| "One of the Survivors" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Kinks | ||||
| from the album Preservation Act 1 | ||||
| B-side | "Scrapheap City" | |||
| Released | 20 April 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 9–10 March 1973 at Konk Studios, Hornsey, North London | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 4:31 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ray Davies | |||
| Producer(s) | Ray Davies | |||
| The Kinks singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"One of the Survivors" is a song by the British rock band The Kinks. Appearing on their 1973 concept album Preservation Act 1 , the song was written by the band's main songwriter, Ray Davies.
"One of the Survivors" references the character Johnny Thunder, who had appeared in the song of the same name from The Kinks' 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society . However, since his appearance in "Johnny Thunder" in 1968, Johnny Thunder, who is called "one of the survivors" by the singer of the song, has grown "little overweight, and his sideburns are turnin' grey, but he still likes to bebop, boogie and jive to his worn out seventy-eights."
The song also references many musicians from the 1950s (that Johnny Thunder enjoys to listen to), such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion and The Belmonts and Johnny and The Hurricanes, as well as songs such as "Hound Dog", "Blue Suede Shoes", and "Great Balls of Fire".
"One of the Survivors" was first released as a single in America on 20 April 1973. Backed with "Scrapheap City" (later to appear on Preservation Act 2 ), the single found only small popularity, peaking at a mediocre #108 in America. [1] However, the single was the most successful since "20th Century Man" in 1971. [1] The single was not released in the UK, but "One of the Survivors" did appear as the B-side of "Sitting in the Midday Sun" in said country. That single did not chart. [1]
"One of the Survivors" also appeared on Preservation Act 1 in June 1973. The album received poor commercial and critical popularity, only hitting #177 in America, and not charting in Britain. Also, the single edit of "One of the Survivors" has since appeared as a bonus track on some CD reissues of Preservation Act 1 .
"One of the Survivors" has received mixed reception from critics. Record World said that "English quartet rocks 'em and socks 'em with nostalgic tribute to some old rock 'n rollers like Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion & Belmonts, Danny & the Juniors and Johnny & the Hurricanes." [2] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine cited the track as a highlight from Preservation Act 1. [3] However, in a more critical view, author Andrew Hickey called the track one of the two weakest songs on Preservation Act 1 (the other being "Where Are They Now?"). [4]
Dion Francis DiMucci, better known as Dion, is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. His music incorporates elements of doo-wop, pop, rock, R&B, folk and blues. Initially the lead singer of the vocal group Dion and the Belmonts, Dion embarked on a solo career, and was one of the most prominent rock and roll performers of the pre-British Invasion era. He had 39 Top 40 hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a solo performer, or with the Belmonts and the Del-Satins. He is best remembered for his signature hit songs "Runaround Sue", "The Wanderer", "Ruby Baby" and "Lovers Who Wander", among others.
Soap Opera or The Kinks Present a Soap Opera is a 1975 concept album by the Kinks. It is the fourteenth studio album by the Kinks.
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965. Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned "You Really Got Me", became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States.
Preservation Act 1 is a concept album and the 12th studio album by the English rock group the Kinks, released 16 November 1973 by RCA Records.
Schoolboys in Disgrace, or The Kinks Present Schoolboys in Disgrace, is a 1975 concept album by the Kinks. Their 15th studio album, it was considered by critics to be the last album in what they dubbed the group's "theatrical" period, and their final release for RCA Records. The album is rooted in 1950s rock and roll, and also includes elements of hard rock, ‘50s pop and doo-wop, and arena rock.
The Kinks Choral Collection is an album, released 15 June 2009 in the UK and 10 November 2009 in the US, by Ray Davies and the Crouch End Festival Chorus. The album features new studio recordings of Ray Davies' compositions, all but one of which were originally recorded by his band The Kinks.
"Come Dancing" is a 1982 song written by Ray Davies and performed by British rock group the Kinks on their 1983 album State of Confusion. The song was inspired by Davies' memories of his older sister, Rene, who died of a heart attack while dancing at a dance hall. The lyrics, sung from the perspective of an "East End barrow boy," are about the boy's sister going on dates at a local Palais dance hall.
Preservation Act 2 is a 1974 concept album by the English rock band the Kinks, and their thirteenth studio album. It sold poorly, and received a mixed response among critics. Ken Emerson, in Rolling Stone, held out the album as an "underrated" one in the Kinks' repertoire.
"Sitting in the Midday Sun" is a song by British rock band The Kinks, written by their frontman and main songwriter Ray Davies. It was recorded in June 1973 and released as a single in the US and UK the same year. Reviews were generally positive, but it failed to chart. "Sitting in the Midday Sun" was included on Preservation Act 1, released in November 1973. Act 1 peaked at number 177 on the US Billboard charts, but failed to make an impression on the UK charts.
"Sweet Lady Genevieve" is the third track from The Kinks' 1973 rock opera Preservation Act 1. It was written by Ray Davies.
"Mirror of Love" is a track from The Kinks' theatrical album, Preservation Act 2. It was written by Ray Davies. It was released as the debut single from Preservation Act 2 in the U.K. only, but a version that was rerecorded for the American release was released as a single in both America and Britain.
"Everybody's a Star (Starmaker)" is the opening track on The Kinks' poorly received 1975 concept album, Soap Opera. It was written by The Kinks' primary songwriter, Ray Davies.
"Preservation" is a non-album single written by Ray Davies and performed by The Kinks in 1974. Although it was related to the two Preservation albums lyrically, it did not appear on either album until it was added to the CD reissue of Preservation Act 1.
"This Time Tomorrow" is the eighth track from the Kinks' 1970 album, Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. It was written by Ray Davies.
"Lost and Found" is the second track from Think Visual, a 1986 album by The Kinks. It was written by The Kinks' primary songwriter, Ray Davies.
"Party Line" is the opening track from the Kinks' 1966 album, Face to Face. The songwriting is credited to Ray Davies. On one of the earliest covers of the album, the song is credited R.Davies - D.Davies.
"She's Got Everything" is a song written by Ray Davies and released by English rock band the Kinks. It first appeared as the B-side of the Kinks' 1968 single, "Days".
"Money Talks" is a song by the British rock band The Kinks. Written by Ray Davies, the song appeared on the band's critically panned album, Preservation Act 2.
"You Can't Stop the Music" is a song by the British rock band The Kinks. The song, appearing on the band's 1975 album Soap Opera, was written by the band's principal songwriter, Ray Davies.
"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.
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