From right: Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Mick Avory and Peter Quaife on a bench with a sleeping man in Enbankment Gardens
As wild and crazy Kinks‘ fans since childhood, the latest chatter out this past week regarding a possible Kinks’ reunion is somewhat nerve-racking when it should be cause for jubilation. But hard-core Kinks’ fans know the fragile relationship of brothers Ray and Dave Davies, could snap expectations of a reunion into pieces, as it has done in the past.
Interestingly, but certainly not surprisingly, the latest Kinks’ reunion talk arises from yet another less than brotherly love controversy in the press, especially so in the U.K., and one which some fans and critics blame on Dave for being unnecessarily sour and resorting to name-calling via the press.
In a recent interview in the current edition of Rolling Stone magazine, Ray, the Kinks’ legendary lead songwriter and vocalist, told RS that he was for a reunion if his equally legendary lead guitarist, vocalist and brother Dave was.
But Ray’s comments came only after the latest round of drama set off a couple of weeks ago when Dave told the U.K. Independent that Ray was an “arsehole,” and “I love him to death” in the same breath. As he’s done many times, and who knows, perhaps understandably, Dave resorted to telling the world how he feels about his brother.
“I don’t know when it happened, but at some point Ray kind of lost the ability to share,” he told the Independent, adding: “Emotionally – not just with money. Even though that [money] would help. A lot.”
He added: “But having said that Ray is a vain, egocentric, narcissistic arsehole, I won’t have anybody call him that except me. Because I love him to death. He is my brother.”
“Brother” – The Kinks from Sleepwalker (1977)
The latest immature remark by Dave is just a glimpse into decades long, notorious, and feuding love-hate relationship between the rock star brothers. Seriously, to talk about your own brother like that, and then say you love him, through the press at the age of 64 is just plain childish and petty. Another way to look at it too may just be that Dave expects a reunion and is just drumming up publicity for an expected announcement.
And, Ray, who usually is the more passive-aggressive one in these squabbles that have gone on in public for 47 years now, at least appears to have opted for being adult about it by proclaiming that he is willing to do the long-awaited reunion (15 years in the making) if Dave is.
Apparently, the brothers have met, or will be meeting, at Dave’s residence outside of London. The exact date of the meeting seems to be a mystery. Ray told Rolling Stone, “I’m seeing Dave next week,” sometime before April 11th, so that would have put the meeting at sometime in the past week or two. Yet, from everything we’ve been able to gather, there is no news at the time of this posting (Friday 4/22) from the Kinks’ brothers’ recent summit, or if it has even taken place at all.
The North London home were the teenage Davies' brothers banged out the first two notes of "You Really Got Me," on a piano, a song that went on to have a profound impact on the history of guitar rock from 1964 to present day. The brothers lived at 6 Denmark Terrace in Muswell Hill with six sisters.
The volume of the Kinks’ reunion chatter has been growing in intensity from fans, press and bloggers worldwide for the past few years, especially, as the Kinks’ are regularly cited as a major influence by many of today’s popular indie rock bands.
One would have naturally expected that after all of these years, the two brothers would have patched things up and stopped the squabbling by now, especially Dave, who is usually the instigator.
And yet not even Ray getting shot (by a mugger in New Orleans in 2004), or Dave’s stroke just eight months later have seemed – at least from everything we can tell – to stop the non-sense. For 15 years, millions of Kinks’ fans around the world have had to suffer since these two brilliant, but combative brothers, have wasted their talents by not collaborating since 1997, when the band officially disbanded.
Since then, there’s plenty of evidence that recognition of the Kinks’ music has increased, as a younger generation has embraced the band, other bands started because of them, and their songs start are appearing everywhere you turn in the past 15 years, from popular movie soundtracks and commercials to high rated television series and radio play. The Kinks’ have one of the most extensive discographies of any band in the history of rock, spanning from 1964 to 1997. Another sign that demand for Kinks’ music is strong is the fact that their earlier albums from the 1960’s are being remastered and reissued throughout this spring and summer, with the reissues of the Kinks’ first three album having already dropped on March 22nd.
A Kinks’ Reunion Might Only Mean Two Out of Three
If there would be a Kinks’ reunion, it’s not clear if the reunion would go beyond just the Davies’ brothers. Sadly, the Kinks’ original bassist, Peter Quaife, passed away last year at the age of 66 in Demark. Quaife’s involvement in a reunion if he were still alive would have almost certainly been a definite no; he had said repeatedly over the years, he never would, and there was no reason to think otherwise.
The original Kinks: Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Peter Quaife and Mick Avory (circa 1965)
Quaife left the band in 1969, right before the Kinks’ were thrust back onto the world stage with the release of “Lola,” which went to #2 in the U.K. and #9 in the U.S. in June 1970.
The song also became a #1 hit in The Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, and New Zealand. “Lola” is also one of the top rock and roll songs of all time, with yet another
Kinks’ riff that is recognized around the world. The hit single paved the way for the Kinks return to America after a four-year ban from the States, the reason for which remains unclear, even to the band.
(More on “Lola” in volume two of what will be our permanent new series, called The Kinks’ Kronikles, which was the name of a special double LP compilation of Kinks’ music, including B-sides and previously unreleased songs, from the ‘Golden Era’ of 1966-1970.)
“Lola” – The Kinks, unreleased version (with words “coca-cola”)
Quaife did reunite with the original Kinks only once – for the band’s 1990 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If a Kinks’ reunion were announced, there is the question of whether the band’s original, and long-time (20 years) drummer, Mick Avory, will take part. Avory has performed on and off again with the tribute band, Kast Off Kinks. Avory left the Kinks when their huge hit single, “Come Dancing,” was on the charts in 1986 in the U.S., U.K. and countless other countries around the world.
Avory said in an interview that he felt that was a great way to part from band, because the song made the band once again, hugely popular, but also reaching audiences that were not normally their usual fans.
“Come Dancing” – The Kinks from State of Confusion (1984)
Message to Ray & Dave: Please Listen to Your Own Songs While Pondering Kinks’ Reunion
We’re integrating into this post Kinks’ songs that follow a theme of getting along, turning a page, looking forward, being optimistic, and reaching for ‘better things’ (‘I hope tomorrow you’ll find better things..’) and songs in general that are optimistic and upbeat. Maybe, just maybe, the old bros will plug into what they loved about making so much memorable, iconic music together for over a 30 years, and will realize how many fans want to see them back together.
Ray and Dave, here are your own songs that we hope will allow you to put your differences aside, and reunite the Kinks. There’s an entire generation of young music lovers out there who are discovering your music like you’d never imagine. Every time we’ve put up a Kinks’ song on IRC over the past four years, it’s almost always been the top song of the week.
“Better Things” – The Kinks from Give The People What They Want (1981)
“This Time Tomorrow” – The Kinks from Lola vs. Powerman And The Money Go Round – vinyl (1970) *
“Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy” – The Kinks from Kinda Kinks (1966)
“Something Better Beginning” – The Kinks from Kinda Kinks (1966)
“This Is Where I Belong” – The Kinks from Face to Face (1968)
- Lola vs. Powerman, as it’s called for short, has 68 5-star reviews from Amazon customers. If you won’t have it in your collection, we strongly recommend it – the entire thing is a fabulous album, and of course contains the original master recording of the No. 1 hit record, “Lola”
As soon as we hear something about the possible Kinks’ reunion – most likely through the U.K. press – we’ll let you know through our Twitter, Facebook or RSS feed.
Note to Ray: Dude, we love you, man. Please hire the best people in the business to help you with planning and executing the reunion tour; we’re talking about the real top-of-the-line production folks, lighting and sound engineers, managers, booking agents, audio and visual tech geeks, and so on. A really amazing light and film show featuring a montage of live and studio footage of the Kinks through the years – there’s quite a bit of it just on YouTube alone – would be sahh-weet.
“Tired of Waiting For You” – The Kinks from Kinda Kinks (1966)
