Some Kinda Kinks....Show # 250

The year of 1968, was a busy one for The Kinks. Still banned from the USA (since 1965), the band was involved in a number of projects at this time. It was around this time that The Kinks would be working on material for The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society. Originally Ray Davies intended the songs for his first solo album. He was also working on a stage play around this time that had a similar concept to Village Green. Since the material was so different, Ray did not know if it was appropriate for The Kinks. Despite his original thoughts, Ray and the group worked on the songs and it became the album known as The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society. The album employed a concept (it would be the first of many concept albums done by The Kinks). The concept was about English life and the innocence of past times. It was also said to have been influenced by Dylan Thomas's Under The Milk Wood. Ray Davies also intended Village Green to be the last Kinks album. The last single was supposed to be the song "Days". Fortunately this did not happen. The album did not sell well upon its initial release, but has since then gone on to be a cult classic. It is often referred to as "The Most Successful Flop of All Time".

It was also around this time that Dave Davies recorded material for his first solo album. Davies had previously released successful singles such as "Death of A Clown", and "Susannah's Still Alive" in 1967. The backing band on these recordings were The Kinks. Dave had been recording songs off an on for a possible solo album since 1967. After touring and the recording of Village Green, Dave recorded a set of songs for yet another proposed solo album that was to be released in 1969. "Hold My Hand" was released as a single that would launch the album in 1969, but it failed to chart. The album was never released. Songs existed on bootleg from the sessions, but were never released officially. When the band re-issued their catalog, most of the tracks appeared as bonus material on the remastered editions of the albums.

Dave Davies first solo album would be in 1980 (although he talked of releasing a solo album in 1970 and again in 1974), Ray's first solo album would be in 1990. In 2004, Sanctuary Records released a 3 CD, deluxe edition of Village Green. It featured several outtakes and songs recorded around the same time, but not used for the album. In 1998, Dave Davies released Unfinished Business, which is a 2 CD set collecting material done with The Kinks and from his solo career. For more information on The Kinks and their releases, visit Dave Emulen's Unofficial Kinks website Kinda Kinks.

This week on my show I featured seven Kinks songs from this time period. Four songs from The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society ("Wicked Annabella", "Do You Remember Walter?", "Village Green", and "The Last Of The Steam Powered Trains"). "Creeping Jean" (found on the deluxe edition of Village Green) and "Mindless Child of Motherhood" (found on the remastered edition of Arthur) were both tracks that were considered for Dave Davies 1969 solo album. The final Kinks track featured on today's program was "Misty Water". This song was recorded in 1968 for a proposed US release that was cancelled (It was going to be titled Four More Respected Gentlemen).

Play List:

1. The Kinks - The Last Of The Steam Powered Trains
2. The Kinks - Wicked Annabella
3. Dark Knight Of The Soul - Little Girl (Featuring Julian Casablancas)
4. The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel
5. The Amboy Dukes - Baby Please Don't Go
6. Great Scotts - Ball and Chain
7. The Jury - Who Dat?
8. The Secrets - Cryin' Over Her
9. Painted Ship - And She Said Yes
10. The Brogues - I Ain't No Miracle Worker
11. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Diddy Wah Diddy
12. The Kinks - Creeping Jean
13. The Kinks - Mindless Child of Motherhood (Stereo Version)
14. The Gruesomes - The Deal
15. Terminal Sunglasses - Antenna Dilemma
16. Thrush Hermit - Hated It
17. Mood - Who Do You Love?
18. Velvet Underground - Venus In Furs
19. The Standells - Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White
20. The Kinks - Do You Remember Walter?
21. The Kinks - Village Green
22. The Kinks - Misty Water

To download this week's show visit the CJAM archives and select the files 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM on May, 26th 2009.

Kinks Videos:

The Last of the Steam Powered Trains & Picture Book (Julie Felix TV Show 1969)