Great Unknown Songs #6 – The Kinks “Death Of a Clown”

One of the most important rock and roll bands of all time, The Kinks, lead by the brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies were responsible to make rock and roll heavier with amazing riffs like “You Really Got Me”.

But like The Beatles, they dind’t had a record without good songs. And one of them is “Death Of a Clown”.

The song was made by Dave Davies, and released as his debut solo single in 1967. The song was co-written with his brother Ray Davies, who contributed the 5-bar “La la la” hook; Ray’s first wife, Rasa, sings this phrase as well as descant in the second verse.

While Ray himself sings harmony in the refrain. Nicky Hopkins played the distinctive introduction, using fingerpicks on the strings of a piano. The single was credited to Dave Davies but the song also appeared on the Kinks’ album Something Else by The Kinks, released later in 1967.