Marking a turning point for the British rock The Kinks, as they transitioned from their former label Pye to RCA after releasing their ninth album Percy, a soundtrack to the British comedy of the same name, 1971 and ’72 were pivotal years for the band with the back-to-back releases of Muswell Hillbillies and Everybody’s in Show-Biz, respectively. These years also led the band deeper into the U.S. with two nights playing Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1972, the live recordings that would create the band’s double album, Everybody’s In Show-Biz – Everybody’s A Star.
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To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Muswell Hillbillies—singer/songwriters Ray and Dave Davies’ London upbringing—and Everybody’s In Show-Biz – Everybody’s A Star is the release of a deluxe edition of the two albums, out September 9.
“Now with a new record company and a new image, I could bring some of the old wild western spirit into my music,” said Ray Davies in a statement on the albums. “These albums capture the re-emergence of the Kinks as a touring band.”
Dave Davies added, “Muswell Hillbillies is one of my favorite Kinks albums. It’s a bit of a backstory to the Davies family and the characters involved.”
Everybody’s In Show-Biz – Everybody’s A Star was an audio documentary of The Kinks’ voyage on the road in the U.S. with the finale, “Celluloid Heroes,” a peep into Ray Davies’ picture of a Hollywood American dream and calls out silver screen stars like Rudolph Valentino, Marilyn Monroe, Bela Lugosi, Bette Davis, Mickey Rooney, Hollywood Boulevard, and the Walk of Fame.
Don’t step on Greta Garbo as you walk down the Boulevard / She looks so weak and fragile that’s why she tried to be so hard / But they turned her into a princess / And they sat her on a throne / But she turned her back on stardom / Because she wanted to be alone.
The Deluxe Edition features six LPs, including the remastered Muswell Hillbillies’ 2014 deluxe (2LP) remastered from newly discovered Ray Davies original master tapes; Everybody’s In Show-Biz – Everybody’s A Star 2016 deluxe (3LP), remastered from the original master tapes; and one LP of Muswell Hillbillies and Everybody’s In Show-Biz, featuring 11 new Ray Davies remixes and artwork.
Additionally, the set includes four CDs, a Blu-Ray video featuring a 15-minute, previously unseen, digitally restored 1971 home movie narrated by Ray; a deluxe hard copy book with 52 pages of glossy art, new band interviews and never-before-seen photographs and memorabilia; a Kinks London Roots map, six glossy photos of the band, circa 1971 and 1972; a metal-enamel badge and more.
Photo Credit: Jorgen Angel
