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"Lola" is a song written by Ray Davies and performed by English rock band
the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhyt ...
on their 1970 album '' Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One''. The song details a romantic encounter between a young man and a possible
trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may Gender transitioning, transition; this process commonly includes Feminizing horm ...
or cross-dresser, whom he meets in a club in
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, London. In the song, the narrator describes his confusion towards Lola, who "walked like a woman but talked like a man". The song was released as a single in the United Kingdom on 12 June 1970, while in the United States it was released on 28 June 1970. Commercially, "Lola" reached number two on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and number nine on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The track has since become one of the Kinks' most popular songs, later being ranked number 422 on "
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...
", and was re-ranked at 386 on the 2021 list. "Lola" was also ranked number 473 on the " NME's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time" list. Since its release, "Lola" has appeared on multiple compilation and live albums. In 1980, a live version of the song from the album '' One for the Road'' was released as a single in the US and some European countries, becoming a minor hit. In the Netherlands it reached number 1, just as in 1970 with the studio version. Other versions include an instrumental on the band's 1971 movie soundtrack album '' Percy'' and live renditions from 1972's '' Everybody's in Show-Biz'' and 1996's '' To the Bone''. The Lola character also appears in the lyrics of the band's 1981 song, " Destroyer".


Origin and inspiration

Ray Davies has claimed that he was inspired to write "Lola" after Kinks manager Robert Wace spent a night in Paris dancing with a cross-dresser. Davies said of the incident, "In his apartment, Robert had been dancing with this black woman, and he said, 'I'm really onto a thing here.' And it was okay until we left at six in the morning and then I said, 'Have you seen the stubble?' He said 'Yeah', but he was too pissed ntoxicatedto care, I think". Drummer Mick Avory has offered an alternative explanation for the song's lyrics, claiming that "Lola" was partially inspired by Avory's frequenting of certain bars in West London. Avory said, "We used to know this character called Michael McGrath. He used to hound the group a bit, because being called The Kinks did attract these sorts of people. He used to come down to ''
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'', and he was publicist for John Stephen's shop in Carnaby Street. He used to have this place in Earl's Court, and he used to invite me to all these drag queen acts and
transsexual Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignm ...
pubs. They were like secret clubs. And that's where Ray aviesgot the idea for 'Lola'. When he was invited too, he wrote it while I was getting drunk". Ray Davies claimed to have done "a bit of research with drag queens" for the song's lyrics. He has denied claims that the song was written about a date between himself and Candy Darling—Davies contends the two only went out to dinner together and that he had known the whole time that Darling was
transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...
. In his autobiography,
Dave Davies David Russell Gordon Davies (born 3 February 1947) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the English rock band the Kinks, which also featured his elder brother Ray Davies. He was ...
said that he came up with the music for what would become "Lola", noting that brother Ray added the lyrics after hearing it. In a 1990 interview, Dave Davies stated that "Lola" was written in a similar fashion to "
You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a song written by Ray Davies for English rock band the Kinks. The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy. Two versions of the song ...
" in that the two worked on Ray's basic skeleton of the song, saying that the song was more of a collaborative effort than many believed.


Writing and recording

Written in April 1970, "Lola" was cited by Ray Davies as the first song he wrote following a break he took to act in the 1970
Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stag ...
film ''The Long Distance Piano Player''. Davies said that he had initially struggled with writing an opening that would sell the song, but the rest of the song "came naturally". He noted that he knew the song would be successful when he heard his one-year-old daughter singing the chorus, stating, "She was crawling around singing 'la la, la la Lola.' I thought, 'If she can join in and sing, Kinks fans can do it. Initial recordings of the song began in April 1970, but, as the band's bassist
John Dalton John Dalton (; 5 or 6 September 1766 – 27 July 1844) was an English chemist, physicist and meteorologist. He is best known for introducing the atomic theory into chemistry, and for his research into colour blindness, which he had. Colour b ...
remembered, recording for "Lola" took particularly long, stretching into the next month. During April, four to five versions were attempted, utilizing different keys as well as varying beginnings and styles. In May, new piano parts were added to the backing track by John Gosling, the band's new piano player who had just been auditioned. Vocals were also added at this time. The song was then mixed during that month. Mick Avory remembered the recording sessions for the song positively, saying that it "was fun, as it was the Baptist's ohn Gosling'sfirst recording with us". The guitar opening on the song was produced as a result of combining the sound of a
Martin guitar C.F. Martin & Company (often referred to as Martin) is an American guitar manufacturer established in 1833, by Christian Frederick Martin. It is highly respected for its acoustic guitars and is a leading manufacturer of flat top guitars. The ...
and a vintage Dobro resonator guitar. Ray Davies cited this blend of guitar sounds for the song's unique guitar sound.


Release

Despite the chart success "Lola" would achieve, its fellow ''Lola vs. Powerman'' track "Powerman" was initially considered to be the first single from the album. However, "Lola", which Ray Davies later claimed was an attempt to write a hit, was eventually decided on as the debut single release. "Lola" was released as a single in 1970. In the UK, the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
to the single was '' The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society'' outtake " Berkeley Mews" while the Dave Davies-penned "Mindless Child of Motherhood" was used in the US. It became an unexpected chart smash for the Kinks, reaching number two in Britain and number nine in the United States. The single also saw success worldwide, reaching the top of the charts in Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well as the top 5 in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and it reached number six in Australia. The success of the single had important ramifications for the band's career at a critical time, allowing them to negotiate a new contract with
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...
, construct their own London Studio, and assume more creative and managerial control. In a 1970 interview, Dave Davies stated that, if "Lola" had been a failure, the band would have "gone on making records for another year or so and then drifted apart". Although the track was a major hit for the band, Dave Davies did not enjoy the success of "Lola", saying, "In fact, when 'Lola' was a hit, it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Because it was taking us out of a different sort of comfort zone, where we'd been getting into the work, and the writing and the musicality was more thought about. It did have that smell of: 'Oh blimey, not that again.' I found it a bit odd, that period. And then it got odder and weirder". Conversely, Mick Avory said that he "enjoyed the success" the band had with "Lola" and its follow-up, " Apeman".


Controversy

Originally, "Lola" saw controversy for its lyrics. In a ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
'' article entitled "Sex Change Record: Kink Speaks", Ray Davies addressed the matter, saying, "It really doesn't matter what sex Lola is, I think she's alright". Some radio stations faded the track out before implications of Lola's biological sex were revealed. On 18 November 1970, "Lola" was banned from being played by several radio stations in Australia because of its "controversial subject matter", though some began playing Lola again after having made a crude edit, which sounded like the record had jumped a groove, to remove the line "I'm glad I'm a man and so's Lola". The BBC banned the track for a different reason: the original
stereo Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...
recording had the words "
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" in the lyrics, but because of BBC Radio's policy against
product placement Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent. Much of th ...
, Ray Davies was forced to make a round-trip flight from New York to London and back on June 3, 1970, interrupting the band's American tour, to change those words to the generic " cherry cola" for the single release, which is included on various compilation albums as well.


Reception and legacy

"Lola" received positive reviews from critics. Upon the single's release, the '' NME'' praised the song as "an engaging and sparkling piece with a gay Latin flavour and a catchy hook chorus". Writing a contemporary review in ''
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'', critic Dave Marsh recognized it as "the first significantly blatant gay-rock ballad". ''
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'' said of the song at the time of its US release, "Currently a top ten British chart winner, this infectious rhythm item has all the ingredients to put the Kinks right back up the Hot 100 here with solid impact". ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' critic Paul Gambaccini called the song "brilliant and a smash". Music critic
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
, despite his mixed opinion on the ''Lola vs. Powerman'' album, praised the single as "astounding".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, oc ...
of
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lauded the song for "its crisp, muscular sound, pitched halfway between acoustic folk and hard rock". '' Ultimate Classic Rock'' ranked "Lola" as the Kinks' third best song, saying "the great guitar riff that feeds the song is one of Dave's all-time greatest". ''
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'' listed the track as the band's fourth best song. The song was also well-liked by the band. Mick Avory, who noted the song as one of the songs he was most proud to be associated with, said "I always liked 'Lola', I liked the subject. It's not like anything else. I liked it for that. We'd always take a different path". In a 1983 interview, Ray Davies said, "I'm just very pleased I recorded it and more pleased I wrote it". The band revisited the "Lola" character in the lyrics of their 1981 song, " Destroyer", a minor chart hit in America. Satirical artist "Weird Al" Yankovic created a parody of the song called " Yoda", featuring lyrics about the ''
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'' character of the same name, on his 1985 album '' Dare to Be Stupid''.


Live versions

Since its release, "Lola" became a mainstay in the Kinks' live repertoire, appearing in the majority of the band's subsequent set-lists until the group's break-up. In 1972, a live performance of the song recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City appeared on the live half of the band's 1972 album, '' Everybody's in Show-Biz'', a double-LP which contained half new studio compositions and half live versions of previously released songs. A live version of "Lola", recorded on 23 September 1979 in
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
, was released as a single in the US in July 1980 to promote the live album '' One for the Road''. The B-side was the live version of " Celluloid Heroes". The single was a moderate success, reaching number 81 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was also released in some countries in Europe (although not the UK) in April 1981. It topped the charts in both the Netherlands, matching the number one peak of the original version, and in Belgium, where it exceeded the original's peak of three. It also charted in Australia, peaking at number 69 and spending 22 weeks on the charts. Although not released as a stand-alone single in the UK, it was included on a bonus single (backed with a live version of " David Watts" from the same album) with initial copies of " Better Things" in June 1981. This live rendition, along with the live versions of "Celluloid Heroes" and "
You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a song written by Ray Davies for English rock band the Kinks. The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy. Two versions of the song ...
" from the same album, also appeared on the 1986 compilation album ''Come Dancing with The Kinks: The Best of the Kinks 1977–1986''. Although it did not appear on the original 1994 version, another live version of "Lola" was included on the 1996 US double-album release of '' To the Bone'', the band's final release of new material before their dissolution.


Personnel

According to Doug Hinman, the following musicians played on the Kinks' original version of "Lola":


The Kinks

* Ray Davies lead vocal; acoustic and
resonator A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance or resonant behavior. That is, it naturally oscillates with greater amplitude at some frequencies, called resonant frequencies, than at other frequencies. The oscillations in a reson ...
guitars *
Dave Davies David Russell Gordon Davies (born 3 February 1947) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the English rock band the Kinks, which also featured his elder brother Ray Davies. He was ...
backing vocal, electric guitar *
John Dalton John Dalton (; 5 or 6 September 1766 – 27 July 1844) was an English chemist, physicist and meteorologist. He is best known for introducing the atomic theory into chemistry, and for his research into colour blindness, which he had. Colour b ...
bass * Mick Avory drums


Additional personnel

* John Gosling baby grand piano * Ken Jones
maraca A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were ...
s


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


See also

* List of songs banned by the BBC * List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1970 * List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1981 * List of number-one singles of 1970 (Ireland) * List of number-one singles in 1970 (New Zealand)


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lola The Kinks songs 1970s ballads 1970 singles 1980 singles British folk rock songs Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in New Zealand Dutch Top 40 number-one singles Number-one singles in South Africa Songs about London Songs written by Ray Davies Madness (band) songs Live singles Song recordings produced by Ray Davies Pye Records singles Arista Records singles Reprise Records singles Transgender-related songs 1970 songs LGBT-related controversies in music Songs banned by the BBC Censorship of music Censorship in Australia Folk ballads Rock ballads LGBT-related songs