The Kinks - Album by Album (song by song)

Both of these instrumentals are fun, but hardly essential.

 

Yes, studio jams, nothing special. Both yesterday's tracks were superior and could qualify as "backing track" whereas today's jams are just pleasant warm ups. I don't mind them, I don't love them, I don't really listen to them. Nice bass, though, really cooking, from the soon departed Pete Quaife.
In the Rolling Stone Village Green 50th special, Mick Avory reacted with humor to the Underpants track. "I'm glad that's an instrumental," he said. "God knows what the words would have been ! I used to take my trousers off when I got drunk and I used to have these horrible underpants with either skull-and-crossbones on them or some inscription. Everyone knew I had silly underpants."

 

Since both of these tracks have been deemed as studio jams and appear to feature only guitar/bass/drums, can they even be called Ray Davies songs? Surely they’re more like full band compositions?

‘Spotty Grotty Anna’’s title was apparently a ‘tribute’ to a famed groupie. ‘All the groups knew her: especially the Dave Clark Five!’ I believe is the relevant quote from Pete Quaife. I do wonder if it might have had lyrics at some point: I can kind of imagine the title being sung over the tracks ‘chorus’ in a kind of ‘Wild Tiger Woman’ by The Move way. Writing a song that describes the less prepossessing physical attributes of a groupie strikes me as proto 70s Zappa or even proto Macc Lads if anyone on here has encountered them.

 

In place of analyzing the last two OK, but really inconsequential instrumentals, I would like to challenge Avid Martyj (as well as the other Avids) if he can name the two 1960s UK hit singles that mention his beloved Laurel and Hardy. Here are some clues:

Song #1 was the biggest hit for a solo singer who had a US #1 w/his former group. It was also written by Graham Goulding.

Song #2 came out two years after Song #2. It was performed by a UK band who had a #36 hit in the US w/another song the same year. One of its members had a solo career which included two big US hits, one a movie theme.

Sorry for the bit of derailing. I'll talk about the remainder of the songs, scout's honor.

 

‘Pamela, Pamela’ by Wayne Fontana?

 

Not a lot to say about today's instrumentals - they both sound like studio jams to warm up, and it's possible that Ray wasn't even in the studio at the time. The second one is just Dave and Mick I think? I wouldn't class either as undiscovered treasures, but they show how tight the band was, as they were probably live takes.

 

Good job, Avid ajsmith! I knew that someone who writes for Shindig! would knock it out of the park, as we say here in the States. Here's the song in question:

 

Yes...I guess there's not much to say about today's two instrumentals.

Ajsmith beat me to Pamela, Pamela...but in fairness I was struggling with the title and artist. I just had a vague awareness of a lyric from a song on a Rhino Record's compilation of British 60's hit, but couldn't't remember where.

#2 not sure, although I'm thinking the solo career reference might be Joe Cocker?

I do know of an 80's song with the reference from Squeeze on their East Side Story LP. I can't remember the song, but I remember the lyric "....a Laurel and Hardy double..."

 

That's "F-Hole":
We made the strangest couple
A Laurel and Hardy double
I learnt to play her favourite country songs
With one or two chords always going wrong

 

FWIW, Mick Avory’s Underpants reminds me of Creeping Jean. Not that I know what Mick’s underpants look like.

 

The best thing about these instrumentals is their titles!

 

Maybe I'm just in the right mood this morning, but I really enjoyed both of these little jams this morning. More so than yesterday.

 

"Pamela, Pamela", appeared on Vol. 7 of Rhino's British Invasion compliation, which also featured a few Kinks songs & which I highly recommend.

Song #2 was "Laurel and Hardy" by the Equals, who had a minor Top 40 hit w/"Baby Come Back". Eddy Grant later had 2 big solo hits in the States in the 80s, "Electric Avenue" & "Romancing the Stone". Here's the song performed on Germany's Beat Club:

 

Ah, yes. The Equals. Do not know this L&H song you posted. The Equals did the original version of "Police on My Back," which I first knew as a Clash song, but I actually like the Equals first version better.

Isn't it great how much we're talking about the Kinks today?

 

Starts out interesting, but after the first half minute, gets repetitive.

I suppose this can be used as a decent karaoke track, if one suddenly gets the urge to belt out a few choruses of "Matchbox."

 

In case you weren't already aware of this:

 

Easy Come There You Went
Immediately catchy. Doesn't resemble anything I've heard before so seems pretty original. would be cool for Ray to dig up some lyrics to this and make it come totally alive. Or was it just an instrumental?
Fun to hear though.

 

Mick Avory's Underpants
Any song with the word Underpants in the title will make me listen at least a time or two. I'm diggin' it. Got a funky feel going on, but maybe not diverse enough to be a complete song. Underpants rule ok!

Spotty Grotty Anna
Just a bluesy sound going on here. Sounds like they're having fun and that's all good with me. Would love to have been in the room even for this jam. I have such humble desires!

Egg Stained Pyjamas
Love that this was written with his daughter in mind. awwww.
Definitely an old timey/music hall sound going on here. Ray just had so much going on in his brain of his. Thanks for downloading, @ajsmith xo

 

Very Nice! A good friend saw Squeeze in North Carolina this week and they played 'F-Hole'! My first question was "Did they go straight into 'Labelled with Love?'". Yes, yes they did

 

Where Did My Spring Go?.

mono mix (2:10), recorded 28 Jan, 1969 at BBC's Riverside Sound Studios, Hammersmith, London

Where did the spring go?
Where did the trees go?
Where did the sun go?
Where did the bluebirds fly?
Why did the rainbow turn into shadows?

Why am I cold now?
Why does my skin sag?
Why ain't my back straight?
Why do my feet ache?
Where did my youth go?
Where did my life go?

Remember walking in the rain,
And getting soaking wet,
Now I got rheumatic pains,
And I really do regret it.

Where did my teeth go?
Where did my muscles go?
Where did my shoulders go?
Where did my chest go?
When you were loving me,
You were just using me.
You would employ me,
You would destroy me.
Now all I've got are varicose veins.

Where did the spring go?
Where did my hormones go?
Where did my energy go?
Where did my go go?
Where did the pleasure go?
Where did my hair go?

Remember all those sleepless nights,
Making love by candlelight,
And every time you took my love,
You were shortening my life.

Where did my teeth go?
Where did my hair go?
Where did my shoulders go?
Where did my chest go?
Where did my hormones go?
Where did my go go?
Where did my energy go?
Where did my skin go?
Where did my muscles go?
Where did my liver go?
Where did my heart go?
Where did my bones go?

Written by: Ray Davies
Published by: ?

This is a really interesting song. It is kind of caught between being a mildly comedic look at aging, and also a pretty sad look at having wasted love, time and life on someone that didn't deserve it.... sadly I can relate totally to both of these things.

We open with a minor to major chord progression on the piano, which gives it a sort of kinky familiarity. We get a lead guitar from Dave, and Ray comes in with the vocals. The vocals on here sound extremely clear.
The other really interesting thing about this song, is it sounds very contemporary for the late sixties. When the change up comes in with the hard organ, the accent change on the key of the song, really places this song in time.

Lyrically we get a series of question about the aging deterioration and this is someone balanced by the statements of wasted love.

Then at the end of the song, we get another little surprise, when the song moves from a sort of contemporary late sixties pop/rock track, into a speeding up music hall twist.

I have to admit, again, that I had never heard this song before this morning, but I really like it.
The immediacy of the vocal in the mix seems quite different from most of the Kinks stuff at this point in time. The playful nature of the song, in spite of the quite sad, yet somewhat comical nature of the lyrics, really clicks with me.

I am not sure that this fits directly with the Village Green theme, but then again, it is from the perspective of looking back, so perhaps it could have fit into a double album version....

 

An excellent song from a BBC tv series - I think there were others, but I'm not sure if they survive (perhaps When I Turn Off My Living Room Light?).

 

I'll comment on the song later, but amazed to see that long list of lyrics and then find the song is only 2:10!

 

Reference guide

Oct 1963 - Nov 1966

1967

Apr 1967 Mr Pleasant - Alt version - Beat Club - live - beat club - instr (whistling)
This Is Where I Belong - Ray live - Ray with Francis Black

May 1967 Mr Pleasant EP
Mr Pleasant
This Is Where I Belong
Two Sisters - Ray live (with chat)
Village Green - Instrumental - Ray

My 1967 Waterloo Sunset - instr. - live 73 - Ray live 78 - live 94 - Ray and Damon Albarn - doco excerpt - Ray and Bowie - Ray live (Peter dedication)
Art Nice and Gentle

May 1967 Waterloo Sunset EP

Documentary

Jul 1967 Death Of A Clown - Dave Live - Dave live 2002

Sept 1967 Something Else By
David Watts - Live 84 - Dave live 97 - Ray live 2010 - Alt mono - alt version
Death Of A Clown
Two Sisters
No Return
Harry Rag - BBC - Ray 2010 - alt version
Tin Soldier Man - Sand On My Shoes (original) - Alt backing track
Situation Vacant - mono
Love Me Till The Sun Shines - BBC - live 69 - Dave 97 - stereo
Lazy Old Sun - alt version
Afternoon Tea - German Stereo - Alt stereo - Canadian Mono
Funny Face
End Of The Season
Waterloo Sunset

Little Women backing track

Dave And Ray interview sixties

Echoes Of The World - The Making Of Village Green Preservation Society

Oct 1967 Autumn Almanac - stereo - Top Of The Pops - live fan jam - Ray - breakdown

Nov 1967 Sunny Afternoon LP

Nov 1967 Susannah's Still Alive - stereo - video

1967 BBC sessions - Sunny Afternoon
Autumn Almanac
Mr Pleasant
Susannah's Still Alive
David Watts
Death Of A Clown
Good Luck Charm

Jan 1968 Live at Kelvin Hall
Part 1
Part 2

Jan 1968 Wonderboy - video - Top Of The Pops - stereo mix
Polly - stereo mix

April 1968 The Kinks EP

June 1968 Days - stereo mix - Glastonbury 2010 - live 1969 - video edit - Basil Brush - Alt stereo - Acoustic - 1991 EP version

Aug 1968 Lincoln County - stereo mix - Dave live
There Is No Life Without Love

Colour Me Pop Medley

She's Got Everything Promo film

July 1968 Colour Me Pop - Dedicated Follower Of Fashion A Well Respected Man Death Of A Clown Sunny Afternoon Two Sisters Sitting By The Riverside Lincoln County Picture Book Days

Nov 1968 The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society - the gold disc award
The Village Green Preservation Society - Alt mix with studio banter - Live 73
Do You Remember Walter - Euro Stereo - Backing Track - live 94
Picture Book - real stereo - live 69 - live 73 - Ray 2011
Johnny Thunder - alt mix - stereo - original stereo - Ray (+VGPS) 2008 - Ray 2010 - Crouch End Chorus
Last Of The Steam Powered Trains - alt ending - live 69 - live 70 - Dave live
Big Sky - alt stereo - live 69 - Crouch End Chorus
Sitting By The Riverside - Stereo
Animal Farm - alt stereo - Ray 2004 - stereo
Village Green - alt vocal - backing vocal
Starstruck - alt vocal - video - stereo - Ray 2008
Phenomenal Cat - alt mix - stereo - stereo US link
All Of My Friends Were There - stereo
Wicked Annabella - stereo - Dave 97
Monica - stereo
People Take Picture Of Each Other - Euro stereo (big band) - stereo - live 73
extra tracks
Mr Songbird - stereo
Berkley Mews - stereo - single mix
Rosemary Rose - mono
Misty Water - stereo - alt stereo
Did You See His Name? - mono
Till Death Us Do Part - stereo - Chas Mills vocal - Anthony Booth vocal
Lavender Hill
Pictures In the Sand - instrumental
Easy Come, There You Went
Egg Stained Pyjamas
Mick Avory's Underpants
Spotty Grotty Anna
Where Did My Spring Go?

Preservation Live

Starmaker Tv Play

 

Monday's track

 

I think Where Did My Spring Go ? is another turning point in Ray’s career, his first foray in non-pop but 100% musical writing and as such a precursor to his work on the two Preservation acts and Soap Opera. For some reason, it makes me think of Flash’s Confession in particular.
In contrast to all the other 67/68 music-hall/musical styled Kinks tunes, it doesn’t really work as a stand-alone pop song, its humor and fantasy surely was best experienced in the TV show context it was created for, in order to be fully appreciated. Or rather, that’s what I suspect, since like most (all?) Kinks fans, I’ve never seen the Where Was Spring? BBC series (if you have, please step forward and tell us all about it!). I like the dramatic intro and fuzzy guitar tone, the first verse and the “Remember” bridges, but the whole thing (even Ray’s delivery) is a bit too outré and tongue in cheek for my taste, especially the shifts in tempo. It’s still an entertaining exercise but in my opinion, Ray eventually became much much better at this kind of things, when he was not commissioned by TV producers but truly in charge of his own rock theater extravaganzas.