Dave Davies 50-year old lost treasure will be finally released as part of The Kinks upcoming ‘Arthur Or The Decline and Fall of The British Empire’ box set due 25 October.
The Kinks founder and guitarist Dave Davies was working on a solo album around the time of the release of ‘Arthur’ in 1969 but it was never released. “The record company and management were pushing very hard for me to make this album,” Dave Davies tells Noise11.com. “So I started recording and writing songs and tried to get it together but I felt I was being forced to do it. My heart wasn’t really in it. Halfway through it I started to feel quite disillusioned about it. Hearing it back years later, I’m glad what we’ve got what we have got”.
The Lost Album features 12 tracks while the box includes a further 11 alternate versions from the sessions.
Despite all the work done for solo album in the 60s, a sequence was never finalized until now. “It’s a bit of both. It was a good idea back then. The sequence was primarily put together with this release in mind,” Dave says.
In a way it’s a bit like Dave’s version of The Beach Boys ‘Smile’. “Yes, you could say that,” he adds.
The title ‘Arthur or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire’ is an appropriate title considering BREXIT right now. “I think times are really changing in a big way,” says Dave. “Politically, spiritually, emotionally, globally we are going through some big changes, all of us, whether it is Europe or you Down Under or America, it is changing. I am a bit of an optimist. I think it will work out. There is a lot of confused and angry people in these angry times”.
Dave did confirm reports he is working on new Kinks music with his brother Ray Davies and Kinks drummer Mick Avory and hopes that might see the light of day in 2020. “Me and Ray have been trying to work on some new songs,” Dave says. “We have some archive recordings we have been looking at and trying to work out what we can do with it. There is stuff we can work on. Who knows? Next year we might put something together”.
Dave and ray last performed together in 2015. “I did a show in London a couple of years ago. Ray got up and we did a few songs together”.
Dave Davies is the only member of The Kinks to have a solo hit in Australia. ‘Death of a Clown’ reached no 31 in Australia in 1967. “Everybody loved the song so much. Management said we have to release it, it was too good to be buried on an album. It was a big hit worldwide”.
The complete Noise11 interview with Dave Davies will drop over coming weeks.
THE KINKS ‘ARTHUR OR THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE’
LIMITED EDITION, 50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE BOX SET
• 88 TRACKS, INCLUDING 5 UNRELEASED TRACKS & 26 UNRELEASED VERSIONS
• 4 x CDs: REMASTERED MONO & STEREO ALBUM,SINGLES, B-SIDES, ALTERNATE TRACK VERSIONS,NEW DOO WOP CHOIR RECORDINGS, RAY DAVIES REMIXES & DEMOS MEDLEY, THEATRICAL & BBC TRACKS, ‘LOST’ DAVE DAVIES ALBUM
• 4 x REPRODUCED 7″ SINGLES
• 68 PAGE DELUXE BOOK WITH ESSAYS, NEW BAND INTERVIEWS, RARE IMAGES
• REPRODUCED POSTERS & PHOTOS
• KINKS METAL PIN BADGE
THE KINKS – ARTHUR BOX SET – TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
ORIGINAL STEREO ALBUM, 2019 REMASTER
1. Victoria (Stereo)
2. Yes Sir, No Sir (Stereo)
3. Some Mother’s Son (Stereo)
4. Drivin’ (Stereo)
5. Brainwashed (Stereo)
6. Australia (Stereo)
7. Shangri-La (Stereo)
8. Mr. Churchill Says (Stereo)
9. She’s Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina (Stereo)
10. Young And Innocent Days (Stereo)
11. Nothing To Say (Stereo)
12. Arthur (Stereo)
Bonus Tracks
13. Plastic Man (Stereo)
14. Victoria (Alternate Stereo Mix)
15. Yes Sir, No Sir (Alternate Stereo Mix)
16. Drivin’ (Alternate Stereo Mix)
17. Brainwashed (Alternate Stereo Mix)
18. Australia (Alternate Stereo Mix)
19. Shangri-La (Alternate Stereo Mix)
DISC TWO
ORIGINAL MONO ALBUM, 2019 REMASTER
1. Victoria (Mono)
2. Yes Sir, No Sir (Mono)
3. Some Mother’s Son (Mono)
4. Drivin’ (Mono)
5. Brainwashed (Mono)
6. Australia (Mono)
7. Shangri-La (Mono)
8. Mr. Churchill Says (Mono)
9. She’s Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina (Mono)
10. Young And Innocent Days (Mono)
11. Nothing To Say (Mono)
12. Arthur (Mono)
Bonus Tracks
13. Plastic Man (Mono)
14. King Kong (Mono)
15. Victoria (Alternate Mono Mix)
16. Australia (Alternate Mono Acetate Mix)
17. Shangri-La (Alternate Mono Mix)
18. She’s Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina (Alternate Mono Mix)
19. Australia (Australian Mono Single Mix/Edit)
DISC THREE
THE GREAT LOST DAVE DAVIES ALBUM PLUS
1. This Man He Weeps Tonight (Stereo)
2. Mindless Child Of Motherhood (Stereo)
3. Hold My Hand (Stereo)
4. Do You Wish To Be A Man? (Stereo)
5. Are You Ready? (Stereo)
6. Creeping Jean (Stereo)
7. I’m Crying (Stereo)
8. Lincoln County (Stereo)
9. Mr. Shoemaker’s Daughter (Stereo)
10. Mr. Reporter (Stereo)
11. Groovy Movies (Stereo)
12. There Is No Life Without Love (Stereo)
Bonus Tracks
13. Lincoln County (Mono Single Mix/Edit)
14. There Is No Life Without Love (Mono)
15. Hold My Hand (Mono)
16. Creeping Jean (Mono Single Mix/Edit)
17. Mindless Child Of Motherhood (Mono)
18. This Man He Weeps Tonight (Mono)
19. Mr. Shoemaker’s Daughter (Alternate Stereo Mix)
20. Mr. Reporter (Alternate Stereo Mix)
21. Groovy Movies (Alternate Stereo Mix)
22. Lincoln County (Acoustic Mix)
23. Hold My Hand (Alternate Take)
DISC FOUR
DEMOS, REHEARSALS, BBC & REMIXES
Part 1
1. Arthur’s Journey (Introduction)
2. Australia (2019 Mix)
3. Home Demos Medley, 1969: Arthur / Victoria / Some Mother’s Son / Drivin’ /
Brainwashed / Mr. Churchill Says (TV Premix)
Part 2
4. Shangri-La (2019 Mix)
5. My Big Sister (Theatrical Version)
6. Stevenage (Theatrical Version)
7. Space (Theatrical Version) (Full Version)
8. The Future (Doo-Wop Version)
9. Arthur (Doo-Wop Version)
Part 3
10. The Virgin Soldiers March
11. Soldiers Coming Home (Instrumental)
12. King Kong (BBC Mix)
13. Victoria (Ray Davies & Band With The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble) (Stereo)
14. Arthur (BBC Mix)
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