I never realised that song was about Chrissie Hynde - it's a late-career beauty. My God @ajsmith what kind of parties did you go to!
Haha this is just my attempt to evoke the vibe with some purple prose.. I wasn't even born until 1980!
Its so different it should have been given an entire day’s separate discussion to itself, IMO, but the cats out of the bag, I guess.
The live version - was that Dave's real hair at the time or is he wearing a wig? I prefer the humour of the studio version, though I imagine it would have been pretty cool to hear the live version in person.
it was definitely a wig: I think the whole group except Ray were wearing joke shop afro wigs for the live show.
Ordinary People A pleasant song with a nice female vocal hook and Ray entertaining us with his vocal mannerisms for the most part. In the musical opening i totally get the Rocky Horror Picture Show dramatic contrasts and then to me when Ray talks about ringing the bell at Norman's house i hear a Vincent Price influence. When Ray says to Andrea that he will examine Norman's dull ordinary life and whether it be the televised program or the LP I wonder why this comment doesn't seem to annoy his wife? I mean does she accept this is how Norman's life really is (and her own by extension) or is she starstruck herself as I really don't know. On the going to bed side on the LP we get some sexy music after Andrea makes her way to bed and states that Ray won't get up in the morning....is this because she's concerned but perhaps accepting he may do so in the night? The Starmaker tv scene has a slightly different dynamic between them. I agree that musically they are not doing anything exceptional but it does seem fitting for the piece and concept presented though for me it is presently hard to get an all over feel for the work until I hear a lot more or all of Soap Opera!
"Ordinary People" is interesting but not something I particularly am drawn to as I am not a particularly a fan of Doo Wop (not knocking it; it's just not my bag). I am sure Ray used the genre as a vehicle for the story told in Soap Opera. If Preservation is obtuse then Ray certainly made an effort to be less so with Soap Opera. The concept is pretty clearly presented - rock star and worker switch places. I definitely prefer the live version (listened to Philadelphia 1975-04-20 two days ago - second half of the show is the entire Soap Opera album) and I love Dave's wig.
I was thinking the same in that it is barely the same! I like Dave's guitar tone and "some" of his phrasing but it is ultimately a bit sloppy and i won't go into his vocal.
And yet, it wasn't changed. This is not a reworked version of what we know as the 2nd track on the album, but, rather, an entirely separate song performed later in the show that by all rights should have been titled “Ordinary People Reprise,” which is exactly what it is. Better yet—keeping with Preservation Act 2’s naming conventions—should have been titled something like “Norman’s Epiphany.” To let this track stand by the title “Ordinary People” creates as much confusion as if “Flashes Dream” had been titled “There’s A Change in the Weather” simply because it reuses refrains from that earlier song. And yet, in typical Kinksian fashion, carelessness controls and confusion reigns! Luckily YouTube saves the day for those of us unprivileged to have not seen Soap Opera live. Although this song is missing from “Starmaker,” there have been enough uploads over the years of the show to piece together that for the touring version of the album, the first “Ordinary People”—early in the show—is performed with Ray dressed as Starmaker (until, of course, he is stripped to his underwear.) This second song--the“reprise”--is towards the end of the show with Ray dressed as Norman, his epiphanous moment when it all comes crashing down and he wonders if Starmaker lives only in his head, and leads to “A Face in the Crowd.” The remaining question, then, is why was this ‘reprise” excluded from the album proper? My only guess is its creation came along after the fact, it's purpose to give the story a bit more clarity on stage. And also to acknowledge that (to quote “Maximum Consumption”) “DAVE DAVIES ON LEAD GUITAR” had been an underused resource during the Preservation/Soap Opera years. Final question, though: does this stage show number deserve proper Kinks Canon designation? Was it ever separately published/copyrighted?
Ordinary People Not a great tune in my opinion. But it is a nice cog in the larger show. And the show as a whole is enjoyable. What other rock group was doing something like this? Sort of a cross between pop, Monty Python and Firesign Theater.
Continuing to think about Dave Davies and what I mentioned a long time back. There’s numerous examples of musicians teaming up, forming song-writer partnerships, with people outside their own band. Maybe I’m an outlier in thinking this but I wasn’t impressed with any of the Dave songs we recently covered. He seems like he has a kernel of an idea but just can’t finish it. Does anyone know whether he tried to partner up with anyone? If not, … why not? (Just never thought of it? Felt like he’d be betraying his brother/his bandmates?) Apologies for the thread drift.
"Ordinary People" sets up the premise of Soap Opera w/a 1950s type backing & w/Ray's humorous comments, which are amplified in the live version, especially the going to bed part. Speaking of which, have any of the Avids see the bed they used in the live production? Also, I also noticed that the female narrator of the live production pronounced "Andrea", the wife's name, differently from Ray. I also agree w/Avid Martyj that the reprise of "Ordinary People", was figured upon by Ray after the album probably to give a showcase (or bone) for Dave and to show the collapse of the Star Maker into Norman, as well as making up for the loss of "Holiday Romance", which really didn't have anything to do w/the show.
Actually, Dave had an old friend that he wished he could have collaborated w/but he passed away due to a drug addiction.
Ordinary People I have listened to song way more times that I care to admit over the last couple days. As I listen more and more, I find it more and more hilarious, and notice all these little things. It's quite a trip for me, so this is reality? should really have a question mark at the end... Because the Starmaker is so removed from the everyday person, he has no idea what that life is anymore. The fact that he's doing this all "for art" is just incredibly funny to me. It's almost like he is the mad scientist, performing this social experiment to understand the regular folk... "And if they ask any questions I'll say... I'm doing research for one of my songs" Has that incredible comedic pause after "I'll say..." as if he's making up the excuse on the spot. "Yeah, it's research, that's the ticket!" The pajamas bit is also wonderful comedy. It's like a scene out of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I can imagine Larry switching places with someone, going to sleep with the guy's wife, and then looking at the guy's pajamas and complaining. "How could someone wear these? I can't wear these! They are ridiculous!" Norman's wife is into it. The music is, dare I say, sexy, with those sax parts, the "oooh yeahhh", and the overall sultry groove that borders on Marvin Gaye Let's Get it On blended with a 50s sock hop. And the icing on the cake, the way Ray (Starmaker) delivers the "Alright!" as if he's putting hands up and giving up, "Alright! I'll wear these awful pajamas and sleep with you.... for the sake of art, of course." I think that sort of gives away the game here. It's brilliant. To me, it's a role playing game, and Norman's wife is into it. Musically, the first time I heard this it seemed like a 50s parody, so I think I nailed that on initial impression. This is where I got a "wtf" from my wife, espeically when the spoken parts occur... But it does fit this scene so well. The melody of the verse is sublime, and up there with any of Ray's catchiest verse melodies. And the way the sultry 50s groove starts as soon as the doorbell rings shows what Starmaker's true intentions are here! Shangri-La this is not, but I find it thoroughly enjoyable entertainment with plenty of humor.
Avid Ajsmith, you're making me feel old! I still remember the day in 1980 when I bought my copy of One From the Road from the Harvard Coop. I just graduated high school & my life was spread out before me. Now I feel more like Norman. Well, at least there's no ducks on my walls
Yes, I would have titled this as a Reprise as well. In the black and white video on YouTube this song followed by Sunny Afternoon come after You Make It All Worthwhile and then goes to (A) Face In The Crowd. Ducks On The Wall is not played at all unless it has been edited out or played later in the show as if the show went longer. I can't make out all the lyrics (especially Dave's vocals!) to get the significance of it's placement at this point in the show.
I also listened to that Philly show myself a couple of days ago. Just like Preservation, Soap Opera really pops out in a live setting. I also noticed that the said performance was 61:30 long, probably due to the additional dialogue.
From what I've read in the UK classic car magazines, the chances of returning home in the 70s Lancia were slim to none
There seems to be a direct cue for 'Ducks On The Wall' at exactly 45 minutes into the Youtube upload when Ray says 'Your mother's bloody mad, so are you!' and then the duck quack from the intro to DOTW is heard. The it kind quickly cuts and Ray says 'take them away' and his stage wife says 'why can't you lot just go away' referring to The Kinks who have presumably just performed a song. From the poor quality of the film it's hard to be sure, but it looks a lot to me from this evidence that 'Ducks On The Wall' was performed that night but was for some reason edited out of this version of the film. (we know from other bootlegs that it was performed as part of the live Soap Opera). Incredibly frustrating as to me at least it's the climax of the story!!!!!
