THE KINKS - Topic

The Kinks and the songs of Ray Davies are now rightfully established as a great British institution. From the opening riff of You Really Got Me, The Kinks’ influence as pioneers in heavy metal, power pop, conceptual albums and theatrical shows can be detected in much modern music. The Kinks were innovators in the visual medium too. From their breakthrough in 1964, the band’s image was an important factor. Because of a shared interest in cinema Ray and Dave Davies regarded film as an important vehicle in how music could be imaginatively presented. Example, the film for Dead End Street (1966) where, rather than simply miming the song, the band members appeared as Victorian pallbearers. Moving forward, Julien Temple’s memorable promotional film for Come Dancing (1982) served as a tribute to Ray and Dave’s older sister Rene who used to attend the local Palais dance hall in the ‘50s. This, and much more, can be seen on this video channel exclusively devoted to these true British originals.