Dave Won't Go It Alone

don't have to worry about what MIGHT have happened now. And it's just the biggest thing that has happened to me. COMPOSING "You see, I'm really a changed bloke nowadays. Not so much leaping about and looning around. I'm doing a whole lot of writing nowadays, right here at home. I expect the comparisons be tween my material and Ray's, but I've got to improve, so I don't mind. Right now I start writing and find that all my ideas go along the same rather narrow channel. But Ray-he can switch his mood and his style every few minutes. That's the difference between us ... I'm so limited at the moment. But I'm learning and I'm very keen. "It was strange at first, seeing inter views and colour pictures of me usually it was Ray. But it's helped IT could, of course, be the start of broaden my attitude and, anyway, something new in the pop business when I think of having a hit single I despite what the key figures already in DAVE really do think how much it actually volved have to say. Judith Durham helps the Kinks as a group. This is getting a Top Fifty single without the kinda hard to explain-though fin other Seekers being involved. And now, ancially we're all in it together-but more significantly, Dave Davies getting WON'T I'Il try.... a massive runaway "Death Of A "You see, Ray is a real worrier when Clown" biggie purely on the strength of it comes to Kinks' records. It's his his own name. responsibility and he gets sort of Both say it's a perfectly natural de wrought up over them, and insists they velopment and that there is no question GO IT all have to reach an absolute standard. of either Seekers or Kinks making If anything goes wrong, then he knows changes in their group status. Judith it reflects to some extent on him. says: "The song was too good to miss ALONE "So up comes a single under my and it didn't suit the group so much as name and it gives us a chance to try me as a soloist, so I did it." mg from the surprise that it did so something new-and just for that Dave Davies said a lot more in the well !" record the pressure is off Ray. In course of a long chat. "What with hav In fact, "Death Of A Clown" was cidentally, I see that some people say I ing two brothers in our group, ob purely and simply intended as an LP sound a bit like Bob Dylan. Well, if! do viously there is a family affair. I know track. Ray and Dave wrote it together. it's an accident. It's just the way I really all the rumours that have gone on since Ray was speciaJly convinced that it sound." my solo record, but forget 'em. We're would stand up as a solo showcase for all very happy and we look on 'Death Dave-and, anyhow, the whole Kink VERY NERVOUS Of A Clown' purely as a develop outfit is playing on the disc. But the one Dave has also had to make some solo ment of what we can do, musically, as a niggling problem didn't hit the Kinks appearances on television to tie in with group. until the record was actually released. his hit disc. He admits, a shade sur "It's not all that new for us anyway. It was this: IF Dave's record had prisingly, to having been very nervous. Ray is the guv'nor figure in the group flopped badly, would it have damaged His explanation: "When you've got and that gives him a lot of responsi the Kinks' group "image" when their three other blokes up there with you, bility-as singer, producer and writer next single came out? Said Dave: you can create your own sense of fun and handing ou t the quotes to the "Other people worried more about it ... blame each other if something goes papers. But on other LPs, I've had solo than we did. We like to think that if wrong. But on your own, you've got stuff to do. People get this idea that I'm it'd sold half a dozen copies that it nowhere to look. Nobody to shout at. forever hidden away in the shadow of would n't have affected us at all. That It's a very funny feeling. On that first my elder brother but I don't see it they'd simply accept it as an experi 'Top Of The Pops' I took Pete Quaife that way at all. ment and that they'd still buy a group along with me, just to stop me feeling record under the old style. But then we too far out of it." SURPRISE realised that it would lead to a lot of By way of farewell, he said: "It's "Some of the LP tracks turned out rumours and, no matter how hard you Kink business from now on. No well and Ray kept on at me one day deny them, rumours CAN cause a bit of deliberate setting out to do an LP by about making a single. There are lots of damage. myself. Only if the right song comes things we want to do so it took time "But you know how Ray has been along will I make another solo single. before anything happened. When we saying that he'd like the individual Okay?" found we'd got the right one to take a Kinks to do a bit more-to have more Yes, okay! But it could STILL prove chance on, it took me by surprise as of the spotlight. Now it's worked out the start of something big in the group much as anyone else. And I'm still shak- so well, his policy is proved right. We scene. P.G. 26 .

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