The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mark winstanley, Apr 4, 2021.

  1. Steve E.

    Steve E. Doc Wurly and Chief Lathe Troll

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
  2. cwitt1980

    cwitt1980 Senior Member

    Location:
    Carbondale, IL USA
    Wasn't "End of the Season" recorded for Face To Face? It too has some sound effects that would have worked. I think Hinman's book noted it was recorded for the album (I'd have to double check). However, some of his dates have been proven wrong since more session data has been found for the deluxes and Anthology box.
     
  3. palisantrancho

    palisantrancho Forum Resident

    Excellent interview!
     
  4. FJFP

    FJFP Host for the 'Mixology' Mix Differences Podcast

    It’s definitely a FTF track! The sound effects intro (same as Across the Universe?), and the way the stereo is mixed on Something Else is just like the FTF stereo mixes!
     
  5. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Essentially I am just following the discography, of what I know has been released. As I have said from the outset though, if there are any alternate mixes, mono or stereo that aren't necessarily highlighted by deluxe editions, please feel free to post them when the main song arises.
    For the most part minor mix variants aren't really something that I am particularly interested in, but I know many are, so I'm just trying to cover all the bases really.

    Essentially I figured the alt mixes and such on Tuesday and Wednesday aren't, or don't seem to be, very significant, but I have read several folks saying they are struggling to keep up, so I figure it gives folks up with us, some light conversation, and others lagging a little, a chance to catch up, without us actually stopping.
     
  6. Wondergirl

    Wondergirl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Sounds cool, Mark! Life sometimes gets in the way of people posting when they wish, so this is a good idea.
    Just as long as you have a place for "Mick Avory's Underpants", I'm cool. :laugh:
     
  7. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    lol, the undies are all yours mate :)
     
  8. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I certainly understand that. I can see a few one song posts coming up at some stage. It seems to be becoming more and more of a rush to try and get them done, and that doesn't work for me.
     
  9. Scottsol

    Scottsol Forum Resident

    Location:
    Evanston, IL
    Always choose quality over quantity.
     
  10. Pawnmower

    Pawnmower Senior Member

    Location:
    Dearborn, MI
    What happened to Kelvin Hall? That would be before Something Else. We even voted on how to do it.
     
  11. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    I presume we're going by UK release date (Jan 1968).
     
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  12. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I have been going by the UK release dates ... this is the first one I have come across from memory that got US release first
     
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  13. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Monday - Dead end Street (plus early acetate version)/ Big Black Smoke (single)

    Tuesday - She's Got Everything, Little Miss Queen Of Darkness alternative take, Little Miss Queen Of Darkness (alt stereo mix)

    Wednesday - You're Looking Fine (alt stereo mix), Fancy (alt stereo mix, and extended fade out), Dandy (alt stereo mix)

    Thursday - Mr Pleasant/ This Is Where I Belong (single)

    Friday - The Mr Pleasant EP

    Saturday - Waterloo Sunset/ Act Nice And Gentle (single)

    then for the following week

    Monday - Death Of A Clown/Love Me Till The Sun Shines

    Tuesday - Live At Kelvin Hall 1

    Wednesday - Live at Kelvin Hall 2

    Thursday - Something Else

    ----------------------------------------
    I'm happy to go this way around if we prefer. It doesn't make any difference to me
     
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  14. Pawnmower

    Pawnmower Senior Member

    Location:
    Dearborn, MI
    You are correct. My apologies. What threw me is the Hinman book lists it before "Something Else" and usually they go by the UK dates too, as I agree we should. So yes, you were right.. whatever way you want to do it is cool. :)
     
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  15. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    It's all good mate, I'd rather the check to get it right than just blunder forward :righton:
     
  16. Scottsol

    Scottsol Forum Resident

    Location:
    Evanston, IL
    A bit of advice. For the upcoming stereo versions, don’t listen with headphones which exacerbate the already exaggerated stereo effects. When these versions were made, nobody was concerned with headphone use. In addition to maximizing the apparent separation, any out of phase effects can be very unsettling through headphones.
     
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  17. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    Unlike Ringo being gifted songs to sing, Mick was seemingly just left with his underpants!
     
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  18. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    Do we have a link for part 2?
     
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  19. FJFP

    FJFP Host for the 'Mixology' Mix Differences Podcast

    Has anyone ever tried asking Andrew Sandoval about the Face to Face outtakes? They obviously did a vault dig for the 2CD with the early version of Little Miss Queen of Darkness etc, so he could well have heard it, but it got vetoed by Ray.
     
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  20. LX200GPS

    LX200GPS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Somewhere Else
    I suspect Ray is fond of the odd veto. There were two or three tracks on GLKA vetoed for a long time if I remember.
     
  21. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    I think Pictures in the Sand was vetoed for a long time, and maybe Rosemary Rose. Both great tracks!
     
  22. FJFP

    FJFP Host for the 'Mixology' Mix Differences Podcast

    It was Pictures in The Sand and 'til Death us Do Part! It was a big deal when we got them on The Anthology.
     
  23. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    "Dead End Street"

    [​IMG]
    Single by the Kinks
    B-side
    "Big Black Smoke"
    Released 18 November 1966 (UK)
    Recorded 21 October 1966
    Studio Pye (No. 2), London
    Genre Rock
    Length 3:20
    Label Pye (UK, 7N 17222) Reprise (US, 0540)
    Songwriter(s) Ray Davies
    Producer(s) Shel Talmy

    mono mix (3:20), recorded probably 22 Oct, 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London


    Chart (1966–67) Peak position
    Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 62
    Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 11
    Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[9] 15
    Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 28
    Canada (CHUM)[11] 7
    Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 23
    France (IFOP)[13] 28
    Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 5
    Ireland (IRMA)[15] 7
    Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 5
    Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 4
    New Zealand (Listener)[18] 4
    Norway (VG-lista)[19] 6
    Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[20] 12
    UK Singles (OCC)[21] 5
    US Billboard Hot 100[22] 73
    US Cash Box Top 100[23] 72

    Ray Davies explained to Q magazine: "My whole feeling about the '60s was that it's not as great as everyone thinks it is. Carnaby Street, everybody looking happy, that was all a camouflage. That's what Dead End Street was about.
    I wrote it around the time I had to buy a house and I was terrified. I never wanted to own anything because my dad had never owned property. He'd inherited from his dad that he had to rent all his life. So I still have inbuilt shame of owning anything. It's guilt."

    Dave Davies claimed this was one of his two favorite songs written by his brother, Ray. The other one he mentioned was "Shangri-La."

    Describing the song in his 1996 autobiography, Kink, Dave Davies said: "'Dead End Street' was the epitome, to me, of what the Kinks were all about. A song full of character, pathos, yet containing an underlying sense of hope. Reflecting a fondness for the past but at the same time expressing a determination and yearning for change. Anguished voices calling to a heartless world. A world where the plight of the ordinary person mattered little. It was interesting to note that more than ten years later, the Clash did a song called 'London Calling' that seemed to be inspired by 'Dead End Street'."

    The band pulled a fast one on producer Shel Talmy, who wanted the song to have more of a pop beat. Ray Davies told interviewer Daniel Rachel (The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters): "He finished the track and said, 'That's great,' and went home. Then we pretended to leave but came back to the studio and re-recorded the song. We played it to him the next day and he said, 'See what I mean, there's nothing wrong with it.' He thought we were playing him his version."

    This originally had a French horn arrangement played by a musician named Albert Hall, but it was replaced with a trombone to achieve the somber sound that Ray Davies wanted. "I wanted 'Dead End Street' to be a bit dour and a bit earthy and a bit working-class, and the trombone fitted beautifully," he explained.

    As for Albert Hall, his name stuck with Ray and inspired a lyric in the Face to Face track "Session Man": "He never will forget at all the day he played at the Albert Hall."

    There's a crack up in the ceiling,
    And the kitchen sink is leaking.
    Out of work and got no money,
    A Sunday joint of bread and honey.

    What are we living for?
    Two-roomed apartment on the second floor.
    No money coming in,
    The rent collector's knocking, trying to get in.

    We are strictly second class,
    We don't understand,
    (Dead end!)
    Why we should be on dead end street.
    (Dead end!)
    People are living on dead end street.
    (Dead end!)
    Gonna die on dead end street.

    Dead end street (yeah)
    Dead end street (yeah)

    On a cold and frosty morning,
    Wipe my eyes and stop me yawning.
    And my feet are nearly frozen,
    Boil the tea and put some toast on.

    What are we living for?
    Two-roomed apartment on the second floor.
    No chance to emigrate,
    I'm deep in debt and now it's much too late.

    We both want to work so hard,
    We can't get the chance,
    (Dead end!)
    People live on dead end street.
    (Dead end!)
    People are dying on dead end street.
    (Dead end!)
    Gonna die on dead end street.

    Dead end street (yeah)
    Dead end street (yeah)

    (Dead end!)
    People live on dead end street.
    (Dead end!)
    People are dying on dead end street.
    (Dead end!)
    Gonna die on dead end street.

    Dead end street (yeah)
    Dead end street (yeah)
    Dead end street (yeah)
    Head to my feet (yeah)
    Dead end street (yeah)
    Dead end street (yeah)
    Dead end street (yeah)
    How's it feel? (yeah)
    How's it feel? (yeah)
    Dead end street (yeah)
    Dead end street (yeah)

    Written by: Ray Davies
    Published by: Davray Music/Carlin Music Corp.

    This is a marvelous song. I think to some degree it epitomises what was so special about the Kinks at this point in time.

    Lyrically this is pretty dour. the idea that the working or lower classes were trapped, with no escape whatsoever. A Dead End street is of course a cul-de-sac and that means there's only one way out, and here we are told a couple of times that the way out here is death.
    The really interesting thing is though the song itself has this somewhat bouncy feel, and when the backing vocals come in, there is a certain feel they have that announces resilience, and that is one of the things about the lower classes in England, the graveyard humour, and stiff upper lip are results of the post war English world.

    Again lyrically Ray manages to capture the whole feel of what he was trying to describe. A Sunday joint of bread and honey. I'm not sure how it translates to other countries, but a joint would be a roast, and the subtle inference is that essentially they have some bread. As much as in the modern world, this is a much less likely in a western country, this was a post war reality in England.

    I suppose some may feel that this track starts off a little like Sunny Afternoon, but essentially it's just that bouncy minor piano that gives that feeling, and to some degree that unites the guy who lost all his money to the guy who never had any.

    Also though we have the way the end of the chorus move to the major, and ends up having an almost celebratory resolve to it.

    The trombone indeed does add to the sombre feel of the verses, and it really does gives us a nice musical breadth that has the Kinks just sounding better and better with each subsequent release.
    Ray delivers the vocal beautifully. Whereas we have heard Ray giving us some comedic overtones in recent songs as he has allowed his personality to come through, here we have a direct delivery, that has a delicacy, but also it has tinges of resilience that defies the realities. Whereas the gentle attacks of the rich folk have some sarcastic delivery, here we are looking at straight man vocals, with a delicacy that is not afforded the falling rich folk songs.

    This song bounces, and the drums use a lot of snare rolls, almost like the protagonist fighting off the inevitable.

    This is almost a protest song based inside a sort of melancholy sounding pop song.
    The fade out with the trombone and the whispered "yeah" keeping coming is almost ghostly and to some degree sounds almost threatening.

    I can't speak highly enough about this song, it really is one of the sixties Kinks greatest achievements in songwriting and the fact that it actually did so well in the charts seems quite remarkable now.

    How many pop bands in 1966 were singing songs like this? It seems like there weren't too many.

    Anyway, in an attempt to share my feelings about this song, I feel like I have only scratched the surface, and there is so much to talk about and enjoy about this track, I am going to have to rely on some of our better writers to frame this for us.

    For me an all time classic.

     
  24. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    The video is equally dark, but with a sort of twisted humour to the guys being dressed as morticians

     
  25. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    An Early version of Dead End Street

    Here we have a very different intro, but most of the song is fairly similar. that descending line has a stronger feeling of doom

     
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