235-684: 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. 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 ", became an international hit, topping
470-613: A heart attack on the day before Ray's 13th birthday, while she was out dancing at the Lyceum Ballroom in the Strand, London in June 1957. Davies was an art student at Hornsey College of Art in London in 1962–63. In late 1962 he became increasingly interested in music. At a Hornsey College Christmas dance, he sought advice from Alexis Korner who was playing at the dance with Blues Incorporated , and Korner introduced him to Giorgio Gomelsky ,
705-759: A sound-system from Indiana-born Pasadena transplant David Lee Roth for $ 10 per night. The loquacious, worldly, energetic son of a local ophthalmologist, Roth fronted a local R&B influenced rock band the Red Ball Jets. Roth's uncle Manny owned NYC's Bleecker street Cafe Wha? until 1968. Partly to save money, they now invited Roth to join as their lead vocalist despite previous unconvincing audition(s). Ultimately Roth's charismatic " Jim Dandy " approach would be both an artistic foil to Eddie's circumspect, guitar prodigy talents as well as allowing Eddie to focus his energies on song composition. In 1973, Mammoth officially changed its name to Van Halen. According to Roth, this
940-515: A "package" bill that included Manfred Mann and the Honeycombs . They performed and toured relentlessly, headlining package tours throughout 1965 with performers such as the Yardbirds and Mickey Finn . 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. After finishing
1175-507: 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. In early 1969, Quaife again announced that he was leaving the band. 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
1410-562: A December 1977 story in the Los Angeles Times , it was Van Halen's first booking at the Starwood and the first time they hired their own roadies. "We wanted to come on with a little class and we couldn't be seen setting up our own stuff in Hollywood," explained Roth. Although the audience was negligible — Messenger claims only a barmaid and himself were there until Ostin and Templeman arrived —
1645-473: A Grammy nomination. Other singles included " Panama " (No. 13 U.S.), " I'll Wait " (also No. 13 U.S.), and " Hot for Teacher ". Three of the songs had popular music videos on MTV. 1984 was praised by critics and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts behind Michael Jackson 's Thriller (which notably had a guitar solo by Eddie on " Beat It "). Following the 1984 Tour, Roth decided to quit and form
1880-626: A Kinks reunion in early 2003. As the 40th anniversary of the group's breakthrough neared, both the Davies brothers expressed interest in working together again. However, hopes for a reunion were dashed in June 2004 when Dave suffered a stroke that temporarily impaired his ability to speak and play guitar. Following his recovery, the Kinks were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005, with all four of
2115-541: 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. 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
2350-411: A Roth reunion. Eddie recovered from his hip surgery in November 1999, but from 2000 to early 2004 no official statements were made by Van Halen and no music was released. However, information about members past and present trickled in. The Van Halen brothers continued writing at 5150 Studios, Cherone recorded an album and toured with new band Tribe of Judah . One of the songs that Cherone had written for
2585-471: A background in jazz drumming and had played one gig with the fledgling Rolling Stones . 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
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#17330558682892820-454: A backstage press conference, press queries about a reunion tour were met with Eddie saying that he needed a hip replacement and would have to record an entire new studio album before any tour. Roth told Eddie to avoid talking about negative things like his hip and the two almost came to blows. Van Halen's next lead singer was Gary Cherone , former frontman of the Boston-based band Extreme ,
3055-581: 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 , another student at William Grimshaw, who performed with
3290-403: A band: $ 1.5 million for a 90-minute set at Steve Wozniak 's 1983 US Festival , a show that both Noel Monk and Doug Messenger considered artistically a disaster, Roth having consumed alcohol to the point of forgetting lyrics. Despite this return to form, Roth and Eddie's differences continued, and this caused friction with other band members. Billy Sheehan , after his band Talas completed
3525-466: A child out of wedlock by an African man, an unauthorized immigrant who subsequently disappeared from her life. The child, a daughter, was ultimately raised by Ray's mother. Ray attended William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School in Muswell Hill along with Rod Stewart (now called Fortismere School ). His first Spanish guitar was a birthday gift from his eldest sister Rene, who died at the age of 31 from
3760-408: A classic seasonal favourite on mainstream radio. For the following tour, the band recruited ex- Argent bassist Jim Rodford and ex- Pretty Things keyboardist Gordon John Edwards. Edwards was soon fired from the Kinks for failing to show up to recording sessions, and the band recorded 1979's Low Budget as a quartet, with Ray Davies handling keyboard duties. Keyboardist Ian Gibbons was recruited for
3995-403: A cover of " You Really Got Me ". The band toured for 9 months more, opening for Black Sabbath and establishing a reputation for their performances. The band's chemistry was based on Eddie Van Halen's guitar technique and David Lee Roth's charisma. The band returned to the studio for 2 weeks, in late 1978, to record Van Halen II , a 1979 LP similar in style to their debut. This record yielded
4230-469: A decidedly canny and opportunistic approach. On " (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman ", Davies vented his existential angst about the 1979 energy crisis over a thumping disco beat; on " A Gallon of Gas ", he addressed the same concern over a traditional acoustic twelve-bar blues shuffle . In contrast, " Better Things " (1981), " Come Dancing " (1982), " Don't Forget to Dance " (1983) and " Good Day " (1984) were sentimental songs of hope and nostalgia for
4465-583: 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." The single was one of the Kinks' biggest UK successes, hitting number two on Melody Maker ' s chart, and became one of their most popular and best-known songs. Critic Robert Christgau called it "the most beautiful song in
4700-454: A documentary DVD, Long Road to Cabo , about touring with Roth. While the two singers promoted the tour and publicly claimed mutual respect, rumors of bitter acrimony and mutual loathing swirled. The allegations were later supported by backstage video, which showed the Roth and Hagar camps maintaining strict separation. Next, Hagar joined with Joe Satriani and Journey guitarist Neal Schon to form
4935-430: A double CD compilation featuring three new songs with Hagar: "It's About Time", "Up for Breakfast", and "Learning to See". These new songs were credited to Hagar/Van Halen/Van Halen, which was unusual since normally the entire lineup, which also included Michael Anthony, would be credited. However, the performance was credited to the entire band. Anthony later revealed in interviews that Eddie had in fact not wanted him to be
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#17330558682895170-471: A few major venues such as the Fillmore East and Whisky a Go Go . The band added keyboardist John Gosling to their line-up in early 1970; 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
5405-495: A friend. I'm the kind of guy you go out with if you want to split your friend with a bottle." Anthony guested with Hagar's band, the Waboritas , numerous times and sometimes even sang lead vocals. During performances, Hagar would tease Anthony by asking, "Do the brothers know you're here?" Anthony never played with Roth. Cherone appeared on occasion. Hagar released a live album ( Hallelujah ), featuring vocals by Anthony and Cherone, and
5640-425: A group which had enjoyed some popular success in the early 1990s. The result was the album Van Halen III . Many songs were longer and more experimental than Van Halen's earlier work. It was a notable contrast from their previous material, with more focus on ballads than traditional rock songs ("How Many Say I", with Eddie on vocals). Sales were poor by the band's standards, only reaching a Gold certification, despite
5875-642: A major Mainstream Rock hit for the group. To promote the album, the Kinks spent the end of 1981 and most of 1982 touring relentlessly, and played multiple sell-out concerts throughout Australia, Japan, England and the US. The tour culminated with a performance at the US Festival in San Bernardino, California, for a crowd of 205,000. In spring 1983, the song " Come Dancing " became their biggest American hit since "Tired of Waiting for You", peaking at number six. It also became
6110-446: A musical called Starmaker . 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. In August 1975,
6345-528: A new band. Group members have given different reasons for the split, but all were firmly rooted in control of the band's sound, artistic direction, singles released and pace. Roth was concerned about Eddie playing music outside of Van Halen. Roth was also launching a successful solo career with two hit cover songs off his Crazy from the Heat EP, a remake of the Beach Boys ' classic " California Girls " (#3 U.S.) and
6580-411: A newly hired Robert Christgau called it "the best album of the year so far". 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." The record did not escape criticism, however. In
6815-523: A pairing of the classic Al Jolson standard " Just a Gigolo " and " I Ain't Got Nobody "(#12 U.S.), which had previously been paired together by Louis Prima . Roth was also offered a $ 20-million film deal for a script titled Crazy from the Heat . Roth hoped Van Halen would contribute the soundtrack; however, the film deal fell through when CBS Pictures was reorganized in 1986. Eddie invited Patty Smyth of Scandal to replace Roth, but she declined. Daryl Hall
7050-475: A part of the reunion, with him only joining at Hagar's insistence. The new songs had already been recorded, with Eddie playing the bass parts himself instead, and Anthony only provided backing vocals for the three tracks. No songs with Cherone from Van Halen III were included. It was certified platinum in the US in August 2004. The Summer 2004 tour grossed almost US$ 55 million, and Pollstar listed Van Halen in
7285-560: 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 . 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. The film gave actor Tim Roth a significant early role. Davies' commitment to writing, directing and scoring
The Kinks - Misplaced Pages Continue
7520-552: A promoter and future manager of the Yardbirds . Gomelsky arranged for Davies to play at his Piccadilly Club with the Dave Hunt Rhythm & Blues Band, and on New Year's Eve, the Ray Davies Quartet opened for Cyril Stapleton at the Lyceum Ballroom. A few days later he became the permanent guitarist for the Dave Hunt Band, an engagement that would only last about six weeks. The band were the house band at Gomelsky's new venture,
7755-474: A radio spares shop in Muswell Hill , 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
7990-426: A result of the " Britpop " boom. 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. 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
8225-512: A result, it includes Avory on three tracks, with Henrit and a drum machine on the rest. Many of the songs also appeared as solo recordings on Ray Davies' Return to Waterloo soundtrack album. 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. Coinciding with the album's release,
8460-492: 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." 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
8695-438: A reunion, detailing how the attempts to do the same with Roth never worked out. Eventually, Hagar decided to call Alex to spend a day together with him. The two got along and became interested in reuniting on stage. In late March 2004, Van Halen and Hagar announced that Hagar would reunite with the band for a new compilation release and a summer concert tour of the U.S. In July 2004, Van Halen released The Best of Both Worlds ,
8930-456: A row, despite never mastering sight-reading sheet music . The brothers began playing music together in the 1960s, with Eddie on drums and Alex on guitar. However, while Ed was delivering newspapers to pay off his drum set, Alex secretly developed a passion and proficiency at them. Eventually, out of frustration and brotherly competition, Ed told Alex, "OK, you play drums and I'll play your guitar." The Van Halen brothers formed their first band,
9165-595: A second song for the soundtrack, Hagar was in Hawaii for the birth of his child. It was not an easy birth as the baby was breech , so it needed to be delivered via C-section. With Hagar back in Hawaii and against the idea of doing the project, but having another song left to contribute, the Van Halen brothers alone recorded the instrumental "Respect the Wind". The performance, which featured Eddie playing guitar and Alex playing keyboards,
9400-403: A separate project. In May 1978, Misfits , the Kinks' second Arista album, was released. It included the US top-40 hit " A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy ", 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
9635-664: A side project, Planet Us, with Michael Anthony and Deen Castronovo (also of Journey) on drums. The band recorded just two songs and played live a few times before dissolving when Hagar and Anthony rejoined Van Halen. On July 4, 2004, Roth performed with one of the world's most popular orchestras, the Boston Pops , at United States' annual Pops Goes the Fourth celebration in Boston. Hagar remained active, releasing five albums and creating his own merchandising brand Cabo Wabo , which lends its name to
The Kinks - Misplaced Pages Continue
9870-510: A small, invited audience. 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. The record drew respectable press but failed to chart in either the US or the UK. The band's profile rose considerably in the mid-1990s, primarily as
10105-625: A song with "some fabulous lyrics and a marvellous melody ... combined with a great production", and music scholar Johnny Rogan described it as "a kitchen sink drama without the drama—a static vision of working-class stoicism ". 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 . Both "Dead End Street" and its B-side " Big Black Smoke " were recorded with John Dalton on bass, though Quaife had returned by
10340-617: A staple of the Los Angeles music scene during the mid-1970s, playing at well-known clubs like the Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Strip. All the club gig success led naturally to the need for a demo tape, which was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Northridge where Steely Dan had recently completed an LP. According to a January 4, 1977, L.A. Times article by Robert Hilburn, entitled "HOMEGROWN PUNK", Rodney Bingenheimer saw Van Halen at Gazzarri's in
10575-617: A tour of US airbases. After the Kinks obtained a recording contract in early 1964, Davies emerged as the chief songwriter and de facto leader of the band, especially after the band's breakthrough success with his early composition " You Really Got Me ", which was released as the band's third single in August of that year. Davies led the Kinks through a period of musical experimentation between 1966 and 1975, with notable artistic achievements and commercial success. The Kinks' early recordings of 1964 ranged from covers of R&B standards like " Long Tall Sally " and " Got Love If You Want It " to
10810-446: A tour with Van Halen, claims he was approached by Eddie to replace Michael Anthony; the reasons for this were never completely clear to Sheehan, as nothing came of it. During this time, Eddie contributed the score and instrumental songs to the movie The Wild Life . The score was laden with drum machine and hinted at sounds and riffs that would come with their next two albums, 1984 and 5150 . 1984 (released on January 9, 1984)
11045-401: A very successful year. His hit single " I Can't Drive 55 " came from his 1984 album VOA , produced by Ted Templeman , who had also produced Montrose's first album Montrose , as well as all of Van Halen's albums up to that point. Hagar agreed to sing as well as play rhythm guitar. When Warner Bros. president Mo Ostin came to the band's 5150 Studios to hear the band's progress, Hagar said
11280-642: A year later. The Kinks gave their last public performance in mid-1996, 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." The band members subsequently focused on solo projects, and
11515-585: Is 20th on the RIAA's list of best-selling artists in the United States; the band has sold 56 million albums in the U.S. and more than 80 million worldwide, making them one of the best-selling groups of all time . As of 2007 , Van Halen is one of only five rock bands with two studio albums to sell more than 10 million copies in the United States and is tied for the most multi-platinum albums by an American band. Additionally, Van Halen has charted 13 number-one hits on Billboard ' s Mainstream Rock chart. VH1 ranked
11750-518: 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." The album was moderately successful in the US, peaking at number 47 in Record World and number 70 in Billboard . It marks the transition between
11985-579: Is credited by Jonathan Bellman as the first Western pop song to integrate Indian raga sounds—released six months before the Beatles ' " Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) ". Beginning with " A Well Respected Man " and " Where Have All the Good Times Gone " (both recorded in the summer of 1965), Davies's lyrics assumed a new sociological character. He began to explore the aspirations and frustrations of common working-class people, with particular emphasis on
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#173305586828912220-549: Is often at his most affecting when he sings of giving up worldly ambition for the simple rewards of love and domesticity ("This is Where I Belong", 1966; "Two Sisters", 1967; "The Way Love Used to Be", 1971; "Sweet Lady Genevieve", 1973; "You Make It All Worthwhile", 1974), or when he extols the consolations of friendship and memory (" Waterloo Sunset ", 1967; " Days ", 1968; " Do You Remember Walter? ", 1968; " Picture Book ", 1968; "Young and Innocent Days", 1969; "Moments", 1971; "Schooldays", 1975). Yet another perennial Ray Davies theme
12455-473: Is the championing of individualistic personalities and lifestyles (" I'm Not Like Everybody Else ", 1966; "Johnny Thunder", 1968; "Monica", 1968; " Lola ", 1970; " Celluloid Heroes ", 1972; "Where Are They Now?", 1973; " Sitting in the Midday Sun ", 1973). On his 1967 song " Waterloo Sunset ", the singer finds a fleeting sense of contentment in the midst of urban drabness and solitude. Davies's mid-period work for
12690-451: The Billboard pop music charts, one of rock's most commercially successful debuts. It was highly regarded as both a heavy metal and hard rock album. The album included songs now regarded as Van Halen classics, like " Runnin' with the Devil " and the guitar solo " Eruption ", which showcased Eddie's use of a technique known as "finger-tapping" , leading into what became the band's first single,
12925-579: The Record World chart and number 100 on the Billboard chart. 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 . 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. "Celluloid Heroes"
13160-603: The 2004 New Year Honours . In 2005, Davies released The Tourist , a four-song EP , in the UK; and Thanksgiving Day , a five-song EP, in the US. A choral album, The Kinks Choral Collection , on which Davies had been collaborating with the Crouch End Festival Chorus since 2007, was released in the UK in June 2009 and in the US in November 2009. The album was re-released as a special extended edition including Davies's charity Christmas single "Postcard From London" featuring Davies's former girlfriend and leader of
13395-754: The Crawdaddy Club in Richmond-upon-Thames . When the Dave Hunt band were snowed in during the coldest winter since 1740 , Gomelsky offered a gig to a new band called the Rolling Stones , who had previously supported Hunt at the Piccadilly and would take over the residency. Davies then joined the Hamilton King Band until June 1963. The Kinks (then known as the Ramrods) spent the summer supporting Rick Wayne on
13630-816: The Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End in October 2014. The musical won four awards at the 2015 Olivier Awards , including one for Ray Davies: the Autograph Sound Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music . Davies has been married three times and has four daughters. In 1964, he married Rasa Didzpetris. The couple had two daughters, Louisa and Victoria. He changed his legal name by deed poll to Raymond Douglas for five years, which allowed him anonymity for his second marriage in 1974 to Yvonne Gunner. The couple had no children and divorced in 1981. In
13865-803: The Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Service to British Music". In 1990, the original four members of the Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , as well as the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. 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
14100-625: The Royal Albert Hall in London, Mark Haley departed the band and Gibbons rejoined them for a US tour. Phobia managed only one week in the US Billboard chart at number 166; as had by then become usual for the band, it made no impression in the UK. 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. However,
14335-519: The UK Music Hall of Fame . Davies published his "unauthorised autobiography", X-Ray , in 1994. In 1997, he published a book of short stories entitled Waterloo Sunset . He has made three films, Return to Waterloo in 1985, Weird Nightmare (a documentary about Charles Mingus ) in 1991, and Americana . Davies was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire , by Queen Elizabeth II , in
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#173305586828914570-613: The choreography was by Charles Augins , and Jim Rodford played bass as part of the theatre's "house band". Davies wrote songs for a musical version of Jules Verne 's Around the World in 80 Days ; the show, 80 Days , had a book by playwright Snoo Wilson . It was directed by Des McAnuff and ran at the La Jolla Playhouse 's Mandell Weiss Theatre in San Diego from 23 August to 9 October 1988. The musical received mixed responses from
14805-477: The hard rock and heavy metal arsenal", and as an influence on the approach of some American garage rock bands. 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. " All Day and All of the Night ", another Ray Davies hard rock tune,
15040-416: The music hall of their parents' generation to the jazz and early rock and roll their older sisters enjoyed. Both Ray and his brother Dave, younger by almost three years, learned to play guitar, and they played skiffle and rock and roll together. The brothers attended William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School (later merged with Tollington Grammar School to become Fortismere School ), where they formed
15275-433: The " Unchained " solo hours after Ted "stormed out of" the studio. This darker album only reached platinum status after $ 250,000 of payola pushed it up nationwide from 400k copies. Planning to release a cover single, then take a hiatus, Roth and Ed agreed upon a remake of the 1960s Roy Orbison song " Oh, Pretty Woman ", which peaked at 12 on BB Top 100. "Oh, Pretty Woman"'s comical video helped its immediate success, but
15510-548: The 'Kinks' as their name at that time, they were participating in a time-honoured pop ritual—fame through outrage." 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! ' " Ray Davies' account conflicts with Wace's—he recalled that
15745-408: The 'Sans-Halen' or 'Sam & Dave' Tour). The tour, with both singers headlining, attracted media and audience fascination because it seemed more improbable than even a Van Halen tour with Roth or Hagar. It drew large crowds and featured no opening acts, Roth and Hagar alternating as the first act. Roth contrasted his personality with Hagar's: "He's the kind of guy you go out with to split a bottle with
15980-514: The 13th song of theirs to do so. This made them the band with the most Mainstream Rock No. 1s. Van Halen returned to the studio and in early 1999 started work on a new album. For the sessions, they brought on Danny Kortchmar to produce. Working titles of songs included "Left for Dead", "River Wide", "Say Uncle", "You Wear it Well", "More Than Yesterday", "I Don't Miss You ... Much", "Love Divine", and "From Here, Where Do We Go?"; more than 20 songs were rumored to have been written. The project
16215-465: The 1980s, Davies had a relationship with Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders . The couple had a daughter, Natalie Rae Hynde. His third marriage was to Irish ballet dancer Patricia Crosbie, with whom he had a daughter named Eva. In January 2004, Davies was shot in the leg while chasing thieves who had snatched his companion's purse as they walked through the French Quarter of New Orleans . A man
16450-427: The 1996 MTV Video Music Awards fueled reunion speculation. But several weeks after the awards show, it was discovered that Roth was out of Van Halen again. Roth released a statement that Van Halen misled him into thinking they were seriously considering bringing him back into the band and that he had made clear to them beforehand that he did not want to do the awards show unless they were actually reuniting. The next day,
16685-437: The 2004, 2007, and 2012 tours. In 1995, Van Halen released the album Balance and supported Bon Jovi on their European Summer stadium tour . The Balance Tour was nicknamed the "Ambulance Tour" by the band due to an amount of physical ailments, as Hagar had throat problems during the first concerts, Eddie suffered a hip injury caused by avascular necrosis , and Alex wore a neck brace due to ruptured vertebrae. During
16920-643: 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, such as, '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. A stopover in Bombay , India, during
17155-569: The American label Reprise Records , where the band was signed by legendary executive Mo Ostin , "You Really Got Me" also made the Top 10 in the United States. 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. "You Really Got Me" has been described as "a blueprint song in
17390-566: The British Empire) . Originally conceived as the soundtrack to a television play that was never produced, the band's first rock opera affectionately chronicled the trials and tribulations of a working-class everyman and his family from the very end of the Victorian era through the First World War and Second World War, the postwar austerity years , and up to the 1960s. The overall theme of
17625-520: The Broken Combs, in 1964. As they gained popularity playing backyard parties and local high school functions, they changed their name first to the Trojan Rubber Co, then in 1972 to Genesis, later still to Mammoth when they discovered Genesis was already in use by a major-label British band. At this time the band included Eddie on both vocals and lead guitar and friend Mark Stone on bass. They rented
17860-432: The Davies brothers both released their own studio albums. 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. 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
18095-529: 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 . The Kinks embarked on their tour of the US in October 1969. 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
18330-575: The Davies brothers. The Kinks have had five top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Nine of their albums charted in the top 40 of the Billboard 200 . In the UK, they have had seventeen top 20 singles and five top 10 albums. Four Kinks albums have been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the band has sold over 50 million records worldwide. Among numerous honours, they received
18565-497: The English language", and AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine cited it as "possibly the most beautiful song of the rock and roll era". Ray Davies was chosen to perform "Waterloo Sunset" at the closing of the 2012 London Olympic Games , 45 years after the song's release. 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
18800-744: The Hamilton King Band (also known as the Blues Messengers), which had Peter Bardens as a pianist. At the end of the spring term, he left Hornsey College with a view to studying film at the Central School of Art and Design . Around this time the Quartet changed their name to the Ramrods. 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,
19035-516: The Hamilton King Band broke up,. However, the Ramrods kept going, performing under several other names, including the Pete Quaife Band and the Bo-Weevils, before (temporarily) settling on the Ravens. The fledgling group hired two managers, Grenville Collins and Robert Wace. In late 1963 former pop singer Larry Page became their third manager. American record producer Shel Talmy began working with
19270-660: The Honeycombs . An intensive performing schedule saw them headline other package tours throughout the year with acts such as the Yardbirds and Mickey Finn . 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. After finishing the first song, "You Really Got Me", Davies insulted Avory and kicked over his drum set. Avory responded by hitting Davies with his hi-hat stand, rendering him unconscious, before fleeing from
19505-552: The Kast Off Kinks . 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 estranged brother. 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 . Dave Davies spoke favourably of
19740-630: The Kinks also showed signs of an emerging social conscience. For example, "Holiday in Waikiki" (1966) deplored the commercialization of a once unspoiled indigenous culture . Similarly, "God's Children" and " Apeman " (both 1970), and the songs " 20th Century Man ", "Complicated Life" and "Here Come the People in Grey" from Muswell Hillbillies (1971), passionately decried industrialization and bureaucracy in favour of simple pastoral living. Perhaps most significantly,
19975-517: The Kinks recorded their final theatrical work, Schoolboys in Disgrace , a backstory biography of Preservation's Mr Flash. The record was a modest success, peaking at number 45 on the Billboard charts. 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. John Dalton left
20210-495: The Kinks to the public eye. 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 . 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". Recordings of both versions of "Lola" exist. Released in November 1970,
20445-404: The Kinks' line-up was expanded to include a horn section and female backup singers, essentially reconfiguring the group as a theatrical troupe. Ray Davies' marital problems during this period began to affect the band adversely, particularly after his wife, Rasa, took their children and left him in June 1973. Davies became depressed; during a July gig at White City Stadium , he told the audience he
20680-657: The Moneygoround, Part One would also prove to be the band's final album before signing with RCA Records. This period on the RCA label (1971–75) produced Muswell Hillbillies , Everybody's in Show-Biz , Preservation Act 1 and Act 2 , Soap Opera and Schoolboys in Disgrace . When the Kinks changed record labels from RCA to Arista in 1976, Davies abandoned his recent propensity for ambitious, theatrical concept albums and rock operas (see above) and returned to writing more basic, straightforward songs. During this decade
20915-437: The Night " with Metallica at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert . Davies was a judge for the 3rd (in 2004) and 7th (in 2008) annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers. Davies played at Glastonbury Festival in 2010, where he dedicated several songs to the Kinks' bassist Pete Quaife , who died a few days before the festival. A collaborations album, See My Friends ,
21150-520: The Pretenders , Chrissie Hynde . The video for the single was directed by Julien Temple and features London landmarks including Waterloo Bridge , Carnaby Street , the statue of Eros steps and the Charlie Chaplin statue in Leicester Square . The duet was originally recorded with Kate Nash . His first choice had been Dame Vera Lynn . In October 2009, Davies performed " All Day and All of
21385-552: 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. 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
21620-705: The Season" (both 1967); "Sitting By the Riverside" and "All of My Friends Were There" (both 1968); "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina" (1969); "Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues" and "Alcohol" (both 1971); "Look a Little on the Sunny Side" (1972); and "Holiday Romance" (1975). Occasionally, he varied the group's sound with more disparate musical influences, such as raga ("Fancy", 1966), bossa nova ("No Return", 1967) and calypso ("I'm on an Island", 1965; "Monica", 1968; " Apeman ", 1970; " Supersonic Rocket Ship ", 1972). Davies
21855-648: The UK but stalled at number 111 in the US. 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. 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. According to Ray Davies,
22090-425: 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. It was greeted with almost unanimously positive reviews from both UK and US rock critics, yet failed to attract strong sales. One factor in the album's initial commercial failure was the lack of a popular single; it did not include the moderately successful "Days", and
22325-449: The UK. 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. 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
22560-404: The UK; the song was subsequently cut by NBC from the US broadcast, in favour of a preview of its upcoming show Animal Practice . On 18 December 2015, Ray joined his brother Dave for an encore at London's Islington Assembly Hall. The two performed "You Really Got Me", marking the first time in nearly 20 years that the brothers had appeared and performed together. In April 2017, Davies released
22795-423: The US, precipitating a major dispute that contributed to the band's departure from the label. Directly after the release of the album, the band's contracts with Pye and Reprise expired. 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 . Their debut for RCA, Muswell Hillbillies ,
23030-459: The US, the Kinks recorded another album, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) . As with the previous two albums, Arthur was grounded in characteristically English lyrical and musical hooks . A modest commercial success, it was well received by American music critics. Conceived as the score for a proposed but unrealised television drama, much of the album revolved around themes from
23265-464: The US, where it peaked at number 11. 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. Dave Davies also took advantage of the group's improved commercial standing to fulfil his decade-long ambitions to release albums of his solo work. The first was the eponymous Dave Davies in 1980. It
23500-471: The Van Halen brothers and Anthony released their own statement, denying they had in any way led Roth to believe they were planning to bring him back into the band. Eddie later recounted that at the MTV Video Music Awards appearance, he was embarrassed and outraged by Roth's antics while on camera behind Beck , who was giving an acceptance speech for the award that Van Halen had presented to him. At
23735-512: The Warner Bros. reps were so impressed that they wrote a letter of intent on a napkin, and within a week met at a local diner with the band, their future manager Marshall Berle (nephew of comedian Milton Berle ) and Warner touring manager Noel Monk, who had just guided the Sex Pistols across the United States. According to Noel Monk's book, the band's car had broken down enroute to the meeting at
23970-493: 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. 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. The album, which consisted largely of instrumentals, did not receive positive reviews. The band's US label, Reprise, declined to release it in
24205-508: The age of 76. Keyboardist Ian Gibbons died of cancer in 2019. Gosling died on 4 August 2023, at the age of 75. In June 2018, the Davies brothers said they were working on a new Kinks studio album with Avory. In July 2019, the band again said they were working on new music. However, in a December 2020 interview with The New York Times , Ray Davies gave no indication that much, or indeed any, work had been done, saying "I'd like to work with Dave again—if he'll work with me." When asked about
24440-455: The aging Air Raid Generation . However, with " Catch Me Now I'm Falling " (1979), " Destroyer " (1981), "Clichés of the World (B Movie)" (1983) and " Do It Again " (1984), the Davies brothers cranked out strident, heavy- riffing hard rock that conveyed an attitude of bitter cynicism and world weary disillusionment. I write songs because I get angry, and now I'm at the stage where it's not good enough to brush it off with humour. Aside from
24675-437: The album Americana . Based on his experiences in the US it follows on from the short DVD Americana — a work in progress (found on the deluxe CD Working Man's Cafe from 2007), and his biographical book Americana from 2013. A second volume Our Country: Americana Act II was released in June 2018. For his backing band on Americana Davies chose The Jayhawks , an alt-country/country-rock band from Minnesota. He
24910-547: The album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge . Van Halen continued to enjoy success throughout the mid-1990s. They recorded a live album and concert film at two 1992 F.U.C.K. tour shows in Fresno, California called Live: Right Here, Right Now . During the F.U.C.K. and the live album supporting Live: Right Here Right Now tour, Night Ranger 's Alan Fitzgerald played keyboards offstage every night allowing Eddie to concentrate on guitar. Fitzgerald would return to play offstage keyboards on
25145-608: The album peaking at No. 4 on the U.S. charts. However, Van Halen III did produce the hit " Without You ", and another album track, "Fire in the Hole", appeared on the Lethal Weapon 4 soundtrack. The album was followed by a tour. The III Tour saw Van Halen playing in new countries, including first ever visits to Australia and New Zealand. "Without You" acquired No. 1 place on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in 1998,
25380-493: The album track " Starstruck " was released as a single in North America and continental Europe, but was unsuccessful. Although a commercial disappointment, Village Green (the project's original name was adopted as a 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. In The Village Voice ,
25615-450: The album was tipped as a potential "chart winner" by Billboard magazine. Despite this, it managed only a meagre chart peak of 135—a sign of the band's flagging popularity in the American market. Released in November 1966, the Kinks' next single was a social commentary piece entitled " Dead End Street ". It became another UK Top 10 hit, but reached only number 73 in the US. Bob Dawbarn from Melody Maker praised Ray Davies' ability to create
25850-423: The band as a major influence. 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. Their parents, Frederick and Annie Davies, moved the family to 6 Denmark Terrace, Fortis Green , in the neighbouring suburb of Muswell Hill . At home, the brothers were immersed in a world of varied musical styles, from
26085-423: 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. Sleepwalker , released in 1977, marked a return to success for the group as it peaked at number 21 on the Billboard chart. After its release and the recording of the follow-up, Misfits , Andy Pyle and keyboardist John Gosling left the group to work together on
26320-454: The band for about a year, and they decided to replace the ambivalent Stone, who was unsure about a career in music. Michael Anthony Sobolewski , a Pasadena college music-classmate of Eddie's, joined the group after an all-night jam session. He had sung and played bass in a number of less successful Arcadia backyard-party bands, including Snake. Although he was hesitant, his own Snake-bandmate encouraged him to seize this opportunity. Also in 1974,
26555-557: The band had a major break when it was hired to play regularly at the Sunset Strip club Gazzarri's . The Doors had also "broken" there in the late 1960s. Owner Bill Gazzarri previously claimed VH was too loud. However, their new managers, Mark Algorri and Mario Miranda, took over the club's hiring and booked them through 1976. By the Spring of 1975, they were also the regular Tuesday night band at Myron's Ballroom. They had succeeded in becoming
26790-494: The band had toured first and then recorded an album they might have creatively gelled more and the album would have turned out better. Touring with Cherone had proven disappointing in terms of attendance. Eddie later admitted that Warner Bros. had forced his hand in parting with Cherone. Unlike with the previous two singers, there was reportedly no bad blood behind the breakup, and Cherone remained in contact and on good terms with Van Halen. As when Hagar left, speculation resumed on
27025-530: The band members would hurl their instruments at each other. 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, possibly due to their rowdy on-stage behaviour. In April 1969, Davies helped negotiate an end to the American Federation of Musicians ban on the group, which allowed plans for
27260-402: The band played " Why Can't This Be Love " live with Eddie on keyboards, after which Ostin proclaimed: "I smell money." The 1986 Van Halen album 5150 was a huge hit, becoming the band's first No. 1 album on the Billboard charts, driven by the keyboard-dominated singles "Why Can't This Be Love" (#3 U.S.), " Dreams ", and " Love Walks In " (Top 30 U.S.). To further introduce the new era for
27495-423: The band released their final studio album, A Different Kind of Truth , which was commercially and critically successful. It was also Van Halen's first album with Roth in 28 years and the only one to feature Wolfgang. Eddie was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, and died of the disease on October 6, 2020. A month after his father's death, Wolfgang confirmed that Van Halen had disbanded. As of March 2019 , Van Halen
27730-554: The band reunited briefly with David Lee Roth attempting to do a new album, only for disputes with Roth to abort these plans. The recorded demos would be among the ones reworked into new songs on 2012's A Different Kind of Truth . The band also tried to just schedule some concerts with Roth at a later date. In the summer of 2002, Roth and Hagar teamed up in the Song for Song, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll tour (also known as
27965-572: The band seventh on its list of the "100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists". The Van Halen brothers were born in Amsterdam , the Netherlands, Alex Van Halen in 1953 and Eddie Van Halen in 1955, sons to Dutch musician Jan Van Halen and Indonesian-born Indo Eugenia Van Beers. The family moved to Pasadena, California , in 1962. Young Edward began learning classical piano by ear , and became so proficient he won an annual piano recital contest 2 or 3 years in
28200-416: The band throughout its history. Quaife briefly left the band in 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 joined 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
28435-440: The band was not completely satisfied with the final cuts, 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
28670-522: The band's Best Of – Volume I album and released as singles to promote it. In September, Van Halen was asked to present an award at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards . They agreed, and on September 4, 1996, the four original members of Van Halen made their first public appearance together in over eleven years. This helped to bring the compilation to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. However, unknown to Roth, Eddie and Alex were still auditioning other singers, including Mitch Malloy . The band's appearance on
28905-448: The band's self-titled debut album reached No. 19 on the Billboard 200 and would sell over 10 million copies in the United States, achieving a Diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). By 1982, the band released four more albums: Van Halen II (1979), Women and Children First (1980), Fair Warning (1981), and Diver Down (1982), all of which have since been certified multi-platinum. By
29140-557: 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. 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 . Davies had written the song with a raga feel after hearing the early morning chants of local fishermen. Music historian Jonathan Bellman argues that
29375-498: The band's acclaimed 1968 concept album The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society gave an affectionate embrace to " Merry England " nostalgia and advocated the preservation of traditional English country village and hamlet life. A definitive testament to Davies's reputation as a songwriter of insight, empathy and wit can be heard on the Kinks' landmark 1969 album Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of
29610-422: 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
29845-472: The band's early 1970s rock material and the theatrical incarnation in which they immersed themselves for the next four years. 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. In conjunction with the Preservation project,
30080-484: The band's final show of the tour, in Tucson, Eddie smashed one of his guitars at the end of the show. After the tour, things broke down. At first Hagar stated he had yet to decide what he would be doing with Van Halen, although he was still an official member of the band. Soon after, however, both Hagar and Anthony admitted that Eddie had problems with alcohol during the tour that affected everyone involved. Hagar stated that he
30315-537: The band's first hit single, " Dance the Night Away ", which peaked at 15 on BB Hot 100. Over the next four years, the band toured non stop, never taking more than 2 weeks to record an album. Their album Women and Children First was released in 1980, and further cemented Van Halen's platinum-selling status to Warner Bros. It yielded two hit singles, " And the Cradle Will Rock... " and " Everybody Wants Some!! ". For
30550-428: The band's first single not to make the UK top twenty since their early covers. 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, centring on a slowly developing project of Ray's called Village Green . In an attempt to revive
30785-615: The band's mid-period, he wrote many cheerfully eccentric—and often ironic—celebrations of traditional English culture and living : "Village Green" (1966), "Afternoon Tea" and " Autumn Almanac " (both 1967), "The Last of the Steam-Powered Trains" (1968), " Victoria " (1969), " Have a Cuppa Tea " (1971) and "Cricket" (1973). In other songs, Davies revived the style of British music hall and trad jazz : " Dedicated Follower of Fashion ", " Sunny Afternoon ", " Dandy " and "Little Miss Queen of Darkness" (all 1966); " Mister Pleasant " and "End of
31020-439: The band's sound. 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. 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
31255-431: The band, a new Van Halen logo was put on the cover. The new logo retained elements of the original, but now the lines extending from either side of 'VH' wrapped around and formed a ring. Following the release of the 5150 album, the " 5150 Tour " was launched to support it across North America. Footage was released on VHS and Laserdisc as Live Without a Net . The band minimized the use of pre-Hagar Van Halen songs in
31490-544: The band, and the Beatles ' promoter, Arthur Howes, was retained to schedule the Ravens' live shows. 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. The Ravens invited Mick Avory to replace him after seeing an advertisement Avory had placed in Melody Maker . Avory had
31725-421: 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. 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
31960-473: The band, particularly between Eddie and Hagar. The relationship between Hagar and Van Halen broke down. David Lee Roth called Eddie to discuss what tracks would be included on a planned Van Halen compilation (work on which had actually begun before Hagar's departure). They got along well, and Eddie invited him up to his house/studio. Shortly afterwards, Roth re-entered the studio with the band and producer Glen Ballard . Two songs from those sessions were added to
32195-434: The brothers did not want him on the 2004 reunion tour, although Hagar did (and would not play without Anthony), but he had to agree to reduced royalties and end absolutely all association with the band after the tour in terms of rights to using the name to promote himself. In this same interview he admitted he was not involved in the new songs on Best of Both Worlds and only recorded three tracks for Van Halen III . Anthony
32430-725: The charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the top 10 in the United States. 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' observational and satirical lyricism, 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
32665-419: The chiming, melodic beat music of Ray Davies's earliest original compositions for the band, " You Still Want Me " and " Something Better Beginning ", to the more influential proto-metal , protopunk , power chord -based hard rock of the band's first two hit singles, " You Really Got Me " and " All Day and All of the Night ". However, by 1965, this raucous, hard-driving early style had gradually given way to
32900-429: The commercially unsuccessful album Van Halen III with the band in 1998, before parting ways in 1999. Van Halen then went on hiatus until reuniting with Hagar in 2003 for a worldwide tour in 2004 and the double-disc greatest hits collection, The Best of Both Worlds (2004). Hagar again left Van Halen in 2005. Roth returned in 2006, but Anthony was replaced on bass guitar by Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen . In 2012,
33135-486: The complacency and indolence of wealthy playboys and the upper class (" A House in the Country ", " Sunny Afternoon "), the heedless ostentation of a self-indulgent spendthrift nouveau riche (" Most Exclusive Residence For Sale "), and even the mercenary nature of the music business itself (" Session Man "). By late 1966, Davies was addressing the bleakness of life at the lower end of the social spectrum: released together as
33370-424: The complementary A-B sides of a single , " Dead End Street " and " Big Black Smoke " were powerful neo- Dickensian sketches of urban poverty. Other songs like " Situation Vacant " (1967) and " Shangri-La " (1969) hinted at the helpless sense of insecurity and emptiness underlying the materialistic values adopted by the English working class. In a similar vein, " Dedicated Follower of Fashion " (1966) wittily satirized
33605-404: The conclusion of their first supporting tour as the opening act for Journey and Ronnie Montrose . The group recorded their debut album at Sunset Sound Recorders studio from mid-September to early October 1977, recording guitar parts for one week and then vocals for two additional. All of the tracks were laid down with little overdubbing or multi-tracking. Minor mistakes were purposely left on
33840-608: The consumerism and celebrity worship of Carnaby Street and ' Swinging London ', while " David Watts " (1967) humorously expressed the wounded feelings of a plain schoolboy who envies the grace and privileges enjoyed by a charismatic upper class student. The Kinks have been called "the most adamantly British of the Brit Invasion bands" on account of Ray Davies's abiding fascination with England's imperial past and his tender, bittersweet evocations of "a vanishing, romanticized world of village greens, pubs and public schools ". During
34075-610: The contemporary influence of punk rock , " Father Christmas " (A-side) and " Prince of the Punks " (B-side—inspired by Davies's troubled collaboration with Tom Robinson ). By the early 1980s, the Kinks revived their commercial fortunes considerably by adopting a much more mainstream arena rock style; and the band's four remaining studio albums for Arista— Low Budget (1979), Give the People What They Want (1981), State of Confusion (1983) and Word of Mouth (1984)—showcased
34310-742: The critics. Davies's multi-faceted music, McAnuff's directing, and the acting, however, were well received, with the show winning the "Best Musical" award from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. Davies's musical Come Dancing , based partly on his 1983 hit single with 20 new songs, ran at the Theatre Royal Stratford East , London in September–November 2008. Sunny Afternoon , a musical based on Ray Davies's early life and featuring Kinks songs opened to critical acclaim at Hampstead Theatre . The musical moved to
34545-436: The decade. Think Visual was followed in 1987 with the live album The Road , which was a mediocre commercial and critical performer. In 1989, the Kinks released UK Jive , a commercial failure that made only a momentary entry into the US album chart at number 122. 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
34780-434: The diner, and rather than leave the Warner Bros. reps waiting and appear to be an irresponsible band, the members of Van Halen actually ran the remaining distance of several miles to arrive only slightly late . Warner offered the band a rather basic two album recording contract, one that heavily favored Warner, paying the four young men only $ 0.70 per unit (album) sold, a deal that would leave the band over $ 1 million in debt at
35015-509: The early 1980s, Van Halen was among the most commercially successful rock acts. The album 1984 , released in the eponymous year, was a commercial success with U.S. sales of 10 million copies and four successful singles. Its lead single, " Jump ", was the band's only number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 . In 1985, Roth left the band to embark on a solo career and was replaced by former Montrose lead vocalist Sammy Hagar . With Hagar,
35250-446: 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." "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. Village Green eventually morphed into their next album, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society , released in late 1968 in
35485-407: The first album, but it wasn't executed in the right way. It was just far too rushed." 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 , on which Nicky Hopkins made his first appearance as a session musician with
35720-415: The first song, "You Really Got Me", Davies insulted Avory and kicked over his drum set. 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. To placate police, Avory later claimed that it was part of a new act in which
35955-514: The first three books on the Kinks were published: The Kinks: The Official Biography , by Jon Savage ; 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 . In early 1986, the Kinks signed with MCA Records in the US and London Records in
36190-431: The first time, an amplified Wurlitzer electric piano was used to complement Ed's guitar. In 1981, during the recording of Fair Warning , Eddie's desire for darker, more complex songs in minor keys was at odds with Roth's pop tastes and style. Nonetheless, Roth and veteran Warner Bros. rock producer Ted Templeman acquiesced to Eddie's wishes on this album. Doug Messenger recalled how Ed and engineer Don Landee rerecorded
36425-540: 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. 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. In February 1963, Davies left Dave Hunt to join
36660-466: The group and was replaced by Mark Haley. The Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, their first year of eligibility. Mick Avory and Pete Quaife were present for the award. 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
36895-586: The group at least once in early 1962. He then formed his own group, Rod Stewart and the Moonrakers, who became a local rival to the Ray Davies Quartet. 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. When Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated played at the college in December, he asked advice from Alexis Korner , who recommended Giorgio Gomelsky ,
37130-525: The group founded their own London recording studio "Konk" which employed newer production techniques to achieve a more refined sound on the albums Sleepwalker (1977) and Misfits (1978). Davies's focus shifted to wistful ballads of restless alienation (" Life on the Road ", " Misfits "), meditations on the inner lives of obsessed pop fans (" Juke Box Music ", " A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy "), and exhortations of carpe diem (" Life Goes On ", " Live Life ", " Get Up "). A notable single from late 1977 reflected
37365-411: The group on keyboards. 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. The satirical single " Sunny Afternoon " was the biggest UK hit of summer 1966, topping the charts and displacing the Beatles' " Paperback Writer ". Before
37600-486: The group released four U.S. number-one, multi-platinum albums over the course of 11 years: 5150 in 1986, OU812 in 1988, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge in 1991, and Balance in 1995. The group also released a double-platinum live album, Live: Right Here, Right Now , in 1993. Hagar left the band in 1996 shortly before the release of the band's first greatest hits collection, Best Of – Volume I . Former Extreme frontman Gary Cherone replaced Hagar and recorded
37835-419: The group until the recording of the album Sleepwalker in 1976. 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. The group's management quickly made plans for a North American tour to help restore their standing in the US pop music scene. Before their return to
38070-545: 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", commented Andy Miller. The tour proved taxing and stressful—Pete Quaife recalled, "It
38305-425: The group's first top-20 hit in the UK since 1972, peaking at number 12. 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. Another single released from the record, " Don't Forget to Dance ", became a US top-30 hit and minor UK chart entry. The Kinks' second wave of popularity remained at
38540-506: The group's new releases. 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
38775-423: The group. At this point, in a string of 13 singles, 12 of them reached the top 10 in the UK chart. 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,
39010-455: The lengthy Kinks discography, Davies has released seven solo albums: the 1985 release Return to Waterloo (which accompanied a television film he wrote and directed), the 1998 release The Storyteller , Other People's Lives in early 2006, Working Man's Café in October 2007, The Kinks Choral Collection in June 2009, Americana in April 2017, and its sequel, Our Country: Americana Act II in June 2018. In 1986, Davies contributed
39245-471: The line of tequila he formerly owned, as well as his franchise of cantinas. He reunited with Montrose in 2003 and 2005 for a few performances and maintained contact with Anthony, often playing with him. With Van Halen inactive, Anthony set up a website and worked on merchandising projects such as his signature Yamaha bass and range of hot sauces. He became involved with the annual music industry NAMM Show . Anthony had repeatedly contacted Hagar regarding
39480-534: The microphone system. 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 ". 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
39715-529: 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." "I've never really liked the name," Ray stated. The Kinks' first single was a cover of the Little Richard song " Long Tall Sally ". A friend of the band, Bobby Graham , was recruited to play the drums on the recording. Graham would continue to occasionally substitute for Avory in
39950-416: The new work caused tension in his relationship with his brother. Another problem was the stormy end of the relationship between Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde . The old feud between Dave Davies and drummer Mick Avory also re-ignited. Davies eventually refused to work with Avory, and called for him to be replaced by Bob Henrit , former drummer of Argent (of which Jim Rodford had also been a member). Avory left
40185-411: The next four years, effectively cutting them off from the main market for rock music at the height of the British Invasion . 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. 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
40420-414: The official end of the group's relationship with the label. 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. The Kinks reverted to a four-piece band for the recording of their first Columbia album, Phobia , in 1993. After a sellout performance at
40655-549: 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. Quaife, who had been receiving kidney dialysis for more than ten years, died on 23 June 2010, aged 66. In 2018, long-time bassist Jim Rodford died at
40890-462: 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." The first live performance of
41125-436: The previous week and a reunion was "inevitable." However, he also said that Eddie Van Halen was "off in his own little world" recently. When asked if any problems occurred with Hagar during the 2004 tour Eddie answered, "Sammy is Sammy, and for the most part that's just fine." Roth persisted with suggestions of a reunion, saying, "People want the reunion," and "No one will pay respect to what any of us do [musically] until we get
41360-518: The psychological effects of the British class system . Face to Face (1966), the first Kinks album composed solely of original material, was a creative breakthrough. As the band began to experiment with theatrical sound effects and baroque musical arrangements ( Nicky Hopkins played harpsichord on several tracks), Davies's songwriting fully acquired its distinctive elements of narrative, observation and wry social commentary. His topical songs took aim at
41595-533: The record and a very rudimentary instrument set-up was used to give the record a live feel. During this time, they continued to play various venues in Southern California, including some notable concerts at the Pasadena Convention Center produced by their promoter and impresario, Steve Tortomasi, himself a fixture in the local rock and roll scene. Upon its release, Van Halen reached No. 19 on
41830-413: The record flopped and said, "Well, you've had a good run. You've enjoyed it." As if it was all over for us. 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. The Kinks' next single, " Wonderboy ", released in the spring of 1968, stalled at number 36 and became
42065-437: The record was partly inspired by the life of Ray and Dave Davies's brother-in-law, Arthur Anning, who had married their elder sister Rose—herself the subject of an earlier Kinks song, " Rosie Won't You Please Come Home " (1966)—and had emigrated to Australia after the war. Throughout a dozen evocative songs, Arthur fulfills its ambitious subtitle as Davies embellishes an intimate family chronicle with satirical observations about
42300-455: The record was unavailable in stores—several months later, a small number appeared on the collector market. The group was dropped by Columbia in 1994. 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
42535-414: The recording of songs for the film Twister , escalating tension between Hagar and the Van Halen brothers boiled over and Hagar departed on Father's Day , 1996. Hagar would claim he was fired, and Eddie would claim Hagar quit. The band had recorded " Humans Being ", a song for which Eddie, unhappy with Hagar's lyrics, retitled the song and wrote the melody. This upset Hagar, and when they were to record
42770-403: 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. During his months of recuperation, he wrote several new songs and pondered the band's direction. In June 1966, Quaife was involved in an automobile accident, and after his recovery he decided to leave the band. Bassist John Dalton , who
43005-482: The rest of the Kinks. Ray Davies pleaded with him to return for the sessions for their upcoming album, but Quaife refused. 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
43240-545: The reunion out of the way." In May 2006, he told Billboard.com, "There's contact between the two camps." On June 3, Anthony began a successful tour with Hagar billed as the Other Half (a reference to them being half of Van Halen with the other half being Eddie/Alex), with Anthony singing lead vocals sometimes. Meanwhile, on June 19 the Van Halen brothers jumped onstage with Kenny Chesney at The Home Depot Center performing "Jump" and " You Really Got Me ". This unusual performance
43475-432: The scene, fearing that he had killed his bandmate. Davies was taken to Cardiff Royal Infirmary , where he received 16 stitches to his head. 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. Following a mid-year tour of the US , the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the group to appear in concerts there for
43710-493: The scrapped second album with Van Halen, titled "Left For Dead", would see its lyrics set to a new musical arrangement with Tribe of Judah. Responding to speculation that he had been approached to replace Cherone, David Coverdale said, "I called a mutual friend and said, 'Tell Eddie I had nothing to do with this.' It just got ridiculous. I've heard that they were going to approach me, but since I left Purple I've always done my own thing. Why would I join anybody else?" In 2000,
43945-458: 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 in a number of their live BBC recordings before joining the Jeff Beck Group in 1968. 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,
44180-495: The set. All four studio albums produced during this period reached No. 1 on the Billboard pop music charts and 17 singles breached the top 12 of the mainstream rock tracks chart. During that era, a single taken from 1988's OU812 , " When It's Love ", reached the Top Five, peaking at No. 5. In addition, Van Halen was nominated for two Grammy awards . The band won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal for
44415-530: The shifting mores of the English working class in response to the declining fortunes of the British Empire . The Kinks followed up Arthur with Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One (1970), a satirical take on the travails of the recording industry. This album proved to be another critical achievement as well as a commercial hit, spawning " Lola ", their first US Top Ten single since " Tired of Waiting for You " in 1965. Lola Versus Powerman and
44650-462: The softer and more introspective sound of " Tired of Waiting for You ", " Nothin' in the World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl ", " Set Me Free ", " I Go to Sleep " and " Ring the Bells ". With the eerie, droning " See My Friends "—inspired by the untimely death of the Davies brothers' older sister Rene in June 1957—the band began to show signs of expanding their musical palette even further. A rare foray into early psychedelic rock , "See My Friends"
44885-472: 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." 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
45120-424: The stalemate by underwriting the session himself. The band used an independent recording studio, IBC , and completed the recording in two takes on 15 July. 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. Hastily imported by
45355-412: The student paper California Tech , one writer commented that it was "schmaltz rock ... without imagination, poorly arranged and a poor copy of The Beatles". Although Davies later estimated that it had sold only around 100,000 copies worldwide on its initial release, Village Green has since become the Kinks' best-selling original record. The album remains popular; in 2004, it was re-released in
45590-438: 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". 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, Pye Records threatened to annul the group's contract unless their third single
45825-435: 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 (" She's Got Everything "), and the Knack (" The Hard Way ") recorded covers of Kinks songs, which helped bring attention to
46060-554: The summer of 1976, and enticed Gene Simmons of Kiss to see them. Impressed to action, Simmons produced a 29-track Van Halen demo tape, entitled "Zero" at Village Recorder studios in Los Angeles and with post-production overdubs completed at Electric Lady Studios in New York. Simmons even suggested changing their name to "Daddy Longlegs." However, a very disappointed Simmons could do no more once Kiss management opined that VH "had no chance of making it". Doug Messenger, Van Morrison's band leader guitarist, knowing that Ted Templeman
46295-436: The time the single was released, and appeared in the promotional music video. 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 . The song was rumoured to have been inspired by the romance between actors Terence Stamp and Julie Christie , two British celebrities of
46530-402: The time. 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." Despite its complex arrangement, the sessions for "Waterloo Sunset" lasted a mere ten hours. Dave Davies later commented on the recording: "We spent a lot of time trying to get
46765-412: The top 10 grossing tours of 2004. Professional reviews of the tour, however, proved to be mixed. On some shows, Eddie's son Wolfgang came onstage and played guitar with his father during "316", a song dedicated to his son, taking its name from his March 16 date of birth. During the later stages of the tour, stories of Eddie being drunk began to surface along with fan-shot video footage of poor playing. At
47000-407: The track "Quiet Life" to the soundtrack of the Julien Temple film Absolute Beginners that is a musical film adapted from Colin MacInnes ' book of the same name about life in late 1950s London. The song was released as a single. Davies appeared in the film, in which he also sang "Quiet Life". In 1990, Davies was inducted, with the Kinks, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and, in 2005, into
47235-568: 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 ". The band's 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
47470-407: 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. ' " 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
47705-424: Was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to the arts. In 1981, Davies collaborated with Barrie Keeffe in writing his first stage musical, Chorus Girls , which opened at the Theatre Royal Stratford East , London, starring Marc Sinden , and had a supporting cast of Michael Elphick , Anita Dobson , Lesley Manville , Kate Williams and Charlotte Cornwell . It was directed by Adrian Shergold,
47940-480: Was "done with Van Halen" and wished that everyone would have "taken it more seriously." Despite this, Eddie later described himself as "satisfied" with the tour. After the tour ended, Hagar returned to his solo band the Waboritas , and Anthony appeared with him on tour occasionally. The band quickly faded from view after Hagar left again. Rumors of a Roth reunion re-emerged and on January 3, 2006, Roth explained during an interview that he had spoken to Alex Van Halen
48175-572: Was "fucking sick of the whole thing" and was retiring. He subsequently collapsed after a drug overdose and was taken to hospital. With Ray Davies in a seemingly critical condition, plans were discussed for Dave to continue as frontman in a worst-case scenario. 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. John Dalton later commented that when Davies "decided to work again ... I don't think he
48410-525: 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." 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
48645-416: Was a commercial success, going five-times platinum after a year of release. Recorded at Eddie's newly built 5150 Studios , the album featured keyboards, which had only been used sporadically on previous albums. The lead single, " Jump ", featured a synthesizer hook and anthemic lyrics inspired by news coverage of a suicidal jumper. It became the band's first and only No. 1 pop hit with Roth, garnering them
48880-543: Was a slaughterhouse worker. Frederick liked to hang out in pubs and was considered a ladies' man. He was born in Islington and his registered birth name was Frederick George Kelly. Frederick's father, Henry Kelly, was a greengrocer who married Amy Elizabeth Smith at St Luke's Church in Kentish Town in 1887, and they had two children, Charles Henry and Frederick George. However, the marriage failed and Amy moved in with Harry Davies, bringing her two small children and her mother. Harry Davies, born in Minsterley in 1878,
49115-402: Was a success. The Ray Davies song " You Really Got Me ", influenced by American blues and the Kingsmen 's version of " Louie Louie ", was recorded on 15 June 1964 at Pye Studios with a slower and more produced feel than the final single. 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
49350-420: 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. ' " The song's radical departure from popular music conventions proved unpopular with the band's American following—it hit number 10 in
49585-400: Was also banned by MTV. Due to much pressure from Warner Bros., the hiatus was canceled and the Diver Down LP was squeezed out, again, within 2 weeks time. Roth's preference for pop covers prevailed this time and with Ed's synthesizer and guitar riffs Diver Down charted much better. The band then earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest-paid single appearance of
49820-455: 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 . The next Kinks album, Give the People What They Want , was released in late 1981 and reached number 15 in the US. The record attained gold status and featured the UK hit single " Better Things " as well as " Destroyer ",
50055-419: Was also offered the lead vocal position in 1985, but also declined. Hall verified to Hagar, his musical guest in the May 2015 season premiere of Live from Daryl's House , that he was approached after a Hall & Oates concert. Eddie was introduced to Sammy Hagar in 1985, via their mutual Ferrari mechanic. Hagar was the former frontman for the hard rock group Montrose , and now a solo artist coming off
50290-423: Was amazing." 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 ". Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies CBE ( / ˈ d eɪ v ɪ z / DAY -viz ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He
50525-416: Was an ostler who had moved with his family from Shropshire to Islington. Frederick George had changed his surname to Davies by the time he married Annie Florence Willmore (1905–1987) in Islington in 1924. Annie came from a "sprawling family". She had a sharp tongue and could be crude and forceful. When Davies was still a small child, one of his older sisters became a star of the dance halls, and soon had
50760-524: Was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California , in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and for the virtuosity of its guitarist, Eddie Van Halen . The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. From 1974 to 1985, Van Halen consisted of Eddie Van Halen , his brother, drummer Alex Van Halen , lead vocalist David Lee Roth , and bassist Michael Anthony . Upon its release in 1978,
50995-596: Was arrested, but the charges were dropped because Davies had already returned to London and did not come back to New Orleans for the trial. In June 2011, Davies' doctor ordered him to stay at home and rest for six months after blood clots were discovered in his lungs. The following is a list of Davies compositions that were chart hits for artists other than The Kinks i.e. covers. Some were originally hits for The Kinks themselves. (See The Kinks discography for hits by The Kinks.) Van Halen Van Halen ( / v æ n ˈ h eɪ l ə n / van HAY -len )
51230-682: Was his brainchild. He felt it was a name that held long-term identity, artistic and marketing advantages, like Santana . They continued to play Pasadena, San Bernardino, and Venice at clubs, festivals, backyard parties and city parks like Hamilton, drawing up to 2,000 people. Traffic jams and noise complaints to the local police often ensued, as far away as San Pedro. Van Halen subsequently played clubs in Los Angeles and West Hollywood to growing audiences, increasing their popularity entirely through self-promotion, passing out flyers at local high schools. This tenacious self-promotion soon built them an auspicious, loyal, area following. By 1974, Roth had been in
51465-438: Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Kinks in 1990. After the dissolution of the Kinks in 1996, he embarked on a solo career. Raymond Douglas Davies was born at 6 Denmark Terrace in the Fortis Green area of London on 21 June 1944. He is the seventh of eight children born to working-class parents, including six elder sisters and younger brother Dave Davies . His father, Frederick George Davies,
51700-474: Was initially hired to fill in for the injured Quaife, subsequently became his official replacement. 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. "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. Hopkins returned for
51935-423: Was looking for a "guitar hero" act, had seen Van Halen at the Starwood in Hollywood and placed a number of calls to Warner Records for Ted to check them out. "I don't know if it was 4 calls or 10, but I knew this was exactly the act Ted wanted. So on a horrendously rainy night in mid-1977", Warner Bros. executive Mo Ostin and producer Ted Templeman saw Van Halen perform at the Starwood in Hollywood. According to
52170-424: Was never released, with Cherone leaving the band amicably in November 1999, citing musical differences and personal issues that he was going through. None of the material from these sessions has been released, and in fact the band released no new material until three new songs written and recorded with Hagar were included on the 2004 Best of Both Worlds compilation. Cherone later stated that he believed if he and
52405-437: Was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards . The band was also working on a compilation album. This led to conflicts with Hagar and the group's new manager, Ray Danniels (Ed Leffler's replacement and Alex Van Halen's former brother-in-law), even though it was Leffler who had renewed their contract with Warner Bros. Records and had added in the Best Of album option years before. Hagar
52640-432: Was produced by Ray Davies at Konk. The band embarked on an ambitious US tour throughout late 1974, adapting the Preservation story for the 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." Davies began another project for Granada Television,
52875-465: Was released in November 2010 with a US release to follow in early 2011. 2011 also marked Davies's return to New Orleans , Louisiana, to play the Voodoo Experience Music festival. His setlist included material by the Kinks and solo material. That autumn, he toured with the 88 as his backing band. In August 2012, Davies performed "Waterloo Sunset" as part of the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics , watched by over 24 million viewers in
53110-430: 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". 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
53345-417: Was released three weeks later as the group's fourth single, reaching number two in the UK and number seven in the US. 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. The group opened 1965 with their first tour of Australia and New Zealand, with Manfred Mann and
53580-471: Was reluctant to work on a compilation album before a new album came out, but if the rest of the band and Danniels insisted on going forward with one at that time, his preference was that it should include only Roth-era songs, or as a third choice, that two volumes should be released, one of Roth-era songs and one of Hagar-era songs. During this same period, competing personal priorities and creative differences contributed to increasing interpersonal tensions within
53815-438: Was replaced as bass player by Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen, in 2006. On September 8, 2006, Howard Stern 's live interview with Eddie broke the band's long silence. Eddie said he was willing to reunite with Roth and revealed a solo album in the works. Eddie confirmed that Wolfgang had replaced Anthony on bass; Wolfgang had played guitar alongside his father during Eddie's guitar solo on some 2004 concert dates. When queried about
54050-460: 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. 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. Despite positive reviews and high expectations, Muswell Hillbillies peaked at number 48 on
54285-401: 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." In a widely quoted statement by Barry Fantoni , himself a 1960s celebrity and friend of the Kinks, the Beatles and the Who, he recalled that it
54520-441: Was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the rock band the Kinks , which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing vocals. He has also acted in, directed and produced shows for theatre and television. Known for focusing his lyrics on rock bands, English culture , nostalgia and social satire , he is often referred to as the "Godfather of Britpop ", though he disputes this title. He
54755-408: Was their first onstage since the 2004 tour. This was followed by another Eddie performance on July 19, 2006, at the House of Petals in Los Angeles, playing new material. He followed this with an announcement on July 27, 2006, that some of his new music would be released on the soundtrack for the pornographic film Sacred Sin . In March 2006, Anthony spoke to Japanese rock magazine Burrn! , claiming
54990-466: Was totally better, and he's been a different person ever since." Preservation Act 1 (1973) and Preservation Act 2 (1974) received generally poor reviews. 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. Preservation Act 2 was the first album recorded at Konk Studio; from this point forward, virtually every Kinks studio recording
55225-442: Was widely criticised at the time for being too similar to previous [Ray] Davies efforts." 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." Disc jockey Mike Ahern called the song "a load of old rubbish". Dave's second solo single " Susannah's Still Alive "
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