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Saturday Night Classics
The song I chose for tonight is probably in my personal top 10 favorites. The song is “Waterloo Sunset.” It is by the Kinks, was written by Ray Davies, and is on their 1967 album Something Else. It was released as a single at the time and made the top 10 in Britain, but made nary a dent in the U.S. pop charts. I just think it’s a lovely song.
Published in General
I was too young to know one way or the other in ‘68, but as soon as I hit the “play” button, I recognized the tune. So, yeah, maybe it made nary a dent in the U.S. market, but it’s worth a listen. (I always have thought the Kinks ought to get more respect…)
Is it just my imagination, or did they do more “story songs” than a lot of bands did?
After “Jerusalem” England’s second national anthem — and maybe rock’s most beautiful song. Pete Townsend has always said that — and it’s hard to disagree. There’s a. reason that Ray Davies was asked to sing it near the end of the London Olympics closing ceremony. And appropriately, ABC used that moment to cut to a commercial. The Kinks have never gotten the credit they deserve in the U.S., going back to having their first U.S. tour blackballed.
Ray Davies is a genius. God save the Kinks.
What a great selection. I noticed this song a while ago and like you, I wondered by its lack of air play.
Around the same time in the USA, bubble gum pop was a big deal. Things like “Sugar Sugar” by the Archies.
“Sugar” was a catchy tune. But sad there didn’t seem to be room for music with more depth, unless performed by Streisand or McCartney/Lennon. . (Payola for radio stations was going on back then in the USA. Maybe that was a factor.)
I listened to it. I just don’t get the hippie thing.
The only Waterloo song I know is Waterloo from ABBA.
@randywebster
One of the greatest!
Aw sir, those boys weren’t hippies.
Awesome pick. I went to see the Kinks at Reunion Arena in Dallas in 1983. People seem to forget that the Kinks had a big comeback in the US in the early 80’s. Van Halen might have helped that with their covers of “You Really Got Me” and “Where Have All The Good Times Gone” but I loved those 80’s Kinks albums. I then went back into their catalog and discovered classics like “Waterloo Sunset”. It’s been 40 years of love.
In a way
https://youtu.be/tqXrAHuLksU?si=MQEWWmK1SR6w9W1q
I like the song a lot. For some reason I can’t listen to it without thinking of this:
Well, there are some *very* similar melodies out there.
Compare it to Neil Sedaka’s “Laughter in the Rain” (1974):
And to the intro to Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do?” (1976)