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Saturday Night Classics

tigerlily
@tigerlily
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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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Discussion (11)

  • 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…)

  • Michael S. Malone@MichaelSMalone
    tigerlily (View Post):

    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.

  • 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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