The Kinks

The Kinks were one of the most influential and yet criminally overlooked bands to have come out of the sixties. At the band’s heart was of course the Davies brothers; vocalist Ray and guitarist Dave. It was while still at school that the pair met Peter Quaife who became the group’s bass player. Completed by John Start on drums the band went through a number of personas being known as The Ray Davies Quartet, The Peter Quaife Band and The Ravens. Prior to Ray Davies being lead singer this early incarnation of the band rehearsed with a number of lead singers including one Rod Stewart.

The group signed to Pye Records in 1964 with Mick Avory becoming the drummer having replied to an advert in Melody Maker. Their first single a cover of Little Richard’s Long Tall Sally failed to chart having been released by The Beatles. By their third release they found form with You Really Got Me shooting to number one. They followed up the release with All Day and All of the Night as well as exhibiting subtler tracks such as Tired of Waiting for You and Set Me Free.

The band went through a gruelling touring and recording schedule that saw them release three albums and several E.P.s at the start of their career – typical of sixties groups. The schedule took its toll on the band with Dave Davies and Mick Avory having a fight onstage and a lack of harmony being a reputation that dogged the group throughout its career. The band found a new direction following a world tour that saw them stopover in India. Tracks such as Dedicated Follower of Fashion and Sunny Afternoon illustrated a more satirical social commentary.

1967 was a big year for the group as it saw them release one of their most iconic tracks Waterloo Sunset. The year also marked the first time Dave Davies became involved with the song writing side of the group, co-writing the track Death of a Clown. The following year saw the release of one of their most acclaimed albums The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society although it initially sold poorly.

1969 saw founder member Peter Quaife leave the band to be replaced by John Dalton. The group then went down the rock-opera route with the release of the Tommy-esque Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). With the group’s sound broadened with the introduction of keyboardist Joss Gosling, The Kinks continued with their more theatrical direction with limited success (although they did reach number 2 with Lola). The group went through something of a renaissance with the punk movement giving them resurgence in popularity. Around this time the group (with new bassist Andy Pyle) released one of their best later records, Misfits.

By the 1980s the group had become arguably more popular in the States than the UK even headlining legendary venue, Madison Square Garden in New York. They continued to perform and be heralded by their peers into the nineties despite further line-up changes seeing Mick Avory leave the band as well as Andy Pyle and Joss Gosling. They played their last show in 1996.