Ray Davies
Ray Davies in Brussels, 1985
Background information
Birth name	Raymond Douglas Davies
Born	21 June 1944 (1944-06-21) (age 63)
Origin	Fortis Green, London England
Genre(s)	Rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1963 - present
Associated acts	The Kinks

Ray Davies, CBE (born Raymond Douglas Davies, 21 June 1944, Fortis Green, London) is an English rock musician, best known as lead singer-songwriter for The Kinks - one of the most prolific and long-lived British Invasion bands - which he led with his younger brother, Dave. He has also acted, directed and produced shows for theatre and television. is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fortis Green is a region of North London, lying between Muswell Hill to the east and East Finchley to the west. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the genre. ... The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fortis Green is a region of North London, lying between Muswell Hill to the east and East Finchley to the west. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the genre. ... For the popular-music magazine, see Musician (magazine). ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... For other uses, see British Invasion (disambiguation). ... Dave Davies (born David Russell Gordon Davies, 3 February 1947, in Muswell Hill, London, England) was a singer and guitarist with the English rock band The Kinks, which he founded with Pete Quaife in 1963. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ...

Since the demise of the Kinks in the mid-90s Ray Davies has embarked on a solo career. His February 2006 release Other People's Lives was his first top 40 hit in UK since the 1960s, when he worked with the Kinks. His second solo album, Working Man's Café was released in October 2007. Other Peoples Lives is an album by Kinks leader and chief songwriter Ray Davies. ... Working Mans Café is an imminent album release (29th October) by Ray Davies, formerly lead singer and songwriter of The Kinks. ...

Biography

Ray Davies (pronounced DAY-viss ^[1]) was born and raised in the North London area of Muswell Hill. He is the seventh of eight children, including six older sisters and his younger brother, Dave. He has been married three times, and has four daughters - Louisa, Victoria, Natalie Rae and Eva. , Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey It is situated 6. ... Dave Davies (born David Russell Gordon Davies, 3 February 1947, in Muswell Hill, London, England) was a singer and guitarist with the English rock band The Kinks, which he founded with Pete Quaife in 1963. ...

The musically-inclined 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 composition "You Really Got Me." Davies led the Kinks through a period of musical experimentation between 1966 and 1976, with notable artistic achievements and commercial success. Between 1977 and their breakup in 1996, Davies and the group reverted to their earlier mainstream rock format and enjoyed a second peak of success. Hornsey College of Art is a former college in London, now part of Middlesex University. ... You Really Got Me is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. ...

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. Davies has performed solo since the mid 1990s. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ... The UK Music Hall of Fame honours musicians for their lifetime fame in music. ...

Davies has had a tempestuous, 'love-hate' relationship with younger brother and Kinks guitarist Dave Davies that dominated the Kinks' career as a band. His compositions and talent as a performer are universally hailed within the music industry, but he has maintained a career-long reputation for being fiercely independent and iconoclastic, resulting in a decades-long pattern of conflict and alienation within the industry.^{[citation needed]} In 1973, a fed-up Ray attempted to announce the breakup of the band onstage (the microphone had been turned off though) and then attempted suicide by gobbling down handfuls of prescription drugs and washing them down with liquor.^{[citation needed]} Dave Davies (born David Russell Gordon Davies, 3 February 1947, in Muswell Hill, London, England) was a singer and guitarist with the English rock band The Kinks, which he founded with Pete Quaife in 1963. ...

He was quoted in 1967: "If I had to do my life over, I would change every single thing I have done."^{[citation needed]}

Davies in the Netherlands, 2006

On 4 January 2004, Davies was wounded when he 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.^[2] The shooting came less than a week after Davies was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (903x844, 52 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ray Davies Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (903x844, 52 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ray Davies Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... French Quarter: upper Chartres street looking down towards Jackson Square and the spires of St. ... NOLA redirects here. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The...

Relationship with Chrissie Hynde

Davies' relationship with Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde came at the expense of his marriage to his second wife, Yvonne, who named Hynde as the other woman in the divorce papers. Davies and Hynde were involved in a number of bust ups, the most infamous being when they were due to get married but the registrar refused to marry them. In January 1983, Hynde gave birth to Natalie Rae Hynde, her first child and Davies' third. Within a year, Chrissie had taken the baby with her on a world tour. The relationship ended in 1984. The Pretenders are a New Wave and rock band, known best for innovative songwriting and charismatic performances by bandleader, guitarist, and vocalist Chrissie Hynde. ... Chrissie Hynde (born Christine Ellen Hynde, 7 September 1951, Akron, Ohio) is an American rock musician, best known as the leader of the band The Pretenders. ...

Work

Main article: The Kinks

Davies' compositions over his lengthy career have been an astonishing study in contrasts, from the influential proto-punk, powerchord rock and roll of the early Kinks hits in 1964–1966 (most prominently "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night"); followed a few years later by more sensitive, introspective songs ("Too Much on My Mind", "Waterloo Sunset"); and still later by anthems championing individualistic lifestyles and personalities ("Lola", "Celluloid Heroes"); celebrations of traditional English culture and living ("Autumn Almanac", "Victoria"); true Music Hall-style vaudeville (songs like "Mister Pleasant", "All of My Friends Were There" and "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina's" and the Preservation albums); and commercial rock which combined elements of all of these ("Come Dancing", "Do It Again"). The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... You Really Got Me is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. ... All Day and All of the Night was a hit 1964 rock song by the British Invasion band The Kinks. ... Waterloo Sunset is a song released as a single by The Kinks in 1967, and featured on their album Something Else by the Kinks. ... An anthem is a composition to an English religious text sung in the context of an Anglican service. ... Lola is a song written by Ray Davies and performed by the Kinks which details a romantic encounter between a man and a transvestite he meets in a Soho, London club. ... Celluloid Heroes is a song performed by The Kinks. ... The Culture of England is sometimes difficult to separate clearly from the culture of the United Kingdom, so influential has English culture been on the cultures of the British Isles and, on the other hand, given the extent to which other cultures have influenced life in England. ... Autumn Almanac is a pop song, written by Ray Davies and recorded by the musical group the Kinks in 1967. ... Victoria is a song written by Ray Davies of The Kinks, which appeared as the opening track of the 1969 concept album, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). ... Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ... The Black Crook (1866), considered by some historians to be the first musical[1] Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... Come Dancing BBC TV ballroom dancing competition show that ran on and off from 1949 to 1995, becoming one of televisions longest-running shows. ...

Davies' songwriting has often been called more mature, sophisticated, and subtle than that of many of his peers among American and British rock musicians. His lyrics often contained elements of satire and social commentary about the aspirations and frustrations of British middle-class life — examples including songs like "A Well Respected Man" and "Shangri-La", which observed the class-bred insecurity and desperation underlying the materialistic values and conservative protocols of middle-class respectability; "Dedicated Follower of Fashion", which mocked the superficiality and self-indulgence of the mod subculture; and "David Watts", which poignantly expressed the wounded feelings of a plain schoolboy who envies the grace and social privileges enjoyed by a charismatic upperclass student. This article is about the genre. ... For the popular-music magazine, see Musician (magazine). ... Look up lyrics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1867 edition of Punch, a ground-breaking British magazine of popular humour, including a good deal of satire of the contemporary social and political scene. ... Social commentary is the act of expressing an opinion on the nature of society. ... The Kinks (from left): Pete Quaife, Dave Davies, Mick Avory, and Ray Davies The Kinks are a British rock group, who first gained prominence in the mid-1960s and became one of the most influential groups of British rock as well as of the British Invasion of America, as... Shangri-La is a song written by Ray Davies of The Kinks. ... Dedicated Follower of Fashion is a 1966 single by British band The Kinks. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with a set of behaviors and beliefs, culture, which could be distinct or hidden, that differentiate them from the larger culture to which they belong. ... David Leonard Watts (born 26 August 1951, St Helens, Merseyside) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ...

His songs also showed signs of social conscience — examples being "God's Children" and songs on the albums, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society and Muswell Hillbillies, which denounced industrialization and commercialism in favour of simple pastoral living. Mid-period songs like "Dead End Street" and "Big Black Smoke" offered grim, neo-Dickensian portraits of the desperate poverty that existed amidst the thriving metropolitan British economy of the 1960s. The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society is a pop-rock album released by the English music group The Kinks on November 22, 1968. ... Muswell Hillbillies is an album released in November 1971 by the British rock group the Kinks. ... Industrialisation (or industrialization) or an industrial revolution (in general, with lowercase letters) is a process of social and economic change whereby a human society is transformed from a pre-industrial to an industrial state . ... Commercialism, in its original meaning, is the practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business. ... Inspired by a true story, director Yaky Yoshas fourth feature, Dead End Street, tells the story of a young prostitute who participated in a documentary about her efforts to abandon the streets, only to commit suicide hours before the movie was to be broadcasted. ... Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (February 7, 1812 – June 9, 1870), pen-name “Boz”, was an English novelist of the Victorian era. ...

In particular, Davies' songs on the 1968 Kinks album The Village Green Preservation Society embraced "Merry England" nostalgia and preservation as themes long before they became fashionable in pop music. Many of his best songs focus on the small-scale, poignant dramas of everyday people (e.g., "Waterloo Sunset", "Two Sisters", "Did You See His Name?"), commonly told as wistful mini-stories. The term Merry England, or in more jocular, half-timbered spelling Merrie England, refers to a semi-mythological, idyllic, and pastoral way of life that the inhabitants of England allegedly enjoyed at some poorly-defined point between the Middle Ages and the onset of the Industrial Revolution. ... Waterloo Sunset is a song released as a single by The Kinks in 1967, and featured on their album Something Else by the Kinks. ...

Aside from the lengthy Kinks discography, Davies has released four 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, and Working Man's Café in October 2007. The release of Working Man's Café was followed on 28 October with a performance at the BBC's Electric Proms series, at The Roundhouse, Camden. 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 1.5million copies of the Sunday Times on 21 October. Return to Waterloo is an album and hour long film by Kinks leader and chief songwriter Ray Davies. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Other Peoples Lives is an album by Kinks leader and chief songwriter Ray Davies. ... Working Mans Café is an imminent album release (29th October) by Ray Davies, formerly lead singer and songwriter of The Kinks. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Electric Proms logo Electric Proms is a music festival held for the first time in London during October and November 2006. ... The Roundhouse (under construction in 2005) The Roundhouse is an arts venue in London, England. ... For other uses of Camden, see Camden. ... For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 2. ... Liner notes are the booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or any sound recording container. ... The Sunday Times is the name of several Sunday newspapers. ...

Since the Kinks ceased performing in 1996, Davies has toured independently (such as the mainly acoustic Storyteller tours with guitarist Pete Mathison), and more recently with a live band consisting of Toby Baron - drums, Dick Nolan - bass, Gunnar Frick - keyboards and Michael "Milton" McDonald - guitar (who replaced Mark Johns in 2007). In 2005, Davies released a four-song EP in the UK called The Tourist, and a five-song EP in the U.S. entitled Thanksgiving Day. In the liner notes for Other People's Lives, Davies confesses he still does not know who he is and where his roots are. In the sing-along "Next Door Neighbour", he seems to be suggesting he is all three characters. The printed lyrics sheet contains some fascinating insights into the songwriting process. Mike Milton McDonald is a session guitarist who has played with Patricia Kaas, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, The Spice Girls, S Club, Ray Davies, Take That, Robert Palmer, M People, Louise, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Atomic Kitten, HearSay, Girls Aloud and others. ... // Extended play (EP) is the name typically given to vinyl records or CDs which contain more than one single but are too short to qualify as albums. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American...

Davies published his 'unauthorized autobiography', X-Ray, in 1994, a romp through the Swinging Sixties, which settles burning issues ranging from which band produced the first concept album (not The Who), to whether or not he had an affair with Marianne Faithfull. In 1997, he published a book of short stories entitled Waterloo Sunset, described as 'a concept album set on paper'. He has made two films, Return to Waterloo in 1985 and Weird Nightmare in 1991, a documentary about Charles Mingus. Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ... X-ray (1995) was Ray Davies first major attempt to write prose outside of his musical career as founding member of the British rock band the Kinks. ... Woodstock: the iconic Sixties event The Sixties in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969 (see: 1960s), but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past 20 years. ... The Who are an English rock band that formed in 1964. ... Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull[1][2](born 29 December 1946) is an English singer, songwriter, actress and diarist whose career spans over four decades. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Waterloo Sunset is a song released as a single by The Kinks in 1967, and featured on their album Something Else by the Kinks. ... In popular music, a concept album is an album which is unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical (Shuker 2002, p. ... Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. ...

Awards

• 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 their ability to pen classic material on a consistent basis."

• 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

is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mojo is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. ... The Who are an English rock band that formed in 1964. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ... The UK Music Hall of Fame honours musicians for their lifetime fame in music. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Solo discography

For Kinks discography see The Kinks discography

1. Return to Waterloo (1985)
2. The Storyteller (1998)
3. Other People's Lives (2006)
4. Working Man's Café (2007)

The recording career of the English rock group the Kinks spanned more than 30 years between 1964 and 1996. ... Return to Waterloo is an album and hour long film by Kinks leader and chief songwriter Ray Davies. ... Other Peoples Lives is an album by Kinks leader and chief songwriter Ray Davies. ... Working Mans Café is an imminent album release (29th October) by Ray Davies, formerly lead singer and songwriter of The Kinks. ...

Notes

is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Polito, Robert, "Bits of Me Scattered Everywhere: Ray Davies and the Kinks", p. 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).
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Kitts, Thomas, Ray Davies, Not Like Everybody Else, 302 p., Routledge Pub., 2008. ISBN 0-415-97769-X (paper).

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ...

External links

• Dave Emlen's Unofficial Kinks Web Site
• Working Mans Café - Ray Davies Message Board and Chat Room
• Reviews and articles regarding Other People's Lives
• Fresh Air interview at National Public Radio website
• Ray Davies at BBC 6 Music
• Ray Davies Live at the Royal Albert Hall, photography by dz studios