Little Miss Queen Of Darkness Alternate take, mono This seems to get more of a bass lead at the start here. This also brings Ray's vocal forward a little, and it shows the nuanced delivery of the vocal nicely. This comes across even more as a bit of New Orleans jazz styling. I suppose the differences aren't huge, but I think there is enough to make a difference.
I have a deep love for She's Got Everything. "I ain't got a dime but she don't care," my kind of girl. Dave does a great version on his Bottom Line club release from the late 90s. The song was more than two years old when finally released as the B side of the Days single in mid 1968, (and of course later immortalized on Kronikles.)
Just a couple more comments that have come to me whilst I pretend to be working form home! The purple hearts reference in Big Black Smoke might be the only overt drug reference in their sixties output? Someone will probably correct me on this, but I can't think of another..... there's probably loads of them now I've said that. Ray's comments on Dead End Street. Yes, it's definitely an anti-swinging 60s statement, and in fact both of these songs are. He really puts the boot into that idea across these two sides of vinyl and looks to expose what was going on beneath the surface of Carnaby Street. In some ways expanding on the themes of Dedicated Follower Of Fashion but altogether more despairing. I think the seeds of all sorts of bands who came later are sown in The Kinks songs from this period - and particularly these two songs. Blur, Madness, The Clash, The Jam etc.... all of them went for that class conscious London-centric songwriting, but no-one did it so effectively.
Little Miss Queen Of Darkness Alternate stereo mix. This mix starts off really well with the stabbing rhythm guitar on the left and the more delicate jazzy acoustic on the right. they get Rays vocals in the middle, which is always nice. With these outtake type tracks I always love it when they put little snippets of studio banter in there. We get a quick little bit here, and personally I'd like some more, it gives you the feel of being there with them at the time for me, and I always like that.
Yea, to the best of my memory Lavender Hill is on the Village Green release. If it has been released, we will be getting to it, unless I have some kind of massive brain fart..... but I know you guys will call me out on that, so I'm pretty sure we will get around to everything.
She's Got Everything: A fantastic track, that is The Kinks at their power pop best. Hooks galore, and an immaculately performed track, with oodles of energy. Given this was recorded the same day as Dedicated Follower of Fashion, one might assume it was intended to be the B-Side, until they realised the guitar was out of tune. The earlier takes we have are more in tune, but certainly not as tight. It's worth checking out the alternate mono mix from this date on Anthology, with the French Horn overdub, very nice. Just for fun, here's a truly Power Pop cover by The Romantics (of What I Like About You fame):
I've always loved this song! Can anyone remind me why it's on both the Face to Face deluxe, and the VGPS SDE?
Don't get me wrong, I love everything about this thread! Still, the timeline can be confusing when we discuss the songs in their original recording chronology rather than when they were first released. I understand (and appreciate) the logic of it but it can be disorienting (especially since the general philosophy is to base the discussion on the release dates !). (and, yes, it makes me wonder what you’ll ultimately decide to do about the Great Lost Kinks Album songs.) Now, She’s Got Everything is a case in point ! And to be fair, being a 1966 throwback to the 1965 Kinks’ sound, it would be even more disorienting to discuss it as a 1968 tune! Anyway, everything I know and love about power pop is contained in this relentless bundle of fun. The energy level, the explosive guitars, the crazy solo, the tempo on pills, the melodic drive and enthusiasm. On any Kinks comp, this tends to be overlooked, because it’s sandwiched between the likes of Dead End Street, Big Black Smoke, Mr Pleasant and Days. But the “doo doo doo’s” alone have enough melodic power to inspire whole songs (Green Day’s Woman Contradiction comes to mind) or other very famous "doo doo doo’s "(the last part of CSN’s Suite Judy Blue Eyes). Surprisingly, I think the “And I Can’t live Without Her Love” bit near the end foreshadows some of the early seventies Kinks, and at some other points, the up & down melody even makes me think of Talking Heads, without being able to put my finger on exactly why. Maybe it's the ultimate irony for this lost in time B-side and minor classic.
So, first issued as the B-Side to Days. The vocals were re-recorded in 1968 for this purpose. Really, the Anthology version should be on the Face To Face Deluxe, and even then technically on the Kontroversy Deluxe if we're putting Dedicated Follower there. Important to note that's Clem knocking away on the drums again! Here's a link to the early (1965) mono mix that should play for those of you in the US:
Nope! Both have the 1968 mono mix. This early mono mix was only released on the Anthology set a couple of years later. The stereo mix comes from Kronikles in 1972(?), and features split vocals with a very 70s sounding reverb on them.
Essentially, as I was advised at the start, I will be following the songs via the deluxe/super deluxe editions. When looking at a lot of sixties bands, the issue is always going to be how erratic the releases are .... singles, EP's, b-sides, albums and then tracks released years later as bonus tracks..... It seems the most thorough way of doing it is to follow the deluxe/super deluxe editions, in order to have some kind of form about it. I suppose we could have done all original releases and then only get to, for example some Village Green bonus tracks when we get to 2018, but that would end up being even more weird and out of sync..... The Great Lost Kinks album comes out in 1973, so essentially we will look at that in the 1973 spot on the timeline .... having said that though, I am not aware if any of the tracks appear on deluxe/super deluxe editions or not, so that will be a wait and see situation I suppose. I guess the other thing is, if we discuss the songs like we are, that leaves room for guys to discuss how they may have preferred an album to have come out via leftover tracks and such.... as that is something folks like to do as well ... I'm not sure what the best way to go through catalogs like this is, but for me this works. There is a great surprise to me later this week, but it is also a slightly annoying one .... Anyway ... I'm trying to be coherent lol
I first heard "She's Got Everything" when I picked up a copy of the "Days" single some years ago. I had no idea it was actually an old recording - I thought it was just the '68 Kinks going back to their roots for one time only - indeed the second half of the song sounds closer to late-60s Kinks. Anyway, I've always loved the track - the devil-may-care sloppiness and out-of-tunedness and all. Obviously the version I know is the one with the re-recorded vocals. That mono mix sounds musically the same - except is that a French Horn popping in faintly in the middle? What's that doing in there!? Anyway, as far as I'm concerned it's a 1968 track, and a great one - which completes another classic 7".
She’s Got Everything If this song isn’t perfect power pop it is perfect garage pop. Driving beat, sing-along chorus, do do do backing vocals and a guitar solo that is all attitude. I can listen to this song on repeat. Love it.
Thanks for the reminder: worth adding to the thread. Fairly sure The Kinks never did this live (although they did film a video for it for Colour Me Pop, currently MIA ) but Dave tears it up here:
Decades ago, I was walking by a bar in the afternoon one day. I heard a band doing a soundcheck playing "She's Got Everything". It turned out to be The Romantics. I ended up going to their show that night. BTW, this bar, The Colonial Tavern, was a noted music venue. I also saw Muddy Waters and The Jam there.
Lavender Hill originally appeared on The Great Lost Kinks Album. It ended up on a the Village Green reissue in 2004 as a bonus track.
All of the tracks that were on The Great Lost Kinks Album have been reissued as bonus tracks on deluxe versions of one form or another.
She's Got Everything Completely throwaway lyrics, but then that's not the real pointl of this song now is it? This thing grooves, rocks, and rolls with the most infectious energy! So many musical elements so well constructed.... a master class in power pop. A better example you'll not find. I hear a good deal of Kinks in groups like Smithereens from a couple decades later.
She’s Got Everything I absolutely love this song. This was my number 1 Kink's song for decades. I remember when I got the album Kronikles and wondered why many tracks were not hits, especially this one. This song is so infectious.