The Kinks

Muswell Hill

The Kinks came out of North London. In 1962 Ray Davies, his brother Dave and Pete Quaife formed a quartet at William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School, and Ray enrolled at Hornsey College of Art that autumn. The group went through several names, among them the Ramrods, the Bo-Weevils and the Ravens. In late 1963 the manager Larry Page joined and the producer Shel Talmy began working with them, and early 1964 brought a Pye contract and the arrival of the drummer Mick Avory.

In September 1964 You Really Got Me went to number one in Britain, and the debut album Kinks followed on 2 October. All Day and All of the Night reached number two in Britain and number seven in America. The Kink Kontroversy arrived in November 1965 and reached number nine in the UK. Between them came Kinda Kinks in March 1965, recorded and released within two weeks of the band returning from an Asian tour, which reached number three. Trouble followed success. Avory and Dave Davies fought at Cardiff in May 1965, and after a US tour that summer the American Federation of Musicians refused the band work permits for four years.

The English observer

Ray Davies had a nervous breakdown shortly before the main sessions for Face to Face, released in October 1966. Pye would not let him link the songs with sound effects as he wanted, but the record has still been called one of rock's first concept albums. It sold poorly. Sunny Afternoon, a hit single of that summer, went to number one in Britain in July 1966. Quaife was hurt in a car crash in June 1966 and John Dalton filled in until Quaife returned in November.

Talmy left in April 1967 and Ray took over as producer. Something Else by the Kinks came out that September and reached only number 35 in Britain, yet it holds Waterloo Sunset, which reached number two.

Village Green and Arthur

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, released in November 1968, was the first album Ray produced with a producer credit under his own name. It did not chart in Britain or America when it appeared, and its single flopped. Ray later called it one of the first indie albums, and it is now among the most admired records the band made. The non-album single Days came out in June 1968.

Arthur followed in October 1969. It was written as the soundtrack to a Granada Television play, which was never produced. Quaife left early in 1969 and Dalton took over on bass. The band toured America again in October 1969, after Ray negotiated in April to lift the ban.

Lola and the long middle

John Gosling joined on keyboards in early 1970, and Lola was a top-ten hit in Britain and America. It came from Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, released in November 1970. In late 1971 the band signed a five-album deal with RCA, built Konk Studios, and made Muswell Hillbillies.

From 1973 to 1975 Ray turned to theatrical concept records: two Preservation acts, Soap Opera and Schoolboys in Disgrace. In July 1973 he announced his retirement onstage at White City Stadium, then collapsed after an overdose. The band moved to Arista in 1976. Low Budget, the first album with Jim Rodford on bass, reached number 11 in America in 1979 and was the band's best-selling studio album, though it did not chart in Britain. In 1983 State of Confusion produced Come Dancing, which reached number six in America. Avory left in 1984 and Bob Henrit replaced him. MCA dropped the band in 1989. After Phobia in 1993 and To the Bone in 1994, the last public performance came in mid-1996.

Afterward

Pete Quaife died in June 2010, Jim Rodford in 2018, Ian Gibbons in 2019 and John Gosling in 2023. Ray played Waterloo Sunset at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, and the West End musical Sunny Afternoon opened in 2014. Rolling Stone placed the band at number 65 in its list of the 100 greatest artists. The Ramones, the Clash, Blondie, the Jam, Van Halen, Oasis and Blur have all been named as bands that drew on them. In 2026 the official site marks the 60th anniversary year with a new 7-inch single.