Joseph Brennan. copyright 1994.
Any fan can tell you the Kinks' record releases from the 1960's are a mess. The original series of releases on Pye (UK) included many songs available only on singles and EPs, and were in any case soon replaced by a long series of reissue LPs continually duplicating each other in part. The US releases on Reprise were more stable over time but omitted some songs, and some of the singles were almost impossible to obtain. Most fans ended up with a lot of duplication, forced to buy whole LPs just to get one or two more songs not yet in their collections. And then, in the 1970's and 1980's, more songs from the Pye years leaked out, undated.
No one's yet issued a proper reissue series of CDs, combining each original album with other songs from the same period. Perhaps no one ever will. It begs the question that the albums had any chronological coherence to begin with. Instead songs were held back and released later mixed with other material, starting with the very first album. There isn't too much evidence either that anyone held the original album compilations to be works of art, so preserving them as distinct packages isn't being argued much. Ray Davies's attempts at album composition always seemed to be defeated by troubles with his publishers or record companies. The remarkable original plan for "Face to Face" with sound effect blends between songs cannot now be reconstructed. Perhaps only "Arthur" has a unity of purpose.
Only some small information on the recording order is known. Although Jon Savage's "The Kinks / The Official Biography" (Faber and Faber, 1984) mentions some dates in passing, the only source that really attempts to sort this out is Doug Hinman's "You Really Got Me" (from Doug Hinman [P O Box 4759, Rumford RI 02916-0759], 1994), which is based on contemporary published reports and interviews. Both Doug Hinman and the Kinks' producer for much of this period, Shel Talmy, tell me they believe the studio records needed for better dating do not exist. Indeed it is said the master tapes also do not exist for some of these songs.
This list owes quite a debt to Doug's book, which contains far more detail on the records and dates-- it is over 500 pages of neat stuff for any Kinks collector. I've abbreviated the album and EP titles, and give the dates of singles just to identify them. Those items listed as "unreleased" are here because they have appeared on bootlegs. You probably don't own all the songs in their original appearances, and will need to key the songs to your own collection, but if you are lucky enough to have all or most of the following, at least now you can listen to them grouped in some manner conducive to understanding the Kinks' growth as artists.
Date Original UK appearance
Song (Writer) or *other first release
1964 Jan
Long Tall Sally (Johnson--Penniman--Blackwell) single 2/64
I took my baby home (R Davies) B-side 2/64, Kinks
You still want me (R Davies) single 4/64
You do something to me (R Davies) B-side 4/64
1964 Jun
It's alright (R Davies) B-side 8/64
1964 Jul
You really got me (R Davies) single 8/64, Kinks
1964 Aug
Beautiful Delilah (Berry) Kinks
So mystifying (R Davies) Kinks
Just can't go to sleep (R Davies) Kinks
Long Tall Shorty (Covay--Abramson) Kinks
I'm a lover, not a fighter (Miller) Kinks
Cadillac (McDaniel) Kinks
Bald headed woman (trad) Kinks
Revenge (R Davies--Page) Kinks
Too much monkey business (Berry) Kinks
I've been driving on Bald Mountain (trad) Kinks
Stop your sobbing (R Davies) Kinks
Got love if you want it (Moore) Kinks
I gotta move (R Davies) B-side 10/64
Tired of waiting for you (R Davies) single 1/65, Kinda
1964 Sep-Oct
All day and all of the night (R Davies) single 10/64
I gotta go now (R Davies) Kinksize Sess EP
Louie Louie (R Berry) Kinksize Sess EP
Things are getting better (R Davies) Kinksize Sess EP
I've got that feeling (R Davies) Kinksize Sess EP
1964 Dec-1965 Jan
Come on now (R Davies) B-side 1/65, Kinda
Don't ever change (R Davies) Kinda
Something better beginning (R Davies) Kinda
Ev'rybody's gonna be happy (R Davies) single 3/65
Who'll be the next in line (R Davies) B-side 3/65
overdubs for Tired of waiting for you
1965 Feb
Look for me baby (R Davies) Kinda
Got my feet on the ground (D Davies--R Davies) Kinda
Nothin' in this world can stop me worryin'
'bout that girl (R Davies) Kinda
Naggin' (West--Anderson) Kinda
Wonder where my baby is tonight (R Davies) Kinda
Dancing in the street (Stevenson--Gaye) Kinda
So long (R Davies) Kinda
You shouldn't be sad (R Davies) Kinda
1965 Apr
Set me free (R Davies) single 5/65
I need you (R Davies) B-side 5/65
See my friend (R Davies) single 7/65
Never met a girl like you before (R Davies) B-side 7/65
Such a shame (R Davies) Kwyet EP
Time will tell (R Davies) *Dead End Street LP
1965 May --demos
Tell me now, so I'll know (R Davies) *unrel
A little bit of sunlight (R Davies) *unrel
I go to sleep (R Davies) *unrel
When I see that girl of mine (R Davies) *unrel
There's a new world (that's opening for me) (R Davies)*unrel
1965 Jun-Jul
Wait till the summer comes along (D Davies) Kwyet EP
A well respected man (R Davies) Kwyet EP
Don't you fret (R Davies) Kwyet EP
1965 Oct
Milk cow blues (Estes) Kontroversy
Ring the bells (R Davies) Kontroversy
Gotta get the first plane home (R Davies) Kontroversy
When I see that girl of mine (R Davies) Kontroversy
I am free (D Davies) Kontroversy
Till the end of the day (R Davies) single 11/65, Kontrov
The world keeps going round (R Davies) Kontroversy
I'm on an island (R Davies) Kontroversy
Where have all the good times gone (R Davies) B-side 11/65, Kontrov
It's too late (R Davies) Kontroversy
What's in store for me (R Davies) Kontroversy
You can't win (R Davies) Kontroversy
I'll remember (R Davies) Face
1965 Dec
Sitting on my sofa (R Davies) B-side 2/66
Party line (R Davies--D Davies) Face
You're looking fine (R Davies) Face
And I will love you (R Davies) *unrel
1966 Jan
Dedicated follower of fashion (R Davies) single 2/66
I'm not like everybody else (R Davies) B-side 6/66
Dandy (R Davies) Face
1966 Apr-May
Too much on my mind (R Davies) Face
End of the season (R Davies) Something
Rosy won't you please come home (R Davies) Face
Session man (R Davies) Face
House in the country (R Davies) Face
Most exclusive residence for sale (R Davies) Face
This is where I belong (R Davies) *Dutch B-side 4/67
She's got everything (R Davies) B-side 6/68
1966 May
Sunny afternoon (R Davies) single 6/66, Face
Rainy day in June (R Davies) Face
Holiday in Waikiki (R Davies) Face
Big black smoke (R Davies) B-side 11/66
1966 Jun
Fancy (R Davies) Face
Little Miss Queen of Darkness (R Davies) Face
1966 Aug --demo
All night stand (R Davies) *unrel
1966 Oct
Dead end street (R Davies) single 11/66
1966 Nov-Dec
Village Green (R Davies) Village
Two sisters (R Davies) Something
Mr Pleasant (R Davies) *Dutch single 4/67
Act nice and gentle (R Davies) B-side 5/67
Harry rag (R Davies) Something
No return (R Davies) Something
David Watts (R Davies) Something
1967 Jan-Feb
Tin soldier man (R Davies) Something
Situation vacant (R Davies) Something
Love me till the sun shines (D Davies) B-side 7/67, Something
Afternoon tea (R Davies) Something
1967 Apr
Waterloo sunset (R Davies) single 5/67, Something
1967 May
Death of a clown (D Davies--R Davies) single 7/67, Something
1967 Jun
Lazy old sun (R Davies) Something
Funny face (D Davies) Something
1967 Aug
Susannah's still alive (D Davies) single 11/67
1967 Sep
Autumn almanac (R Davies) single 10/67
1967 "mid to late"
Polly (R Davies) B-side 4/68
Berkeley Mews (R Davies) B-side 6/70
Easy come, there you went (R Davies) *unrel
1968 Jan
Wonderboy (R Davies) single 4/68
There is no life without love (R Davies--D Davies) B-side 6/68
Rosemary Rose (R Davies) *Great Lost
1968 Mar
Lincoln County (D Davies) single 6/68
Animal farm (R Davies) Village
Lavender Hill (R Davies) *Great Lost
Pictures in the sand (R Davies) *Great Lost
Spotty grotty Anna *Dead End Street LP
1968 May
Days (R Davies) single 6/68
Picture book (R Davies) Village
Johnny Thunder (R Davies) Village
Wicked Annabella (R Davies) Village
Monica (R Davies) Village
Did you see his name (R Davies) *Kronikles
Misty water (R Davies) *Great Lost
1968 Jul
Do you remember Walter (R Davies) Village
Sitting by the riverside (R Davies) Village
Starstruck (R Davies) Village
All of my friends were there (R Davies) Village
People take pictures of each other (R Davies) Village
1968 Aug
The Village Green Preservation Society (R Davies) Village
1968 Sep
Till death us do part (R Davies) *Great Lost
1968 Oct
Last of the steam powered trains (R Davies) Village
Big sky (R Davies) Village
King Kong (R Davies) B-side 3/69
1968 Nov
Phenomenal cat (R Davies) Village
Mr Songbird (R Davies) *Village (Eur)
1968 Dec
Hold my hand (D Davies) single 1/69
Creeping Jean (D Davies) B-side 1/69
1969 Jan-Feb
Where did my spring go (R Davies) *Great Lost
When I turn out the living room light (R Davies) *Big Ball, *Great Lost
1969 Mar
Plastic man (R Davies) single 3/69
1969 May
Drivin' (R Davies) single 6/69, Arthur
Mindless child of motherhood (D Davies) B-side 6/69
1969 May-Jun
Victoria (R Davies) Arthur, single 12/69
Yes sir, no sir (R Davies) Arthur
Some mother's son (R Davies) Arthur
Brainwashed (R Davies) Arthur
Australia (R Davies) Arthur
Shangri-la (R Davies) Arthur, single 9/69
Mr Churchill says (R Davies) Arthur, B-side 12/69
She's bought a hat like Princess Marina (R Davies) Arthur
Young and innocent days (R Davies) Arthur
Nothing to say (R Davies) Arthur
Arthur (R Davies) Arthur
1969 Jun
This man he weeps tonight (D Davies) B-side 9/69
Mr Reporter (R Davies) *unrel
I'm crying (D Davies) *unrel
Mr Shoemaker's daughter (R Davies) *unrel
Are you ready (D Davies) *unrel
Do you wish to be a man (D Davies) *unrel
Groovy movies (R Davies) *Great Lost
1970 Apr
Lola (R Davies) single 6/70, Lola
Powerman (R Davies) Lola
Got to be free (R Davies) Lola
1970 Aug-Sep
The contenders (R Davies) Lola
Strangers (D Davies) Lola
Denmark Street (R Davies) Lola
Get back in line (R Davies) Lola
Top of the Pops (R Davies) Lola
The moneygoround (R Davies) Lola
This time tomorrow (R Davies) Lola
A long way from home (R Davies) Lola
Rats (D Davies) Lola, B-side 11/70
Apeman (R Davies) Lola, single 11/70
1970 Oct
God's children (R Davies) Percy
Lola (instrumental) (R Davies) Percy
The way love used to be (R Davies) Percy
Completely (R Davies) Percy
Running round town (R Davies) Percy
Moments (R Davies) Percy
Animals in the zoo (R Davies) Percy
Just friends (R Davies) Percy
Whip lady (R Davies) Percy
Dreams (R Davies) Percy
Helga (R Davies) Percy
Willesden Green (R Davies) Percy
God's children (end) (R Davies) Percy
This is the end of the Kinks' recordings for Pye.