Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else

317 Pages·2007·2.04 MB·English

by  Thomas Kitts

RAY DAVIES
“Kitts’ obvious background in literary and social history offers an entirely
new and much needed elevation of the caliber of writing on composers
from the rock field whose work is deserving of such a broadening of scope.”
—Doug Hinman, Author of The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night:
Day by Day Concerts, Recordings, and Broadcasts, 1964–1997
“A remarkable history of a genius, deftly told through the art of music.
Kitts has taken a difficult man and demonstrated his most effective way of
life.Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else is a truly impassioned work.”
—Eric James Abbey, Author of Garage Rock and its Roots:
Musical Rebels and the Drive for Individuality
“Kitts guides us down memory lane with the fascinating history of the
great Ray Davies (with and without the Kinks). Kitts has impeccable
musical ears, incredible knowledge, and a keen perception about Mr. Davies,
which make this book a must for any Kinks/Ray Davies fan, and a great
place to start for those who are less familiar with Davies and the Kinks.”
—Bob Putignano, www.SoundsofBlue.com
Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else is a critical biography of Ray Davies,
with a focus on his music and his times. The book studies Davies’ work
from the Kinks’ first singles through his 2006 solo album, from his rock
musicals in the early 1970s to his one-man stage show in the 1990s, and
from his films to his autobiography. Based on interviews with his closest
associates, as well as studies of the recordings themselves, this book creates
the most thorough picture of Davies’ work to date.
Thomas M. Kitts, Professor of English and Chair of the Division of
English/Speech at St. John’s University, New York, is the co-editor
of Living on a Thin Line: Crossing Aesthetic Borders with The Kinks, the
author of The Theatrical Life of George Henry Boker, articles on American
literature and popular culture, reviews of books, CDs, and performances,
and a play, Gypsies. He is the book review editor of Popular Music and Society
and the editor of The Mid-Atlantic Almanack.

RAY DAVIES
Not Like Everybody Else
Thomas M. Kitts
First published 2008
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Simultaneously published in the UK
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007.
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© 2008 Taylor & Francis
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
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Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN 0-203-93563-2 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0–415–97768–1 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–415–97769–X (pbk)
ISBN10: 0–203–93563–2 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–97768–5 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–97769–2 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–93563–7 (ebk)
For Dylan and Holly
my children
For Michael J. Kraus
my late friend and Kinks colleague
For Doug Hinman
and his inspiring and landmark work on the Kinks

CONTENTS
Figures ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
1 Not Like Everybody Else: the shaping of Ray Davies,
part I 1
2 Something Better Beginning: the shaping of Ray Davies,
part II 18
3 You Really Got Me:finding a sound and a theme 35
4 A Well Respected Man: satirist, ironist, and social
commentator 57
5 Waterloo Sunset: the Romantic imagination of Ray Davies 82
6 The Village Green Preservation Society: time, place, and
identity 102
7 Arthur: world wars and class culture 126
8 A Long Way from Home: competing identities 145
9 Here Comes Flash: the rock musicals 170
10 Juke Box Music: alienation and love 187
11 Think Visual: TV, CD, and stage 213
vii
CONTENTS
12 20th Century Man: the 1990s and beyond 233
Conclusion 252
AppendixA My twenty-fivefavorite Ray Davies songs 255
AppendixB My ten favorite Kinks/Ray Davies
albums (including compilations and
live albums) 256
Notes 257
References 278
Index 286
viii
FIGURES
1.1 Ray showers the audience with beer in the 1980s 7
2.1 Ray in the 1970s 26
3.1 The Kinks in their Dickensian stage outfits in 1964:
(L–R) Quaife, Avory, Dave, and Ray 38
4.1 Ray in front of his Fortis Green home in 1967 75
5.1 Ray in the early 1970s 90
6.1 Ray Davies in the mid-1970s 110
7.1 The Kinks around 1970: (L–R) Gosling, Dave, Avory,
Dalton, and Ray 130
8.1 Ray as Santa Claus for a mid-1970s Christmas card from
the Kinks and members of the staff of Konk 150
8.2 The early 1970s Kinks: (L–R) Dalton, Dave, Ray, Avory,
and Gosling 160
9.1 Ray in the early 1970s 172
10.1 The Kinks begin the Arista years with a lineup of: (L–R)
Ray, Dalton, Dave, Gosling, and Avory 188
10.2 Ray on stage at the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium,
Columbus, Ohio, September 1981 190
10.3 Ray at the Summit, Houston, Texas, May 1983 195
10.4 Ray in Milwaukee, June 1978 197
10.5 Ray during the Arista years 204
11.1 Jim Rodford who joined the Kinks in 1978 stands
between Ray and Dave on stage in Texas in 1983 214
11.2 Ray in the 1980s 216
11.3 In the 1980s 224
12.1 Ray c. 1990 234
12.2 Ray performs Storyteller in the late 1990s 240
C.1 At the time of Phobia, the Kinks were: (L–R) Dave, Ray,
Haley, Henrit, and Rodford 254
ix