Ray Davies

For other people named Raymond Davies (disambiguation), see Raymond Davies (disambiguation) (disambiguation).

Ray Davies
Ray Davies in Toronto, 1977 (photo by Jean-Luc Ourlin)
Background information
Birth name	Raymond Douglas Davies
Born	(1944-06-21) 21 June 1944
Origin	Fortis Green, London, England
Genres	Rock, pop, hard rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, piano
Years active	1963—
Website	www.raydavies.info

Ray Davies, CBE (/ˈdeɪvz/ DAY-viz; born 21 June 1944) is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave. He has also acted, directed and produced shows for theatre and television.

Since the dissolution of the Kinks in 1996, Ray Davies has embarked on a solo career as a singer-songwriter.

Biography

6 Denmark Terrace, birthplace of the Davies brothers

Raymond Douglas Davies was born at 6 Denmark Terrace, Fortis Green in Muswell Hill, North London, England. He is the seventh of eight children born to Fred and Anne Davies, including six older sisters and younger brother Dave Davies. He went to William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School (now called Fortismere School).

Davies was an art student at Hornsey College of Art in London in 1962–1963, when the Kinks developed into a professional performing band. After the Kinks obtained a recording contract in early 1964, Davies emerged as the chief songwriter and de facto leader of the band, especially after the band's breakthrough success with his early composition "You Really Got Me", which was released as the band's third single in August of that year.

Davies led the Kinks through a period of musical experimentation between 1966 and 1975, with notable artistic achievements and commercial success. Between 1976 and their break-up twenty years later, Davies and the group reverted to their earlier mainstream rock format and enjoyed a second peak of success, with other hit songs, like "Destroyer", "Come Dancing" and "Do It Again". The Kinks disbanded in 1996, and Ray Davies has performed solo since then.

Davies has had a tempestuous relationship with younger brother Dave (the band's lead guitarist) that dominated the Kinks' career as a band. He has been married three times and has four daughters: Louisa, Victoria, Natalie and Eva. Davies was romantically involved with Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders during the 1980s, and Natalie is a product of that relationship.

In 1990, Davies was inducted, with the Kinks, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and, in 2005, into the UK Music Hall of Fame.

On 4 January 2004, Davies was shot in the leg while chasing thieves who had snatched the purse of his companion as they walked in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. The shooting came less than a week after Davies was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

Work

The Kinks: 1963–1996

Main article: The Kinks

Early style (1964-65)

The Kinks' early recordings of 1964 ranged from covers of R&B standards like "Long Tall Sally" and "Got Love If You Want It"; to the chiming, melodic beat music of Ray Davies' earliest original compositions for the band "You Still Want Me" and "Something Better Beginning"; to the more distinctive and influential proto-metal, protopunk, power chord-based hard rock of the band's first two hit singles "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night".

However, by 1965, this raucous, hard-driving early style gradually gave way to the softer and more introspective sound of "Tired of Waiting for You", "Nothin' in the World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl", "Set Me Free", "I Go to Sleep" and "Ring the Bells". Notably more sophisticated singles like "A Well Respected Man" and "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" signaled Ray Davies' developing skill as a lyricist and composer.

With the eerie, droning "See My Friends"—inspired by the untimely death of the Davies brothers' older sister Rene in 1957—the band began to show signs of expanding their musical palette even further. A rare foray into early psychedelic rock, it is credited by Jonathan Bellman as the first Western pop song to integrate Indian raga sounds, being released six months before the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood".

The classic mid-period (1966-75)

Face to Face—the first Kinks album to be comprised exclusively of original material—was a creative breakthrough for the group that showed considerable maturation in Ray Davies' songwriting craft. His lyrics began to take on elements of narrative, observation and wry social commentary that told of the aspirations and frustrations of common working class and middle class people. Indeed, on topical songs such as "A Well Respected Man" (recorded in the summer of 1965), "Situation Vacant", "Shangri-La" and "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina", Davies offers many keen and perceptive insights about the psychological effects of the British class system—particularly the helpless sense of desperation underlying the materialistic values and conservative protocols of the respectable English middle class. In a similar vein, "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" wittily satirises the excesses of the Carnaby Street-based 'Swinging London' scene, while "David Watts" humorously expresses the wounded feelings of a plain schoolboy who envies the grace and privileges enjoyed by a charismatic upper class student.

Other songs from this period take aim at the heedless ostentation of nouveaux riches soon to get their comeuppance ("Most Exclusive Residence For Sale", "Mister Pleasant"); the complacency and indolence of wealthy playboys and the upper class ("A House in the Country", "Sunny Afternoon"); and even the music business itself ("Session Man" and later the album Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One). Davies also describes the bleakness of life at the other end of the social spectrum: "Dead End Street" is a powerful neo-Dickensian sketch of the desperate poverty suffered by the urban underclass; "Big Black Smoke" a grim tale of a teenage runaway who sinks into destitution and apparent drug addiction; "Did You See His Name?" a disarmingly sensitive account of a shoplifter who is publicly shamed, ruined and driven to suicide; and "Get Back in Line" a lament about the indignities of unemployment and trade union politics.

The Kinks have been called "the most adamantly British of the Brit Invasion bands" on account of Ray Davies' abiding fascination with England's imperial past and his tender, bittersweet evocations of "a vanishing, romanticized world of village greens, pubs and public schools". During the band's mid-period, he wrote many cheerfully eccentric—and often ironic—celebrations of traditional English culture and living: "Afternoon Tea", "Autumn Almanac", "The Village Green Preservation Society", "The Last of the Steam-Powered Trains", "Victoria", "Have a Cuppa Tea" and "Cricket".

It was also during this time that Davies began composing songs in the self-consciously quaint, old-fashioned style of British music hall, vaudeville and trad jazz; these include "Dandy", "Little Miss Queen of Darkness", "Mister Pleasant", "End of the Season", "All of My Friends Were There", "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina", "Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues", "Look a Little on the Sunny Side" and "Holiday Romance". Occasionally, he varied the group's sound with more disparate musical influences, such as raga ("Fancy"), bossa nova ("No Return") and calypso ("Monica", "Apeman", "Supersonic Rocket Ship").

Davies is often at his most affecting when he sings of giving up worldly ambition for the simple rewards of love and domesticity ("This is Where I Belong", "Two Sisters", "The Way Love Used to Be", "Sweet Lady Genevieve", "You Make It All Worthwhile"); or when he extols the consolations of friendship and memory ("Days", "Do You Remember Walter?", "Picture Book", "Young and Innocent Days", "Moments", "Schooldays"). Yet another perennial Ray Davies theme is the championing of individualistic personalities and lifestyles ("I'm Not Like Everybody Else", "Johnny Thunder", "Monica", "Lola", "Celluloid Heroes", "Where Are They Now?", "Sitting in the Midday Sun"); and on his 1967 masterpiece "Waterloo Sunset", the singer finds a fleeting sense of contentment in the midst of urban drabness and solitude.

His mid-period work for the Kinks also showed signs of an emerging social conscience. For example, "Holiday in Waikiki" deplores the vulgar commercialisation of a once unspoiled indigenous culture. Similarly, "God's Children", "Apeman", and the songs "20th Century Man", "Complicated Life" and "Here Come the People in Grey" from Muswell Hillbillies, passionately decry industrialisation and bureaucracy in favour of simple pastoral living. Perhaps most significantly, the band's acclaimed 1968 concept album The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society gives an affectionate embrace to "Merry England" nostalgia and advocates for the preservation of traditional English country village and hamlet life—a thematic first in British pop.

A definitive testament to Ray Davies' reputation as a songwriter of insight, empathy and wit can be heard on the Kinks' landmark 1969 album Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). The band's first rock opera affectionately chronicles the trials and tribulations of a working class everyman and his family from the very end of the Victorian era through World War I and World War II, the postwar austerity years, and up to the 1960s. The overall theme of the record was partly inspired by the life of Ray and Dave Davies' brother-in-law, Arthur Anning, who had married their older sister, Rose (herself the subject of an earlier Kinks song, "Rosie Won't You Please Come Home"), and had emigrated to Australia after the war. Over the course of a dozen evocative songs, Arthur fulfils its ambitious subtitle as Davies embellishes an intimate family chronicle with satirical and often poignant observations about the shifting mores of English public life in response to the declining fortunes of the British Empire.

Later commercial sound (1976-84)

Ray Davies, Toronto, 1977. (photo by Jean-Luc Ourlin)

When the Kinks changed record labels from RCA to Arista in 1976, Ray Davies abandoned his then-recent propensity for ambitious, theatrical concept albums—the RCA era (1971-75) had produced Everybody's in Show-Biz, Preservation Act 1 and Act 2, Soap Opera and Schoolboys in Disgrace—and returned to writing more basic, straightforward songs. The group would also employ newer production techniques to achieve a more refined studio sound on the albums Sleepwalker and Misfits, as Davies' topical focus shifted to wistful ballads of restless alienation ("Life on the Road", "Misfits"); meditations on the inner lives of obsessed pop fans ("Juke Box Music", "A Rock & Roll Fantasy"); and punk-themed exhortations of carpe diem ("Live Life", "Get Up").

By the early 80s, the Kinks revived their commercial fortunes considerably by adopting a much more mainstream arena rock style; and the band's four remaining studio albums for Arista—Low Budget, Give the People What They Want, State of Confusion and Word of Mouth—showcased a decidedly canny and opportunistic approach. On "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", Davies vents his existential angst about the 1979 energy crisis over a thumping disco beat; with "Better Things", "Come Dancing", "Don't Forget to Dance" and "Good Day" he offers up sentimental songs of hope and nostalgia; and with "Catch Me Now I'm Falling", "Destroyer", "Clichés of the World (B Movie)" and "Do It Again" he once again cranks out strident heavy-riffing hard rock, and uses it to express feelings of bitter cynicism and world weary disillusionment.

I write songs because I get angry, and now I'm at the stage where it's not good enough to brush it off with humour.

— NME, June 1978

Solo work: 1985-present

Aside from the lengthy Kinks discography, Davies has released five solo albums: the 1985 release Return to Waterloo (which accompanied a television film he wrote and directed), the 1998 release The Storyteller, Other People's Lives in early 2006, Working Man's Café in October 2007 and The Kinks Choral Collection in June 2009. Other People's Lives was his first top 40 album in the UK since the 1960s, when he worked with the Kinks.

The release of Working Man's Café was followed on 28 October 2007 with a performance at the BBC's Electric Proms series, at The Roundhouse, Camden, accompanied by the Crouch End Festival Chorus. The concert was broadcast the same evening on BBC Two. An edited version of Working Man's Café, excluding two bonus tracks and liner notes, was given away with 1.5 million copies of the Sunday Times on 21 October.

Since the Kinks ceased performing in 1996, Davies has toured independently. Initially, he toured with the mainly acoustic 20th Century Man, An Evening With Ray Davies and Storyteller shows, accompanied by guitarist Pete Mathison. He has toured with a full band consisting of, among others, Toby Baron (drums), Geoff Dugmore (drums), Dick Nolan (bass), Gunnar Frick (keyboards), Ian Gibbons (keyboards), Scott Donaldson (guitar), Mark Johns (guitar), Milton McDonald (guitar), Bill Shanley (guitar), and Damon Wilson (drums).

In 2005, Davies released The Tourist, a four-song EP, in the UK; and Thanksgiving Day, a five-song EP, in the US.

Davies at Bluesfest 2008 in Ottawa

Ray Davies with the Crouch End Festival Chorus at Kenwood House, London, in June 2009

Davies published his "unauthorised autobiography", X-Ray, in 1994. In 1997, he published a book of short stories entitled Waterloo Sunset, described as "a concept album set on paper." He has made three films, Return to Waterloo in 1985, Weird Nightmare in 1991, a documentary about Charles Mingus and Americana (subtitled "A Work In Progress") which was included on DVD with the Working Man's Cafe disc release in 2008.

A choral album, The Kinks Choral Collection, on which Davies has been collaborating with the Crouch End Festival Chorus since 2007, was released in the UK in June 2009 and in the US in November 2009. The album was re-released as a special extended edition including Davies' charity Christmas single "Postcard From London" featuring Davies' former girlfriend and leader of The Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde. The video for the single was directed by Julien Temple and features London landmarks including Waterloo Bridge, Carnaby Street, The Statue of Eros steps and the Charlie Chaplin statue in Leicester Square. The duet was originally recorded with Kate Nash. His first choice had been Dame Vera Lynn.

In October 2009, Davies performed "All Day and All of the Night" with Metallica at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert.

Davies was also a judge for the 3rd and 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Davies played at Glastonbury Festival 2010 where he dedicated several songs to the late Kinks' bassist, Pete Quaife. Davies is seen to visibly almost break down in tears while singing an a cappella intro to the song "Days".

A collaborations album, See My Friends, was released in November 2010 with a US release to follow in early 2011.

Davies performed with Mando Diao in their MTV Unplugged live show.

In 2011 Davies was "grounded" for six months following discovery of blood clots in his lungs. After the malady Davies programmed the line-up for the upcoming Meltdown Festival in London. At the festival he is scheduled to perform rendition of the Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society album with the London Philharmonic and a local chorus. He was working on his second book: a memoir that Davies described as "kind of fictionalized". His first book X-Ray was released in 1995.

2011 also marked Davies' return to New Orleans, Louisiana to play the Voodoo Experience Music festival. Davies' setlist included material by the Kinks and solo material.

In Fall 2011, Davies toured with The 88 as his backing band.

Musicals

In 1981 Davies collaborated with Barrie Keefe to write his first stage musical, Chorus Girls, which opened at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London, starring Marc Sinden and also had a supporting cast of Michael Elphick, Anita Dobson, Kate Williams and Charlotte Cornwell. Directed by Adrian Shergold, the choreography was by Charles Augins and Jim Rodford played bass with the theatre's "house band".

Davies wrote songs for a musical version of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days; the show, 80 Days, had a book by playwright Snoo Wilson. It was directed by Des McAnuff and ran at the La Jolla Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre in San Diego from 23 August to 9 October 1988. The musical received mixed responses from the critics. Davies' multi-faceted music, McAnuff's directing, and the acting, however, were well received, with the show winning the "Best Musical" award from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle.

Davies' musical Come Dancing, based partly on his 1983 hit single with twenty new songs, ran at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London in September–November 2008.

Awards

Davies "Other People's Lives" tour Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC 2006 Photo: Matt Gibbons

• On 17 March 2004, Davies received the CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for "Services to Music."
• On 22 June 2004, Davies won the Mojo Songwriter Award, which recognises "an artist whose career has been defined by his ability to pen classic material on a consistent basis."
• Davies was also a judge for the third annual Independent Music Awards. His contributions helped assist upcoming independent artists' careers.
• Davies and the Kinks were the third British band (along with The Who) to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, at which Davies was called "almost indisputably rock's most literate, witty and insightful songwriter." They were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
• On 3 October 2006, Davies was awarded the BMI Icon Award for his "enduring influence on generations of music makers" at the 2006 annual BMI London Awards.
• On 15 February 2009, The Mobius Best Off-West End Production in the UK for the musical Come Dancing.
• On 7 September 2010, Davies was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award at the GQ Men of the Year Awards.
• On 26 October 2010, Davies was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at his AVO Session concert in Basel; the concert was televised internationally.

Solo discography

For Kinks discography see The Kinks discography

• Return to Waterloo (1985)
• The Storyteller (1998) (UK#105)
• Other People's Lives (2006) (UK#36)
• Working Man's Café (2007) (UK#179)
• The Kinks Choral Collection (2009) (UK#28)
• Ray Davies - Collected (2009) (released 19 October 2009) (Compilation)
• See My Friends (2010) (UK#12)

Chart singles written by Davies

The following is a list of Davies compositions that were chart hits for artists other than The Kinks. (See The Kinks discography for hits by The Kinks.)

Year	Title	Artist	Chart positions
			UK Singles Chart	Canada	U.S. Hot 100
1965	"This Strange Effect"	Dave Berry	#37
	"Something Better Beginning"	The Honeycombs	#39
1966	"A House in the Country"	The Pretty Things	#50
	"Dandy"	Herman's Hermits		#1	#5
1978	"You Really Got Me"	Van Halen		#49	#36
	"David Watts"	The Jam	#25
1979	"Stop Your Sobbing"	The Pretenders	#34		#65
1981	"I Go To Sleep"	The Pretenders	#7
1988	"All Day and All of the Night"	The Stranglers	#7
	"Victoria"	The Fall	#35
1989	"Days"	Kirsty MacColl	#12
1997	"Waterloo Sunset"	Cathy Dennis	#11

See also

• Songs written by Ray Davies

References

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Bibliography

• Polito, Robert. Bits of Me Scattered Everywhere: Ray Davies and the Kinks, pp. 119–144 in Eric Weisbard, ed., This is Pop, Harvard University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-674-01321-2 (cloth), ISBN 0-674-01344-1 (paper)
• Kitts, Thomas. Ray Davies, Not Like Everybody Else, 302 pp., Routledge Pub., 2008. ISBN 0-415-97769-X (paper)

External links

• Official website
• The Kinks website
• Ray Davies at Facebook
• Waterloo Sunset's Fine For Ray Davies, blog post about a performance Davies had with the Crouch End Festival Chorus near Waterloo Bridge for the release of his album The Kinks Choral Collection (includes pictures)