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“Something Else” released by The Kinks

admin — Fri, 15 Sep 1967 23:42:10 +0000

Something Else by The Kinks was released on September 15th, 1967. Post “Face To Face“, Ray Davies started to look beyond the hit single with his writing for The Kinks. The name of the album is believed to have come from Ray’s conversations with their management where he spoke of not wanting to chase the singles market, but rather “Something Else“. However to do this he needed more time to experiment and distill the elements of his songwriting.

Ray Davies had been talking about a stage musical (several years before the term “Rock Opera” would be coined) which he called his “Village Green” project, but at this stage this was not well formed. However Ray Davies was keen to get away from the boy-meets-girl pop song and incorporate his flowing, narrative style into pop music.

Waterloo Sunset

Fortunately the first product of this vision was “Waterloo Sunset”, which quickly became a hit single in the UK and is now regarded as one of the greatest songs of all time (to be precise Rolling Stone voted “Waterloo Sunset” the 42nd best song of all time…so that’s official then!) Over the summer of 1967, “Waterloo Sunset” reached number 2 in the UK charts, only being held off the number 1 spot by The Beatles “All You Need is Love”.

In The Studio Without Shel Talmy

The production of “Waterloo Sunset” was the first Kinks recording produced solely by Ray Davies, without longtime producer Shel Talmy. This was a portent of things to come as it was the last Kinks album to feature a Shel Talmy production credit as Ray took the production helm on The Kinks next album, “Village Green Preservation Society”.

At this time The Kinks touring was severely curtailed by their ban in the USA so they had the time to spare. They had gained the confidence of Pye Records to allow Ray Davies and The Kinks to take some time to work on their albums in the studio rather than just bash them out as they had in their early days. So, in pursuit of “Something Else” The Kinks recorded in Pye Studios, London, between November 1966 and July 1967.

Dave Davies Contributions to Something Else

This gave Ray the chance to explore his vision, but also enabled his brother, Dave, to get in on the act too. Dave Davies contributes three songs to this album – “Love Me Till the Sun Shines”, “Funny Face” and “Death of a Clown”. The last of these, “Death of a Clown”, which Dave Davies also sang, was released as the follow-up single to Waterloo Sunset and made number 3 in the UK charts.

The fact that these songs are some of the strongest on one of the best Kinks albums is testament to Dave Davies increasing abilities as a songwriter. Unfortunately his confidence got a bit ahead of itself and his planned solo career was put on hold as he could not build on the momentum of “Death of a Clown”. By 1969 his solo career was put on ice for over a decade.

The Reception of Something Else

By the time “Something Else” was released, both “Waterloo Sunset” and “Death of a Clown” had been hit singles. However “Something Else” did not sell well, despite generally positive reviews. In the USA it peaked at 153 and only made number 35 in the UK. It was unfortunately a victim of it’s time, Ray Davies and the popular music trends were moving apart. A further hit in the shape of “Autumn Almanac”, which also reached number 3 in the UK charts, was released after the album came out, but it did not lead to greater sales of Something Else.

Lyrical Impact

OK, I am going to get finicky here, on a musical level, some of this album is not quite up to the mark. It can be a little dreary and even derivative of other people (ever heard The Rolling Stones‘ “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and “David Watts” played back-to-back?) and even earlier work by The Kinks.

However, on a lyrical front, this album is quite phenomenal, pop music did not have lyrics like this back then! The Beatles had been greatly influenced by the Folk movement and people like Bob Dylan and moved what was considered suitable for pop lyrics on. They were writing about things they read in the paper or going into psychedelia. At this point The Rolling Stones were in truth still finding their own voice and it was The Kinks who were the other lyrical innovators.

Ray Davies was using his lyrics to examine the world around him and his feelings, something only John Lennon had done in The Beatles. He goes into metaphorical mode to discuss he and his brother’s stretched relationship in “Two Sisters” – well to talk about things like this openly wouldn’t be, well British, now would it? “David Watts” captures our barely hidden contempt and schadenfreude for those people for whom everything comes easily perfectly. “Autumn Almanac” is a wonderfully realized portrait of a hunch-backed gardener around Ray’s home in Muswell Hill, North London.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 288 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. With my slight reservations noted above I have to agree with them, this is a great album.

The Kinks

Ray Davies – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
Dave Davies – lead guitar, 12 string guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (on tracks “Death of a Clown”, “Love Me Till the Sun Shines”, “Funny Face”, “Susannah’s Still Alive” and “Lincoln County”)
Pete Quaife – bass, backing vocals
Mick Avory – drums, percussion

Additional Musicians

Nicky Hopkins – keyboards, piano, organ, harpsichord
Rasa Davies – backing vocals

Producer

Shel Talmy/Ray Davies

Tracklist

All songs by Ray Davies unless otherwise specified

Side 1

“David Watts” – 2:32
“Death of a Clown” – 3:04 (Ray Davies/Dave Davies)
“Two Sisters” – 2:01
“No Return” – 2:03
“Harry Rag” – 2:16
“Tin Soldier Man” – 2:49
“Situation Vacant” – 3:16

Side 2

“Love Me Till the Sun Shines” – 3:16 (Dave Davies)
“Lazy Old Sun” – 2:48
“Afternoon Tea” – 3:27
“Funny Face” – 2:17 (Dave Davies)
“End of the Season” – 2:57
“Waterloo Sunset” – 3:15

Bonus tracks on 1998 reissue

“Act Nice and Gentle” – 2:39
“Autumn Almanac” – 3:05
“Susannah’s Still Alive” – 2:22 (Dave Davies)
“Wonderboy” – 2:49
“Polly” – 2:51
“Lincoln County” – 3:12 (Dave Davies)
“There Is No Life Without Love” – 2:01 (Ray Davies/Dave Davies)
“Lazy Old Sun” (Unreleased alternate stereo take) – 2:53

Original Release Date

15 September 1967 (UK)
January 1968 (USA)

Record Label/Catalogue Number (UK)

Pye Records NPL 18193

Record Label/Catalogue Number (USA)

Reprise Records RS 6279

Liner Noted from US Release

Welcome to Daviesland, Where all the little kinklings in the magic Kinkdom wear tiny black bowlers, rugby boots, soldier suits, drink half pints of bitter, carry cricket bats and ride in little Tube trains. Here all the little lady kinklings wear curlers in their hair, own fridges and washing machines, fry bacon and eggs, and take afternoon tea.

Gulliver-like Ray Davies stoops to pluck a small mortal from his musical World, turns him upside down to see where he was made, and replaces him gently but firmly in that great class society where all men are equal but some are more equal than others.

Many of the songs on this album are the tails of those mini-people who keep rolling across his yesterday-mind and so we find Terry and Julie in “Waterloo Sunset” and “David Watts,” who has not known that abominable golden school-boy? For his musical conjuring tricks Ray reaches into his stream of life and extracts a rusty Irish jig, there were a few spokes missing and the saddle torn, but with a few dabs of “Kinko,” the wonder song ingredient, the handlebars are reversed and you have ‘moonshine music’ as good as himself could have asked. Further down the waters, and a soggy bossa nova, well-worn but still serviceable, is dragged from the river-bed but re-upholstered and tempered with a Ray of gentleness it becomes the beautiful “No Return.”

Somewhere in the deeper waters down-stream he finds a water-logged show-tune, sung during the battle of ‘Desert Song,’ but renovated and re-equipped it becomes the jaunty little sloop “Tin Soldier Man.” And finally another worn-out hulk rotting from the Vaudeville era is re-manned pushed, afloat to become the saddest comedy song of all, “End Of The Season.”

This album is important for another reason, it showcases the song writing development of younger brother Dave whose “Death Of A Clown” proved so successful, and includes two other compositions here, “Love Me Till The Sun Shines” and “Funny Face” on which he sounds like a wicked choir-boy. Neither should we forget the stalwart contributions of bass-Kink Pete Quaife or drum-Kink Mick Avory who combine to produce the solid root sounds which hall-mark the group.

One further word of advice on listening to these tracks, never, never take a Davies composition at face value for so much goes on behind the words in the Wondrous World of the Brothers ‘D’ where a corner of the Kinkdom is forever England!

Ourthankstomacirishdavenickykeith

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The Kinks release “The Kink Kontroversy”

admin — Wed, 30 Mar 1966 11:33:05 +0000

The Kinks released “The Kink Kontroversy” on November 26th, 1965 in the UK with the US release coming on March 30th, 1966.

Ray Davies Songwriting

By now The Kinks were blossoming and coming into their own, almost all the songs on this album were self penned. “Milk Cow Blues” was the only cover on the album. There are still the raucous rockers like “‘Til the End of the Day” (Ray’s last re-write of “You Really Got Me”) but there were several moments of melancholy, a sign that things were not all so rosy and things were about to change in The Kinks camp.

The Kinks Banned from USA

This album was named “The Kink Kontroversy” for a reason. By now the Davies brothers were at each others throats with their on-stage fall-outs spilling over into audience riots. On top of this, for reasons that have never been made entirely clear, the American Federation of Musicians banned The Kinks from touring the U.S between 1965 to 1969.

In Ray Davies autobiography, X-Ray, he described the reason for the ban as being for a bit of “bad behavior”.

Ray had to leave his new wife and daughter for a tour of the U.S. in 1965. Ray’s wife Rasa was Lithuanian-born and could not accompany him due to visa problems. This has been at least partially blamed for Ray’s bad behavior on the tour. One particular incident with a commie-baiting stage manager (whether it was meant to be or not, back then marrying someone from behind the Iron Curtain was quite a political statement) has been mentioned as a key reason for the ban, but whatever it was, it all weighed heavily on Ray and he headed towards a breakdown.

Deeper and More Meloncholy

The resulting introversion, both physical and psychological, spawned songs like the dark and melancholic ballads “Ring the Bells” and “The World Keeps Going Round” and the almost despairing “Where have all the Good Times Gone?” “I’m on an island”, finds Ray’s singing in a jaunty, calypso style at odds with the lyrics of his loneliness and isolation.

The uneasy effect of happy tunes and darker lyrics was a trick he later used to great effect on “Sunny Afternoon”. His acid wit did not let the London scene that spawned The Kinks off the hook either. “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” is a wickedly dry, satirical dig at the young bucks of Carnaby Street The Kinks found themselves surrounded by.

Dave Davies Songwriting

Ray Davies was not the only one of the brothers suffering at this point. Dave Davies was by now feeling suffocated in his brother’s shadow and his lead vocal on “I Am Free” rings hollow with the benefit of hindsight.

“The Kink Kontroversy” saw The Kinks maturing, with the garage rock sound of the earlier recordings appearing less and Ray beginning to discover his own lyrical voice. This is by no means a perfect album, there are a few filler tracks, but with the addition of “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” to the remastered CD it is a highly under-rated album and far better than it’s predecessors.

However nothing would prepare the world for the huge leap forward between this album and it’s successor, “Face to Face“.

The Kinks

Ray Davies – Guitar, Vocals
Dave Davies – Guitar, Vocals
Peter Quaife – Bass, Backing Vocals
Mick Avory – Drums

Producer

Shel Talmy

Tracklist

All songs by Ray Davies unless otherwise specified.

Side 1

“Milk Cow Blues” (Sleepy John Estes; arranged by The Kinks) – 3:44
“Ring the Bells” – 2:21
“Gotta Get the First Plane Home” – 1:49
“When I See That Girl of Mine” – 2:12
“I Am Free” (Dave Davies) – 2:32
“Till the End of the Day” – 2:21

Side 2

“The World Keeps Going Round” – 2:36
“I’m on An Island” – 2:19
“Where Have All the Good Times Gone” – 2:53
“It’s Too Late” – 2:37
“What’s in Store for Me” – 2:06
“You Can’t Win” – 2:42

CD Bonus Tracks

“Dedicated Follower of Fashion” – 3:05
“Sittin’ on My Sofa” – 3:08
“When I See That Girl of Mine” (Demo version) – 2:01
“Dedicated Follower of Fashion” (Alternate stereo take) – 3:01

Record Label/Catalog Number (USA)

Reprise R-6197

Record Label/Catalog Number (UK)

Pye NSPL 18131 (Simulated Stereo)

Pye NPL 18131 (Mono)

Liner Notes

Milk Cow Blues – Ray and Dave swop over lead

Ring The Bells – Ray, solo

Gotta Get The First Plane Home – Ray singing and playing harmonica

When I See That Girl Of Mine – Dave and Ray share vocal

I Am Free – Dave moans on his own

Till The End Of The Day – Ray, Dave and (help!) Pete, but Ray sings lead

The World Keeps Going Round – Ray mainly but with Dave and Pete in background

I’m On An Island – I Think it’s Ray?

Where Have All The Good Times Gone – Ray and Dave

It’s Too Late – Ray and Dave singing, but with Shel Talmy on guitar and Ray in the control box

What’s In Store For Me – Dave sings assisted by Ray

You Can’t Win – Ray and Dave, share

Before you proceed any further, ask yourself why you are reading this. Surely, the important thing is not to read about, but to listen to, the LP? It is because you are attracted by the look of the four young men enticing you to sample some Kinks Kontroversy? Or is it because you hope that by reading something on the back of an album cover, it will make you desperately want to buy what is inside?

Maybe you are simply hung up on The Kinks. If you are, then you are wasting valuable listening time reading what is, after all, only the designer’s fill-in on the back. And, you should really be gazing, enraptured, at the photograph of Ray, Dave, Pete and Mick on the other side.

Should you be idly browsing through a stack of LP sleeves without the slightest intention of buying anything, read on. It will help absorb a few brief seconds of your life. And who knows, your curiosity might even be sufficiently aroused for you to want to hear this LP.

For the uninitiated – and it is conceivable that there may be one or two people around who still aren’t hip – The Kinks compromise two brothers, Ray Davies and Dave Davies; a bassist by the name of Peter Quaife, and a drummer, Mick Avory. They are four separate identities and four conflicting personalities. Yet, somehow, they gell with a magnetism and force that has made them not only one of the country’s most consistent groups, but gathered them hordes of followers throughout Germany, Scandinavia, France and America as well.

Ray, is one of England’s most enlightened songwriters. His lyrics are very simple, to the point of being basic. They mask the complex character that evolves them.

Dave’s main preoccupation is the diverse pursuit of happiness. But, he too, swings between the extremes of frustration, elation and black boredom.

Peter Quaife is everybody’s friend. Rarely upset, he regards being a Kink infinitely preferable to being a commercial artist – his former occupation.

Mick Avory is at his happiest when he is drumming. He says little, and drums a great deal.

But enough is enough. Now is the fatal moment of decision. Take out the LP, listen and buy. You won’t be disappointed. You never are with the Kontroversial Kinks.

Michael Aldred

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The Kinks release “Kinda Kinks”

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 1965 22:26:26 +0000

“Kinda Kinks“, was released by The Kinks on August 11th, 1965 (and March 5th, 1965 for the UK version). The Kinks first album was rushed out to cash in on the success of their top ten single ‘You Really Got Me‘ (why else do you think they titled it “You Really Got Me“!) but did have a few good tracks on there along with *that* monster.

“Kinda Kinks” was even more rushed as their record company pushed to exploit the hype of The British Invasion. “Kinda Kinks” was recorded in a week and squeezed in as they rode the wave of fame that swept over them.

This time around there were no seasoned session musicians like Jimmy Page and Jon Lord to smooth over The Kinks rough edges. To make matters worse, although Shel Talmy’s production and song contributions were not exactly great on the first album, his services were retained and “Kinda Kinks” suffered greatly from some horrible production and mixing. In Ray Davies Autobiography, X-Ray he comments “Listening to some of the mistakes made my toes curl”.

Fortunately it was re-mastered in 1998 and now the songs have been released from the quagmire of the original production and mixing and some very good unreleased material has been added.

Tracks like “Something Better Beginning” show Ray Davies songwriting improving, and dig a little deeper and you will uncover the acoustic gem, “Nothing in the World can stop me from worrin’ ’bout that Girl” (also featured on the Rushmore Soundtrack)

As a little indication that The Kinks were also far more experimental than they were given credit for shows up on the 2002 re-issue, “See My Friends” features a Bombay drone predating George Harrison’s sitar fixation by a good year. Add to this the satirical “Well Respected Man”, a track that obviously taught Blur a trick or two, and you already have more quality songs than most albums can manage.

While “Kinda Kinks” is certainly not one of The Kinks classic albums, it is an improvement on their first album, especially if you get the remastered version with the bonus tracks.

The US and UK Versions of Kinda Kinks

You Really Got Me was different to the UK release of The Kinks first album (which was simply titled “Kinks” in the UK) Since then a US only release, “Kinks Size”, had been rushed out, including the hit single “Tired of Waiting For You”, which was included on the UK release of Kinda Kinks, but was excluded from the US version.

This type of situation was fairly common as many bands from that period signed different deals on either side of the Atlantic. The Rolling Stones were another example, it wasn’t until “Their Satanic Majesty’s Request” in 1967 that their US and UK releases were essentially the same. By contrast (or should that be “kontrast”?) The Kinks only had to wait until 1965’s “The Kink Kontroversy” before their US and UK releases shared a track listing.

This is why there are two different track-listing here, one is for the slightly earlier UK release, the other for the US release. In addition the 2002 remastered version had additional tracks and was true stereo rather than the simulated stereo of the originals (it is also mixed so you can hear the songs…a big improvement!)

Track List for US Release of Kinda Kinks

All tracks by Ray Davies unless otherwise specified

Side 1

“Look For Me Baby”
“Got My Feet on the Ground” (Ray Davies, Dave Davies)
“Nothin’ in the World Can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout That Girl”
“Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight”
“Set Me Free”

Side 2

“Ev’rybody’s Gonna Be Happy”
“Dancing in the Street” (Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter)
“Don’t Ever Change”
“So Long”
“You Shouldn’t Be Sad”
“Something Better Beginning”

Track List for UK Release of Kinda Kinks

Side One

“Look for Me Baby”
“Got My Feet on the Ground”
“Nothin’ in the World Can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout That Girl”
“Naggin’ Woman”
“Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight”
“Tired of Waiting for You”

Side Two

“Dancing in the Street” – (Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter)
“Don’t Ever Change”
“Come on Now”
“So Long”
“You Shouldn’t Be Sad”
“Something Better Beginning”

Additional Tracks on 2004 CD Release of Kinda Kinks

“Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy”
“Who’ll Be the Next in Line”
“Set Me Free”
“I Need You”
“See My Friends”
“Never Met a Girl Like You Before”
“Wait Till the Summer Comes Along”
“Such a Shame”
“A Well Respected Man”
“Don’t You Fret”
“I Go to Sleep”

Liner Notes: EAVESDROPPING / THE KINKS

Ray Davies

I’m a collection of loose ends. I don’t want to be a pop star. I think that this is just a part of my life which will come to an end.

You see that girl over there. I was at Hornsey Art School with her. I haven’t seen her for years. Small world — I wonder what she’s doing here.

I did quite well in the school boxing championships, until I came up against the School’s Champion of Great Britain. I hit him three times and hurt my hands. He knocked me out in the first round.

My first job – drafting – lasted about six weeks. I gave it up because I didn’t like drawing straight lines. After that I tried commercial art. The first day of my new job my employer gave me some toilet paper to do a design on. Really though! I explained that with a job of this kind I would need two afternoons a week off to practice soccer. I thought it was important to have a hobby. The boss didn’t.

Playing and singing my own music is very important to me. I think if I thought I could not improve musically. I’d give it all up and become a tramp. The idea of tramping around the country with a healthy bank balance in time of difficulty appeals to me.

Dave Davies

When Mick came to audition for The Kinks and saw me, he couldn’t believe it. I was wearing a plastic rain coat buttoned to the neck, moccasins, and I had shoulder-length hair.

I recently attended a high society party where I knew many of the people from the old days when we played deb parties. I got a lot of snubs that night.

Sometimes I look through the old pics when my hair was really long and think, “How could I do it?” My sister Gwen wore slacks once when she came to see us. We look a lot alike anyway, and some guy mistook her for me and asked for an autograph. You should’ve seen his face when she spoke.

Once I wrote a letter explaining that because of the mastoid in my ear I wouId have to go to the hospital every Friday for a check up. I could never see the sense of attending lessons I disliked.

I play one classical record. It’s a Bach LP of organ music. It’s an eerie record, but it has a curiously relaxing effect on me.

The only thing about Mick is that he insists on being last. We have a great competition in the morning to see who is last dressed. It’s generally afternoon before I give up.

Mick Avory

Gene Pitney once told me, “You’re the quietest spoken illiterate I have ever met.”

I was a terrible Boy Scout. I used to go down to the club to play pool . They had a skiffle group there and one evening the drummer was sick and they asked me to play. Tapping away on that old snare drum balanced on a chair was the beginning.

At school there was this character who’d keep repeating, “That’s not the way to carry on, Avory,”‘ and clumping me round the ear to each syllable. Worst of all the giant Welsh gym master who jumped off the top of wall bars and endangered your limbs. He threw medicine balls at me.

I never was a garbage man. Too proud!

When I go to a club, it’s always the off night. When we go through Customs, it’s always me they pick on to turn inside out. I buy a new car with a radio because the one in the old one isn’t working and when I get the car home, the radio in that one doesn’t work.

It was a pretty good scene, man.

Peter Quaife

As a teenager, I was part of a gang called “The Mussies.” We had a feud with the Finchley boys, which developed into a grand-scale punch-up one evening at their local dance hall. I was posted as a Iook-out at the door, and when the Law arrived, I disappeared under a parked car. I was lucky. I got away. But many of the gang were sent to approved schools. That cured me of being a delinquent.

When I first began playing in local groups at the Athenaeum, I wouldn’t have said “boo” to a goose. Now I talk for hours to people. Doing interviews brings you out of yourself.

In the early days we didn’t really have a name for the group. It depended on who secured the booking. If Ray got the date, the group was The Ray Davies Band.” If I got it, “The Pete Quaife Band.”

We used to put up with a lot of “the dear, sweet boy has long hair” types. For a while we were a source of great amusement to these people. A novelty to be tolerated. It’s nice to be really appreciated at last.

I do have one other problem. My kid brother, Dave. Last week, I arrived home to find he’d been selling my shirts to fans as souvenirs. He’ll end up just like me — only richer.

The Kinks

Production

Shel Talmy

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“You Really Got Me” released by The Kinks

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 1964 15:57:47 +0000

The Kinks Release “You Really Got Me” in the USA

On October 2nd, 1964 The Kinks released their first album “You Really Got Me” (released as “Kinks” in the UK with additional tracks, the title was amended in the USA to cash in on the success of the single “You Really Got Me”)

The Kinks first singles

The Kinks became one of the great bands of the British Invasion, but their first two albums were inconsistent and showed very little of the promise to come. Bands like The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds were bashing out R&B covers with great aplomb and the Beatles were hitting the back catalogs of the early Rock n’ Rollers like Chuck Berry, so The Kinks were pushed in this direction.

This was not The Kinks strong point and their first two singles, a cover of “Long Tall Sally” and the self penned (and very Mersey-Beat influenced) “You Still Want Me”, vanished without trace. Ray Davies, like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards around this time, had not yet blossomed as a songwriter and most of his compositions on the album were fairly weak and derivative.

Also producer Shel Talmy’s contribution to the song writing was like his production of this album – it left a lot to be desired! There were exceptions, “Stop Your Sobbing” for example was later covered by The Pretenders, but it was the monster lurking at the end of side one that was to define The Kinks early career.

The Kinks hit the top ten with “You Really Got Me”

“You Really Got Me” was the result of a genius riff and the sound created by Ray Davies‘ brother, Dave Davies, slashing the cone in his amp to create one of the most influential songs of all time. Very quickly The Kinks found themselves on top of the UK charts and with a Top Ten hit in the USA, propelling them to stardom.

In the aftermath of the success of “You Really Got Me”, The Kinks were rushed into the studio to record their debut album in the summer of 1964 to cash in on their sudden success. This rush may go some way to explain the uneven album, but the reason anyone really talks about You Really Got Me the album is “You Really Got Me” the single. Without this one song we would arguably have been denied the entire career of The Kinks. Both “You Really Got Me” and The Kink’s influence on musicians since is immeasurable and for this we should be grateful.

You Really Got Me 2004 Re-issue and Additional Tracks

The CD re-issue has additional tracks from early releases and B-Sides, including the first two singles. Also included is “All Day and All of the Night” unsurprisingly as it later became a huge hit, but also a couple of manic gems in the shape of “It’s alright” and “I gotta Move”. I am amazed these two haven’t been ‘borrowed’ by a few bands out there in need of an unknown tune or two as they’ve been too busy in rehab to write their own….

The Kinks

Ray Davies – vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards
Dave Davies – guitar, vocals
Peter Quaife – bass, backing vocals
Mick Avory – drums, tambourine

Other Musicians

Jimmy Page – twelve string guitar, acoustic guitar
Jon Lord – piano
Bobby Graham – drums

Production

Shel Talmy – Producer
Simon Heyworth – remastering

Liner Notes

The letter K has been sadly neglected in the English language for centuries. The Kinks, when they are knot making records or doing one-knight stands, are kampaigning to restore the K to its rightful and knoble place. This situation is the more pitiful when you realise that the K has knot even been allowed to die and be forgotten but, much worse, it is ignored.

To help this kampaign on its way some simple rules have to be observed. First, the letter K should never be silent in words such as knee, know and knockout: secondly, where possible K should be substituted for C in pronunciation; thirdly, money is reckoned in terms of K(rowns) i.e. 5/- is one K, 2/6 is half K and £1 is 4K; finally, when in doubt stutter. The worst thing anyone can do is to say that something is OK when they mean, of course, that it is K.

Like all new things these days this is going to be advertised extensively on TV. We are all hoping for the fullest co-operation from that very K programme “Thank Your Klucky Stars”.

You Really Got Me – track listing

All songs by Ray Davies except where specified otherwise

Side 1

“Beautiful Delilah” (Chuck Berry)
“So Mystifying”
“Just Can’t Go To Sleep”
“Long Tall Shorty” (Herb Abramson, Don Covay)
“You Really Got Me”

Side 2

“Cadillac” (Bo Diddley)
“Bald Headed Woman” (Trad/Arr Shel Talmy)
“Too Much Monkey Business” (Chuck Berry)
“I’ve Been Driving On Bald Mountain” (Trad/Arr Shel Talmy)
“Stop Your Sobbing”
“Got Love If You Want It” (Slim Harpo)

(US, Reprise R-6143)

The US version is missing three tracks. “I Took My Baby Home” had already been licensed to Cameo-Parkway Records in the US as the B-side to “Long Tall Sally” so could not be included. “I’m a Lover Not a Fighter” and the instrumental “Revenge” were held over for the US only “Kinks Size” album.

Kinks (original UK track listing)

Side 1

“Beautiful Delilah” (Chuck Berry) – 2:07
“So Mystifying” – 2:53
“Just Can’t Go to Sleep” – 1:58
“Long Tall Shorty” (Herb Abramson, Don Covay) – 2:50
“I Took My Baby Home” – 1:48
“I’m a Lover Not a Fighter” (J. Miller) – 2:03
“You Really Got Me” – 2:13

Side 2

“Cadillac” (Bo Diddley) – 2:44
“Bald Headed Woman” (Trad/Arr Shel Talmy) – 2:41
“Revenge” (Ray Davies, Larry Page) – 1:29
“Too Much Monkey Business” (Chuck Berry) – 2:16
“I’ve Been Driving On Bald Mountain” (Trad/Arr Shel Talmy) – 2:01
“Stop Your Sobbing” – 2:06
“Got Love If You Want It” (Slim Harpo) – 3:46

UK release: Pye NPL 18096 mono and NSPL 83021 stereo

“You Really Got Me” 2004 CD re-issue bonus tracks

“Long Tall Sally” (Robert Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman – AKA “Little Richard“) – 2:12
“You Still Want Me” – 1:59
“You Do Something to Me” – 2:24
“It’s Alright” – 2:37
“All Day and All of the Night” – 2:23
“I Gotta Move” – 2:22
“Louie, Louie” (Richard Berry) – 2:57
“I Gotta Go Now” – 2:53
“Things Are Getting Better” – 1:52
“I’ve Got That Feeling” – 2:43
“Too Much Monkey Business” Alternate Version (Chuck Berry) – 2:10
“I Don’t Need You Any More” – 2:10

Other Reviews

George Starostin’s Review
AllMusic’s Review
Blender’s Review