Apeman As usual it's been great to read Mark's introduction and others' views of this song. I love Apeman too. It's a good-time, catchy sing-along ode to a simpler life. And who doesn't want a simpler life - temporarily at least? I note (albeit with battle-hardened fear of contradiction) that this is one of two songs Ray wrote within a year on that theme. In 20th century Man (recorded Aug-Sep 1971) Ray wanted to go to a simpler life back in time: You keep all your smart modern writers Give me William Shakespeare You keep all your smart modern painters I'll take Rembrandt, Titian, Da Vinci and Gainsborough ....I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna be here. At a stretch, we could also argue that God's Children (recorded around the same time as Apeman) was loosely related: Man made the buildings that reach for the sky And man made the motorcar and learned how to fly But he didn't make the flowers and he didn't make the trees And he didn't make you and he didn't make me And he got no right to turn us into machines I don't really get the "problematic" aspects, as @ARL put it. If Ray is meant to be singing in a carribean accent it's a long way off. In the 1980s calypso soundtrack version, though, I thought I heard an "Apemon" or two. Edit: and the "voodoo" reference is benign to me: maybe popular culture (e.g. James Bond's Live and Let Die) has made voodoo synonymous with the caribbean but it's origins are African (the "jungle" reference) and voodoo/animism was still strong in parts of West Africa (where I spent a bit of time) up to the 1990s at least. Lastly, as I listened to all the videos, the word "foggin" became less and less meteorological and more like the way I sing it
A few more random thoughts : - it has to be noted it’s the second King Kong song by the Kinks in less than a year. And the second in which Ray uses some trembling Bolan voice gimmicks. There's something there, but what ? - the “I’ll be your Tarzan, you’ll be my Jane, I’ll keep you warm, you’ll keep me sane” line is one of Ray’s best. What it says, how it says it, how it flows off the tongue, how Ray delivers it. Perfection. - No mention of Dave’s backing vocals, yet ? Maybe it’s because we’re all tired to underline it every single day ? But they're really great on Apeman, aren't they ? There, I’ve said it ! - For our thread, today’s quite a turning point as it’s the very last time we’ll discuss a UK top 10 hit by the Kinks. Hard to believe, hard to comprehend, hard to swallow, but still a fact… - Last but not least (?), allow me to share this grotesque french cover, by grotesque french singer Serge Lama, a huuuuge star in his day. His version lacks all the enthusiasm and fun and rhythm of the original. It’s called “Superman” and the theme is “I’m ugly, so will someone explain me why all the married women want to sleep with me”. (the guy wrote the French adaptation himself). As I said, grotesque !
Well, looks like that quest didn’t take long! Good spot Mark. Is this the one @Vagabone ? Sounds like it could be!
Apeman A fun, catchy that song that everyone seemed to like back in the day. Very similar (too similar?) in structure and tone to Lola (and to Neanderthal Man!)
Apeman Their last single before I really got into the Kinks and although I never owned it I borrowed it from a work friend. Always found it slightly odd that it was not included on any of the compilations before the double Golden Hour offering in 1974. Odd, in the way Pye took four years to exploit what was to be the Kinks last hit single on the label. Like their previous single, Apeman is a song ahead of it's time. Where were the climate change demonstrations back then? The eco-warriors and tree huggers? Had this song included a line about light pollution fogging up his eyes and air pollution clogging up his lungs it would have been even better. It sounds a little like a novelty song and I hate to say that because I think it is demeaning to such a talented writer but it does, sometimes, put me into a Mungo Jerry "In The Summertime" frame of mind. The car horn in the beginning is pure genius. We know right from the very beginning the singer lives in a polluted city with too many cars and the resulting chaotic traffic. That little special effect saves him writing at least a couple of lines so, instead of setting the scene, he lets the car horn do it for him. Well produced and sounds great in stereo. Another great track and another classic from the Kinks.
Apeman: I knew and loved this one already from back in the 1970s when I had Kinks Kronikles. I am not sure how it fits the story line (but I have no doubt you guys will fill me in) but I do love this silly little number. My better half, who keeps threatening to participate (but those appear thus far to be just be idle threats), was already a Kinks fan when I met her, but she did not know this song. Now we love and sing it together, like the crazy little lovebirds that we are! I also dig the calypso version and the other alternate take on the deluxe version with the Chuck Berry style guitar riffs more to the fore. I know it’s not a deep song, and it covers a subject that Ray has kind of done before, and I am guessing that some of you might hate on the faux-Jamaican(?) voice in which Ray sings, but I think it’s all a lot of fun. Great tune!!! 11 for 11 on the album so far!!!
Some have pointed out the similarity between "Lola" and "Apeman", but to me the difference is that whereas "Lola" is cranked up with tension, "Apeman" is a more relaxed/relaxing take on the same beat.
Hello everyone. After many days (and weeks) of reading, I am finally current and am ready to join the fray. I have really enjoyed everyone’s comments so far. It has rekindled my love of The Kinks by making me take a deep dive into material I may have owned (sometimes multiple copies), but not really listened to. For instance, I have owned VGPS on LP, CD and 3CD deluxe set. I never ‘got it’. It was not even in my Top 10 Kinks albums! For me it just was not as good as what proceeded it, or what followed it. But after listening again, and following your comments, it finally clicked. I will not comment on everything that came before, because I hate to see comments way out of order on threads like these. I will say I first became a Kinks fan in the late 70’s through a friend of mine who owned all of the Kinks albums. I borrowed most of them and make cassette comps that I listened to a lot. To be honest, I mostly gravitated to the early singles. As a guy who loved punk, new wave and power pop, these really appealed to me. The first Kinks album I bought for myself was Kronikles. Looks like I am not alone in that! From that album, I found songs I liked, and bought the albums. The next album I bought was Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. The remains my favorite Kinks album. It is sort of ironic that I finally catch up just as we are finishing my favorite. Oh well. I was totally on board as the Arista albums were released, and bought Low Budget as my first 'freshly released' Kinks album. Like some others, I also have been working on a playlist as I read through. I ended up adding everything that I could find from Face to Face through Lola. All of it is great and essential in my book. Lastly, I will throw in that I did manage to catch the Kinks live circa 1980-1981 with that same Kinks-loving pal mentioned above. I feel very lucky that I did get to see them. I still have the shirt I bought. Thanks to Mark for this great thread (I also recently read through his fantastic thread dedicated to The Who, though never got current enough to comment), and all of the participants, you have enhanced love of The Kinks. I especially can’t wait to dig into the years I know the least…the RCA years). I doubt I'll have anything deep to add, as I am amazed by some of the depth of the comments, but I will chime in!
I agree. I always saw Ray's vocal as sort of a semi-nod to the Harry Belafonte style calypso songs of then 1950's. A very enjoyable song for me. Great harmonies from Dave, as usual.
I've seen you racing along, and was hoping you'd pop in and say hi. Looking forward to reading your thoughts. Welcome aboard.
Apeman The long-awaited sequel to I'm on an Island! Continuing the foundational sound of this album -- piano base, acoustic/guitar combo, Mick's killer fills/toms, and Ray's great lyrics. "I think I'm so educated and I'm so civilized, 'cause I'm a strict vegetarian" -- I don't know you can read that as anything OTHER than sarcasm! the use of "so" does it for me. "Look at me! I'm a vegetarian, so I am obviously better than you." "But all around me everybody's multiplying till they're walking round like flies man" evokes "Millions of people swarming like flies 'round Waterloo underground" "So I'm no better than the animals sitting in their cages in the zoo man" highlights again the theme of the album -- having others control you and having that feeling that you "Got to be Free". Being controlled, whether it be by your mammy growing up, or by the music publishers/executives. "I look out my window, but I can't see the sky 'cos the air pollution is a-fogging up my eyes" -- Again, this evokes Waterloo Sunset. He's looking out his window, in the congested, polluted city. But the difference here is that unlike in Waterloo, where he feels safe and content at home, here Ray figures his situation is pretty fogged up and needs to escape. The poetic/rhythmic pattern of these lyrics are just astounding and just flow so wonderfully: "But with the over-population and inflation and starvation and the crazy politicians" Regarding that bridge, funny you mention it as a 50s rock pastiche, I always thought that was a bluesy pattern from the 50s as well. Kinda coming from the same place as the end of Berkley Mews. It's a great change-up, and such a cool little riff, and it's over so quick and we never hear it again! Thanks Ray for again making me want more. Let me second this! That is another constant sound of this album, as we've seen. Dave's backing/harmonizing vocals are just so wonderful throughout. I can see how sometimes that may not be everyone's cuppa tea, but for me, I'd happily enjoy that cuppa tea every afternoon.
Apeman Loved it from the get go and still do! Nothing here is offensive to me though speaking of it in the same breathe as Neanderthal Man comes close as the writing, imagination & Kinks performance is on a wholly different level. Shout out to the "goofy" film clip as i really enjoy it which incidentally reminds me of another park promo in Starstruck. Ray may have certainly used sarcasm for some of the lyric & even though i cannot see him giving up all creature comforts at the same time i believe his loner, solitary mindset could fancy a simpler mental & physical escapism, feeling it an inviting & viable proposition. Some great lines I favour have been echoed here such as "The motor traffic rumble" & "I don't want to die in a nuclear war" so there's not much more to say but to enjoy this worthy hit without controversy blighting it's merit as it's just about an ape, man!
I was surprised to find out that "Apeman" only went to #45 here in the States since I heard it on the radio a lot growing up. Like "Superman" & "Do It Again", it never made the hallowed American Top 40, stopping just short, never being announced by Casey Kasem as the Kinks' newest hit. On the Kinda Kinks website there's someone who writes these incredibly detailed papers on how the Kinks' early singles charted (his last one was on "Set Me Free"; it didn't do well because 1. The Kinks were fogging up w/influential people during their US tour, especially DJs & 2. The song wasn't as good as their previous ones or the competition, which was pretty stiff, "Satisfaction" anyone?). Maybe he'll write about why "Apeman" never made it to Top 40 Valhalla. Anyway, about the song itself, those trips that Ray made to the zoo really paid off, didn't it? Actually, he wrote two songs about nature & animals, the other ditty being "Animals In The Zoo", which we'll be taking up next week. I just had the thought that perhaps Ray wrote "Animals In The Zoo" for the Lola album, since it does fit it somewhat w/the theme of being trapped, but decided that "Apeman" was a better song. Other thoughts: 1. Kudos to our Headmaster on mentioning the Talking Heads, "Nothing But Flowers". It's a favorite song of theirs, also. 2. As for the soundtrack version from 1986 & why it hasn't popped up in a compliation, I've read in a music blog recently that legal issues prevent that from happening, i.e. the contract only allows the song to be used only on the soundtrack & no place else. 3. Avid LX200GPS wondering where the environmental movement was in the early 1970s, As someone who was a lad at that time, it was actually everywhere. The first Earth Day was in 1970, there were news stories everywhere about air pollution, mercury in tuna fish, Lake Erie burning up, the dangers of phosphates & other things. There was also the famous commercial w/Native American Iron Eyes Cody crying as what civilization had wroth. 4. Besides the always excellent insights by my fellow Avids, I wonder if "Apeman" also represents the Second Hit by the band, the one that shows that they are not One Hit Wonders & have the talent and the stamina to make it in the biz.
I believe that this was actually produced by Van Dyke Parks & was released on WB/Reprise, the Kinks' soon to be former label. EDIT: It looks like WB/Reprise head honcho Mo Ostin was the producer according to Discogs: The Esso Trinidad Steel Band – Esso (1971, Terre Haute Pressing, Gatefold, Vinyl)
Apeman Those damned Rats! How can I get away from those Rats? Make like an Ape Man! The sequencing and this song's place on the album is both deliberate and appropriate. I never was keen on island vibe/calpyso/Belagonte, etc. But this is bloody brilliant! Lyrically, every last line is brilliant. That they all go together into one song is just... well... brilliant! Has any other song so perfectly combined wit, sarcasm, irony, truth, social commentary....? I daresay not. Rats remains my favorite song on the album, but this is definitely second. That they are combined in a single 45 means this is probably my favorite A side / B side combo of all time, any group or time frame.
Did Van Dyke Parks have something to do with the Beach Boys? Holland? The name rings a bell, and that's the connection I'm getting....
Yes indeed, he wrote lyrics for them, esp. during the Smile era, as well as contributing to Sail on Sailor, and making a whole album, Orange Crate Art, with Brian Wilson.
"Apeman": I've been enjoying this song far too long to be even remotely objective about it. One of the first songs I taught myself to play ages ago. There's nothing I don't like about it. With regard to Ray Davies' "Caribbean accent," I don't hear it any more than I did on "Session Man." I've met lots of people from the Caribbean and none has sounded remotely like what Ray does. To me it just sounds like more of his whimsical pronunciation that he does on occasion to invent rhymes and rhythms. I think ears may have been fogged up if someone is hearing that as "Caribbean" (never mind that "Caribbean" is not a racial group anyway). 5/5. Never saw this before! Thanks for posting. I love it. Those coats!
