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Friday, July 18, 2008

Tonight! / Video Kinks Week! Little Brother Dave Davies

Posted by Ned Lannamann on Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 4:12 PM

Of course, the Kinks aren't just Ray Davies. The legendary '60s lineup also included Mick Avory (who originally drummed for the Stones) and the awesomely-named Pete Quaife.

But true Chewbacca-style co-pilot status belongs to Ray's little brother, Dave.

Dave played lead guitar and sang on a number of early Kinks tunes in a distinctive, high tenor, but it wasn't until 1967 that he stepped out of the shadows of his brother and took a crack at writing his own song.

And it's a classic:


Dave Davies - "Death of a Clown"

"Death of a Clown" appeared on the Kinks' Something Else album, and Dave followed up with a couple other solo singles, including "Susannah's Still Alive" and "Lincoln County." A Dave Davies solo album was in the works, too, but it never achieved fruition. In the meantime, Dave sprinkled a few spare tracks here and there throughout the Kinks discography. He was always a great foil for Ray, and while sibling rivalry and resentment overshadows a lot of Kinks history, their brotherly bond made for much of the charm and appeal of the Kinks.

For my money, Dave's best songs (in addition to "Clown") are "Mindless Child of Motherhood," a song that recollected a true event when he knocked up his girlfriend at age 13 and which appeared as a B-side on a 1969 single, and "Strangers," from the Lola album.

Oh, and his older brother, Ray, plays tonight at the Crystal Ballroom. You probably already knew that.

 

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