Dave Davies, founding lead guitarist of The Kinks, celebrates his 78th birthday on February 3. While Davies’ older brother, Ray, was the British Invasion group’s main driving creative force, lead singer, and principal songwriter, Dave also was a key contributor to the band’s sound and catalog.
It was Dave who developed the gritty, overdriven guitar sound heard on The Kinks’ classic early single “You Really Got Me,” which often is credited as a major influence on many hard rock, heavy metal, and punk acts. Dave also provided high, melodic harmonies that frequently elevated Ray’s classic songs.
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Dave also wrote or co-wrote quite a few great tunes that appeared on Kinks albums. In the early 1980s, he began releasing solo albums, and has continued to be relatively prolific in the years since The Kinks’ 1996 breakup.
Meanwhile, in 1990, Dave was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Kinks. In honor of the lauded musician’s birthday, here are four memorable Kinks songs he either wrote or collaborated on with his brother:
“Death of a Clown” (1967)
Dave’s most successful composition for The Kinks was the old-timey pop gem “Death of a Clown,” which he co-wrote with Ray. The song initially was released as a solo single in July of ’67, and later was included on The Kinks’ fifth studio album, Something Else by the Kinks, which arrive in September of that year.
“Death of a Clown” reached No. 3 on the U.K. singles chart. The track features all four original Kinks members, with Dave on lead vocals and guitar; Ray on rhythm guitar, backing vocals, and piano; Mick Avory on drums; and Pete Quaife on bass. In addition, Ray’s then-wife Rasa contributed prominent ethereal backing vocals.
The song’s intro features lauded session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins using fingerpicks to pluck a melody on piano strings.
In his 1996 memoir, Kink, Dave recalled being inspired to write the song at a time when he was feeling depressed as he reflected on his whirlwind life as a rock star.
“[T]he whole roller-coaster ride of the past three years seemed wearisome,” he wrote. “Disconsolate, I felt like a cheerless clown, all painted up for fun on the outside, but hurting on the inside.”
“Love Me Till the Sun Shines” (1967)
“Love Me Till the Sun Shines” was a song written solely by Dave that initially was released as the B-side of the “Death of a Clown.” Like “Death of a Clown,” it also was included on the Something Else by the Kinks album.
The upbeat pop-rock song features all the original Kinks, with Dave on lead vocals and guitar, Ray on acoustic guitar, Avory on drums and tambourine, and Quaife on bass. Hopkins played organ on the track.
In 1984, the American garage-rock band The Lyres released an inspired cover of the “Love Me Till the Sun Shines.”
“Strangers” (1970)
“Strangers” is an acoustic ballad co-written and sung by Dave that appeared on The Kinks’ 1970 album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One.
In his memoir Kink, Dave described “Strangers” as a song about friendship, reconciliation, and unconditional love.” He further noted that the tune was about “the realization that we all, at various times in our lives, have to give up a part of ourselves for the benefit of something greater to become a part of the greater whole.”
The track featured Dave on vocals and acoustic guitar, Avory on drums, John Dalton on bass, and John Gosling on piano and organ. Dalton and Gosling had joined The Kinks, respectively, in 1969 and 1970.
“Strangers” was later used in the 2007 Wes Anderson film The Darjeeling Limited, and in episodes of the TV shows Ted Lasso and The Last Man on Earth.
“Living on a Thin Line” (1984)
“Living on a Thin Line” was a tune written by Dave that was featured on The Kinks’ 21st studio album, Word of Mouth, released in 1984. The atmospheric, mid-tempo rock song was partly inspired by Davies’ reflections on the waning of the British Empire.
The track was released as a promotional single in the U.S., and peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
The band at this time featured Dave, Ray, Jim Rodford on bass, Ian Gibbons on keyboards, and Bob Henrit on drums. In the early 1970s, Rodford and Henrit had both been members of the band Argent.
“Living on a Thin Line” became a fan favorite. In 2001, the tune found new popularity when it was used in an episode of The Sopranos.