bridge, London, August 1964

The Kinks' first single was a cover of the Little Richard song "Long Tall Sally". A friend of the band, Bobby Graham,[24] was recruited to play drums on the recording. Graham would continue to occasionally substitute for Avory in the studio and he played on several of the Kinks' early singles, including the hits "You Really Got Me", "All Day and All of the Night" and "Tired of Waiting for You".[25] Released in February 1964, "Long Tall Sally" was almost completely ignored, despite the publicity efforts of the band's managers. When the second single "You Still Want Me" failed to chart,[26] Pye Records threatened to annul the group's contract unless their third single was a success.

 
"You Really Got Me"
"You Really Got Me" (1964) features a jagged, distorted guitar riff, created by Dave Davies' cutting the speaker cone in an amplifier. The Kinks' first hit, it topped the British charts and reached number seven in the United States.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The Ray Davies song "You Really Got Me", influenced by American blues and the Kingsmen's version of "Louie Louie",[27][28] was recorded on 15 June 1964 at Pye Studios with a slower and more produced feel than the final single.[29][30][31] Davies wanted to rerecord the song using a lean, raw sound, but Pye refused to fund another session; Davies was adamant, so the producer Shel Talmy broke the stalemate by underwriting the session himself.[32] The band used an independent recording studio, IBC, and completed the recording in two takes on 15 July.[29] The single was released in August 1964; supported by a performance on the television show Ready Steady Go! and extensive pirate radio coverage, it entered the UK charts on 15 August, reaching number one on 19 September.[33][34] Hastily imported by the American label Reprise Records, where the band was signed by legendary executive Mo Ostin,[35] "You Really Got Me" also made the Top 10 in the United States.[6] The loud, distorted guitar riff and solo—played by Dave Davies and achieved by a slice he made in the speaker cone of his Elpico amplifier (referred to by the band as the "little green amp")—helped with the song's signature, gritty guitar sound.[36] "You Really Got Me" has been described as "a blueprint song in the hard rock and heavy metal arsenal",[36] and as an influence on the approach of some American garage rock bands.[37] After its release, the Kinks recorded most of the tracks for their debut LP, simply titled Kinks. Consisting largely of covers and revamped traditional songs, it was released on 2 October 1964, reaching number four on the UK chart.[38] "All Day and All of the Night", another Ray Davies hard rock tune, was released three weeks later as the group's fourth single, reaching number two in the UK and number seven in the US.[6][36][39] The next three singles, "Tired of Waiting for You", "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy" and "Set Me Free", were also commercially successful, with the first of the three topping the UK singles chart.[9][39]

The group opened 1965 with their first tour of Australia and New Zealand, with Manfred Mann and the Honeycombs.[40] An intensive performing schedule saw them headline other package tours throughout the year with acts such as the Yardbirds and Mickey Finn.[41] Tensions began to emerge within the band, expressed in incidents such as the on-stage fight between Avory and Dave Davies at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, Wales, on 19 May.[41][42] After finishing the first song, "You Really Got Me", Davies insulted Avory and kicked over his drum set.[41][42] Avory responded by hitting Davies with his hi-hat stand, rendering him unconscious, before fleeing from the scene, fearing that he had killed his bandmate. Davies was taken to Cardiff Royal Infirmary, where he received 16 stitches to his head.[41][42] To placate the police, Avory later claimed that it was part of a new act in which the band members would hurl their instruments at one another.[41][42]

Following a mid-year tour of the US, the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the group to appear in concerts there for the next four years, effectively cutting them off from the main market for rock music at the height of the British Invasion.[3][43] Although neither the Kinks nor the union revealed a specific reason for the ban, at the time it was widely attributed to their rowdy on-stage behaviour.[43] It has been reported that the ban was sparked by an incident that happened when the band were taping Dick Clark's TV show Where the Action Is in 1965. Ray Davies recalls in his autobiography, "Some guy who said he worked for the TV company walked up and accused us of being late. Then he started making anti-British comments. Things like 'Just because the Beatles did it, every mop-topped, spotty-faced limey juvenile thinks he can come over here and make a career for himself.'"; subsequently a punch was thrown and the AFM banned them.[44]

 
Publicity photo taken during a Swedish tour in 1965

A stopover in Bombay, India, during the band's Australian and Asian tour led to Davies writing the song "See My Friends", which was released as a single in July 1965.[45] This was an early example of crossover music, and one of the first pop songs of the period to display the direct influence of traditional music from the Indian subcontinent.[45] Davies had written the song with a raga feel after hearing the early morning chants of local fishermen.[46] Music historian Jonathan Bellman argues that the song was "extremely influential" on Ray Davies' musical peers: "And while much has been made of the Beatles' 'Norwegian Wood' because it was the first pop record to use a sitar, it was recorded well after the Kinks' clearly Indian 'See My Friends' was released."[45] Pete Townshend of the Who was particularly affected by the song: "'See My Friends' was the next time I pricked up my ears and thought, 'God, he's done it again. He's invented something new.' That was the first reasonable use of the drone—far, far better than anything The Beatles did and far, far earlier. It was a European sound rather than an Eastern sound but with a strong, legitimate Eastern influence which had its roots in European folk music."[47] In a widely quoted[45][47][48] statement by Barry Fantoni, himself a 1960s celebrity and friend of the Kinks, the Beatles and the Who, he recalled that it was also an influence on the Beatles: "I remember it vividly and still think it's a remarkable pop song. I was with the Beatles the evening that they actually sat around listening to it on a gramophone, saying 'You know this guitar thing sounds like a sitar. We must get one of those.'"[47] The song's radical departure from popular music conventions proved unpopular with the band's American following—it hit number 10 in the UK, but stalled at number 111 in the US.[49]

There were only a few bands that had this sorta really rough-sounding, what we used to call "R&B" style in the Sixties. There were the Yardbirds, there was us, there was the Pretty Things, as well.[50]

—Dave Davies, interview with the Austin Chronicle

The day after the band's return from the Asian tour, recording began promptly on their next project, Kinda Kinks. The LP was completed and released within two weeks, even though 10 of its 12 songs were originals.[51][52][53] According to Ray Davies, the band was not completely satisfied with the final cuts,[52][53] but pressure from the record company meant that no time was available to correct flaws in the mix. Davies later expressed his dissatisfaction with the production, saying, "A bit more care should have been taken with it. I think [producer] Shel Talmy went too far in trying to keep in the rough edges. Some of the double tracking on that is appalling. It had better songs on it than the first album, but it wasn't executed in the right way. It was just far too rushed."[53]

A significant stylistic shift in the Kinks' music became evident in late 1965, with the appearance of singles like "A Well Respected Man" and "Dedicated Follower of Fashion", as well as the band's third album The Kink Kontroversy,[4] on which Nicky Hopkins made his first appearance as a session musician with the group on keyboards.[54] These recordings exemplified the development of Davies' songwriting style, from hard-driving rock numbers toward songs rich in social commentary, observation and idiosyncratic character study, all with a uniquely English flavour.[4][7]

Critical success (1966–1972) edit

 
Promotional photograph taken in June 1965 during the band's first US tour

The satirical single "Sunny Afternoon" was the biggest UK hit of summer 1966, topping the charts and displacing the Beatles' "Paperback Writer".[55] Before the release of The Kink Kontroversy, Ray Davies suffered a nervous and physical breakdown, caused by the pressures of touring, writing and ongoing legal squabbles.[56] During his months of recuperation, he wrote several new songs and pondered the band's direction.[56] In June 1966, Quaife was involved in an automobile accident,[56] and after his recovery he decided to leave the band. Bassist John Dalton, who was initially hired to fill in for the injured Quaife, subsequently became his official replacement.[57] However, Quaife soon had a change of heart and rejoined the band in November 1966, with Dalton returning to his previous job as a coalman.[58]

"Sunny Afternoon" was a dry run for the band's next album Face to Face, which displayed Davies' growing ability to craft musically gentle yet lyrically cutting narrative songs about everyday life and people.[3] Hopkins returned for the sessions to play various keyboard instruments, including piano and harpsichord. He played on the band's next two studio albums as well, and was involved on a number of their live BBC recordings before joining the Jeff Beck Group in 1968.[56] Face to Face was released in October 1966 in the UK, where it was well received and peaked at number eight. When it was released in the US in December, the album was tipped as a potential "chart winner" by Billboard magazine.[59] Despite this, it managed only a meagre chart peak of 135—a sign of the band's flagging popularity in the American market.[60]

Released in November 1966, the Kinks' next single was a social commentary piece entitled "Dead End Street".[59] It became another UK Top 10 hit,[61] but reached only number 73 in the US.[6] Bob Dawbarn from Melody Maker praised Ray Davies' ability to create a song with "some fabulous lyrics and a marvellous melody ... combined with a great production",[62] and music scholar Johnny Rogan described it as "a kitchen sink drama without the drama—a static vision of working class stoicism".[61] One of the group's first promotional music videos was produced for the song. It was filmed on Little Green Street, a small 18th-century lane in north London, located off Highgate Road in Kentish Town.[63] Both "Dead End Street" and its B-side "Big Black Smoke" were recorded with John Dalton on bass, though Quaife had returned by the time the single was released, and appeared in the promotional music video.

 
"Waterloo Sunset"
"Waterloo Sunset" (1967), one of the Kinks' most famous songs, was recorded very quickly. Backing vocals by Dave Davies, Pete Quaife and Ray's wife, Rasa, were laid down first, followed by Ray's lead vocal track.[64] Dave Davies commented on the guitar effects: "We used a tape-delay echo ... it sounded new because nobody had done it since the 1950s."[65]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The Kinks' next single "Waterloo Sunset" was released in May 1967. The lyrics describe two lovers passing over a bridge, with a melancholic observer reflecting on the couple, the Thames, and Waterloo station.[66][67] The song was rumoured to have been inspired by the romance between actors Terence Stamp and Julie Christie, two British celebrities of the time.[68][69][70] Ray Davies denied this in his autobiography, and claimed in a 2008 interview, "It was a fantasy about my sister going off with her boyfriend to a new world and they were going to emigrate and go to another country."[67][71] Despite its complex arrangement, the sessions for "Waterloo Sunset" lasted a mere ten hours.[64] Dave Davies later commented on the recording: "We spent a lot of time trying to get a different guitar sound, to get a more unique feel for the record. In the end we used a tape-delay echo, but it sounded new because nobody had done it since the 1950s. I remember Steve Marriott of the Small Faces came up and asked me how we'd got that sound. We were almost trendy for a while."[65] The single was one of the Kinks' biggest UK successes, hitting number two on Melody Maker's chart,[68] and became one of their most popular and best-known songs. Pop music journalist Robert Christgau called it "the most beautiful song in the English language",[72] and AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine cited it as "possibly the most beautiful song of the rock and roll era".[73] Ray Davies was chosen to perform "Waterloo Sunset" at the closing of the 2012 London Olympic Games, 45 years after the song's release.[74][75]

 
Ray Davies playing a Fender acoustic, Dave Davies a prototype Gibson Flying V, on the Dutch TV programme Fenklup, 29 April 1967[76]

The songs on the 1967 album, Something Else by the Kinks, developed the musical progressions of Face to Face, adding English music hall influences to the band's sound.[77] Dave Davies scored a major UK chart success with the album's "Death of a Clown". While co-written by Ray Davies and recorded by the Kinks, the song was also released as a Dave Davies solo single.[6][77] Overall, the album's commercial performance was disappointing, prompting the Kinks to rush out a new single, "Autumn Almanac", in early October. Backed with "Mister Pleasant", the single became another Top 5 success for the group. At this point, in a string of 13 singles, 12 of them reached the top 10 in the UK chart.[78] Andy Miller suggests that, despite its success, the single marks a turning point in the band's career—it would be their last entry into the UK Top Ten for three years: "In retrospect, 'Autumn Almanac' marked the first hint of trouble for the Kinks. This glorious single, one of the greatest achievements of British 60s pop, was widely criticised at the time for being too similar to previous [Ray] Davies efforts."[79] Nick Jones of Melody Maker asked, "Is it time that Ray stopped writing about grey suburbanites going about their fairly unemotional daily business? ... Ray works to a formula, not a feeling, and it's becoming rather boring."[79] Disc jockey Mike Ahern called the song "a load of old rubbish".[79] Dave's second solo single "Susannah's Still Alive" was released in the UK on 24 November. It sold 59,000 copies, failing to reach the Top 10. Miller states that "by the end of the year, the Kinks were rapidly sliding out of fashion".[80]

Everyone was panicking because "Wonderboy" wasn't sounding like a hit record. Among the management and the agent, Danny Detesh, there was definitely a sense that the band wouldn't go on for much longer ... Danny came backstage when the record flopped and said, "Well, you've had a good run. You've enjoyed it." As if it was all over for us.[81]

—Ray Davies, on the decline of the band's 1960s incarnation, "Wonderboy", and cabaret touring

Beginning early in 1968, the group largely retired from touring, instead focusing on studio work. As the band was not available to promote their material, subsequent releases met with little success.[82] The Kinks' next single "Wonderboy", released in the spring of 1968, stalled at number 36 and became the band's first single not to make the UK Top Twenty since their early covers.[83] In the face of the band's declining popularity, Davies continued to pursue his personal song-writing style while rebelling against the heavy demands placed on him to keep producing commercial hits, and the group continued to devote time to the studio, centering on a slowly developing project of Ray's called Village Green.[3] In an attempt to revive the group's commercial standing, the Kinks' management booked them on a month-long package tour for April, drawing the group away from the studio. The venues were largely cabarets and clubs; headlining was Peter Frampton's group the Herd. "In general, the teenyboppers were not there to see the boring old Kinks, who occasionally had to endure chants of 'We Want The Herd!' during their brief appearances",[84] commented Andy Miller. The tour proved taxing and stressful—Pete Quaife recalled, "It was a chore, very dull, boring and straightforward ... We only did twenty minutes, but it used to drive me absolutely frantic, standing on stage and playing three notes over and over again."[84] At the end of June, the Kinks released the single "Days", which provided a minor, but only momentary, comeback for the group. "I remember playing it when I was at Fortis Green the first time I had a tape of it", Ray said. "I played it to Brian, who used to be our roadie, and his wife and two daughters. They were crying at the end of it. Really wonderful—like going to Waterloo and seeing the sunset. ... It's like saying goodbye to somebody, then afterwards feeling the fear that you actually are alone."[81] "Days" reached number 12 in the UK and was a Top 20 hit in several other countries, but it did not chart in the US.[85]

Village Green eventually morphed into their next album, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, released in late 1968 in the UK. A collection of thematic vignettes of English town and hamlet life, it was assembled from songs written and recorded over the previous two years.[86] It was greeted with almost unanimously positive reviews from both UK and US rock critics, yet failed to attract strong sales.[87] One factor in the album's initial commercial failure was the lack of a popular single;[88] it did not include the moderately successful "Days", and the album track "Starstruck" was released as a single in North America and continental Europe, but was unsuccessful.[89][90] Although a commercial disappointment, Village Green (the project's original name was adopted as shorthand for the long album title) was embraced by the new underground rock press when it was released in January 1969 in the US, where the Kinks began to acquire a reputation as a cult band.[91] In The Village Voice, a newly hired Robert Christgau called it "the best album of the year so far".[91] The underground Boston paper Fusion published a review stating, "the Kinks continue, despite the odds, the bad press and their demonstrated lot, to come across. ... Their persistence is dignified, their virtues are stoic. The Kinks are forever, only for now in modern dress."[91] The record did not escape criticism, however. In the student paper California Tech, one writer commented that it was "schmaltz rock ... without imagination, poorly arranged and a poor copy of The Beatles".[91] Although Davies later estimated that it had sold only around 100,000 copies worldwide on its initial release,[92] Village Green has since become the Kinks' best-selling original record.[87] The album remains popular; in 2004, it was rereleased in a 3CD "Deluxe" edition and the track "Picture Book" was featured in a popular Hewlett-Packard television commercial, helping considerably to boost the album's popularity.[93]

In early 1969, Quaife again announced that he was leaving the band.[94] The other members did not take his statement seriously until an article appeared in New Musical Express on 4 April featuring Quaife's new band, Maple Oak, which he had formed without telling the rest of the Kinks.[94][95][96] Ray Davies pleaded with him to return for the sessions for their upcoming album, but Quaife refused.[97] His last recording with the Kinks was the non-album single "Plastic Man" and its B-side "King Kong", released in March 1969. Immediately after Quaife had confirmed he was not returning, Ray Davies called up John Dalton, who had replaced Quaife three years prior, and asked him to rejoin. Dalton remained with the group until the recording of the album Sleepwalker in 1976.[97]

Ray Davies travelled to Los Angeles in April 1969 to help negotiate an end to the American Federation of Musicians' ban on the group, opening up an opportunity for them to return to touring in the US.[98] The group's management quickly made plans for a North American tour, to help restore their standing in the US pop music scene.[99] Before their return to the US, the Kinks recorded another album, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire).[100] As with the previous two albums, Arthur was grounded in characteristically English lyrical and musical hooks.[100] A modest commercial success, it was well received by American music critics.[6][100] Conceived as the score for a proposed but unrealised television drama, much of the album revolved around themes from the Davies brothers' childhood; their sister Rosie, who had migrated to Australia in the early 1960s with her husband Arthur Anning, the album's namesake; and life growing up during the Second World War.[100][101] The Kinks embarked on their tour of the US in October 1969.[99] The tour was generally unsuccessful, as the group struggled to find cooperative promoters and interested audiences; many of the scheduled concert dates were cancelled. The band did, however, manage to play a few major venues such as the Fillmore East and Whisky a Go Go.[102]

 
"Lola"
Ray Davies created the "clang" at the beginning of "Lola" (1970) by combining the sounds of a resonator and a Martin guitar.[103]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The band added keyboardist John Gosling to their line-up in early 1970;[104] before which, Nicky Hopkins and Ray Davies had done most of the session work on keyboards. In May 1970 Gosling debuted with the Kinks on "Lola", an account of a confused romantic encounter with a transvestite, which became both a UK and a US Top 10 hit, helping return the Kinks to the public eye.[104][105] The lyrics originally contained the word "Coca-Cola", and the BBC refused to broadcast the song, considering it to be in violation of their policy against product placement.[104] Part of the song was hastily rerecorded by Ray Davies, with the offending line changed to the generic "cherry cola", although in concert the Kinks still used "Coca-Cola".[104] Recordings of both versions of "Lola" exist. Released in November 1970, the accompanying album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One was a critical and commercial success, charting in the Top 40 in the US, making it their most successful album since the mid-1960s.[106][107] After the success of "Lola", the band released Percy in 1971, a soundtrack album to a film of the same name about a penis transplant.[108] The album, which consisted largely of instrumentals, did not receive positive reviews.[108] The band's US label, Reprise, declined to release it in the US, precipitating a major dispute that contributed to the band's departure from the label.[108] Directly after the release of the album, the band's contracts with Pye and Reprise expired.[3][108]

 
The Kinks, c. 1971. From left: John Gosling, Dave Davies, Mick Avory, John Dalton, Ray Davies (the band's line-up from 1970 to 1976).

Before the end of 1971, the Kinks signed a five-album deal with RCA Records and received a million-dollar advance, which helped fund the construction of their own recording studio, Konk.[3][109] Their debut for RCA, Muswell Hillbillies, was replete with the influence of music hall and traditional American musical styles, including country and bluegrass. Though not as successful as its predecessors, it is often hailed as their last great record.[109] It was named after Muswell Hill where Ray and Dave grew up, and contained songs focusing on working-class life and, again, the Davies brothers' childhood.[109] Despite positive reviews and high expectations, Muswell Hillbillies peaked at number 48 on the Record World chart and number 100 on the Billboard chart.[6][109] It was followed in 1972 by a double album, Everybody's in Show-Biz, consisting of both studio tracks and live numbers recorded during a two-night stand at Carnegie Hall.[110] The record featured the ballad "Celluloid Heroes" and the Caribbean-themed "Supersonic Rocket Ship", their last UK Top 20 hit for more than a decade.[110] "Celluloid Heroes" is a bittersweet rumination on dead and fading Hollywood stars (Mickey Rooney was still alive), in which the narrator declares that he wishes his life were like a movie "because celluloid heroes never feel any pain ... and celluloid heroes never really die."[110][111] The album was moderately successful in the US, peaking at number 47 in Record World and number 70 in Billboard.[6][110] It marks the transition between the band's early 1970s rock material and the theatrical incarnation in which they immersed themselves for the next four years.[110]

Theatrical incarnation (1973–1976) edit

In 1973, Ray Davies dived headlong into the theatrical style, beginning with the rock opera Preservation, a sprawling chronicle of social revolution, and a more ambitious outgrowth of the earlier Village Green Preservation Society ethos.[112][113] In conjunction with the Preservation project, the Kinks' line-up was expanded to include a horn section and female backup singers, essentially reconfiguring the group as a theatrical troupe.[3][112]

Ray Davies' marital problems during this period began to affect the band adversely,[113] particularly after his wife, Rasa, took their children and left him in June 1973.[114] Davies became depressed; during a July gig at White City Stadium he told the audience he was "fucking sick of the whole thing", and was retiring.[115][116][117] He subsequently collapsed after a drug overdose and was taken to hospital.[115][118] With Ray Davies in a seemingly critical condition, plans were discussed for Dave to continue as frontman in a worst-case scenario.[119] Ray recovered from his illness as well as his depression, but throughout the remainder of the Kinks' theatrical incarnation the band's output remained uneven, and their already fading popularity declined even more.[118] John Dalton later commented that when Davies "decided to work again ... I don't think he was totally better, and he's been a different person ever since."[119]

 
Ray Davies in character as Mr Flash, the anti-hero of the Preservation series

Preservation Act 1 (1973) and Preservation Act 2 (1974) received generally poor reviews.[112][120][121] The story on the albums involved an anti-hero called Mr Flash, and his rival and enemy Mr Black (played by Dave Davies during live shows), an ultra-purist and corporatist.[122] Preservation Act 2 was the first album recorded at Konk Studio; from this point forward, virtually every Kinks studio recording was produced by Ray Davies at Konk.[113][123] The band embarked on an ambitious US tour throughout late 1974, adapting the Preservation story for stage. Author Robert Polito: "[Ray] Davies expanded the Kinks into a road troupe of perhaps a dozen costumed actors, singers and horn players. ... Smoother and tighter than on record, Preservation live proved funnier as well."[124]

 
"Mirror Of Love"
"Mirror Of Love" (1974), incorporating aspects of Dixieland and New Orleans jazz, is typical of the Kinks' theatrical period.[125]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Davies began another project for Granada Television, a musical called Starmaker.[126] After a broadcast with Ray Davies in the starring role and the Kinks as both back-up band and ancillary characters, the project eventually morphed into the concept album The Kinks Present a Soap Opera, released in May 1975, in which Ray Davies fantasised about what would happen if a rock star traded places with a "normal Norman" and took a 9–5 job.[126][127] In August 1975, the Kinks recorded their final theatrical work, Schoolboys in Disgrace, a backstory biography of Preservation's Mr Flash.[128] The record was a modest success, peaking at number 45 on the Billboard charts.[6][128]

Return to commercial success (1977–1985) edit

Following the termination of their contract with RCA, the Kinks signed with Arista Records in 1976. With the encouragement of Arista's management they stripped back down to a five-man core group and were reborn as an arena rock band.[3] John Dalton left the band before finishing the sessions for the debut Arista album. Andy Pyle was brought in to complete the sessions and to play on the subsequent tour.[3] Sleepwalker, released in 1977, marked a return to success for the group as it peaked at number 21 on the Billboard chart.[6][129] After its release and the recording of the follow-up, Misfits, Andy Pyle and keyboardist John Gosling left the group to work together on a separate project.[130] In May 1978, Misfits, the Kinks' second Arista album, was released. It included the US Top 40 hit "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy",[131] which helped make the record another success for the band. The non-album single "Father Christmas" has remained a popular track. Driven by session drummer Henry Spinetti's drumming and Dave Davies' heavy guitar the song "Father Christmas" has become a classic seasonal favorite on mainstream radio.[132] For the following tour, the band recruited ex-Argent bassist Jim Rodford and ex–Pretty Things keyboardist Gordon John Edwards.[131] Edwards was soon fired from The Kinks for failing to show up to recordings sessions, and the band recorded 1979's Low Budget as a quartet, with Ray Davies handling keyboard duties. Keyboardist Ian Gibbons was recruited for the subsequent tour, and became a permanent member of the group. Despite the personnel changes, the popularity of the band's records and live shows continued to grow.

Beginning in the late 1970s, bands such as the Jam ("David Watts"), the Pretenders ("Stop Your Sobbing", "I Go to Sleep"), the Romantics ("Hung On You", "She's Got Everything"), and the Knack ("The Hard Way") recorded covers of Kinks songs, which helped bring attention to the group's new releases.[3][4] In 1978, Van Halen covered "You Really Got Me" for their debut single, a Top 40 US hit, helping boost the band's commercial resurgence (Van Halen later covered "Where Have All the Good Times Gone", another early Kinks song which had been covered by David Bowie on his 1973 album Pin Ups). The hard rock sound of Low Budget, released in 1979, helped make it the Kinks' second gold album and highest charting original album in the US, where it peaked at number 11.[3][4][6] The live album One for the Road was produced in 1980, along with a video of the same title, bringing the group's concert-drawing power to a peak that would last into 1983.[3][4] Dave Davies also took advantage of the group's improved commercial standing to fulfill his decade-long ambitions to release albums of his solo work. The first was the eponymous Dave Davies in 1980. It was also known by its catalogue number "AFL1-3603" because of its cover art, which depicted Dave Davies as a leather-jacketed piece of price-scanning barcode. He produced another, less successful, solo album in 1981, Glamour.[133][134]

 
"Come Dancing"
"Come Dancing" (1982), the Kinks' last major hit single, incorporated nostalgic music hall and big band styles. The song reached number six in the US and number 12 in the UK.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The next Kinks album, Give the People What They Want, was released in late 1981 and reached number 15 in the US.[135] The record attained gold status and featured the UK hit single "Better Things" as well as "Destroyer", a major Mainstream Rock hit for the group.[6][135] To promote the album, the Kinks spent the end of 1981 and most of 1982 touring relentlessly,[4] and played multiple sell-out concerts throughout Australia, Japan, England and the US.[136] The tour culminated with a performance at the US Festival in San Bernardino, California, for a crowd of 205,000.[137] In spring 1983, the song "Come Dancing" became their biggest American hit since "Tired of Waiting for You", peaking at number six.[6] It also became the group's first Top 20 hit in the UK since 1972, peaking at number 12 in the charts.[138] The accompanying album, State of Confusion, was another commercial success, reaching number 12 in the US, but, like all the group's albums since 1967, it failed to chart in the UK.[139] Another single released from the record, "Don't Forget to Dance", became a US top 30 hit and minor UK chart entry.[6]

 
Ray Davies in Brussels, 1985, as the group's popularity began to dwindle

The Kinks' second wave of popularity remained at a peak with State of Confusion, but that success began to fade, a trend that also affected their British rock contemporaries the Rolling Stones and the Who.[138][140][141] During the second half of 1983, Ray Davies started work on an ambitious solo film project, Return to Waterloo, about a London commuter who daydreams that he is a serial murderer.[142][143] The film gave actor Tim Roth a significant early role.[143] Davies' commitment to writing, directing and scoring the new work caused tension in his relationship with his brother.[144] Another problem was the stormy end of the relationship between Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde.[145] The old feud between Dave Davies and drummer Mick Avory also re-ignited. Davies eventually refused to work with Avory,[145] and called for him to be replaced by Bob Henrit, former drummer of Argent (of which Jim Rodford had also been a member).[145] Avory left the band, and Henrit was brought in to take his place. Ray Davies, who was still on amiable terms with Avory, invited him to manage Konk Studios. Avory accepted, and continued to serve as a producer and occasional contributor on later Kinks albums.[145]

Between the completion of Return to Waterloo and Avory's departure, the band had begun work on Word of Mouth, their final Arista album, released in November 1984. As a result it includes Avory on three tracks,[145] with Henrit and a drum machine on the rest.[146] Many of the songs also appeared as solo recordings on Ray Davies' Return to Waterloo soundtrack album.[142] Word of Mouth's lead track, "Do It Again", was released as a single in April 1985. It reached number 41 in the US, the band's last entry into the Billboard Hot 100.[146] Coinciding with the album's release, the first three books on the Kinks were published: The Kinks: The Official Biography, by Jon Savage;[147] The Kinks Kronikles, by rock critic John Mendelsohn, who had overseen the 1972 The Kink Kronikles compilation album; and The Kinks – The Sound And The Fury (The Kinks – A Mental Institution in the US), by Johnny Rogan.[148]

Decline in popularity and split (1986–1997) edit

In early 1986, the Kinks signed with MCA Records in the US and London Records in the UK.[9][146] Their first album for the new labels, Think Visual, was released later that year with moderate success, peaking at number 81 on the Billboard albums chart.[6][9][149] Songs like the ballad "Lost and Found" and "Working at the Factory" concerned blue-collar life on an assembly line, while the title track was an attack on the very MTV video culture from which the band had profited earlier in the decade.[150] Think Visual was followed in 1987 with the live album The Road, which was a mediocre commercial and critical performer.[6] In 1989, the Kinks released UK Jive, a commercial failure that made only a momentary entry into the album charts at number 122.[6] MCA Records ultimately dropped them, leaving the Kinks without a label deal for the first time in over a quarter of a century. Longtime keyboardist Ian Gibbons left the group and was replaced by Mark Haley.[151]

The Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, their first year of eligibility.[4] Mick Avory and Pete Quaife were present for the award.[4][151] The induction did not lead to a revival of the group's stalled career. A compilation from the MCA Records period, Lost & Found (1986–1989), was released in 1991 to fulfil contractual obligations, marking the official end of the group's relationship with the label.[9] The band then signed with Columbia Records and released the five-song EP Did Ya in 1991 which, despite being coupled with a new studio re-recording of the band's 1968 British hit "Days", failed to chart.[6][9]

The Kinks reverted to a four-piece band for the recording of their first Columbia album, Phobia, in 1993.[151][152] After a sellout performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Mark Haley departed the band and Gibbons rejoined them for a US tour.[151] Phobia managed only one week in the US Billboard chart at number 166;[6][151] as had by then become usual for the band, it made no impression in the UK.[152] The single "Only a Dream" narrowly failed to reach the British chart. The album's final candidate for release as a single, "Scattered", was announced and followed up with TV and radio promotion, but the record was unavailable in stores—several months later a small number appeared on the collector market.[152] The group was dropped by Columbia in 1994.[152] In the same year, the band released the first version of the album To the Bone on their own Konk label in the UK. This live acoustic album was partly recorded on the highly successful UK tours of 1993 and 1994 and partly in the Konk studio, in front of a small, invited audience.[153] Two years later the band released a new, improved, live double-CD set in the US, which retained the same name and contained two new studio tracks, "Animal" and "To The Bone". The CD set also featured new treatments of many old Kinks hits.[153] The record drew respectable press but failed to chart in either the US or the UK.[6][153]

The band's profile rose considerably in the mid-1990s, primarily as a result of the "Britpop" boom.[3][153] Several of the most prominent bands of the decade cited the Kinks as a major influence. Despite this recognition, the group's commercial viability continued to decline.[3] They gradually became less active, leading Ray and Dave Davies to pursue their own interests. Each released an autobiography; Ray's X-Ray was published in early 1995, and Dave responded with his memoir Kink, published a year later.[154] The Kinks gave their last public performance in mid-1996,[155] and the group assembled for what turned out to be their last time together at a party for Dave's 50th birthday. Kinks chronicler and historian Doug Hinman stated, "The symbolism of the event was impossible to overlook. The party was held at the site of the brothers' very first musical endeavour, the Clissold Arms pub, across the street from their childhood home on Fortis Green in North London."[156]

Solo work and recognition (1998–present) edit

 
Dave Davies at the Dakota Creek Roadhouse, 2002

The band members subsequently focused on solo projects, and the Davies brothers both released their own studio albums.[154] Talk of a Kinks reunion circulated (including an aborted studio reunion of the original band members in 1999), but neither Ray nor Dave Davies showed much interest in playing together again.[152] Meanwhile, former members John Gosling, John Dalton and Mick Avory had regrouped in 1994 and started performing on the oldies circuit along with guitar-player/singer Dave Clarke as the Kast Off Kinks.[157]

In 1998, Ray Davies released the solo album Storyteller as a companion piece to his book X-Ray. Originally written two years earlier as a cabaret-style show, the album celebrated his old band and his estranged brother.[158] Seeing the programming potential of his music/dialogue/reminiscence format, the American music television network VH1 launched a series of similar projects featuring established rock artists titled VH1 Storytellers.[158] Dave Davies spoke favourably of a Kinks reunion in early 2003, and as the 40th anniversary of the group's breakthrough neared, both the Davies brothers expressed interest in working together again.[159] However, hopes for a reunion were dashed in June 2004 when Dave suffered a stroke which temporarily impaired his ability to speak and play guitar.[71] Following his recovery, the Kinks were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005, with all four of the original band members in attendance. The induction helped fuel sales for the group; in August 2007, a re-entry of The Ultimate Collection, a compilation of material spanning the band's career, reached number 32 on the UK Top 100 album chart and number one on the UK Indie album chart.[160] Quaife, who had been receiving kidney dialysis for more than ten years, died on 23 June 2010, aged 66.[161] In 2018, long-time bassist Jim Rodford died at the age of 76.[162] Keyboardist Ian Gibbons died of cancer in 2019.[163] Gosling died on 4 August 2023, at the age of 75.[164]

In June 2018, the Davies brothers said they were working on a new Kinks studio album with Avory.[165] In July 2019, the band again said they were working on new music.[166] However, in a December 2020 interview with The New York Times, Ray Davies gave no indication that much work had been done, saying "I'd like to work with Dave again—if he'll work with me."[167] When asked about a reunion in an interview published in January 2021, Dave Davies said "We've been talking about it. I mean there's a lot of material and, you know, it could still happen."[168]

In March 2023, Avory laid to rest rumours of a reunion, citing differences between the Davies brothers: "I don't think it's possible now – one thing, health-wise. And I don't think we could ever work it out because Dave wanted to do it one way, and Ray wanted to do it the other – which was quite normal thinking for them. [...] Ray thought [of] doing it as an 'evolution tour' – you have different people who came into the band and what songs they recorded on and what songs affected them. I thought that would be more interesting. But I think Dave just wanted 'a band' – not particularly with me in it. Just reform something like they had when I left – just a band with him and Ray in it, really."[169]

Live performances edit

The first live performance of the Ray Davies Quartet, the band that would become the Kinks, was at a dance for their school, William Grimshaw, in 1962. The band performed under several names between 1962 and 1963—the Pete Quaife Band, the Bo-Weevils, the Ramrods, and the Ravens—before settling on the Kinks in early 1964.[5][20] Ray has stated that a performance at Hornsey Town Hall on Valentine's Day 1963 was when the band were truly born.

The Kinks made their first tour of Australia and New Zealand in January 1965 as part of a "package" bill that included Manfred Mann and the Honeycombs.[40] They performed and toured relentlessly, headlining package tours throughout 1965 with performers such as the Yardbirds and Mickey Finn.[41] Tensions began to emerge within the band, expressed in incidents such as the on-stage fight between drummer Mick Avory and Dave Davies at The Capitol Theatre, Cardiff, Wales on 19 May.[41][42] After finishing the first song, "You Really Got Me", Davies insulted Avory and kicked over his drum set.[41][42] Avory responded by hitting Davies with his hi-hat stand, rendering him unconscious, before fleeing from the scene, fearing that he had killed his bandmate. Davies was taken to Cardiff Royal Infirmary, where he received 16 stitches to his head.[41][42] To placate police, Avory later claimed that it was part of a new act in which the band members would hurl their instruments at each other.[41][42] Following their summer 1965 American tour, the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the group to appear in concerts in the US for the next four years,[3][43] possibly due to their rowdy on-stage behaviour.[170]

In April 1969 Davies helped negotiate an end to the American Federation of Musician ban on the group,[98] which allowed plans for a North American tour. However, over the next few years, Davies went into a state of depression, not helped by his collapsing marriage, culminating in his onstage announcement that he was "sick of it all" at a gig in White City Stadium, London in 1973.[114] A review of the concert published in Melody Maker stated: "Davies swore on stage. He stood at The White City and swore that he was 'F...... [sic] sick of the whole thing' ... He was 'Sick up to here with it' ... and those that heard shook their heads. Mick just ventured a disbelieving smile, and drummer [sic] on through 'Waterloo Sunset.'"[116] Davies proceeded to try to announce that the Kinks were breaking up as the band were leaving the stage, but this attempt was foiled by the group's publicity management, who pulled the plug on the microphone system.[114][116]

Musical style edit

The Kinks started out playing the then popular R&B and blues styles; then, under the influence of the Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" recording, developed louder rock and hard rock sounds. Due to their pioneering contribution to the field, they have often been labelled as "the original punks".[171][172] Dave Davies was "really bored with this guitar sound—or lack of an interesting sound" so he purchased "a little green amplifier ... an Elpico" from a radio spares shop in Muswell Hill,[173] and "twiddled around with it", including "taking the wires going to the speaker and putting a jack plug on there and plugging it straight into my AC30" (a larger amplifier), but didn't get the sound he wanted until he got frustrated and "got a single-sided Gillette razorblade and cut round the cone [from the centre to the edge] ... so it was all shredded but still on there, still intact. I played and I thought it was amazing."[174] The jagged sound of the amplifier was replicated in the studio; the Elpico was plugged into the Vox AC30, and the resulting effect became a mainstay in The Kinks' early recordings—most notably on "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night".[3]

From 1966 onwards,[3] the Kinks came to be known for their adherence to traditions of English music and culture, during a period when many other British bands dismissed their heritage in favour of American blues, R&B and pop styles.[3] Ray Davies recalled that at a distinct moment in 1965 he decided to break away from the American scene, and write more introspective and intelligent songs. "I decided I was going to use words more, and say things. I wrote 'A Well Respected Man'. That was the first real word-oriented song I wrote ... [I also] abandoned any attempt to Americanise my accent."[175] The Kinks' allegiance to English styles was strengthened by the ban placed on them by the American Federation of Musicians. The ban cut them off from the American record buying public, the world's largest musical market,[3] forcing them to focus on Britain and mainland Europe. The Kinks expanded on their English sound throughout the remainder of the 1960s, incorporating elements of music hall, folk, and baroque music through use of harpsichord, acoustic guitar, mellotron, and horns, in albums such as Face to Face, Something Else by the Kinks, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, and Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), creating some of the most influential and important music of the period.[3]

Beginning with Everybody's In Show-biz (1972), Ray Davies began exploring theatrical concepts on the group's albums; these themes became manifest on the 1973 album Preservation Act 1 and continued through Schoolboys In Disgrace (1976).[3] The Kinks were less commercially successful with these conceptual works, and were dropped by RCA which had signed them in 1971. In 1977 they moved to Arista Records, who insisted on a more traditional rock format. Sleepwalker (1977), which heralded their return to commercial success, featured a mainstream, relatively slick production style that would become their norm.[129] The band returned to hard rock for Low Budget (1979), and continued to record within the genre throughout the remainder of their career,[3] combining this with pop music in the 1980s with albums such as Give the People What They Want and songs such as "Better Things".[176]

Legacy edit

The Kinks are regarded as one of the most influential rock acts of the 1960s and early 1970s.[3][4] Stephen Thomas Erlewine called them "one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion".[3] They were ranked 65th on Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" list.[177]

Artists influenced by the Kinks include punk rock groups such as the Ramones,[178] the Clash,[179] Blondie,[180] and the Jam,[181] heavy metal acts including Van Halen and Britpop groups such as Oasis, Blur and Pulp.[3] Craig Nicholls, singer and guitarist of the Vines, described the Kinks as "great songwriters, so underrated".[182] Pete Townshend, guitarist with the Kinks' contemporaries the Who, credited Ray Davies with inventing "a new kind of poetry and a new kind of language for pop writing that influenced me from the very, very, very beginning."[183] Jon Savage wrote that the Kinks were an influence on late 1960s American psychedelic rock groups "like the Doors, Love and Jefferson Airplane".[65] Music writers and other musicians have acknowledged the influence of the Kinks on the development of hard rock and heavy metal. Musicologist Joe Harrington stated: "'You Really Got Me', 'All Day and All of the Night' and 'I Need You' were predecessors of the whole three-chord genre ... [T]he Kinks did a lot to help turn rock 'n' roll (Jerry Lee Lewis) into rock."[178] Queen guitarist Brian May credited the band with planting "the seed which grew into riff-based music."[184]

They have two albums, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (No. 384),[185] and Something Else by the Kinks (No. 478)[186] on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. They have three songs on the same magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list as updated in September 2021: "Waterloo Sunset" (No. 14),[187] "You Really Got Me" (No. 176),[188] and "Lola" (No. 386).[189] A musical, Sunny Afternoon, based on the early life of Ray Davies and the formation of the Kinks, opened at the Hampstead Theatre in April 2014.[190][191] The musical's name came from the band's 1966 hit single "Sunny Afternoon"[192] and features songs from the band's back catalogue.[193]

In 2015, it was reported that Julien Temple would direct a biopic of the Kinks titled You Really Got Me, but as of 2021 nothing had come of the project.[194] Temple previously released a documentary about Ray Davies titled Imaginary Man.[195]

Members edit

Main article: List of the Kinks band members

Past members

  • Ray Davies – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, harmonica (1963–1996)
  • Dave Davies – lead guitar, backing and lead vocals, occasional keyboards (1963–1996)
  • Mick Avory – drums, percussion (1963–1984)
  • Pete Quaife – bass, backing vocals (1963–1966,[196][57] 1966–1969; died 2010)
  • John Dalton – bass, backing vocals (1966, 1969–1976)[197]
  • Andy Pyle – bass (1976–1978)
  • Jim Rodford – bass, backing vocals (1978–1997; died 2018)
  • John Gosling – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (1970–1978; died 2023)
  • Gordon John Edwards – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (1978–1979; died 2003)[1]
  • Ian Gibbons – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (1979–1989, 1993–1997; died 2019)
  • Mark Haley – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (1989–1993)[2]
  • Bob Henrit – drums, percussion (1984–1996)

Major album contributors

  • Rasa Davies – backing vocals from Kinks (1964) to The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
  • Bobby Graham – drums, percussion on select tracks from Kinks (1964) and Kinda Kinks (1965; died 2009)
  • Nicky Hopkins – keyboards, piano from The Kink Kontroversy (1965) to The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968) (died 1994)
  • Clem Cattini – drums, percussion on select tracks from The Kink Kontroversy (1965) and drum overdubs on Misfits (1978)

Discography edit

Main article: The Kinks discography

The Kinks were active for more than three decades, between 1963 and 1996, releasing twenty-four studio albums and four live albums.[198] The first two albums were released in different formats in the UK and US, partly because of the contrast in popularity of the extended play format—the UK market liked EPs, the US market did not, so US albums had the EP releases bundled onto them—and also because the US albums included the hit singles, while the UK albums did not; after The Kink Kontroversy in 1965, the UK/US album releases were the same.[199] There have been somewhere between 100 and 200 compilation albums released worldwide.[200][201][202] The hit singles included three UK number ones, starting in 1964 with "You Really Got Me"; plus eighteen Top 40 singles in the 1960s alone, and additional Top 40 hits in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Kinks had five Top 10 singles on the US Billboard chart and nine Top 40 albums.[9] In the UK, the group had seventeen Top 20 singles and five Top 10 albums.[10] The RIAA has certified four of the Kinks' albums as gold records. Released in 1965, The Kinks Greatest Hits! was certified gold for sales of 1,000,000 on 28 November 1968—this was six days after the release of The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, which failed to chart worldwide.[88] The group did not receive another gold record award until 1979's Low Budget. The 1980 live album One For The Road was certified gold on 8 December 1980. Give The People What They Want, released in 1981, received its certification on 25 January 1982 for sales of 500,000 copies.[203] Despite not selling at the time of its release,Village Green was awarded a gold disc in the UK in 2018 for selling more than 100,000 copies.[204] For the hit single "Come Dancing", the performing rights organisation ASCAP presented the Kinks with an award for "One of the Most Played Songs of 1983".[147]

Studio albums

Live albums

See also edit

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 219.
  2. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 298.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Erlewine, Stephen. "The Kinks Biography on All Music.com". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "The Kinks". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2007. from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e . Blender.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Charts And Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  7. ^ a b . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  8. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 340–342.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "Discography". Allmusic. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  10. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny (2004). passim ("Chart Positions" data)
  11. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 303.
  12. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 6.
  13. ^ a b Kitts 2008, pp. 1–3.
  14. ^ a b c Hinman 2004, pp. 8–9.
  15. ^ Ewbank, Tim; Hildred, Stafford (2005). Rod Stewart: The New Biography. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-74995027-9.
  16. ^ Kitts 2008, p. 23.
  17. ^ Kitts 2008, pp. 28–29.
  18. ^ a b Kitts 2008, p. 29.
  19. ^ a b Kitts 2008, p. 30.
  20. ^ a b c Hinman 2004, pp. 9–20.
  21. ^ Savage 1984, pp. 15–19.
  22. ^ a b Hinman 2004, pp. 17–20.
  23. ^ a b c d Savage 1984, p. 17.
  24. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 20.
  25. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 20–46.
  26. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 18–22.
  27. ^ McCormick, Neil (4 August 2014). "Was heavy rock born 50 years ago?". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
  28. ^ Ellis, Iain (2012). Brit Wits: A History of British Rock Humor. Intellect Books. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-84150565-7. from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  29. ^ a b Buskin, Richard (September 2009). "The Kinks "You Really Got Me": Classic Tracks". soundonsound.com. from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  30. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 28.
  31. ^ Giles, Jeff (4 August 2015). "51 Years Ago: The Kinks Change Rock With "You Really Got Me"". ultimateclassicrock.com. from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  32. ^ Jovanovic, Rob (3 June 2013). God Save The Kinks. Aurum Press. pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-1-84513-671-0.
  33. ^ Rogan 2015, pp. 151–152.
  34. ^ Kitts 2008, p. 40.
  35. ^ Hilburn, Robert (11 December 1994). "Quotations From Chairman Mo : Mo Ostin let his artists do the talking for him his whole career. Now the record-biz legend steps out of the shadows and takes us on a tour from Ol' Blue Eyes to Red Hot Chili Peppers". Los Angeles Times. from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  36. ^ a b c Sullivan, Denise. "You Really Got Me". Allmusic. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  37. ^ Kitts 2008, p. 43.
  38. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 30–40.
  39. ^ a b Rogan 1998, p. 10.
  40. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 47.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kitts 2008, p. 58.
  42. ^ a b c d e f g h Hinman 2004, p. 55.
  43. ^ a b c Alterman, Loraine (18 December 1969). "Who Let the Kinks In?". Rolling Stone. from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  44. ^ Savage, Mark (23 April 2017). "To Ray Davies, America is a 'beautiful but dangerous' place". BBC News. from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  45. ^ a b c d Bellman 1998, p. 294.
  46. ^ Kitts 2008, p. 241.
  47. ^ a b c Savage 1984, p. 58.
  48. ^ Bellman 1998, p. 363.
  49. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 62.
  50. ^ Stegall, Tim. "The Li'l Green Aggravation Society". Austin Chronicle. from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  51. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 48.
  52. ^ a b "Kinda Kinks". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  53. ^ a b c Doggett, Peter. Kinda Kinks CD liner notes, Sanctuary Records (2004)
  54. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 68.
  55. ^ Rogan 1998, p. 16.
  56. ^ a b c d Hinman 2004, p. 77.
  57. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 89.
  58. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 91.
  59. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 93.
  60. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 91–93.
  61. ^ a b Rogan 1998, p. 17.
  62. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 92.
  63. ^ "Dave Davies Returns to Little Green Street and talks about Dead End Street". DetuneTv. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved on 27 November 2009
  64. ^ a b Kitts 2008, pp. 86–87.
  65. ^ a b c Savage 1984, p. 87.
  66. ^ Maginnis, Tom. "Waterloo Sunset". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  67. ^ a b Baltin, Steve (27 March 2008). . spinner.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  68. ^ a b Rogan 1998, p. 18.
  69. ^ . Variety. Archived from the original on 22 April 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  70. ^ Jenkins, David (3 February 2008). "Julie Christie: Still Our Darling". Sunday Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  71. ^ a b McNair, James (23 September 2008). "Ray Davies' well-respected legacy". The Independent. London. from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  72. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: The Kinks". Village Voice, Robertchristgau.com. from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  73. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "To the Bone". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  74. ^ Moreton, Cole (22 July 2012). . The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  75. ^ "Davies: Closing ceremony was 'intimate'". Irish Examiner. 16 August 2012. from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  76. ^ Forte, Dan (September 1977). "Dave Davies – Of The Kinks". Guitar Player.
  77. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen. "Something Else By The Kinks". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  78. ^ "Kinks UK Chart History". Official Charts. from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  79. ^ a b c Miller 2003, p. 15.
  80. ^ Miller 2003, p. 16.
  81. ^ a b Savage 1984, pp. 97–100.
  82. ^ Miller 2003, pp. 4–10.
  83. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2004). p. 20
  84. ^ a b Miller 2003, p. 27.
  85. ^ Rogan 1998, p. 20.
  86. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "The Village Green Preservation Society". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  87. ^ a b Miller 2003, p. 138.
  88. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 121.
  89. ^ Miller 2003, p. 85.
  90. ^ Kitts 2008, p. 121.
  91. ^ a b c d Hinman 2004, p. 125.
  92. ^ Rogan 2015, p. 365.
  93. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Picture Book". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  94. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 123.
  95. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 124.
  96. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 127.
  97. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 126.
  98. ^ a b Hinman 2004, pp. 128–129.
  99. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 137.
  100. ^ a b c d Erlewine, Stephen. "Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  101. ^ Kitts 2008, p. 131.
  102. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 133–137.
  103. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 140.
  104. ^ a b c d Hinman 2004, p. 141.
  105. ^ Rogan 1998, pp. 22–23.
  106. ^ Rogan 1998, pp. 75–80.
  107. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  108. ^ a b c d Erlewine, Stephen. "Percy". Allmusic. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  109. ^ a b c d Erlewine, Stephen. "Muswell Hillbillies". Allmusic. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  110. ^ a b c d e Erlewine, Stephen. "Everybody's in Show-Biz". Allmusic. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  111. ^ Davies, Ray. "Celluloid Heroes" lyrics. Davray Music Ltd. (1972)
  112. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen. "Preservation Act 1". Allmusic. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  113. ^ a b c Hinman 2004, p. 169.
  114. ^ a b c Hinman 2004, p. 173.
  115. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 174.
  116. ^ a b c Hollingsworth, Roy (21 July 1973). "Thank you for the days, Ray". Melody Maker.
  117. ^ Gilbert, Jerry (21 July 1973). "Ray Quits Kinks". Sounds.
  118. ^ a b George, Chris (27 August 1994). "The Kitchen Sink Kink". The Independent. from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  119. ^ a b Marten & Hudson 2007, pp. 128–129.
  120. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 177–179.
  121. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "Preservation: Act 2". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  122. ^ Weisbard 2004, pp. 135–140.
  123. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 178.
  124. ^ Weisbard 2004, p. 139.
  125. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 181.
  126. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen. "The Kinks Present a Soap Opera". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  127. ^ Hickey, Dave. "Soap Opera: Rock Theater That Works". Village Voice, 19 May 1975
  128. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen. "The Kinks Present Schoolboys In Disgrace". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  129. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen. "Sleepwalker". Allmusic. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  130. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 218.
  131. ^ a b Hinman 2004, pp. 218–219.
  132. ^ "The Kinks, "Father Christmas" "American Songwriter". American Songwriter. 21 December 2015. from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  133. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Dave Davies". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  134. ^ Chrispell, James. "AFL1-3603". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  135. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen. "Give the People What They Want". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  136. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 250–270.
  137. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 260.
  138. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny (2004). p. 138
  139. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 266.
  140. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "The Rolling Stones". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  141. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "The Who". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  142. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Return To Waterloo". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  143. ^ a b Deming, Mark. "Return To Waterloo". Allmovie. from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  144. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 270.
  145. ^ a b c d e Hinman 2004, pp. 275–300.
  146. ^ a b c Rogan, Johnny (2004). p. 142
  147. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 272.
  148. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 352.
  149. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2004). pp. 142–154
  150. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "Think Visual". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  151. ^ a b c d e Hinman 2004, pp. 300–320.
  152. ^ a b c d e Hinman 2004, p. 325.
  153. ^ a b c d Hinman 2004, p. 340.
  154. ^ a b Hinman 2004, p. 333.
  155. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 325–350.
  156. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 337.
  157. ^ Eder, Bruce. "Mick Avory". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  158. ^ a b Ruhlman, William; Erlewine, Stephen. "Ray Davies". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  159. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 342.
  160. ^ Strong 2006, p. 608.
  161. ^ Greene, Andy (24 June 2010). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 26 June 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  162. ^ "Zombies bassist and former Kinks member Jim Rodford dies at 76". The Guardian. 20 January 2018. from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  163. ^ "The Kinks keyboardist Ian Gibbons has died". NME. 2 August 2019. from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  164. ^ Rapp, Allison (4 August 2023). "Ex-Kinks Keyboard Player John Gosling Dead at 75". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  165. ^ Vincent, Alice (26 June 2018). "Ray Davies: The Kinks are officially getting back together". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  166. ^ "The Kinks Are Recording New Music, According to Ray and Dave Davies". SPIN. 17 July 2019. from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  167. ^ Farber, Jim (1 December 2020). "Ray Davies on 50 Years of 'Lola'". The New York Times. from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  168. ^ Edgers, Geoff (31 January 2021). "Q&A with Dave Davies: Whether the Kinks will reunite, the magic of 'Lola' and the little green amp". The Washington Post. from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  169. ^ Prato, Greg (28 March 2023). "The Kinks' Mick Avory Talks New Anthology, 'You Really Got Me,' and If A Reunion Is Possible". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  170. ^ Crouse, Timothy. The British Scourge . Show Guide Magazine, 1969.
  171. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 1.
  172. ^ Ganz, Caryn (30 October 2009). "Hall of Fame Anniversary Rocks on With Second All-Star Night". Rolling Stone. from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  173. ^ Davies, Dave. . davedavies.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016.
  174. ^ Hunter, Dave (January 1999). . The Guitar Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015.
  175. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 61.
  176. ^ Carino, Paula (2011). "The 30-Day Song Selection Spectacular: #4, Favorite Breakup Song". American Songwriter. from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  177. ^ Buck, Peter. "100 Greatest Artists". Rolling Stone. from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  178. ^ a b Harrington, Joe S. Sonic Cool: The Life & Death of Rock 'n' Roll (2002), p. 165
  179. ^ Gracyk, Theodore. I Wanna Be Me: Rock Music and the Politics of Identity (2001), p. 75
  180. ^ Porter, Dick; Needs, Kris (13 February 2017). Blondie: Parallel Lines. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857127808. from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  181. ^ Perone, James E. (2009). Mods, Rockers, and the Music of the British Invasion. ABC-CLIO. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-275-99860-8.
  182. ^ DiPerna, Alan Guitar Player Magazine (2004), p. 106
  183. ^ The History of Rock 'n' Roll (Television). Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. 1995.
  184. ^ Vinnicombe, Chris (24 November 2009). "VIDEO: Queen's Brian May picks his favourite riffs". MusicRadar. from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  185. ^ "Village Green ranked 384th by Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 22 September 2020. from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  186. ^ "Something Else ranked 478th by Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 22 September 2020. from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  187. ^ "Waterloo Sunset ranked 14th by Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  188. ^ "You Really Got Me ranked 176th by Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  189. ^ "Lola ranked 386th by Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  190. ^ "'Sunny Afternoon' uses band's hits to tell Ray Davies' life story". Rolling Stone. 13 December 2013. from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  191. ^ "London's Hampstead Theatre to Offer World Premiere of Sunny Afternoon, Early Life Story of Singer-Songwriter Ray Davies". playbill.com. Playbill. 16 December 2013. from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  192. ^ "The Kinks: Musical to tell Ray Davies' early life story". BBC News. 13 December 2013. from the original on 6 February 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  193. ^ "Ray Davies musical to premiere at Hampstead Theatre". The Stage. 13 December 2013. from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  194. ^ Child, Ben (18 May 2015). "Julien Temple to direct Kinks biopic You Really Got Me". The Guardian. from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  195. ^ "'Imaginary Man': Julian Temple's superb documentary on Ray Davies". Dangerous Minds. 5 February 2013. from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  196. ^ Laing, Dave (27 June 2010). "Pete Quaife obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  197. ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 89, 217–219.
  198. ^ Fox, Hank (4 March 1967). "Disk Firms Swing to Less-Groove Policy". Billboard. pp. 1 & 10. from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  199. ^ Hinman, Doug (1994). You Really Got Me : An Illustrated World Discography of the Kinks, 1964–1993. Douglas E Hinman. from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  200. ^ Hinman, Doug (1994). You Really Got Me : An Illustrated World Discography of the Kinks, 1964–1993. Douglas E Hinman. from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  201. ^ "The Kinks Discography: Compilations". discogs.com. from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  202. ^ "The Kinks: Discography: Compilations". allmusic.com. from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  203. ^ Hinman 2004, p. 256.
  204. ^ "The Kinks awarded gold disc for classic Village Green Preservation Society album". ITV News. 13 November 2018. from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2020.

Sources edit

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
The Kinks (category)
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to The Kinks.
  • Official website  
  • The Kinks at Curlie
  • The Kinks discography at Discogs
  • The Kinks at IMDb

January 19, 2024
kinks, their, eponymous, album, kinks, album, other, uses, kink, were, english, rock, band, formed, london, 1963, brothers, dave, davies, they, regarded, most, influential, rock, bands, 1960s, band, emerged, during, height, british, rhythm, blues, merseybeat, . For their eponymous album see Kinks album For other uses see Kink The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s 3 4 The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965 Their third single the Ray Davies penned You Really Got Me 4 5 became an international hit topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States 6 The KinksOriginal lineup in 1965From left Pete Quaife Dave Davies Ray Davies and Mick AvoryBackground informationOriginLondon EnglandGenresRockpopDiscographyThe Kinks discographyYears active1963 1996LabelsPyeCameoRepriseRCAAristaLondonMCAColumbiaKochGuardianUniversalPast membersRay Davies Dave Davies Mick Avory Pete Quaife John Dalton John Gosling Andy Pyle Gordon John Edwards 1 Jim Rodford Ian Gibbons Bob Henrit Mark Haley 2 Websitethekinks infoThe Kinks music drew from a wide range of influences including American R amp B and rock and roll initially and later adopting British music hall folk and country The band gained a reputation for reflecting English culture and lifestyle fuelled by Ray Davies wittily observational writing style 3 4 5 7 and made apparent in albums such as Face to Face 1966 Something Else 1967 The Village Green Preservation Society 1968 Arthur 1969 Lola Versus Powerman 1970 and Muswell Hillbillies 1971 along with their accompanying singles including the transatlantic hit Lola 1970 After a fallow period in the mid 1970s the band experienced a revival with their albums Sleepwalker 1977 Misfits 1978 Low Budget 1979 Give the People What They Want 1981 and State of Confusion 1983 the last of which produced one of the band s most successful US hits Come Dancing In addition groups such as Van Halen the Jam the Knack the Pretenders and the Romantics covered their songs helping to boost the Kinks record sales In the 1990s Britpop acts such as Blur and Oasis cited the band as a major influence 3 The original line up comprised Ray Davies lead vocals rhythm guitar Dave Davies lead guitar vocals Mick Avory drums percussion and Pete Quaife bass The Davies brothers remained with the band throughout its history Quaife briefly left the band during 1966 and was replaced by John Dalton though Quaife returned by the end of that year before leaving permanently in 1969 once again being replaced by Dalton Keyboardist John Gosling was added in 1970 prior to this session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins played on many of their recordings After Dalton s 1976 departure Andy Pyle briefly served as the band s bassist before being replaced by Argent bassist Jim Rodford in 1978 Gosling quit in 1978 and was first replaced by ex Pretty Things member Gordon John Edwards then more permanently by Ian Gibbons in 1979 Avory left the group in 1984 and was replaced by another Argent member Bob Henrit The band gave its last public performance in 1996 and broke up in 1997 as a result of creative tension between the Davies brothers 8 The Kinks have had five Top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart Nine of their albums charted in the Top 40 9 In the UK they have had seventeen Top 20 singles and five Top 10 albums 10 Four Kinks albums have been certified gold by the RIAA and the band have sold over 50 million records worldwide Among numerous honours they received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Service to British Music 11 In 1990 the original four members of the Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 4 5 as well as the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005 Contents 1 History 1 1 Formation 1962 1963 1 2 Early years 1964 1965 1 3 Critical success 1966 1972 1 4 Theatrical incarnation 1973 1976 1 5 Return to commercial success 1977 1985 1 6 Decline in popularity and split 1986 1997 1 7 Solo work and recognition 1998 present 2 Live performances 3 Musical style 4 Legacy 5 Members 6 Discography 7 See also 8 References 8 1 Citations 8 2 Sources 9 External linksHistory editFormation 1962 1963 edit nbsp 6 Denmark Terrace the childhood home of the Davies brothers The front room is where the family s frequent Saturday night parties were held The Davies brothers were born in suburban North London on Huntingdon Road East Finchley the youngest and the only boys among their family s eight children 12 Their parents Frederick and Annie Davies moved the family to 6 Denmark Terrace Fortis Green in the neighbouring suburb of Muswell Hill 13 At home the brothers were immersed in a world of varied musical styles from the music hall of their parents generation to the jazz and early rock and roll their older sisters enjoyed 13 Both Ray and his brother Dave younger by almost three years learned to play guitar and they played skiffle and rock and roll together 12 The brothers attended William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School later merged with Tollington Grammar School to become Fortismere School where they formed a band the Ray Davies Quartet with Ray s friend and classmate Pete Quaife and Quaife s friend John Start although they would also be known as the Pete Quaife Quartet if the bass player landed a gig for them instead Their debut at a school dance was well received which encouraged the group to play at local pubs and bars The band went through a series of lead vocalists including Rod Stewart 14 another student at William Grimshaw 15 who performed with the group at least once in early 1962 14 He then formed his own group Rod Stewart and the Moonrakers who became a local rival to the Ray Davies Quartet 14 In late 1962 Ray Davies left home to study at Hornsey College of Art He pursued interests in subjects such as film sketching theatre and music including jazz and blues 16 When Alexis Korner s Blues Incorporated played at the college in December he asked advice from Alexis Korner who recommended Giorgio Gomelsky the former Yardbirds manager who put Davies in touch with the Soho based Dave Hunt Band a professional group of musicians who played jazz and R amp B 17 A few days after the Ray Davies Quartet supported Cyril Stapleton at the Lyceum Ballroom on New Year s Eve Davies while still remaining in the Quartet joined the Dave Hunt Band which briefly included Charlie Watts on drums 18 In February 1963 Davies left Dave Hunt to join the Hamilton King Band also known as the Blues Messengers which had Peter Bardens as pianist 18 At the end of the spring term he left Hornsey College with a view to study film at the Central School of Art and Design Around this time the Quartet changed their name to the Ramrods 19 Davies has referred to a show the fledgling Kinks played again as the Ray Davies Quartet at Hornsey Town Hall on Valentine s Day 1963 as their first important gig In June the Hamilton King Band broke up 19 though the Ramrods kept going performing under several other names including the Pete Quaife Band and the Bo Weevils before temporarily settling on the Ravens 5 20 The fledgling group hired two managers Grenville Collins and Robert Wace and in late 1963 former pop singer Larry Page became their third manager American record producer Shel Talmy began working with the band and the Beatles promoter Arthur Howes was retained to schedule the Ravens live shows 21 The group unsuccessfully auditioned for various record labels until early 1964 when Talmy secured them a contract with Pye Records During this period they had acquired a new drummer Mickey Willet however Willet left the band shortly before they signed to Pye 20 The Ravens invited Mick Avory to replace him after seeing an advertisement Avory had placed in Melody Maker 22 Avory had a background in jazz drumming and had played one gig with the fledgling Rolling Stones 22 Around this period the Ravens decided on a new permanent name the Kinks Numerous explanations of the name s genesis have been offered In Jon Savage s analysis they needed a gimmick some edge to get them attention Here it was Kinkiness something newsy naughty but just on the borderline of acceptability In adopting the Kinks as their name at that time they were participating in a time honoured pop ritual fame through outrage 23 Manager Robert Wace related his side of the story I had a friend He thought the group was rather fun If my memory is correct he came up with the name just as an idea as a good way of getting publicity When we went to the band members with the name they were absolutely horrified They said We re not going to be called kinky 23 Ray Davies account conflicts with Wace s he recalled that the name was coined by Larry Page and referenced their kinky fashion sense Davies quoted him as saying The way you look and the clothes you wear you ought to be called the Kinks 23 I ve never really liked the name Ray stated 23 Early years 1964 1965 edit nbsp The Kinks in their red jackets near Tower Bridge London August 1964The Kinks first single was a cover of the Little Richard song Long Tall Sally A friend of the band Bobby Graham 24 was recruited to play drums on the recording Graham would continue to occasionally substitute for Avory in the studio and he played on several of the Kinks early singles including the hits You Really Got Me All Day and All of the Night and Tired of Waiting for You 25 Released in February 1964 Long Tall Sally was almost completely ignored despite the publicity efforts of the band s managers When the second single You Still Want Me failed to chart 26 Pye Records threatened to annul the group s contract unless their third single was a success nbsp You Really Got Me source source You Really Got Me 1964 features a jagged distorted guitar riff created by Dave Davies cutting the speaker cone in an amplifier The Kinks first hit it topped the British charts and reached number seven in the United States Problems playing this file See media help The Ray Davies song You Really Got Me influenced by American blues and the Kingsmen s version of Louie Louie 27 28 was recorded on 15 June 1964 at Pye Studios with a slower and more produced feel than the final single 29 30 31 Davies wanted to rerecord the song using a lean raw sound but Pye refused to fund another session Davies was adamant so the producer Shel Talmy broke the stalemate by underwriting the session himself 32 The band used an independent recording studio IBC and completed the recording in two takes on 15 July 29 The single was released in August 1964 supported by a performance on the television show Ready Steady Go and extensive pirate radio coverage it entered the UK charts on 15 August reaching number one on 19 September 33 34 Hastily imported by the American label Reprise Records where the band was signed by legendary executive Mo Ostin 35 You Really Got Me also made the Top 10 in the United States 6 The loud distorted guitar riff and solo played by Dave Davies and achieved by a slice he made in the speaker cone of his Elpico amplifier referred to by the band as the little green amp helped with the song s signature gritty guitar sound 36 You Really Got Me has been described as a blueprint song in the hard rock and heavy metal arsenal 36 and as an influence on the approach of some American garage rock bands 37 After its release the Kinks recorded most of the tracks for their debut LP simply titled Kinks Consisting largely of covers and revamped traditional songs it was released on 2 October 1964 reaching number four on the UK chart 38 All Day and All of the Night another Ray Davies hard rock tune was released three weeks later as the group s fourth single reaching number two in the UK and number seven in the US 6 36 39 The next three singles Tired of Waiting for You Ev rybody s Gonna Be Happy and Set Me Free were also commercially successful with the first of the three topping the UK singles chart 9 39 The group opened 1965 with their first tour of Australia and New Zealand with Manfred Mann and the Honeycombs 40 An intensive performing schedule saw them headline other package tours throughout the year with acts such as the Yardbirds and Mickey Finn 41 Tensions began to emerge within the band expressed in incidents such as the on stage fight between Avory and Dave Davies at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff Wales on 19 May 41 42 After finishing the first song You Really Got Me Davies insulted Avory and kicked over his drum set 41 42 Avory responded by hitting Davies with his hi hat stand rendering him unconscious before fleeing from the scene fearing that he had killed his bandmate Davies was taken to Cardiff Royal Infirmary where he received 16 stitches to his head 41 42 To placate the police Avory later claimed that it was part of a new act in which the band members would hurl their instruments at one another 41 42 Following a mid year tour of the US the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the group to appear in concerts there for the next four years effectively cutting them off from the main market for rock music at the height of the British Invasion 3 43 Although neither the Kinks nor the union revealed a specific reason for the ban at the time it was widely attributed to their rowdy on stage behaviour 43 It has been reported that the ban was sparked by an incident that happened when the band were taping Dick Clark s TV show Where the Action Is in 1965 Ray Davies recalls in his autobiography Some guy who said he worked for the TV company walked up and accused us of being late Then he started making anti British comments Things like Just because the Beatles did it every mop topped spotty faced limey juvenile thinks he can come over here and make a career for himself subsequently a punch was thrown and the AFM banned them 44 nbsp Publicity photo taken during a Swedish tour in 1965A stopover in Bombay India during the band s Australian and Asian tour led to Davies writing the song See My Friends which was released as a single in July 1965 45 This was an early example of crossover music and one of the first pop songs of the period to display the direct influence of traditional music from the Indian subcontinent 45 Davies had written the song with a raga feel after hearing the early morning chants of local fishermen 46 Music historian Jonathan Bellman argues that the song was extremely influential on Ray Davies musical peers And while much has been made of the Beatles Norwegian Wood because it was the first pop record to use a sitar it was recorded well after the Kinks clearly Indian See My Friends was released 45 Pete Townshend of the Who was particularly affected by the song See My Friends was the next time I pricked up my ears and thought God he s done it again He s invented something new That was the first reasonable use of the drone far far better than anything The Beatles did and far far earlier It was a European sound rather than an Eastern sound but with a strong legitimate Eastern influence which had its roots in European folk music 47 In a widely quoted 45 47 48 statement by Barry Fantoni himself a 1960s celebrity and friend of the Kinks the Beatles and the Who he recalled that it was also an influence on the Beatles I remember it vividly and still think it s a remarkable pop song I was with the Beatles the evening that they actually sat around listening to it on a gramophone saying You know this guitar thing sounds like a sitar We must get one of those 47 The song s radical departure from popular music conventions proved unpopular with the band s American following it hit number 10 in the UK but stalled at number 111 in the US 49 There were only a few bands that had this sorta really rough sounding what we used to call R amp B style in the Sixties There were the Yardbirds there was us there was the Pretty Things as well 50 Dave Davies interview with the Austin Chronicle The day after the band s return from the Asian tour recording began promptly on their next project Kinda Kinks The LP was completed and released within two weeks even though 10 of its 12 songs were originals 51 52 53 According to Ray Davies the band was not completely satisfied with the final cuts 52 53 but pressure from the record company meant that no time was available to correct flaws in the mix Davies later expressed his dissatisfaction with the production saying A bit more care should have been taken with it I think producer Shel Talmy went too far in trying to keep in the rough edges Some of the double tracking on that is appalling It had better songs on it than the first album but it wasn t executed in the right way It was just far too rushed 53 A significant stylistic shift in the Kinks music became evident in late 1965 with the appearance of singles like A Well Respected Man and Dedicated Follower of Fashion as well as the band s third album The Kink Kontroversy 4 on which Nicky Hopkins made his first appearance as a session musician with the group on keyboards 54 These recordings exemplified the development of Davies songwriting style from hard driving rock numbers toward songs rich in social commentary observation and idiosyncratic character study all with a uniquely English flavour 4 7 Critical success 1966 1972 edit nbsp Promotional photograph taken in June 1965 during the band s first US tourThe satirical single Sunny Afternoon was the biggest UK hit of summer 1966 topping the charts and displacing the Beatles Paperback Writer 55 Before the release of The Kink Kontroversy Ray Davies suffered a nervous and physical breakdown caused by the pressures of touring writing and ongoing legal squabbles 56 During his months of recuperation he wrote several new songs and pondered the band s direction 56 In June 1966 Quaife was involved in an automobile accident 56 and after his recovery he decided to leave the band Bassist John Dalton who was initially hired to fill in for the injured Quaife subsequently became his official replacement 57 However Quaife soon had a change of heart and rejoined the band in November 1966 with Dalton returning to his previous job as a coalman 58 Sunny Afternoon was a dry run for the band s next album Face to Face which displayed Davies growing ability to craft musically gentle yet lyrically cutting narrative songs about everyday life and people 3 Hopkins returned for the sessions to play various keyboard instruments including piano and harpsichord He played on the band s next two studio albums as well and was involved on a number of their live BBC recordings before joining the Jeff Beck Group in 1968 56 Face to Face was released in October 1966 in the UK where it was well received and peaked at number eight When it was released in the US in December the album was tipped as a potential chart winner by Billboard magazine 59 Despite this it managed only a meagre chart peak of 135 a sign of the band s flagging popularity in the American market 60 Released in November 1966 the Kinks next single was a social commentary piece entitled Dead End Street 59 It became another UK Top 10 hit 61 but reached only number 73 in the US 6 Bob Dawbarn from Melody Maker praised Ray Davies ability to create a song with some fabulous lyrics and a marvellous melody combined with a great production 62 and music scholar Johnny Rogan described it as a kitchen sink drama without the drama a static vision of working class stoicism 61 One of the group s first promotional music videos was produced for the song It was filmed on Little Green Street a small 18th century lane in north London located off Highgate Road in Kentish Town 63 Both Dead End Street and its B side Big Black Smoke were recorded with John Dalton on bass though Quaife had returned by the time the single was released and appeared in the promotional music video nbsp Waterloo Sunset source source track Waterloo Sunset 1967 one of the Kinks most famous songs was recorded very quickly Backing vocals by Dave Davies Pete Quaife and Ray s wife Rasa were laid down first followed by Ray s lead vocal track 64 Dave Davies commented on the guitar effects We used a tape delay echo it sounded new because nobody had done it since the 1950s 65 Problems playing this file See media help The Kinks next single Waterloo Sunset was released in May 1967 The lyrics describe two lovers passing over a bridge with a melancholic observer reflecting on the couple the Thames and Waterloo station 66 67 The song was rumoured to have been inspired by the romance between actors Terence Stamp and Julie Christie two British celebrities of the time 68 69 70 Ray Davies denied this in his autobiography and claimed in a 2008 interview It was a fantasy about my sister going off with her boyfriend to a new world and they were going to emigrate and go to another country 67 71 Despite its complex arrangement the sessions for Waterloo Sunset lasted a mere ten hours 64 Dave Davies later commented on the recording We spent a lot of time trying to get a different guitar sound to get a more unique feel for the record In the end we used a tape delay echo but it sounded new because nobody had done it since the 1950s I remember Steve Marriott of the Small Faces came up and asked me how we d got that sound We were almost trendy for a while 65 The single was one of the Kinks biggest UK successes hitting number two on Melody Maker s chart 68 and became one of their most popular and best known songs Pop music journalist Robert Christgau called it the most beautiful song in the English language 72 and AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine cited it as possibly the most beautiful song of the rock and roll era 73 Ray Davies was chosen to perform Waterloo Sunset at the closing of the 2012 London Olympic Games 45 years after the song s release 74 75 nbsp Ray Davies playing a Fender acoustic Dave Davies a prototype Gibson Flying V on the Dutch TV programme Fenklup 29 April 1967 76 The songs on the 1967 album Something Else by the Kinks developed the musical progressions of Face to Face adding English music hall influences to the band s sound 77 Dave Davies scored a major UK chart success with the album s Death of a Clown While co written by Ray Davies and recorded by the Kinks the song was also released as a Dave Davies solo single 6 77 Overall the album s commercial performance was disappointing prompting the Kinks to rush out a new single Autumn Almanac in early October Backed with Mister Pleasant the single became another Top 5 success for the group At this point in a string of 13 singles 12 of them reached the top 10 in the UK chart 78 Andy Miller suggests that despite its success the single marks a turning point in the band s career it would be their last entry into the UK Top Ten for three years In retrospect Autumn Almanac marked the first hint of trouble for the Kinks This glorious single one of the greatest achievements of British 60s pop was widely criticised at the time for being too similar to previous Ray Davies efforts 79 Nick Jones of Melody Maker asked Is it time that Ray stopped writing about grey suburbanites going about their fairly unemotional daily business Ray works to a formula not a feeling and it s becoming rather boring 79 Disc jockey Mike Ahern called the song a load of old rubbish 79 Dave s second solo single Susannah s Still Alive was released in the UK on 24 November It sold 59 000 copies failing to reach the Top 10 Miller states that by the end of the year the Kinks were rapidly sliding out of fashion 80 Everyone was panicking because Wonderboy wasn t sounding like a hit record Among the management and the agent Danny Detesh there was definitely a sense that the band wouldn t go on for much longer Danny came backstage when the record flopped and said Well you ve had a good run You ve enjoyed it As if it was all over for us 81 Ray Davies on the decline of the band s 1960s incarnation Wonderboy and cabaret touring Beginning early in 1968 the group largely retired from touring instead focusing on studio work As the band was not available to promote their material subsequent releases met with little success 82 The Kinks next single Wonderboy released in the spring of 1968 stalled at number 36 and became the band s first single not to make the UK Top Twenty since their early covers 83 In the face of the band s declining popularity Davies continued to pursue his personal song writing style while rebelling against the heavy demands placed on him to keep producing commercial hits and the group continued to devote time to the studio centering on a slowly developing project of Ray s called Village Green 3 In an attempt to revive the group s commercial standing the Kinks management booked them on a month long package tour for April drawing the group away from the studio The venues were largely cabarets and clubs headlining was Peter Frampton s group the Herd In general the teenyboppers were not there to see the boring old Kinks who occasionally had to endure chants of We Want The Herd during their brief appearances 84 commented Andy Miller The tour proved taxing and stressful Pete Quaife recalled It was a chore very dull boring and straightforward We only did twenty minutes but it used to drive me absolutely frantic standing on stage and playing three notes over and over again 84 At the end of June the Kinks released the single Days which provided a minor but only momentary comeback for the group I remember playing it when I was at Fortis Green the first time I had a tape of it Ray said I played it to Brian who used to be our roadie and his wife and two daughters They were crying at the end of it Really wonderful like going to Waterloo and seeing the sunset It s like saying goodbye to somebody then afterwards feeling the fear that you actually are alone 81 Days reached number 12 in the UK and was a Top 20 hit in several other countries but it did not chart in the US 85 Village Green eventually morphed into their next album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society released in late 1968 in the UK A collection of thematic vignettes of English town and hamlet life it was assembled from songs written and recorded over the previous two years 86 It was greeted with almost unanimously positive reviews from both UK and US rock critics yet failed to attract strong sales 87 One factor in the album s initial commercial failure was the lack of a popular single 88 it did not include the moderately successful Days and the album track Starstruck was released as a single in North America and continental Europe but was unsuccessful 89 90 Although a commercial disappointment Village Green the project s original name was adopted as shorthand for the long album title was embraced by the new underground rock press when it was released in January 1969 in the US where the Kinks began to acquire a reputation as a cult band 91 In The Village Voice a newly hired Robert Christgau called it the best album of the year so far 91 The underground Boston paper Fusion published a review stating the Kinks continue despite the odds the bad press and their demonstrated lot to come across Their persistence is dignified their virtues are stoic The Kinks are forever only for now in modern dress 91 The record did not escape criticism however In the student paper California Tech one writer commented that it was schmaltz rock without imagination poorly arranged and a poor copy of The Beatles 91 Although Davies later estimated that it had sold only around 100 000 copies worldwide on its initial release 92 Village Green has since become the Kinks best selling original record 87 The album remains popular in 2004 it was rereleased in a 3CD Deluxe edition and the track Picture Book was featured in a popular Hewlett Packard television commercial helping considerably to boost the album s popularity 93 In early 1969 Quaife again announced that he was leaving the band 94 The other members did not take his statement seriously until an article appeared in New Musical Express on 4 April featuring Quaife s new band Maple Oak which he had formed without telling the rest of the Kinks 94 95 96 Ray Davies pleaded with him to return for the sessions for their upcoming album but Quaife refused 97 His last recording with the Kinks was the non album single Plastic Man and its B side King Kong released in March 1969 Immediately after Quaife had confirmed he was not returning Ray Davies called up John Dalton who had replaced Quaife three years prior and asked him to rejoin Dalton remained with the group until the recording of the album Sleepwalker in 1976 97 Ray Davies travelled to Los Angeles in April 1969 to help negotiate an end to the American Federation of Musicians ban on the group opening up an opportunity for them to return to touring in the US 98 The group s management quickly made plans for a North American tour to help restore their standing in the US pop music scene 99 Before their return to the US the Kinks recorded another album Arthur Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire 100 As with the previous two albums Arthur was grounded in characteristically English lyrical and musical hooks 100 A modest commercial success it was well received by American music critics 6 100 Conceived as the score for a proposed but unrealised television drama much of the album revolved around themes from the Davies brothers childhood their sister Rosie who had migrated to Australia in the early 1960s with her husband Arthur Anning the album s namesake and life growing up during the Second World War 100 101 The Kinks embarked on their tour of the US in October 1969 99 The tour was generally unsuccessful as the group struggled to find cooperative promoters and interested audiences many of the scheduled concert dates were cancelled The band did however manage to play a few major venues such as the Fillmore East and Whisky a Go Go 102 nbsp Lola source source Ray Davies created the clang at the beginning of Lola 1970 by combining the sounds of a resonator and a Martin guitar 103 Problems playing this file See media help The band added keyboardist John Gosling to their line up in early 1970 104 before which Nicky Hopkins and Ray Davies had done most of the session work on keyboards In May 1970 Gosling debuted with the Kinks on Lola an account of a confused romantic encounter with a transvestite which became both a UK and a US Top 10 hit helping return the Kinks to the public eye 104 105 The lyrics originally contained the word Coca Cola and the BBC refused to broadcast the song considering it to be in violation of their policy against product placement 104 Part of the song was hastily rerecorded by Ray Davies with the offending line changed to the generic cherry cola although in concert the Kinks still used Coca Cola 104 Recordings of both versions of Lola exist Released in November 1970 the accompanying album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One was a critical and commercial success charting in the Top 40 in the US making it their most successful album since the mid 1960s 106 107 After the success of Lola the band released Percy in 1971 a soundtrack album to a film of the same name about a penis transplant 108 The album which consisted largely of instrumentals did not receive positive reviews 108 The band s US label Reprise declined to release it in the US precipitating a major dispute that contributed to the band s departure from the label 108 Directly after the release of the album the band s contracts with Pye and Reprise expired 3 108 nbsp The Kinks c 1971 From left John Gosling Dave Davies Mick Avory John Dalton Ray Davies the band s line up from 1970 to 1976 Before the end of 1971 the Kinks signed a five album deal with RCA Records and received a million dollar advance which helped fund the construction of their own recording studio Konk 3 109 Their debut for RCA Muswell Hillbillies was replete with the influence of music hall and traditional American musical styles including country and bluegrass Though not as successful as its predecessors it is often hailed as their last great record 109 It was named after Muswell Hill where Ray and Dave grew up and contained songs focusing on working class life and again the Davies brothers childhood 109 Despite positive reviews and high expectations Muswell Hillbillies peaked at number 48 on the Record World chart and number 100 on the Billboard chart 6 109 It was followed in 1972 by a double album Everybody s in Show Biz consisting of both studio tracks and live numbers recorded during a two night stand at Carnegie Hall 110 The record featured the ballad Celluloid Heroes and the Caribbean themed Supersonic Rocket Ship their last UK Top 20 hit for more than a decade 110 Celluloid Heroes is a bittersweet rumination on dead and fading Hollywood stars Mickey Rooney was still alive in which the narrator declares that he wishes his life were like a movie because celluloid heroes never feel any pain and celluloid heroes never really die 110 111 The album was moderately successful in the US peaking at number 47 in Record World and number 70 in Billboard 6 110 It marks the transition between the band s early 1970s rock material and the theatrical incarnation in which they immersed themselves for the next four years 110 Theatrical incarnation 1973 1976 edit In 1973 Ray Davies dived headlong into the theatrical style beginning with the rock opera Preservation a sprawling chronicle of social revolution and a more ambitious outgrowth of the earlier Village Green Preservation Society ethos 112 113 In conjunction with the Preservation project the Kinks line up was expanded to include a horn section and female backup singers essentially reconfiguring the group as a theatrical troupe 3 112 Ray Davies marital problems during this period began to affect the band adversely 113 particularly after his wife Rasa took their children and left him in June 1973 114 Davies became depressed during a July gig at White City Stadium he told the audience he was fucking sick of the whole thing and was retiring 115 116 117 He subsequently collapsed after a drug overdose and was taken to hospital 115 118 With Ray Davies in a seemingly critical condition plans were discussed for Dave to continue as frontman in a worst case scenario 119 Ray recovered from his illness as well as his depression but throughout the remainder of the Kinks theatrical incarnation the band s output remained uneven and their already fading popularity declined even more 118 John Dalton later commented that when Davies decided to work again I don t think he was totally better and he s been a different person ever since 119 nbsp Ray Davies in character as Mr Flash the anti hero of the Preservation seriesPreservation Act 1 1973 and Preservation Act 2 1974 received generally poor reviews 112 120 121 The story on the albums involved an anti hero called Mr Flash and his rival and enemy Mr Black played by Dave Davies during live shows an ultra purist and corporatist 122 Preservation Act 2 was the first album recorded at Konk Studio from this point forward virtually every Kinks studio recording was produced by Ray Davies at Konk 113 123 The band embarked on an ambitious US tour throughout late 1974 adapting the Preservation story for stage Author Robert Polito Ray Davies expanded the Kinks into a road troupe of perhaps a dozen costumed actors singers and horn players Smoother and tighter than on record Preservation live proved funnier as well 124 nbsp Mirror Of Love source source Mirror Of Love 1974 incorporating aspects of Dixieland and New Orleans jazz is typical of the Kinks theatrical period 125 Problems playing this file See media help Davies began another project for Granada Television a musical called Starmaker 126 After a broadcast with Ray Davies in the starring role and the Kinks as both back up band and ancillary characters the project eventually morphed into the concept album The Kinks Present a Soap Opera released in May 1975 in which Ray Davies fantasised about what would happen if a rock star traded places with a normal Norman and took a 9 5 job 126 127 In August 1975 the Kinks recorded their final theatrical work Schoolboys in Disgrace a backstory biography of Preservation s Mr Flash 128 The record was a modest success peaking at number 45 on the Billboard charts 6 128 Return to commercial success 1977 1985 edit Following the termination of their contract with RCA the Kinks signed with Arista Records in 1976 With the encouragement of Arista s management they stripped back down to a five man core group and were reborn as an arena rock band 3 John Dalton left the band before finishing the sessions for the debut Arista album Andy Pyle was brought in to complete the sessions and to play on the subsequent tour 3 Sleepwalker released in 1977 marked a return to success for the group as it peaked at number 21 on the Billboard chart 6 129 After its release and the recording of the follow up Misfits Andy Pyle and keyboardist John Gosling left the group to work together on a separate project 130 In May 1978 Misfits the Kinks second Arista album was released It included the US Top 40 hit A Rock n Roll Fantasy 131 which helped make the record another success for the band The non album single Father Christmas has remained a popular track Driven by session drummer Henry Spinetti s drumming and Dave Davies heavy guitar the song Father Christmas has become a classic seasonal favorite on mainstream radio 132 For the following tour the band recruited ex Argent bassist Jim Rodford and ex Pretty Things keyboardist Gordon John Edwards 131 Edwards was soon fired from The Kinks for failing to show up to recordings sessions and the band recorded 1979 s Low Budget as a quartet with Ray Davies handling keyboard duties Keyboardist Ian Gibbons was recruited for the subsequent tour and became a permanent member of the group Despite the personnel changes the popularity of the band s records and live shows continued to grow Beginning in the late 1970s bands such as the Jam David Watts the Pretenders Stop Your Sobbing I Go to Sleep the Romantics Hung On You She s Got Everything and the Knack The Hard Way recorded covers of Kinks songs which helped bring attention to the group s new releases 3 4 In 1978 Van Halen covered You Really Got Me for their debut single a Top 40 US hit helping boost the band s commercial resurgence Van Halen later covered Where Have All the Good Times Gone another early Kinks song which had been covered by David Bowie on his 1973 album Pin Ups The hard rock sound of Low Budget released in 1979 helped make it the Kinks second gold album and highest charting original album in the US where it peaked at number 11 3 4 6 The live album One for the Road was produced in 1980 along with a video of the same title bringing the group s concert drawing power to a peak that would last into 1983 3 4 Dave Davies also took advantage of the group s improved commercial standing to fulfill his decade long ambitions to release albums of his solo work The first was the eponymous Dave Davies in 1980 It was also known by its catalogue number AFL1 3603 because of its cover art which depicted Dave Davies as a leather jacketed piece of price scanning barcode He produced another less successful solo album in 1981 Glamour 133 134 nbsp Come Dancing source source Come Dancing 1982 the Kinks last major hit single incorporated nostalgic music hall and big band styles The song reached number six in the US and number 12 in the UK Problems playing this file See media help The next Kinks album Give the People What They Want was released in late 1981 and reached number 15 in the US 135 The record attained gold status and featured the UK hit single Better Things as well as Destroyer a major Mainstream Rock hit for the group 6 135 To promote the album the Kinks spent the end of 1981 and most of 1982 touring relentlessly 4 and played multiple sell out concerts throughout Australia Japan England and the US 136 The tour culminated with a performance at the US Festival in San Bernardino California for a crowd of 205 000 137 In spring 1983 the song Come Dancing became their biggest American hit since Tired of Waiting for You peaking at number six 6 It also became the group s first Top 20 hit in the UK since 1972 peaking at number 12 in the charts 138 The accompanying album State of Confusion was another commercial success reaching number 12 in the US but like all the group s albums since 1967 it failed to chart in the UK 139 Another single released from the record Don t Forget to Dance became a US top 30 hit and minor UK chart entry 6 nbsp Ray Davies in Brussels 1985 as the group s popularity began to dwindleThe Kinks second wave of popularity remained at a peak with State of Confusion but that success began to fade a trend that also affected their British rock contemporaries the Rolling Stones and the Who 138 140 141 During the second half of 1983 Ray Davies started work on an ambitious solo film project Return to Waterloo about a London commuter who daydreams that he is a serial murderer 142 143 The film gave actor Tim Roth a significant early role 143 Davies commitment to writing directing and scoring the new work caused tension in his relationship with his brother 144 Another problem was the stormy end of the relationship between Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde 145 The old feud between Dave Davies and drummer Mick Avory also re ignited Davies eventually refused to work with Avory 145 and called for him to be replaced by Bob Henrit former drummer of Argent of which Jim Rodford had also been a member 145 Avory left the band and Henrit was brought in to take his place Ray Davies who was still on amiable terms with Avory invited him to manage Konk Studios Avory accepted and continued to serve as a producer and occasional contributor on later Kinks albums 145 Between the completion of Return to Waterloo and Avory s departure the band had begun work on Word of Mouth their final Arista album released in November 1984 As a result it includes Avory on three tracks 145 with Henrit and a drum machine on the rest 146 Many of the songs also appeared as solo recordings on Ray Davies Return to Waterloo soundtrack album 142 Word of Mouth s lead track Do It Again was released as a single in April 1985 It reached number 41 in the US the band s last entry into the Billboard Hot 100 146 Coinciding with the album s release the first three books on the Kinks were published The Kinks The Official Biography by Jon Savage 147 The Kinks Kronikles by rock critic John Mendelsohn who had overseen the 1972 The Kink Kronikles compilation album and The Kinks The Sound And The Fury The Kinks A Mental Institution in the US by Johnny Rogan 148 Decline in popularity and split 1986 1997 edit In early 1986 the Kinks signed with MCA Records in the US and London Records in the UK 9 146 Their first album for the new labels Think Visual was released later that year with moderate success peaking at number 81 on the Billboard albums chart 6 9 149 Songs like the ballad Lost and Found and Working at the Factory concerned blue collar life on an assembly line while the title track was an attack on the very MTV video culture from which the band had profited earlier in the decade 150 Think Visual was followed in 1987 with the live album The Road which was a mediocre commercial and critical performer 6 In 1989 the Kinks released UK Jive a commercial failure that made only a momentary entry into the album charts at number 122 6 MCA Records ultimately dropped them leaving the Kinks without a label deal for the first time in over a quarter of a century Longtime keyboardist Ian Gibbons left the group and was replaced by Mark Haley 151 The Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 their first year of eligibility 4 Mick Avory and Pete Quaife were present for the award 4 151 The induction did not lead to a revival of the group s stalled career A compilation from the MCA Records period Lost amp Found 1986 1989 was released in 1991 to fulfil contractual obligations marking the official end of the group s relationship with the label 9 The band then signed with Columbia Records and released the five song EP Did Ya in 1991 which despite being coupled with a new studio re recording of the band s 1968 British hit Days failed to chart 6 9 The Kinks reverted to a four piece band for the recording of their first Columbia album Phobia in 1993 151 152 After a sellout performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London Mark Haley departed the band and Gibbons rejoined them for a US tour 151 Phobia managed only one week in the US Billboard chart at number 166 6 151 as had by then become usual for the band it made no impression in the UK 152 The single Only a Dream narrowly failed to reach the British chart The album s final candidate for release as a single Scattered was announced and followed up with TV and radio promotion but the record was unavailable in stores several months later a small number appeared on the collector market 152 The group was dropped by Columbia in 1994 152 In the same year the band released the first version of the album To the Bone on their own Konk label in the UK This live acoustic album was partly recorded on the highly successful UK tours of 1993 and 1994 and partly in the Konk studio in front of a small invited audience 153 Two years later the band released a new improved live double CD set in the US which retained the same name and contained two new studio tracks Animal and To The Bone The CD set also featured new treatments of many old Kinks hits 153 The record drew respectable press but failed to chart in either the US or the UK 6 153 The band s profile rose considerably in the mid 1990s primarily as a result of the Britpop boom 3 153 Several of the most prominent bands of the decade cited the Kinks as a major influence Despite this recognition the group s commercial viability continued to decline 3 They gradually became less active leading Ray and Dave Davies to pursue their own interests Each released an autobiography Ray s X Ray was published in early 1995 and Dave responded with his memoir Kink published a year later 154 The Kinks gave their last public performance in mid 1996 155 and the group assembled for what turned out to be their last time together at a party for Dave s 50th birthday Kinks chronicler and historian Doug Hinman stated The symbolism of the event was impossible to overlook The party was held at the site of the brothers very first musical endeavour the Clissold Arms pub across the street from their childhood home on Fortis Green in North London 156 Solo work and recognition 1998 present edit nbsp Dave Davies at the Dakota Creek Roadhouse 2002The band members subsequently focused on solo projects and the Davies brothers both released their own studio albums 154 Talk of a Kinks reunion circulated including an aborted studio reunion of the original band members in 1999 but neither Ray nor Dave Davies showed much interest in playing together again 152 Meanwhile former members John Gosling John Dalton and Mick Avory had regrouped in 1994 and started performing on the oldies circuit along with guitar player singer Dave Clarke as the Kast Off Kinks 157 In 1998 Ray Davies released the solo album Storyteller as a companion piece to his book X Ray Originally written two years earlier as a cabaret style show the album celebrated his old band and his estranged brother 158 Seeing the programming potential of his music dialogue reminiscence format the American music television network VH1 launched a series of similar projects featuring established rock artists titled VH1 Storytellers 158 Dave Davies spoke favourably of a Kinks reunion in early 2003 and as the 40th anniversary of the group s breakthrough neared both the Davies brothers expressed interest in working together again 159 However hopes for a reunion were dashed in June 2004 when Dave suffered a stroke which temporarily impaired his ability to speak and play guitar 71 Following his recovery the Kinks were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005 with all four of the original band members in attendance The induction helped fuel sales for the group in August 2007 a re entry of The Ultimate Collection a compilation of material spanning the band s career reached number 32 on the UK Top 100 album chart and number one on the UK Indie album chart 160 Quaife who had been receiving kidney dialysis for more than ten years died on 23 June 2010 aged 66 161 In 2018 long time bassist Jim Rodford died at the age of 76 162 Keyboardist Ian Gibbons died of cancer in 2019 163 Gosling died on 4 August 2023 at the age of 75 164 In June 2018 the Davies brothers said they were working on a new Kinks studio album with Avory 165 In July 2019 the band again said they were working on new music 166 However in a December 2020 interview with The New York Times Ray Davies gave no indication that much work had been done saying I d like to work with Dave again if he ll work with me 167 When asked about a reunion in an interview published in January 2021 Dave Davies said We ve been talking about it I mean there s a lot of material and you know it could still happen 168 In March 2023 Avory laid to rest rumours of a reunion citing differences between the Davies brothers I don t think it s possible now one thing health wise And I don t think we could ever work it out because Dave wanted to do it one way and Ray wanted to do it the other which was quite normal thinking for them Ray thought of doing it as an evolution tour you have different people who came into the band and what songs they recorded on and what songs affected them I thought that would be more interesting But I think Dave just wanted a band not particularly with me in it Just reform something like they had when I left just a band with him and Ray in it really 169 Live performances editThe first live performance of the Ray Davies Quartet the band that would become the Kinks was at a dance for their school William Grimshaw in 1962 The band performed under several names between 1962 and 1963 the Pete Quaife Band the Bo Weevils the Ramrods and the Ravens before settling on the Kinks in early 1964 5 20 Ray has stated that a performance at Hornsey Town Hall on Valentine s Day 1963 was when the band were truly born The Kinks made their first tour of Australia and New Zealand in January 1965 as part of a package bill that included Manfred Mann and the Honeycombs 40 They performed and toured relentlessly headlining package tours throughout 1965 with performers such as the Yardbirds and Mickey Finn 41 Tensions began to emerge within the band expressed in incidents such as the on stage fight between drummer Mick Avory and Dave Davies at The Capitol Theatre Cardiff Wales on 19 May 41 42 After finishing the first song You Really Got Me Davies insulted Avory and kicked over his drum set 41 42 Avory responded by hitting Davies with his hi hat stand rendering him unconscious before fleeing from the scene fearing that he had killed his bandmate Davies was taken to Cardiff Royal Infirmary where he received 16 stitches to his head 41 42 To placate police Avory later claimed that it was part of a new act in which the band members would hurl their instruments at each other 41 42 Following their summer 1965 American tour the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the group to appear in concerts in the US for the next four years 3 43 possibly due to their rowdy on stage behaviour 170 In April 1969 Davies helped negotiate an end to the American Federation of Musician ban on the group 98 which allowed plans for a North American tour However over the next few years Davies went into a state of depression not helped by his collapsing marriage culminating in his onstage announcement that he was sick of it all at a gig in White City Stadium London in 1973 114 A review of the concert published in Melody Maker stated Davies swore on stage He stood at The White City and swore that he was F sic sick of the whole thing He was Sick up to here with it and those that heard shook their heads Mick just ventured a disbelieving smile and drummer sic on through Waterloo Sunset 116 Davies proceeded to try to announce that the Kinks were breaking up as the band were leaving the stage but this attempt was foiled by the group s publicity management who pulled the plug on the microphone system 114 116 Musical style editThe Kinks started out playing the then popular R amp B and blues styles then under the influence of the Kingsmen s Louie Louie recording developed louder rock and hard rock sounds Due to their pioneering contribution to the field they have often been labelled as the original punks 171 172 Dave Davies was really bored with this guitar sound or lack of an interesting sound so he purchased a little green amplifier an Elpico from a radio spares shop in Muswell Hill 173 and twiddled around with it including taking the wires going to the speaker and putting a jack plug on there and plugging it straight into my AC30 a larger amplifier but didn t get the sound he wanted until he got frustrated and got a single sided Gillette razorblade and cut round the cone from the centre to the edge so it was all shredded but still on there still intact I played and I thought it was amazing 174 The jagged sound of the amplifier was replicated in the studio the Elpico was plugged into the Vox AC30 and the resulting effect became a mainstay in The Kinks early recordings most notably on You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night 3 From 1966 onwards 3 the Kinks came to be known for their adherence to traditions of English music and culture during a period when many other British bands dismissed their heritage in favour of American blues R amp B and pop styles 3 Ray Davies recalled that at a distinct moment in 1965 he decided to break away from the American scene and write more introspective and intelligent songs I decided I was going to use words more and say things I wrote A Well Respected Man That was the first real word oriented song I wrote I also abandoned any attempt to Americanise my accent 175 The Kinks allegiance to English styles was strengthened by the ban placed on them by the American Federation of Musicians The ban cut them off from the American record buying public the world s largest musical market 3 forcing them to focus on Britain and mainland Europe The Kinks expanded on their English sound throughout the remainder of the 1960s incorporating elements of music hall folk and baroque music through use of harpsichord acoustic guitar mellotron and horns in albums such as Face to Face Something Else by the Kinks The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire creating some of the most influential and important music of the period 3 Beginning with Everybody s In Show biz 1972 Ray Davies began exploring theatrical concepts on the group s albums these themes became manifest on the 1973 album Preservation Act 1 and continued through Schoolboys In Disgrace 1976 3 The Kinks were less commercially successful with these conceptual works and were dropped by RCA which had signed them in 1971 In 1977 they moved to Arista Records who insisted on a more traditional rock format Sleepwalker 1977 which heralded their return to commercial success featured a mainstream relatively slick production style that would become their norm 129 The band returned to hard rock for Low Budget 1979 and continued to record within the genre throughout the remainder of their career 3 combining this with pop music in the 1980s with albums such as Give the People What They Want and songs such as Better Things 176 Legacy editThe Kinks are regarded as one of the most influential rock acts of the 1960s and early 1970s 3 4 Stephen Thomas Erlewine called them one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion 3 They were ranked 65th on Rolling Stone magazine s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list 177 Artists influenced by the Kinks include punk rock groups such as the Ramones 178 the Clash 179 Blondie 180 and the Jam 181 heavy metal acts including Van Halen and Britpop groups such as Oasis Blur and Pulp 3 Craig Nicholls singer and guitarist of the Vines described the Kinks as great songwriters so underrated 182 Pete Townshend guitarist with the Kinks contemporaries the Who credited Ray Davies with inventing a new kind of poetry and a new kind of language for pop writing that influenced me from the very very very beginning 183 Jon Savage wrote that the Kinks were an influence on late 1960s American psychedelic rock groups like the Doors Love and Jefferson Airplane 65 Music writers and other musicians have acknowledged the influence of the Kinks on the development of hard rock and heavy metal Musicologist Joe Harrington stated You Really Got Me All Day and All of the Night and I Need You were predecessors of the whole three chord genre T he Kinks did a lot to help turn rock n roll Jerry Lee Lewis into rock 178 Queen guitarist Brian May credited the band with planting the seed which grew into riff based music 184 They have two albums The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society No 384 185 and Something Else by the Kinks No 478 186 on Rolling Stone magazine s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list They have three songs on the same magazine s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list as updated in September 2021 Waterloo Sunset No 14 187 You Really Got Me No 176 188 and Lola No 386 189 A musical Sunny Afternoon based on the early life of Ray Davies and the formation of the Kinks opened at the Hampstead Theatre in April 2014 190 191 The musical s name came from the band s 1966 hit single Sunny Afternoon 192 and features songs from the band s back catalogue 193 In 2015 it was reported that Julien Temple would direct a biopic of the Kinks titled You Really Got Me but as of 2021 nothing had come of the project 194 Temple previously released a documentary about Ray Davies titled Imaginary Man 195 Members editMain article List of the Kinks band members Past members Ray Davies lead and backing vocals rhythm guitar keyboards harmonica 1963 1996 Dave Davies lead guitar backing and lead vocals occasional keyboards 1963 1996 Mick Avory drums percussion 1963 1984 Pete Quaife bass backing vocals 1963 1966 196 57 1966 1969 died 2010 John Dalton bass backing vocals 1966 1969 1976 197 Andy Pyle bass 1976 1978 Jim Rodford bass backing vocals 1978 1997 died 2018 John Gosling keyboards piano backing vocals 1970 1978 died 2023 Gordon John Edwards keyboards piano backing vocals 1978 1979 died 2003 1 Ian Gibbons keyboards piano backing vocals 1979 1989 1993 1997 died 2019 Mark Haley keyboards piano backing vocals 1989 1993 2 Bob Henrit drums percussion 1984 1996 Major album contributors Rasa Davies backing vocals from Kinks 1964 to The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society 1968 Bobby Graham drums percussion on select tracks from Kinks 1964 and Kinda Kinks 1965 died 2009 Nicky Hopkins keyboards piano from The Kink Kontroversy 1965 to The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society 1968 died 1994 Clem Cattini drums percussion on select tracks from The Kink Kontroversy 1965 and drum overdubs on Misfits 1978 Discography editMain article The Kinks discography The Kinks were active for more than three decades between 1963 and 1996 releasing twenty four studio albums and four live albums 198 The first two albums were released in different formats in the UK and US partly because of the contrast in popularity of the extended play format the UK market liked EPs the US market did not so US albums had the EP releases bundled onto them and also because the US albums included the hit singles while the UK albums did not after The Kink Kontroversy in 1965 the UK US album releases were the same 199 There have been somewhere between 100 and 200 compilation albums released worldwide 200 201 202 The hit singles included three UK number ones starting in 1964 with You Really Got Me plus eighteen Top 40 singles in the 1960s alone and additional Top 40 hits in the 1970s and 1980s The Kinks had five Top 10 singles on the US Billboard chart and nine Top 40 albums 9 In the UK the group had seventeen Top 20 singles and five Top 10 albums 10 The RIAA has certified four of the Kinks albums as gold records Released in 1965 The Kinks Greatest Hits was certified gold for sales of 1 000 000 on 28 November 1968 this was six days after the release of The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society which failed to chart worldwide 88 The group did not receive another gold record award until 1979 s Low Budget The 1980 live album One For The Road was certified gold on 8 December 1980 Give The People What They Want released in 1981 received its certification on 25 January 1982 for sales of 500 000 copies 203 Despite not selling at the time of its release Village Green was awarded a gold disc in the UK in 2018 for selling more than 100 000 copies 204 For the hit single Come Dancing the performing rights organisation ASCAP presented the Kinks with an award for One of the Most Played Songs of 1983 147 Studio albums Kinks 1964 Kinda Kinks 1965 The Kink Kontroversy 1965 Face to Face 1966 Something Else by the Kinks 1967 The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society 1968 Arthur Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire 1969 Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One 1970 Percy 1971 Muswell Hillbillies 1971 Everybody s in Show Biz 1972 Preservation Act 1 1973 Preservation Act 2 1974 Soap Opera 1975 Schoolboys in Disgrace 1975 Sleepwalker 1977 Misfits 1978 Low Budget 1979 Give the People What They Want 1981 State of Confusion 1983 Word of Mouth 1984 Think Visual 1986 UK Jive 1989 Phobia 1993 Live albums Live at Kelvin Hall 1967 One for the Road 1980 Live The Road 1988 To the Bone 1994 BBC Sessions 1964 1977 2001 See also editDo It Again 2009 documentary film Freakbeat Swinging LondonReferences editCitations edit a b Hinman 2004 p 219 a b Hinman 2004 p 298 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Erlewine Stephen The Kinks Biography on All Music com AllMusic Retrieved 20 November 2009 a b c d e f g h i j k l m The Kinks Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2007 Archived from the original on 27 June 2018 Retrieved 20 November 2009 a b c d e The Kinks Blender com Archived from the original on 13 July 2010 Retrieved 8 December 2009 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Charts And Awards Allmusic Retrieved 20 November 2009 a b The Kinks Biography Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 21 June 2008 Retrieved 20 November 2009 Hinman 2004 pp 340 342 a b c d e f g Discography Allmusic Retrieved 25 November 2009 a b Rogan Johnny 2004 passim Chart Positions data Hinman 2004 p 303 a b Hinman 2004 p 6 a b Kitts 2008 pp 1 3 a b c Hinman 2004 pp 8 9 Ewbank Tim Hildred Stafford 2005 Rod Stewart The New Biography p 7 ISBN 978 0 74995027 9 Kitts 2008 p 23 Kitts 2008 pp 28 29 a b Kitts 2008 p 29 a b Kitts 2008 p 30 a b c Hinman 2004 pp 9 20 Savage 1984 pp 15 19 a b Hinman 2004 pp 17 20 a b c d Savage 1984 p 17 Hinman 2004 p 20 Hinman 2004 pp 20 46 Hinman 2004 pp 18 22 McCormick Neil 4 August 2014 Was heavy rock born 50 years ago The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Ellis Iain 2012 Brit Wits A History of British Rock Humor Intellect Books p 39 ISBN 978 1 84150565 7 Archived from the original on 14 June 2020 Retrieved 16 September 2017 a b Buskin Richard September 2009 The Kinks You Really Got Me Classic Tracks soundonsound com Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 23 October 2015 Hinman 2004 p 28 Giles Jeff 4 August 2015 51 Years Ago The Kinks Change Rock With You Really Got Me ultimateclassicrock com Archived from the original on 21 September 2015 Retrieved 23 October 2015 Jovanovic Rob 3 June 2013 God Save The Kinks Aurum Press pp 65 66 ISBN 978 1 84513 671 0 Rogan 2015 pp 151 152 Kitts 2008 p 40 Hilburn Robert 11 December 1994 Quotations From Chairman Mo Mo Ostin let his artists do the talking for him his whole career Now the record biz legend steps out of the shadows and takes us on a tour from Ol Blue Eyes to Red Hot Chili Peppers Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on 10 May 2021 Retrieved 29 October 2020 a b c Sullivan Denise You Really Got Me Allmusic Retrieved 25 November 2009 Kitts 2008 p 43 Hinman 2004 pp 30 40 a b Rogan 1998 p 10 a b Hinman 2004 p 47 a b c d e f g h i j Kitts 2008 p 58 a b c d e f g h Hinman 2004 p 55 a b c Alterman Loraine 18 December 1969 Who Let the Kinks In Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 20 December 2016 Retrieved 9 December 2016 Savage Mark 23 April 2017 To Ray Davies America is a beautiful but dangerous place BBC News Archived from the original on 23 April 2017 Retrieved 23 April 2017 a b c d Bellman 1998 p 294 Kitts 2008 p 241 a b c Savage 1984 p 58 Bellman 1998 p 363 Hinman 2004 p 62 Stegall Tim The Li l Green Aggravation Society Austin Chronicle Archived from the original on 5 June 2011 Retrieved 6 February 2010 Hinman 2004 p 48 a b Kinda Kinks Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b c Doggett Peter Kinda Kinks CD liner notes Sanctuary Records 2004 Hinman 2004 p 68 Rogan 1998 p 16 a b c d Hinman 2004 p 77 a b Hinman 2004 p 89 Hinman 2004 p 91 a b Hinman 2004 p 93 Hinman 2004 pp 91 93 a b Rogan 1998 p 17 Hinman 2004 p 92 Dave Davies Returns to Little Green Street and talks about Dead End Street DetuneTv Archived from the original on 14 November 2021 Retrieved on 27 November 2009 a b Kitts 2008 pp 86 87 a b c Savage 1984 p 87 Maginnis Tom Waterloo Sunset Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b Baltin Steve 27 March 2008 The Kinks Ray Davies Serves Up Songs at the Working Man s Cafe spinner com Archived from the original on 6 March 2012 Retrieved 8 December 2009 a b Rogan 1998 p 18 Biography of Julie Christie Variety Archived from the original on 22 April 2009 Retrieved 27 November 2009 Jenkins David 3 February 2008 Julie Christie Still Our Darling Sunday Telegraph London Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b McNair James 23 September 2008 Ray Davies well respected legacy The Independent London Archived from the original on 13 February 2010 Retrieved 27 November 2009 Christgau Robert Consumer Guide The Kinks Village Voice Robertchristgau com Archived from the original on 19 September 2020 Retrieved 18 February 2010 Erlewine Stephen To the Bone Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 Moreton Cole 22 July 2012 London 2012 Olympics The perfect stage for Ray Davies s Waterloo Sunset The Telegraph Archived from the original on 3 July 2018 Retrieved 13 December 2020 Davies Closing ceremony was intimate Irish Examiner 16 August 2012 Archived from the original on 28 February 2022 Retrieved 13 December 2020 Forte Dan September 1977 Dave Davies Of The Kinks Guitar Player a b Erlewine Stephen Something Else By The Kinks Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 Kinks UK Chart History Official Charts Archived from the original on 24 November 2020 Retrieved 21 January 2022 a b c Miller 2003 p 15 Miller 2003 p 16 a b Savage 1984 pp 97 100 Miller 2003 pp 4 10 Rogan Johnny 2004 p 20 a b Miller 2003 p 27 Rogan 1998 p 20 Erlewine Stephen The Village Green Preservation Society Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b Miller 2003 p 138 a b Hinman 2004 p 121 Miller 2003 p 85 Kitts 2008 p 121 a b c d Hinman 2004 p 125 Rogan 2015 p 365 Mason Stewart Picture Book Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b Hinman 2004 p 123 Hinman 2004 p 124 Hinman 2004 p 127 a b Hinman 2004 p 126 a b Hinman 2004 pp 128 129 a b Hinman 2004 p 137 a b c d Erlewine Stephen Arthur Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 Kitts 2008 p 131 Hinman 2004 pp 133 137 Hinman 2004 p 140 a b c d Hinman 2004 p 141 Rogan 1998 pp 22 23 Rogan 1998 pp 75 80 Erlewine Stephen Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b c d Erlewine Stephen Percy Allmusic Retrieved 8 December 2009 a b c d Erlewine Stephen Muswell Hillbillies Allmusic Retrieved 8 December 2009 a b c d e Erlewine Stephen Everybody s in Show Biz Allmusic Retrieved 8 December 2009 Davies Ray Celluloid Heroes lyrics Davray Music Ltd 1972 a b c Erlewine Stephen Preservation Act 1 Allmusic Retrieved 13 February 2010 a b c Hinman 2004 p 169 a b c Hinman 2004 p 173 a b Hinman 2004 p 174 a b c Hollingsworth Roy 21 July 1973 Thank you for the days Ray Melody Maker Gilbert Jerry 21 July 1973 Ray Quits Kinks Sounds a b George Chris 27 August 1994 The Kitchen Sink Kink The Independent Archived from the original on 31 December 2015 Retrieved 16 October 2015 a b Marten amp Hudson 2007 pp 128 129 Hinman 2004 pp 177 179 Erlewine Stephen Preservation Act 2 Allmusic Retrieved 18 February 2010 Weisbard 2004 pp 135 140 Hinman 2004 p 178 Weisbard 2004 p 139 Hinman 2004 p 181 a b Erlewine Stephen The Kinks Present a Soap Opera Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 Hickey Dave Soap Opera Rock Theater That Works Village Voice 19 May 1975 a b Erlewine Stephen The Kinks Present Schoolboys In Disgrace Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b Erlewine Stephen Sleepwalker Allmusic Retrieved 13 February 2010 Hinman 2004 p 218 a b Hinman 2004 pp 218 219 The Kinks Father Christmas American Songwriter American Songwriter 21 December 2015 Archived from the original on 21 January 2016 Retrieved 7 January 2016 Unterberger Richie Dave Davies Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 Chrispell James AFL1 3603 Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b Erlewine Stephen Give the People What They Want Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 Hinman 2004 pp 250 270 Hinman 2004 p 260 a b Rogan Johnny 2004 p 138 Hinman 2004 p 266 Erlewine Stephen The Rolling Stones Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 Erlewine Stephen The Who Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b Ruhlmann William Return To Waterloo Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b Deming Mark Return To Waterloo Allmovie Archived from the original on 28 January 2010 Retrieved 27 November 2009 Hinman 2004 p 270 a b c d e Hinman 2004 pp 275 300 a b c Rogan Johnny 2004 p 142 a b Hinman 2004 p 272 Hinman 2004 p 352 Rogan Johnny 2004 pp 142 154 Erlewine Stephen Think Visual Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b c d e Hinman 2004 pp 300 320 a b c d e Hinman 2004 p 325 a b c d Hinman 2004 p 340 a b Hinman 2004 p 333 Hinman 2004 pp 325 350 Hinman 2004 p 337 Eder Bruce Mick Avory Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 a b Ruhlman William Erlewine Stephen Ray Davies Allmusic Retrieved 27 November 2009 Hinman 2004 p 342 Strong 2006 p 608 Greene Andy 24 June 2010 Original Kinks Bassist Pete Quaife Dead at 66 Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 26 June 2010 Retrieved 24 June 2010 Zombies bassist and former Kinks member Jim Rodford dies at 76 The Guardian 20 January 2018 Archived from the original on 27 October 2018 Retrieved 26 October 2018 The Kinks keyboardist Ian Gibbons has died NME 2 August 2019 Archived from the original on 15 November 2019 Retrieved 14 November 2019 Rapp Allison 4 August 2023 Ex Kinks Keyboard Player John Gosling Dead at 75 Ultimate Classic Rock Vincent Alice 26 June 2018 Ray Davies The Kinks are officially getting back together The Telegraph Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Retrieved 9 October 2018 The Kinks Are Recording New Music According to Ray and Dave Davies SPIN 17 July 2019 Archived from the original on 23 December 2019 Retrieved 2 December 2019 Farber Jim 1 December 2020 Ray Davies on 50 Years of Lola The New York Times Archived from the original on 27 January 2021 Retrieved 1 December 2020 Edgers Geoff 31 January 2021 Q amp A with Dave Davies Whether the Kinks will reunite the magic of Lola and the little green amp The Washington Post Archived from the original on 31 January 2021 Retrieved 31 January 2021 Prato Greg 28 March 2023 The Kinks Mick Avory Talks New Anthology You Really Got Me and If A Reunion Is Possible AllMusic Retrieved 31 March 2023 Crouse Timothy The British Scourge Show Guide Magazine 1969 Hinman 2004 p 1 Ganz Caryn 30 October 2009 Hall of Fame Anniversary Rocks on With Second All Star Night Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 9 March 2011 Retrieved 8 February 2010 Davies Dave Elpico Amp The Green Amp 1962 davedavies com Archived from the original on 25 April 2016 Hunter Dave January 1999 Voxes Vees And Razorblades The Guitar Magazine Archived from the original on 12 July 2015 Hinman 2004 p 61 Carino Paula 2011 The 30 Day Song Selection Spectacular 4 Favorite Breakup Song American Songwriter Archived from the original on 6 August 2017 Retrieved 16 June 2020 Buck Peter 100 Greatest Artists Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 20 September 2017 Retrieved 16 September 2017 a b Harrington Joe S Sonic Cool The Life amp Death of Rock n Roll 2002 p 165 Gracyk Theodore I Wanna Be Me Rock Music and the Politics of Identity 2001 p 75 Porter Dick Needs Kris 13 February 2017 Blondie Parallel Lines Omnibus Press ISBN 9780857127808 Archived from the original on 9 October 2021 Retrieved 2 October 2020 Perone James E 2009 Mods Rockers and the Music of the British Invasion ABC CLIO p 116 ISBN 978 0 275 99860 8 DiPerna Alan Guitar Player Magazine 2004 p 106 The History of Rock n Roll Television Warner Bros Domestic Television Distribution 1995 Vinnicombe Chris 24 November 2009 VIDEO Queen s Brian May picks his favourite riffs MusicRadar Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 8 July 2016 Village Green ranked 384th by Rolling Stone Rolling Stone 22 September 2020 Archived from the original on 22 January 2021 Retrieved 17 January 2021 Something Else ranked 478th by Rolling Stone Rolling Stone 22 September 2020 Archived from the original on 10 December 2020 Retrieved 17 January 2021 Waterloo Sunset ranked 14th by Rolling Stone Rolling Stone 15 September 2021 Archived from the original on 21 September 2021 Retrieved 28 September 2021 You Really Got Me ranked 176th by Rolling Stone Rolling Stone 15 September 2021 Archived from the original on 28 September 2021 Retrieved 28 September 2021 Lola ranked 386th by Rolling Stone Rolling Stone 15 September 2021 Archived from the original on 25 September 2021 Retrieved 28 September 2021 Sunny Afternoon uses band s hits to tell Ray Davies life story Rolling Stone 13 December 2013 Archived from the original on 17 December 2014 Retrieved 21 November 2014 London s Hampstead Theatre to Offer World Premiere of Sunny Afternoon Early Life Story of Singer Songwriter Ray Davies playbill com Playbill 16 December 2013 Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 Retrieved 21 November 2014 The Kinks Musical to tell Ray Davies early life story BBC News 13 December 2013 Archived from the original on 6 February 2014 Retrieved 21 November 2014 Ray Davies musical to premiere at Hampstead Theatre The Stage 13 December 2013 Archived from the original on 29 November 2014 Retrieved 21 November 2014 Child Ben 18 May 2015 Julien Temple to direct Kinks biopic You Really Got Me The Guardian Archived from the original on 22 January 2018 Retrieved 21 January 2018 Imaginary Man Julian Temple s superb documentary on Ray Davies Dangerous Minds 5 February 2013 Archived from the original on 14 August 2021 Retrieved 14 August 2021 Laing Dave 27 June 2010 Pete Quaife obituary The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 9 August 2023 Hinman 2004 pp 89 217 219 Fox Hank 4 March 1967 Disk Firms Swing to Less Groove Policy Billboard pp 1 amp 10 Archived from the original on 22 February 2017 Retrieved 16 September 2017 Hinman Doug 1994 You Really Got Me An Illustrated World Discography of the Kinks 1964 1993 Douglas E Hinman Archived from the original on 17 March 2015 Retrieved 13 November 2015 Hinman Doug 1994 You Really Got Me An Illustrated World Discography of the Kinks 1964 1993 Douglas E Hinman Archived from the original on 17 November 2015 Retrieved 13 November 2015 The Kinks Discography Compilations discogs com Archived from the original on 10 September 2017 Retrieved 13 November 2015 The Kinks Discography Compilations allmusic com Archived from the original on 13 June 2020 Retrieved 20 April 2020 Hinman 2004 p 256 The Kinks awarded gold disc for classic Village Green Preservation Society album ITV News 13 November 2018 Archived from the original on 3 February 2023 Retrieved 15 January 2020 Sources edit Bellman Jonathan ed 1998 The Exotic in Western Music Lebanon NH University Press of New England ISBN 978 1 55553 319 9 Davies Ray 1995 X Ray New York Overlook Press ISBN 978 0 87951 611 6 Davies Dave 1996 Kink London Boxtree Limited ISBN 978 0 7868 6149 1 Hinman Doug 2004 The Kinks All Day and All of the Night London Backbeat Books ISBN 978 0 87930 765 3 Kitts Thomas M 2008 Ray Davies Not Like Everybody Else New York Routledge ISBN 978 0 415 97768 5 Marten Neville Hudson Jeff 2007 The Kinks 2nd ed London Sanctuary Publishing ISBN 978 1 86074 387 0 Miller Andy 2003 The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society London Continuum International Publishing Group ISBN 978 0 8264 1498 4 Rogan Johnny 1998 The Complete Guide to the Music of The Kinks London Omnibus Press ISBN 978 0 7119 6314 6 Rogan Johnny 2015 Ray Davies A Complicated Life London The Bodley Head ISBN 978 1 84792 317 2 Savage Jon 1984 The Kinks The Official Biography London Faber and Faber ISBN 978 0 571 13379 6 Strong Martin C 2006 The Essential Rock Discography Edinburgh Canongate Books ISBN 978 1 84195 860 6 Weisbard Eric ed 2004 This Is Pop Cambridge MA Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 01321 6 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Kinks category nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to The Kinks Official website nbsp The Kinks at Curlie The Kinks discography at Discogs The Kinks at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Kinks amp oldid 1193001919, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.