Dedicated Follower of Fashion. Yes!! I knew this song as a kid in the 10-15 year old range (hard to pin down) and I knew this was a funny song somehow even if I wasn't British or knew anything at all about fashion. The inflections of Ray's voice drew you in. I was able to create a picture of this character in my mind by listening to it. How many songs did that? Not many. An absolute Klassic. Any positive stuff said before this, I concur with. Sheer perfection. Will always be in my pantheon of Kinks greatness. Sitting on My Sofa As other have said, this has a great groove. I can't find fault with it other than the lyrics are bit 'light' but that's fine. Maybe it's a palate cleanser after hearing Dedicated Follower of Fashion? I mean, I think my head would explode if this was another Klassic. LOL
The roots of Dedicated Follower of Fashion per Wiki Ray Davies claimed that the song was inspired by a fight he had with a fashion designer at a party: I got pissed off with [a fashion designer at a party] always going on about fashion. I was just saying you don't have to be anything; you decide what you want to be and you just walk down the street and if you're good the world will change as you walk past. I just wanted it to be the individual who created his own fashion. ... [It was] a terrible brawl. I kicked him, and I kicked his girlfriend up the ****.[4] Davies claims he wrote the song in one sitting, typing the lyrics out on a typewriter, with no later revision.[citation needed] It was performed with Davies mostly accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, with the rest of the band joining in on the "It will make or break him so he's got to buy the best 'cause..." and echoing the "Oh yes he is" lines in the refrain.[3] The song contains two lines from the 1905 English adventure novel The Scarlet Pimpernel; "they seek him here, they seek him there".[5] The band attempted recording the song a number of times, playing with the arrangement, lyric diction, and guitar sounds. Davies was never totally satisfied with the released version, and was angered that the song's production and release were rushed by the band's managers and Pye Records. Specifically, he attempted the opening multiple times. Pete Quaife said of these attempts: That guitar clanging at the beginning, we did it over and over, changed guitars, tried it with a piano. Ray was after a sound and he didn't get it. When he realized he wasn't getting it, he took the tape, rolled it across the floor and set fire to it. The next day we started again and he settled for that. But I know he wasn't happy with the final result
Dedicated Follower of Fashion- By far the greatest track up to this point, it's freaking fantastic. It rings of the classic Kinks sound so well that you'd might as well just call it the beginning of their classic sound. It's these sort of unique ideas that gives the Kinks their good name. “Dedicated Follower Of Fashion” is obviously a satirical commentary on the mods of the mid-60’s in what was being coined “Swinging London.” Ray sings it as if he were playing an aristocrat in a British musical. This song is a timeless classic Sitting on My Sofa-Another old-school rocker and it's not a bad one. It's a bit of a drag to hear after that wonderful, exciting "Dedicated," but --- this manages to sound pretty fresh. The riff is catchy, and so is the melody. Again these type songs are an improvement over their "filler" in the first two albums.
Van Halen famously dabbled in the Vaudeville sound during the DLR period as well. Another thing that makes them the closest American counterpart to 60’s Kinks albeit over a decade later
Interesting: could you post an example of a representative VH song in that style? I had no idea they swung that way!
Dedicated Follower Of Fashion could only have been written by Ray Davies. Not surprised to hear he wasn't entirely happy with it, the production doesn't do it great favours and I actually prefer the alternative version. Not a massive favourite but one of those songs that you associate strongly with the band. Sitting On My Sofa is another excellent groove and I think the idea of it is just very funny..... a song dedicated to sitting down!! Ha Not sure the vaudeville element of Dedicated Follower Of Fashion would have had any influence on Dylan or The Doors though. That might be stretching it a little. However Bob Dylan did record Leopard Skin Pill-Box Hat in 1966, a song which similarly lampoons the fashion scene.
Mr Reporter This is a song that has an interesting history, and just never quite seemed to make it how the band, or probably Ray wanted it. First recorded mono mix, lead vocals by Ray (3:55), recorded 2 Feb, 1966 at IBC Studios, London and then later in 1969 it was recorded again with Dave on vocals ... and then this version of the song was remixed again in 2009 I would assume for one of the deluxe releases. We'll just look at the Ray vocal version today and keep the Dave version for when it actually comes around, during the Arther sessions. Oddly enough it was put on one of the Face To Face extended albums, but I am not exactly sure why, as it was recorded three years later..... First version (Ray lead vocals): Hey, Mr. Reporter, How 'bout talking about yourself? Do you like what you're doing, Or is it that you can do nothing else? Hey, Mr. Reporter, I'll believe all that you put down. I'll believe the sun is going up, Even though it's going down. Why, Mr. Reporter, Do you like some things more than most? I hate you, Mr. Reporter, 'Cause your self pity makes you a ghost. You smile and then you jot down, All the things you wanted to hear. Then you take away such dear things, Then you treat them with a smear. Hey, Mr. Reporter, How 'bout talking about yourself? Do you like what you're doing, Or is it that you can do nothing else? Hey, Mr. Reporter, Don't you twist my words around. I'll kill you, rather than let you, Distort my simple sound. Did your daddy stop you playing With your friends when you were young? And is that why you run down All the young folks having fun. The reason I am morbid, Is because I read you every day. You contest all of the good things Because they rub you up the wrong way. Hey, Mr. Reporter, How 'bout talking about yourself? Do you like what you're doing, Or is it that you can do nothing else? Ha! Hey... Hey... Written by: Ray Davies Published by: Carlin Music Corp. This is a more direct observation about the way reporters can be than the more famous Bob Dylan Ballad Of A Thin Man, which is all quite cryptic. I assume that the tabloids had annoyed Ray at some point, because this is lyrically savage, and tears strips off this reporter. Where I am used to Ray's somewhat gentle, sarcastic sneers at folks, here we have Ray spitting acid and vitriole at this character. Essentially the lyrics are self explanatory, so I'm not going to break them down.... Personally I like the lyrics, because I have never understood the spin on reality that turns news into a fictional story to sell to the masses, who devour it with glee to take their attention off the grime in their own lives, by allowing them to lord it over on a more famous person going through something .... the whole tabloid media thing is a bizarre and sad thing to me. Musically this is pretty straight forward. I like it, it keeps the focus on the lyrics, and Ray delivers this with a focused disdain .... I sort of see why it didn't make an album at this time, because the band seems generally to be fairly lighthearted, and easy going, just having an occasional lighthearted dig ..... this is a direct attack, and seems somewhat out of character. Anyway, I really like this a lot, and think it may have been a good thing to have put it on an EP or something.... Of course someone mentioned earlier that this was actually supposed to go onto a sort of thematic EP, that was never released... I am not sure if it was this version or the 69 version, but perhaps someone can give us a bit more detail about that. An intriguing song that I personally really like.
Another great observational track, and both versions are very good. It's a shame that they tried it twice but presumably weren't happy enough with either to release one - the song deserved better.
Time Will Tell. mono mix (2:34), recorded probably 14 Apr, 1965 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London Time will tell if I will drift eternally, Through life instead of being someone. All of my life, you are the one, you're on my mind. Have a good time, do what you want, but you will find, Time will tell if I'll survive. I'd rather be dead than just pretend I'm alive. Time will tell, it's just a matter of time. It's just a matter of time. Time will tell if we will be the same as now, Or not, if not, then never mind. All of my life, you are the one, you're on my mind. Have a good time, do what you want, but you will find, Time will tell if I'll survive. I'd rather be dead than just pretend I'm alive. Time will tell, it's just a matter of time. It's just a matter of time. Time will tell if dreams become reality, For you got me, as long as you want. All of my life, you are the one, you're on my mind. Have a good time, do what you want, but you will find, Time will tell if I'll survive. I'd rather be dead than just pretend I'm alive. Time will tell, it's just a matter of time. It's just a matter of time. It's just a matter of time. Written by: Ray Davies Published by: ? We open with a nice riff that has this edgy kind of sound about it. Then we change up moving into the verse. Lyrically this is sort of looking at the same kind of idea put forward in What's In Store For Me. So at least we know that the lyric there wasn't some flash in the pan lyric, Ray was pondering these things quite a bit it seems. To me the message he is trying to get across here is that only time will tell how it all turns out, but there is no point worrying about it, you just need to live your life and see how it turns out. This point is driven home pretty directly by the line "I'd rather be dead than just pretend I'm alive." I don't think it is unusual for young men to think about these kinds of things, I'm not sure about young women, as I have never been one, but I kind of assume they would ponder these things. I know as a young fella I thought about these kinds of things a lot anyway. Musically here Ray is working with key modulations, and they work pretty well, but we will see these little experiments bear a lot of fruit down the road. Ray sings this well, but we see later in the song that his intent to lay down a fairly forceful vocal leads to a little bit of throat break up. I like this well enough, but I probably find it to be more interesting, than particularly great.
"Mr Reporter" - can't play the video linked, so I'll look for this one later. Never heard the track before. "Time Will Tell" - I'm sure plenty of bands would have loved to sound like this, and it's a solid enough musical track, but on first listen the song seems a bit average by Ray's standards, with no great focus or hook.
I think the reason that the 1969 version was on the 1998 CD reisse of 'Face To Face' is as simple as at the time so little was known about the Kinks recording sessions that when the 1969 version was first uncovered first it was assumed to be the original 1966 version as there was no other known recording at the time and all we knew was that there was an unreleased song called 'Mr Reporter' dating from the Face To Face era.. I don't think the proper Ray vocal 1966 version was known of until the 2000 Nue Revue bootleg. The EP version if it had appeared would have been the 1966 take, or a version of it, as pretty sure the projected 'Occupations' was meant to be put out in 1966/7. The Dave vocals re recording was intended for his later (and also cancelled) solo LP.
Reference guide A bit about the band Oct 1963 I'm A Hog For You Baby (first recording) Dec 1963 Oobadiaboo unreleased? Feb 1964 Long Tall Sally - live footage Apr 1964 You Still Want Me - b-side You Do Something To Me Aug 1964 You Really Got Me - Shindig tv - live footage - beat room - BBC - SNL - live b-side It's All Right/It's Alright - shindig tv Oct 1964 The Kinks Beautiful Delilah - shindig So Mystifying Just Can't Go To Sleep Long Tall Shorty - live 65 - shindig - live 72 I Took My Baby Home I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter - shindig You Really Got Me Cadillac - live Bald Headed Woman Revenge Too Much Monkey Business -Alt fast take I've Been Driving On Bald Mountain Stop Your Sobbing Got Love If You Want It - Live BBC I Believed You I Don't Need You Anymore Everybody's Gonna Be Happy demo Don't Ever Let Me Go 1964 All Day And All Of The Night - shindig - US tv I Gotta Move - shindig - live 92? 1964 All Day And All Of The Night EP Nov 1964 Kinksize Sessions Louie Louie - live I Gotta Go Now I've Got That Feeling - live Things Are getting Better The Kinks at the BBC 1964 Meets the Kinks You Really Got Me interview excerpt Cadillac All Day And All Of The Night Little Queenie I'm A Lover Not A Fighter Ray on YRGM and USA I've Got That Feeling Paris 1965 Hullabaloo 1965 The Kinks educate the US Dave - Annette and Frankie Jan 1965 Got Love If You Want It EP Jan 1965 Kinksize Hits EP Jan 1965 Tired Of Waiting For You - French tv - Shindig - NME - US echo / Come on Now - live - live 82 5 Mar 1965 Kinda Kinks Look For Me Baby Got My Feet On The Ground Nothin' In This World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'bout That Girl - live? Naggin' Woman I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight - Sweden Tired Of Waiting For You Dancing In the Street Don't Ever Change Come On Now - alt vocal So Long You Shouldn't be Sad Something Better Beginning I Go To Sleep Tell Me So I'll Know A Little Bit Of Sunlight There's A new World Just Opening up For Me This I Know 17 March 1965 Kink Size (US lp) 19 Mar 1965 Ev'rybodys' Gonna Be Happy - tv/ Who'll Be the Next In Line - shindig - tv 21 May Set Me Free - tv - US tv - shindig/ I Need You - Dave - Ray Mick Avory interview July 1965 See My Friends - discothec - tv - shindig - live 94/ - alt Never Met A Girl Like You Before Dave interview Sept 1965 Kwyet Kinks Wait Till The Summer Comes Along Such A Shame A Well Respected Man - German tv - Beat Club Don't You Fret - live in 69 Clay Cole meets the Kinks BBC - You Shouldn't Be Sad Tired Of Waiting For You Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy This Strange Effect Hide And Seek - live Swedish Newsreel Sept 65 Nov 1965 Kinkdom 19th Nov 1965 Till The End Of The Day - live 65 - live 93 - live 80 Where Have All The Good Times Gone 26th Nov 1965 Kink Kontroversy Milk Cow Blues - shindig - live - Beat Club Ring The Bells Gotta Get The First Plane Home When I See that Girl Of Mine I Am Free - Dave live Till the End Of The Day The World Keeps Going Round I'm On An Island Where Have All The Good Times Gone It's Too Late What's In Store For Me You Can't Win Mr Reporter Time Will Tell Mar 1966 Dedicated Follower Of Fashion - Alt. - studio sessions - video - live 73 Sitting On My Sofa Ray Interview
Cheers mate. As always, good info. That will be interesting, and yes, we will be looking at the initially unreleased Dave solo album
