“Waterloo Sunset” was released on single in May 1967 in the UK, backed with “Act Nice and Gentle,” and in July of the same year in the US, backed with “Two Sisters.” It was also the closing track on the band’s album “Something Else.”

When “Waterloo Sunset” was released it enhanced Ray Davies’ already burgeoning reputation as a versatile and imaginative songwriter, whose influences ranged from American blues and rock ‘n’ roll to English music hall. The song grabs the listener from the start with a superbly constructed intro consisting of a descending bass line, which is joined by a great lead guitar line that mirrors the melody of Ray Davies’ opening vocals. Davies takes a well judged light and subtle vocal approach, which helps the listener believe that he is the slightly forlorn figure perusing the streets of London.

The song “Waterloo Sunset” tells the story of a courtship between a couple, Terry and Julie, who are reunited each week at Waterloo Station in London. The relationship between actors Terence Stamp and Julie Christie led to speculation that Davies was writing about the pair, but this isn’t the case. He has noted that he could imagine them being cast in the roles, but that the characters in the song were “imagined people.” In 2004, he told the BBC:

Although Terry and Julie are at the centre of the song, the story is observed by a third party, as explained by Davies in an interview with prefixmag.com:

The city of London itself (and specifically Waterloo) is also an important component of the song. From the start, the narrator highlights the imperfections of the city (“Dirty old river, must you keep rolling”), but he also takes comfort from the familiar surroundings and his appreciation of the beauty of the “Waterloo sunset” – an appreciation shared by Terry and Julie. Davies has said that the “Dirty old river” imagery derives from his time looking at the “red and rusty” river from St Thomas’ hospital as a sickly child.

References to Waterloo Station and Waterloo Underground made the song quintessentially English, even though the themes are universal. Such references were somewhat of a departure for UK music fans, who were far more used to songs that mentioned faraway locations such as Memphis or New York City. This likely worked in reverse for fans listening from afar of course, who probably developed romantic notions about Waterloo.

Although Waterloo looms large in the song, it was not in fact Davies’ original choice of location. He was going to write the song as “Liverpool Sunset” in recognition of his admiration for the Liverpool bands and his affection for that city.

The Kinks – “Waterloo Sunset”

Authorship

“Waterloo Sunset” was written Ray Davies.

Recording date/location

“Waterloo Sunset” was recorded during April 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London.

Musicians

The following musicians appeared on “Waterloo Sunset”:

Rasa Davies was Ray’s wife.

Chart performance

“Waterloo Sunset” did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. This was in the period when the Kinks were “banned” from touring the US and so promotional options were limited.

The song did hit number two on the UK singles chart in May, 1967 and remained there for two weeks. It was kept off the top spot by the Tremeloes’ “Silence is Golden.” Some sources state that the Beatles’ “All You Need is Love” kept the Kinks off the top, but that is false as the Beatles’ number one was several weeks later.

Covers

Peter Gabriel – “Waterloo Sunset”

Peter Gabriel recorded “Waterloo Sunset” for the 2010 album “Scratch My Back,” but it was dropped from the initial release and appeared only as a bonus on the deluxe edition of the album. With his raw vocal and somber orchestral arrangement, Gabriel fully embraces the trace of melancholy present in the original.

David Bowie – “Waterloo Sunset”

David Bowie included “Waterloo Sunset” as a bonus track on the tour edition of his 2003 album “Reality” and also featured it on the EU-only CD single “Never Get Old” in 2004. Bowie retains the main elements of the original recording, including the classic intro, but makes use of modern studio techniques to bring things up to date. He does fine with it, but it’s no surprise that it was only granted “bonus track” status.

There will be a new Song of the Week on July 25.

“Waterloo Sunset” is available on the excellent 2-CD deluxe reissue of “Something Else” which came out last month.

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A spokesperson for the former Kinks frontman said:

The following gigs are cancelled:

• November 24 – New York, NY Beacon Theatre
• November 26 – Montclair, NJ The Wellmont Theatre
• November 27 – Philadelphia, PA Verizon Hall
• November 28 – Boston, MA Wilbur Theater.

Earlier this month, Ray Davies released a new album “See My Friends”, which features Davies re-visiting his back catalogue in collaborations with some of the biggest names in rock. Highlights include “Better Things” with Bruce Springsteen, and “You Really Got Me” with Metallica. There is also an appearance by the late Big Star/Box Tops singer Alex Chilton on “Til The End of The Day.”

Ray Davies talks about “See My Friends”

The full tracklist for “See My Friends” is as follows:

“See My Friends” is out now in Europe, but won’t be released officially in the US until next March. It is available for pre-order already though.

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“You Really Got Me” was The Kinks’ third single. The first two, “Long Tall Sally” and “You Still Want Me”, had failed to dent the charts and so the band was in need of a hit.

The version of “You Really Got Me” that we all know was the second recording of the song. The first version, which was slower and more bluesy, was deemed unsatisfactory by Ray and Dave Davies because it failed to capture the excitement and sound of their live show. To remedy this, Dave slashed the speaker on his amp to produce a distorted guitar sound.

The distorted guitar sound and aggressive guitar riff, with use of so-called “power chords”, made “You Really Got Me” a very important track in the development of hard rock music.

Authorship

The words and music of “You Really Got Me” were written solely by Ray Davies.

Recording date/location

“You Really Got Me” was recorded in June 1964 at IBC Studios, London, England.

Musicians

The following musicians appear on “You Really Got Me”:

• Ray Davies – vocals, rhythm guitar
• Dave Davies – backing vocals, lead guitar
• Peter Quaife -bass
• Bobby Graham – drums
• Arthur Greenslade or Jon Lord – piano
• Mick Avory – tambourine.

Mick Avory had just joined the band as their drummer, but session drummer Bobby Graham was used on the track.

It is not clear whether Greenslade or Lord played the piano part, as both have been credited. Lord would go on to be a member of Deep Purple.

There is a persistent rumour that Jimmy Page played the guitar solo on this track, but this has been denied by Ray, Dave and Page himself.

Quaife died in June 2010 of kidney failure.

Chart performance

“You Really Got Me” was the first of three number one hits achieved by the Kinks in the UK.

It was also the first of five top 10 hits in the US for the Kinks, reaching number seven on Billboard’s Hot 100.

The album on which “You Really Got Me” appeared, “Kinks”, hit number three in the UK. The retitled version of the album hit number 29 in the US.

Covers

Van Halen – “You Really Got Me”

The most famous cover is by the American rock band Van Halen who included the song on their debut album “Van Halen” in 1978 and also had a top 40 hit with it in the US. It is a much heavier approach than the Kinks’ original, with fine guitar work from the hugely gifted Eddie Van Halen. The technical proficiency and more up-to-date recording technology make this recording more appealing to some than the original, but I prefer the rawness of the Kinks’ 1964 recording.

Robert Palmer – “You Really Got Me”

Rober Palmer included “You Really Got Me” on his 1978 album “Double Fun.” It’s a very different approach to the song, with elements of soul and funk, and distinctive horns throughout from the Brecker Brothers (Michael and Randy).

There will be a new Song of the Week on November 1.

“You Really Got Me” is available on the 2-CD compilation “The Ultimate Collection.” For those who want to explore more of the Kinks’ catalogue, it is also on the excellent 6-CD box set “Picture Book” which was released in 2008.

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Davies said of Quaife “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him” and dedicated “See My Friends” to his former bandmate.

Ray Davies has appeared several times at Glastonbury, including a headline performance in the Acoustic Tent last year. This year he appeared on the Pyramid Stage and gave a crowd-pleasing performance, backed by the Crouch End Festival Choir on such classics as “You Really Got Me” and “Days.”

Here’s Ray entertaining the Glastonbury crowd with “Waterloo Sunset.”

Here’s the full set list:

Quaife met Ray and Dave Davies at William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School in Muswell Hill, England, and impressed the brothers with his musical skills. With the addition of John Start on drums, the four began gigging around town under various names. They became the Kinks in 1963 and signed to Pyre records.

A string of classic records followed, including “You Really Got Me,” “All Day and All of the Night,” “Waterloo Sunset” and “Dedicated Follower of Fashion.” Quaife left the band in 1969, due to his frustrations over lack of creative input. A brief stint with country rock band Maple Oak followed, after which he had little involvement in the music industry.

Here’s Quaife in action on the classic “All Day and All of the Night.”

Rest in peace Peter Quaife.

Here’s what they came up with:

1. “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones
2. “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks
3. “Paperback Writer” by The Beatles
4. “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix
5. “I Can’t Explain” by The Who
6. “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly
7. “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream
8. “James Bond Theme” by The John Barry Orchestra
9. “Last Train to Clarksville” by The Monkees
10. “Over Under Sideways Down” by The Yardbirds.

It’s hard to argue with any of the choices, but I’m not sure I could have left out “Pretty Woman” or “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

For further info on the choices, go to gibson.com

The Kinks broke up in 1996, due largely to tensions between brothers Ray and Dave Davies. Edgers is a huge fan of the Kinks and travelled widely, including a trip to England, in his attempt to reunite the band.

“Do It Again” was directed by Robert Patton-Spruill and includes interviews with Dave Davies, Sting, Zooey Deschanel, Paul Weller, Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Buck, Clive Davis and Warren Zanes.

Interview with Geoff Edgers

Ray Davies is currently in the middle of a tour of the UK and Ireland.

Ray Davies – UK/Irish dates

May 2010

• Wed 5th Edinburgh – Usher Hall
• Fri 7th Killarney – INEC
• Sat 8th Dublin – Grand Canal Theatre
• Sun 9th Belfast – Waterfront Hallbook
• Tue 11th Ipswich – Regent Theatre
• Wed 12th Oxford – New Theatre
• Thu 13th Cambridge – Corn Exchange
• Sat 15th Bournemouth – Pavillion
• Sun 16th Cardiff – St. David’s Hall
• Mon 17th Southend – Cliffs Pavillion
• Wed 19th Nottingham – Royal Centre
• Thur 20th Birmingham – Symphony Hall
• Fri 21st Harrogate – International Centre
• Sun 23rd London – Royal Albert Hall
• Mon 24th Liverpool – Philharmonic
• Tue 25th Sheffield – City Hall.

Click here to buy Ray Davies tickets

Davies is among the latest additions to the line up of Spanish festival Benicassim, which takes place from July 15 – 19. The date of his appearance isn’t yet confirmed.

This will follow appearances at Glastonbury (June 27) and the Hop Farm Festival in Paddockwood, Kent (July 3).

Ray will then take his show to Denmark and the Netherlands:

August 2010

• Sat 21st Castle Park Ledreborg, Denmark
• Sun 22nd Castle Park Ledreborg, Denmark
• Fri 27th LOTS Festival, Biddinghuizen, The Netherlands.

Neil Diamond and Page & Plant are among the artists who have previously filled the 5pm Sunday slot.

“Ray Davies with his friends and with a choir and all those Kinks songs are going to be absolutely unbelievable,” Michael Eavis told eFestivals.co.uk. “Ray has got the 5 o’clock slot, the legend’s slot. His songs are so original and unique, it’s going to be great.”

U2, Muse and Stevie Wonder are the headliners for this year’s Glastonbury Festival, which runs from Wed June 23 to Sun June 27.

The final batch of Glastonbury tickets are set to go on sale on April 11 via seetickets.com

Ray Davies has just concluded a successful US acoustic tour and is set to commence his largest UK tour for many years in May. This will feature his full band and will include a gig at the Royal Albert Hall on May 23.

Ray Davies – UK/Irish dates

May 2010

• Tue 4th Gateshead – Sage
• Wed 5th Edinburgh – Usher Hall
• Fri 7th Killarney – INEC
• Sat 8th Dublin – Grand Canal Theatre
• Sun 9th Belfast – Waterfront Hallbook
• Tue 11th Ipswich – Regent Theatre
• Wed 12th Oxford – New Theatre
• Thu 13th Cambridge – Corn Exchange
• Sat 15th Bournemouth – Pavillion
• Sun 16th Cardiff – St. David’s Hall
• Mon 17th Southend – Cliffs Pavillion
• Wed 19th Nottingham – Royal Centre
• Thur 20th Birmingham – Symphony Hall
• Fri 21st Harrogate – International Centre
• Sun 23rd London – Royal Albert Hall
• Mon 24th Liverpool – Philharmonic
• Tue 25th Sheffield – City Hall.

Click here to buy Ray Davies tickets

Ray will then take his show to Denmark and the Netherlands:

August 2010

• Sat 21st Castle Park Ledreborg, Denmark
• Sun 22nd Castle Park Ledreborg, Denmark
• Fri 27th LOTS Festival, Biddinghuizen, The Netherlands.

Davies told NJ.com that the duets album will revisit Kinks classics and that the Springsteen and Bon Jovi collaborations were recorded last month. Springsteen will feature on “Better Things” and Bon Jovi on “Celluloid Heroes.”

The possibility of a Kinks reunion was also addressed and Davies hinted that it might be on the cards, depending on his brother’s health status. Dave Davies had a stroke six years ago.

Ray Davies launches an acoustic tour at the Borgata in Atlantic City tonight (Friday, 26 February). The show will feature some hidden gems, alongside new tracks from his last few solo albums, the classics and some unplayed tracks. Davies will be joined onstage by his guitarist, Bill Shanley. There is also a UK/Ireland tour scheduled for May.

Ray Davies 2010 tour dates