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.

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  1. Postmodern Hoplite Coolidge
    Postmodern Hoplite
    @PostmodernHoplite

    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…)

    • #1
  2. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Postmodern Hoplite (View Comment):

    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?

     

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  3. Michael S. Malone Member
    Michael S. Malone
    @MichaelSMalone

    tigerlily:

    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 also 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.

    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.

     

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  4. CarolJoy, Not So Easy To Kill Coolidge
    CarolJoy, Not So Easy To Kill
    @CarolJoy

    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.)

     

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  5. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    I listened to it. I just don’t get the hippie thing.

    The only Waterloo song I know is Waterloo from ABBA.

    @randywebster

     

     

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  6. Andrew Troutman Coolidge
    Andrew Troutman
    @Dotorimuk

    One of the greatest!

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  7. Andrew Troutman Coolidge
    Andrew Troutman
    @Dotorimuk

    Jimmy Carter (View Comment):

    I listened to it. I just don’t get the hippie thing.

    The only Waterloo song I know is Waterloo from ABBA.

    @ randywebster

     

     

    Aw sir, those boys weren’t hippies.

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  8. AMD Texas Coolidge
    AMD Texas
    @DarinJohnson

    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.

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  9. AMD Texas Coolidge
    AMD Texas
    @DarinJohnson

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Is it just my imagination, or did they do more “story songs” than a lot of bands did?

    In a way

    https://youtu.be/tqXrAHuLksU?si=MQEWWmK1SR6w9W1q

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  10. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    I like the song a lot. For some reason I can’t listen to it without thinking of this: 

    • #10
  11. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    Postmodern Hoplite (View Comment):
    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

    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)

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