Kwyet Kinks

Last updated

Kwyet Kinks
KwyetKinks.jpg
EP by
the Kinks
Released17 September 1965
Recorded3 May and c. 5 August 1965
Studio Pye, London
Genre Folk rock
Length9:48
Label Pye
Producer Shel Talmy
The Kinks EP chronology
Kinksize Hits
(1965)		Kwyet Kinks
(1965)		Dedicated Kinks
(1966)

Kwyet Kinks is the third EP by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released on 17 September 1965 in the United Kingdom by Pye Records. Driven by the inclusion of the song "A Well Respected Man", Kwyet Kinks topped sales charts in Britain for several weeks. In the United States, which had no corresponding market for EPs, Reprise Records instead used its songs as the basis for the November 1965 LP Kinkdom .

Contents

With its mostly acoustic sound, Kwyet Kinks represented a departure from the heavier rock for which the Kinks had become known, a change reflected in the title with its play on the word "quiet". Contemporary and retrospective coverage of the EP has typically focused on "A Well Respected Man", which marked a shift in bandleader Ray Davies's songwriting towards social commentary. Ray hoped that the success of Kwyet Kinks would allow for more EPs made up of exclusive material, but Pye's focus on the more popular singles market meant that future Kinks EPs instead collected previously released recordings.

Background and music

The Kinks' singles and LPs from mid-1964 to mid-1965 were characterised by a focus on fast, gritty rhythm and blues and rock and roll. [1] Kwyet Kinks marked a stylistic departure from the Kinks' earlier output by being mostly acoustic in sound, [2] a change reflected in the title through its play on the word "quiet". [3] The music critic Richie Unterberger describes the EP as generally folk rock. [4] The Kinks recorded all four of its songs at Pye Studios in London around 5 August 1965, except for "Wait Till the Summer Comes Along", which they recorded on 3 May. [5] Shel Talmy produced the EP and Alan MacKenzie likely engineered. [6]

Dave Davies composed and sang the EP's lead track, "Wait Till the Summer Comes Along", a country-tinged ballad featuring a twelve-string guitar. [7] The song was the first by the Kinks written only by Dave, [8] and his brother Ray Davies composed and sang the EP's remaining three songs. [6] [nb 1] Contemporary and subsequent coverage of the EP has typically focused on Ray's song "A Well Respected Man", which signalled his shift in songwriting from basic sentiments about love towards satire and social commentary about contemporary British society. [9] Among band biographers, Johnny Rogan writes that the song "Such a Shame" suggested the Kinks' transition from beat music to folk rock, [10] and Nick Hasted writes that the appeals to comfort, familiarity and domestic life in "Don't You Fret" anticipated Ray's later songwriting. [11]

Release and reception

Pye Records issued Kwyet Kinks in the United Kingdom on 17 September 1965. [6] The release was the band's third EP released in the UK and their second to feature entirely new material, following the previous year's Kinksize Session . [12] The critic Allen Evans reviewed Kwyet Kinks favourably in New Musical Express , writing that the band's softer sound proved as successful as their louder output. [6] [13] "A Well Respected Man" received regular airplay on UK radio stations, driving sales of Kwyet Kinks, [14] which reached number one on both Record Retailer and Record Mirror magazines' EP charts. [6] [15] The EP remained on Record Mirror's chart for 32 weeks. [16]

One of the year's best sellers, [11] Kwyet Kinks's sales exceeded what was typical for an EP at that time. [17] Prompted by the release's unexpected success, [18] Ray promised in interviews that the Kinks would release more EPs satirising unconventional trends and fashions, [19] hoping that the format would prove an ideal medium in developing his songwriting. [18] As Pye's focus remained on the more profitable singles market, [18] the label cancelled all planned EPs of new Kinks material and instead recycled older material on subsequent releases. [10] [nb 2]

In the United States, where EPs were comparatively uncommon, Reprise Records instead used the songs on Kwyet Kinks as the basis for the US-only LP Kinkdom . Released on 24 November 1965, Kinkdom peaked at number 47 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. In addition, the label issued "A Well Respected Man" as a single on 4 November. [20] Though the band were unable to promote the single's release, it reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [21] [nb 3] Reflecting on the situation decades later, Rogan characterises the decision by Pye to relegate "A Well Respected Man" to Kwyet Kinks rather than releasing it as a UK single as "[p]robably one of the greatest blunders in the Kinks' career". [23] [nb 4]

Track listing

All tracks written by Ray Davies, except "Wait Till the Summer Comes Along" by Dave Davies. [nb 1] Track lengths are from the 2011 Deluxe Edition of Kinda Kinks , and are per AllMusic. [24]

Side one

  1. "Wait Till the Summer Comes Along" – 2:08
  2. "Such a Shame" – 2:17

Side two

  1. "A Well Respected Man" – 2:41
  2. "Don't You Fret" – 2:42

Personnel

According to the band researcher Doug Hinman: [6]

The Kinks

Production

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Kwyet Kinks
Chart (1965–66)Peak
position
UK Record Mirror EP chart [15] 1
UK Record Retailer EP chart [6] 1

Notes

  1. 1 2 On the EP's original label, "Wait Till the Summer Comes Along" is erroneously credited to Ray. [10]
  2. ↑ The following year's EP, Dedicated Kinks, collected four of the band's most recent A-sides. [10]
  3. ↑ Due to incidents during the Kinks' first US tour in June and July 1965, the American Federation of Musicians informally blacklisted the band from performing in the United States. [22]
  4. ↑ Rogan contends that the combination of the EP's success, the song's strong UK radio play and its US chart appearance despite a lack of promotion indicate that the song was a strong contender to reach number one in the UK. [23]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society</i> 1968 studio album by the Kinks

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Kinks. Released on 22 November 1968, Village Green is regarded by commentators as an early concept album. A modest seller on release, it was the band's first studio album which failed to chart in either the United Kingdom or United States, but was lauded by contemporary critics for its songwriting. It was embraced by America's new underground rock press, completing the Kinks' transformation from mid-1960s pop hitmakers to critically favoured cult band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Well Respected Man</span> 1965 single by the Kinks

"A Well Respected Man" is a song by the British band the Kinks, written by the group's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ray Davies, and originally released in the United Kingdom on the EP Kwyet Kinks in September 1965. It was also released as a single in the US and Continental Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Village Green Preservation Society</span> 1968 song by The Kinks

"The Village Green Preservation Society" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. Written and sung by the band's principal songwriter Ray Davies, the song is a nostalgic reflection where the band state their intention to "preserve" British things for posterity. As the opening track, the song introduces many of the LP's themes, and Ray subsequently described it as the album's "national anthem".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Kinks discography</span>

The Kinks, an English rock band, were active for over three decades, from 1963 to 1996, releasing 26 studio albums and four live albums. The first two albums are differently released in the UK and the US, partly due to the difference in popularity of the extended play format, and partly due to the US albums including the hit singles, and the UK albums not; after The Kink Kontroversy in 1965 the albums were the same. Between 100 and 200 compilation albums have been released worldwide.

<i>The Great Lost Kinks Album</i> 1973 compilation album by the Kinks

The Great Lost Kinks Album is a compilation album by the English rock band the Kinks. Released in the United States in January 1973, it features material recorded by the group between 1966 and 1970 that had mostly gone unreleased. The compilation served to satisfy Reprise Records after executives determined that the Kinks contractually owed them one more album, despite the band's departure from the label in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">See My Friends</span> 1965 single by the Kinks

"See My Friends" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by the group's singer and guitarist, Ray Davies. Released in July 1965, it reached number 10 on the Record Retailer chart. The song incorporates a drone-effect played on guitar, evoking a sound reminiscent of the Indian tambura.

<i>Four More Respected Gentlemen</i> Unreleased album by the Kinks

Four More Respected Gentlemen is an unreleased album by the English rock band the Kinks. The project arose out of the band's different American contract schedule, which obligated them to submit a new LP to Reprise Records in June 1968. As the band continued recording their next album, released later in the year as The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, bandleader Ray Davies submitted fifteen completed master tapes to Reprise. The label planned to issue the LP in the US in November 1968 but abandoned the project only a month beforehand for unclear reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonderboy (The Kinks song)</span> 1968 single by the Kinks

"Wonderboy" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by Ray Davies. It was released as a non-album single in April 1968. It stalled at number 36 in the UK charts, becoming the band's first single not to make the UK Top Twenty since their early covers.

<i>The Kinks Greatest Hits!</i> 1966 greatest hits album by the Kinks

The Kinks Greatest Hits! is a compilation album by the English rock band the Kinks. Released in the United States in August 1966 by Reprise Records, the album mostly consists of singles issued by the group between 1964 and 1966. The band's first greatest hits album, it remained on the Billboard Top LPs chart for over a year, peaking at number 9, making it the Kinks' highest charting album in the US. The album was in print for decades and was the Kinks' only gold record in America until 1980.

<i>Well Respected Kinks</i> 1966 compilation album by the Kinks

Well Respected Kinks is a compilation album by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released on 2 September 1966 in the United Kingdom on Pye Records's Marble Arch label. The album consists of previously issued singles and EP tracks recorded in 1964 and 1965. It was issued in both mono and simulated stereo formats.

<i>Kinkdom</i> 1965 studio album by the Kinks

Kinkdom is a studio album by the English rock band the Kinks. Released in the United States and Canada on 24 November 1965, it was their fourth album issued on Reprise Records. It peaked at number 47 on the Billboard album chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Village Green (song)</span> 1968 song by the Kinks

"Village Green" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. Written and sung by the band's principal songwriter, Ray Davies, the song was first recorded in November 1966 during the sessions for Something Else by the Kinks (1967) but was re-recorded in February 1967. Both the composition and instrumentation of "Village Green" evoke Baroque music, especially its prominently featured harpsichord played by the session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins. Unlike most of the band's late 1960s recordings, it employs real orchestral instruments, including oboe, cello, viola and piccolo, as arranged by the English composer David Whitaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polly (The Kinks song)</span> 1968 song by the Kinks

"Polly" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released on a non-album single in April 1968, as the B-side to "Wonderboy". Written and sung by bandleader Ray Davies, the song was recorded in March 1968 during sessions for the band's 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. Ray was initially inspired by the character Polly Garter in Dylan Thomas's 1954 radio drama Under Milk Wood, though his resulting character does not share anything with Thomas's besides the same name. The song is one of the few Kinks recordings from the late 1960s to possibly feature real strings, as arranged by David Whitaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starstruck (The Kinks song)</span> 1969 single by the Kinks

"Starstruck" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. Written and sung by Ray Davies, the song was recorded in July 1968. The song was issued as the album's lead single in continental Europe in November 1968 and in the United States in January 1969. The European release was accompanied by a promo film shot in Waterlow Park, Highgate. The song failed to chart anywhere besides the Netherlands, where it reached No. 13 on the Veronica Top 40 and No. 9 on the Hilversum 3 Top 30.

"Last of the Steam-Powered Trains" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. Written and sung by Ray Davies, the song was recorded in October 1968 and was among the final tracks completed for the album. Variously described as a blues, R&B or rock number, the song describes a steam train that has outlived its usefulness and has since moved to a museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkeley Mews</span> 1970 single by the Kinks

"Berkeley Mews" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released on a non-album single in June 1970, as the B-side to "Lola". Written and sung by bandleader Ray Davies, the song was recorded in early 1968 during the sessions for The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968). The title references a small street in London, while the lyrics recount a one-night stand. Influenced by the music of the 1940s, the song employs a heavier production than was typical for the band's 1968 work.

"Johnny Thunder" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their sixth studio album, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968). Written and sung by Ray Davies, the song was recorded in March 1968. Davies was inspired to write the song after seeing the 1953 film The Wild One, basing it on Marlon Brando's character Johnny as well as on a classmate Davies admired as a child. A rock song, its recording features a countermelody played by Dave Davies on electric guitar, wordless vocal harmonies and one of the album's few instances of a single-tracked vocal by Ray.

"Monica" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their sixth studio album, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968). Written and sung by Ray Davies, the song was recorded sometime between late 1967 and May 1968. The song features congas and a syncopated rhythm, indicating Davies's continued interest in calypso music. Its lyrics are a serenade for a prostitute and were partly inspired by Dylan Thomas's radio drama, Under Milk Wood (1954), though Davies kept the lyrics deliberately subtle to avoid a radio ban. Retrospective commentators have disputed the song's level of thematic cohesion with the others on Village Green.

"Sitting by the Riverside" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their sixth studio album, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968). Written and sung by Ray Davies, it was recorded in July 1968. The song features honky-tonk piano and a Mellotron which duplicates the sound of an accordion. An example of psychedelia, the song's relaxed style is offset by the sound of a swelling cacophony between verses, a sound reminiscent of the crescendo in the Beatles' 1967 song "A Day in the Life". The song describes a pleasant experience sitting next to a river and was inspired by Davies's time spent as a child fishing with his father.

<i>Then Now and Inbetween</i> 1969 promotional album by the Kinks

Then Now and Inbetween is a promotional compilation album by the English rock band the Kinks. Reprise Records issued the album in July 1969 to journalists, radio program directors and disc jockeys in conjunction with the "God Save the Kinks" promotional campaign, which sought to reestablish the Kinks' commercial status in the US after their four-year ban on performing in the country.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Doyle 2020, p. 59.
  2. ↑ Doyle 2020 , pp. 60, 62; Stanley 2014 , p. 157; Hasted 2011 , p. 66.
  3. ↑ Davies 2022, p. 116.
  4. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "Great Moments in Folk Rock: Lists of Author Favorites". Richieunterberger.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  5. ↑ Hinman 2004, pp. 55, 62, 66.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hinman 2004, p. 66.
  7. ↑ Doyle 2020 , p. 60: (lead track); Rogan 1998 , p. 26: (country-tinged ballad, written and sung); Hinman 2004 , p. 66: (twelve-string).
  8. ↑ Davies 2022, p. 116–117.
  9. ↑ Rogan 1998 , pp. 25–26; Doyle 2020 , pp. 59–60; Lupro 2006 , p. 193; Fitzgerald 2000 , p. 59.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Rogan 1998, p. 26.
  11. 1 2 Hasted 2011, p. 66.
  12. ↑ Rogan 1998, p. 25.
  13. ↑ Evans, Allen (1 October 1965). "EPs". New Musical Express . p. 12.
  14. ↑ Kitts 2008, p. 64.
  15. 1 2 "Record Mirror Charts Page". Record Mirror . 20 November 1965. p. 11.
  16. ↑
    • "Record Mirror Charts Page". Record Mirror . 23 September 1965. p. 11.: (debut)
    • "Record Mirror Charts Page". Record Mirror. 30 April 1966. p. 11.: (last week)
  17. ↑ Kitts 2002, p. 11.
  18. 1 2 3 Hinman 2004, p. 76.
  19. ↑ Rogan 1984 , p. 65; Kitts 2008 , p. 64.
  20. ↑ Hinman 2004, pp. 66, 68, 70, 72.
  21. ↑ Rogan 1984 , p. 63; Rogan 1998 , p. 26.
  22. ↑ Hinman 2004, pp. 58–60.
  23. 1 2 Rogan 1984, p. 63.
  24. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Kinda Kinks [Deluxe Edition] – The Kinks". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.