by Andy Miller
Thirty-five years on, tourists still flock to the Village Green. The trauma of the LP’s creation has mostly been forgotten, and the darkness beneath its surface overlooked. “I wonder if it’s not what it says on that album, but the images it conjures up, that people like,” Davies said recently.cxxi The final irony — TKATVGPS, Ray Davies’ attempt to picture the conflicting emotions of nostalgia, has become a nostalgic snapshot in its own right, The Kinks wandering through the long grass on a summer’s day, forever.
Ray Davies, meanwhile, persisted with The Kinks until he could go no further. “Maybe that’s one reason The Kinks have suffered down the years,” he said in the early 90s, “I’ve slipped all these oddball songs that don’t really fit the band on to the albums. It’s something I’m trying not to do now.”cxxii At the time of writing, The Kinks have not played a gig for nearly eight years, and Ray Davies is still putting the finishing touches to his first solo album.
The Kinks may be gone but The Village Green Preservation Society goes on forever. As I wrote at the start of this book, Ray Davies’ songs are about growing up and growing old — the problem of being alive. Davies was twenty-four when he conjured up the magic of TKATVGPS; soon he will be sixty. When he was young, he wrote and recorded two dozen miraculous songs. Out of them he fashioned an album that has no equivalent in pop, rock or whatever we call it in the twenty-first century, one that is weightless and profound, vintage and modern.. Year-by-year, it reveals new colours and new depths. It is not simply a snapshot of The Kinks at their peak, and not just an exhibit in the museum of classic rock, but a work whose relevance and perceptiveness grow more acute as the years pass and the shadows lengthen. Out of his past, Ray Davies dreamed the future. We keep listening to TKATVGPS because it is the album of a lifetime — his and ours.
God save the Village Green.
Select Bibliography
The Kinks
Kink, An Autobiography, Dave Davies, Boxtree, 1996
X-Ray, The Unauthorized Autobiography, Ray Davies, Viking, 1994
Waterloo Sunset, Ray Davies, Viking, 1997
You Really Got Me, An Illustrated World Discography Of The Kinks, 1964–1993, Doug Hinman with Jason Brabazon, Rock ‘n’ Roll Research Press, 1994
Living On A Thin Line: Crossing Aesthetic Borders With The Kinks, edited by Thomas M. Kitts and Michael J. Kraus, Rock ‘n’ Roll Research Press, 2002
The Kinks, Neville Marten and Jeff Hudson, Sanctuary, 2001
The Kinks Kronikles, John Mendelssohn, Quill, 1985
The Kinks, The Sound And The Fury, Johnny Rogan, Elm
Tree Books, 1984
The Complete Guide To The Music Of The Kinks, Johnny Rogan, Omnibus Press, 1998
The Kinks, The Official Biography, Jon Savage, Faber and Faber, 1984
The Kinks Kompanion, Jerome Wallerstein, 1998
Additionally, interview and archive material was drawn from four sources: the British Library’s newspaper and periodicals department at Colindale, North London; the National Sound Archive collection at the British Library, Euston; the personal collections of Bill Orton and Russell Smith of the Official Kinks Fan Club; and the extensive on-line archive of Dave Emlen’s excellent Kinks website, which can be found at http://kinks.it.rit.edu/.
Secondary Reading
Albion, The Origins Of The English Imagination, Peter Ackroyd, Chatto & Windus, 2002
The English Village Green, Brian Bailey, Robert Hale Limited, 1985
Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience, William Blake, Oxford, first published 1794, definitive edition published 1967
England Is Mine, Pop Life In Albion From Wilde To Goldie, Michael Bracewell, HarperCollins, 1997
Beat Merchants, The Origins, History, Impact And Rock Legacy Of The 1960’s British Pop Groups, Alan Clayson, Blandford, 1995
George Orwell: A Life, Bernard Crick, Secker & Warburg, 1980
The Deserted Village, Oliver Goldsmith, 1770
‘The Howlin’ Wolf’ in Lost Highway, Journeys And Arrivals Of American Musicians, Peter Guralnick, David R. Godine Publishers, 1979
The Mojo Collection, edited by Jim Irvin, Mojo Books, 2000
Mystery Train, Images Of America In Rock ‘n’ Roll Music, Greil Marcus, Dutton, 1975
Coming Up For Air, George Orwell, Victor Gollancz, 1939
Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell, Secker & Warburg, 1949
Revolution, The Making Of The Beatles’ White Album, David Quantick, Unanimous, 2002
Under Milk Wood, A Play For Voices, Dylan Thomas, Orion, first published 1954, definitive edition published 1995
Finally, I must make special mention of two particularly important and influential titles. Anyone who sets out to write this kind of study does so in the shadow of Ian MacDonald’s superb Revolution In The Head, The Beatles’ Records & The Sixties, Fourth Estate, 1994. If you haven’t read it yet — why not? Svetlana Boym’s The Future Of Nostalgia, Basic Books, 2001, provides this book with one of its epigraphs. Her multi-faceted account of “hypochondria of the heart” is one of the most distinctive and thought-provoking books I have ever read. It is also beautifully written. You could do much worse than buy or borrow a copy, especially if you happen to be Ray Davies.
Select Kinks Discography 1966–1969
All the above titles were reissued on CD by Essential! Records in 1998 in mono editions, most with extra tracks.
The Kink Kronikles and BBC Sessions 1964–1967 are available on CD. As detailed above, many tracks from The Great Lost Kinks Album and Dave Davies’ unreleased solo album are currently only available on bootleg.
Notes
As a result of the changing ownership of the Pye catalogue over the last thirty years, much of the Pye Studios documentation relating to The Kinks’ recordings from 1966 to 1969 has been either lost or destroyed. All discographical and recording data is taken from You Really Got Me: An Illustrated World Discography Of The Kinks, 1964–1993 by Doug Hinman with Jason Brabazon (Rock ‘n’ Roll Research Press, 1994), the standard Kinks’ reference work and a truly magnificent feat of diligence and research. Where recording dates are not known, I have followed Hinman’s ‘best guess’.
Given the variations that occur between sleeve and label on the original TKATVGPS, I have preferred titles as they appear on the album’s most recent reissue, Essential! Records, Castle Communications Plc, 1998.
Unless noted, all quotes are from interviews conducted by the author between October 2002 and March 2003.
iDisc and Music Echo, Penny Valentine, November 4th 1967
iiJon Savage, unpublished interview, 1984
iiiX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 356
ivDisc and Music Echo, August 1966
vGoldmine, Ken Sharp, 1996
viRockBill, Mike Hammer, May 1988
viiDisc and Music Echo, August 1966
viiiX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 361
ixMojo 21, August 1995
xThe Kinks, The Official Biography, Jon Savage, Pg 101
xiKink, An Autobiography, Dave Davies, Pg 107
xiiRecord Mirror, Feb 4th 1967
xiiiIbid.
xivJon Savage, unpublished interview, 1984
xvNME, May 13th 1967
xviIbid.,
xviiNME, May 20th 1967
xviiiThe Story Of The Kinks, Virgin Video, 1987
xixNME, May 20th 1967
xxRave, November 1967
xxiRave, September 1967
xxiiDave Davies interviewed by Alan Walsh, Melody Maker, August 12th 1967
xxiiiRave, August 1967
xxivDave Davies interviewed by Bob Farmer, Disc and Music Echo, July 8th 1967
xxvThe Story Of The Kinks, Virgin Video, 1987
xxviMojo 111, Peter Doggett, February 2003
xxviiMelody Maker, October 21st 1967
xxviiiDisc and Music Echo, November 11th 1967
xxixSunday Express, Chris Goodman, April 28th 2002
xxxRolling Stone, November 10th 1969
xxxiKinks Fan Clu
b Magazine, 2001
xxxiiInterview with John C. Falstaff, May 3rd 1998
xxxiiiMusic Connection, Carla Hay, November 10th 1996
xxxivKinks Fan Club Magazine, 2001
xxxvDisc and Music Echo, February 10th 1968
xxxviMelody Maker, August 24th 1968
xxxviiX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 360
xxxviiiIbid.,
xxxixKinks Fan Club Magazine, June 1999
xlKink, An Autobiography, Dave Davies, Pg 108
xliMelody Maker, Chris Welch, June 29th 1968
xliiMelody Maker, July 6th 1968
xliiiMelody Maker, August 3rd 1968
xlivDisc and Music Echo, August 3rd 1968
xlvNew Musical Express, August 3rd 1968
xlviMelody Maker, August 24th 1968
xlviiNew Musical Express, August 31st 1968
xlviiiX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 361
xlixMelody Maker, August 3rd 1968
lDisc and Music Echo, November 23rd 1968
liBBC Radio 1, November 26th 1968
liiMelody Maker, November 30th 1968
liiiIbid.,
livRolling Stone, November 10th 1969
lvJon Savage, unpublished interview, 1984
lviVillage Voice, April 10th 1969
lviiRecord Mirror, May 10th 1969
lviiiComing Up For Air, George Orwell, Pg 30
lixIbid., Pg 107
lxIbid., Pg 205–207
lxiMelody Maker, November 30th 1968
lxiiIbid.,
lxiiiThis Is Where I Belong: The Songs Of Ray Davies & The Kinks, Ryko, 2002
lxivKinks Fan Club Magazine, 2001
lxvKink, An Autobiography, Dave Davies, Pg 11
lxviRecord Mirror, October 28th 1967
lxviiMelody Maker, November 30th 1968
lxviiiDisc and Music Echo, August 3rd 1968
lxixRolling Stone, November 10th 1969
lxxX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 119
lxxiDisc and Music Echo, June 1965
lxxiiMelody Maker, November 30th 1968
lxxiiiThe Kinks, The Official Biography, Jon Savage, Pg 101–102
lxxivThis Is Where I Belong: The Songs Of Ray Davies & The Kinks, Ryko, 2002
lxxvJon Savage, unpublished interview, 1984
lxxviIbid.,
lxxviiGoldmine, Ken Sharp, 1996
lxxviiiMelody Maker, November 30th 1968
lxxixIbid.,
lxxxMelody Maker, August 12th 1967
lxxxiArena: The Orson Welles Story, BBC, 1982
lxxxiiThe Kinks, The Official Biography, Jon Savage, Pg 101
lxxxiiiThis Is Where I Belong: The Songs Of Ray Davies And The Kinks, Ryko, 2002
lxxxivMelody Maker, November 30th 1968
lxxxvVillage Voice, April 10th 1969
lxxxviThe Onion a.v. club, January 23rd 2002
lxxxviiRave, October 1967
lxxxviiiPete Quaife interviewed by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, Nov 11th 1967
lxxxixX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 369
xcIbid., Pg 378
xciMelody Maker, November 30th 1968
xciiMojo 111, February 2003
xciiiIbid.,
xcivMelody Maker, November 30th 1968
xcvCrawdaddy, Mark Breyer and Rik Vittenson
xcviRolling Stone, Loraine Alterman, December 18th 1969
xcviiCrawdaddy, Mark Breyer and Rik Vittenson
xcviiiX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 329
xcixThe Mojo Collection, 2000, Pg 161
cX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 329
ciThe Kinks, The Official Biography, Jon Savage, Pg 106
ciiX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 378
ciiiRecord Collector 169, September 1993
civJon Savage, unpublished interview, 198
cvIbid.,
cviX-Ray, Ray Davies, Pg 360
cviiIbid.,
cviiiQuoted in The Kinks, The Sound And The Fury, Johnny Rogan, 1984
cixThe Kinks, The Official Biography, Jon Savage, Pg 104
cxJon Savage, unpublished interview, 1984
cxiRecord Mirror, Lon Goddard, August 1968
cxiiJon Savage, unpublished interview, 1984
cxiiiMelody Maker, April 12th 1969
cxivNME, April 5th 1969
cxvMelody Maker, April 12th 1969
cxviThe Kinks, The Official Biography, Jon Savage, Pg 10
cxviiBeat Instrumental, February 1969
cxviiiMelody Maker, April 12th 1969
cxixRecord Mirror, May 10th 1969
cxxRolling Stone, November 1st 1969
cxxiMojo 111, February 2003
cxxiiRecord Collector 169, September 1993
1So prevalent were reports of Kinks solo projects, that an irritated Dave Davies started making a joke of it. “Pete is doing ‘Flight of the Bumble bee’ on his bass and there is an album coming out called ‘Mick Avory Plays Buddy Rich’!” he told NME. (“He smiled that smile of acute agony, which is so characteristic of brother Ray,” observed Keith Altham, NME, July 15th 1967).
2In X-Ray, Davies records that before writing TKATVGPS, he, Rasa and Louisa “had taken up residence in a manorial mock Tudor mansion in Elstree.” “As soon as I moved into that house I wasn’t really happy,” he told Jon Savage, a story that has passed into Kinks folklore. In fact, Davies did not move from Fortis Green to Boreham-wood until August 1968, by which time the vast majority of TKATVGPS had been both written and recorded. In the depressing environment of his new house, the failure of TKATVGPS no doubt fresh in his mind, Davies started work on ‘Plastic Man’ and Arthur. The Davies family, now with their second daughter Victoria, soon moved back to Fortis Green.
3Live At Kelvin Hall is perhaps not as live as all that. Sessions were undertaken to “sweeten” the original tapes. Close listening seems to reveal that the audience hysteria is an extended, repeating tape loop.
4Davies’ original tracklisting of Four More Respected Gentlemen consisted of ‘She’s Got Everything’, ‘Monica’, ‘Mr. Songbird’, ‘Johnny Thunder’, ‘Polly’, ‘Days’, ‘Animal Farm’, ‘Berkeley Mews’, ‘Picture Book’, ‘Phenomenal Cat’, ‘Misty Water’, ‘Did You See His Name’, ‘Autumn Almanac’ and two Dave Davies numbers, ‘Susannah’s Still Alive’ and ‘There Is No Life Without Love’. Reprise removed the last four titles, leaving FMRG as a slim eleven-track LP.
5The original tracklisting is as follows. ‘The Village Green Preservation Society’, ‘Do You Remember Walter’, ‘Picture Book’, ‘Johnny Thunder’, ‘Monica’, ‘Days’, ‘Village Green’, ‘Mr. Songbird’, ‘Wicked Annabella’, ‘Starstruck’, ‘Phenomenal Cat’, ‘People Take Pictures Of Each Other’.
6Davies’ decision was taken so late in the day that Pye had already shipped production tapes to some of its foreign subsidiaries, and the album was released in its twelve-track incarnation in France, Italy, Sweden / Norway, and New Zealand, all of whom produced unique, and now very collectable, artwork.
7This tracklisting is not known, and it is uncertain it was ever finalised.
8This may or may not be Nicky Hopkins. The slightly slower BBC version recorded on 26/11/68 (and available on BBC Sessions 19641977), on which the piano part is definitely played by Davies, reveals a somewhat less steady hand on the keyboard.
9Davies wrote at least nine songs for At The Eleventh Hour, a late night satire programme in the mould of That Was The Week That Was. As noted by Doug Hinman, they were performed in the show by jazz singer Jeannie Lamb with light orchestral backing, and included ‘You Can’t Give More Than What You Have’, ‘If Christmas Day Could Last Forever’, ‘We’re Backing Britain’, ‘Could Be You’re Getting Old’, ‘This Is What The World Is All About’, ‘The Man Who Conned Dinner From the Ritz’, ‘Did You See His Name’, ‘Poor Old Intellectual Sadie’ and ‘Just A Poor Country Girl’. None were recorded by the Kinks, with the exception of ‘Did You See His Name’, which was cut during TKATVGPS sessions in May 1968 and finally released four years later on the Reprise compilation The Kink Kronikles. The followi
ng year, Davies repeated the stunt, writing five songs for the television series Where Was Spring? These were recorded by The Kinks, but only two have so far surfaced officially — ‘Where Did My Spring Go?’ and ‘When I Turn Off The Living Room Light’, both on The Great Lost Kinks Album. The remaining three — ‘Darling I Respect You’, ‘Let’s Take Off All Our Clothes’ and (probably) ‘We Are Two Of A Kind’ are still missing, though a near-unlistenable off-air copy of the first of these is circulating on bootleg. In May 1971, it was announced in the music papers that an album containing some or all these songs — Songs I Sang For Auntie / The Ray Davies Songbook — was underway for release later that same year. Of course, it never appeared. Neither the BBC, nor Sanctuary, nor Reprise hold copies of the missing songs, either in complete or demo form. We can only hope that, somewhere deep in the bowels of Konk Studios, Raymond Douglas Davies is keeping them safe.
10As was the custom of the day, there are clear differences between the mono and stereo mixes of some TKATVGPS tracks, and indeed between a handful of numbers on the twelve and fifteen track editions. At this stage, mono was still Ray Davies’ preferred format. In the case of ‘Do You Remember Walter’, the differences are minor: a little more of Dave’s guitar, a little less Mellotron, and no tambourine. Both mixes are included on the current British edition of the album.
11Both these shows are missing from the BBC archives, presumed wiped. Colour Me Pop is the greater loss. The Kinks wore their colourful late Sixties stage outfits and performed some or all of ‘Dedicated Follower Of Fashion’, ‘A Well Respected Man’, ‘Death Of A Clown’, ‘Sunny Afternoon’, ‘Lincoln County’, ‘Picture Book’, ‘Sitting By The Riverside’, ‘She’s Got Everything’ (filmed insert), ‘Two Sisters’ and ‘Days’. It is not known if this was a live or lipsynched performance, but note the inclusion of two tracks from TKATVGPS so far in advance of the album’s release. It seems likely that these renditions varied from what appeared on the finished LP. The other song performed on Once More With Felix (recorded 8th January 1969, broadcast 1st February) was ‘Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains’.
