"Plastic Man" is a song written by

Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voca ...

and recorded by

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 rhythm ...

in 1969. It was written and recorded specifically as an attempt at a hit single, released only days after being recorded. The previous year had been commercially disastrous for The Kinks. Their two singles had failed to reach the top 10 in the UK and failed to chart at all in the US. The album '' The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society'' had also failed to chart in both the UK and US.

History

The plan for a hit backfired when the use of the word ' bum' (in the line "...plastic legs that reach up to his plastic bum") meant that the BBC refused to play the song. The single only managed to reach No. 31 in the UK and the following two Kinks singles failed to chart altogether. The single was not initially released in the US, and remained unreleased there until '' The Great Lost Kinks Album'' in 1973. Both sides of the single were the final songs to be recorded with founding bassist

Pete Quaife Peter Alexander Greenlaw Quaife (born Kinnes; 31 December 1943 – 23 June 2010) was an English musician, artist and author. He was a founding member and the original bass guitarist for the Kinks, from 1963 until 1969. He also sang backing voca ...

and therefore is the last recorded single with the original Kinks line-up, although many Quaife-era Kinks songs have been released since his departure. Shortly after the release of the single, Quaife quit the group; he was replaced by

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 ...

, who had substituted for him from June to October 1966 after Quaife was injured in a car accident. Quaife stated in 1998 that "Plastic Man" was his least favourite song that he recorded with the Kinks.

"King Kong"

The B-side, "King Kong", was an "echo-drenched heavy blues" song exclusive to this single, and was unavailable in the US until the release of the US compilation ''

The Kink Kronikles ''The Kink Kronikles'' is a compilation double album by the Kinks, released on Reprise Records in 1972, after the band had signed with RCA Records in 1971. It contains thirteen non-album singles, fourteen tracks taken from five albums released ...

''. It has been said that the music publisher Eddie Kassner, with whom Davies had a "long-running dispute", was the basis of the song.

Legacy

Both sides of the single (as well as a

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 ...

version of the A-side) are included as bonus tracks on the CD reissue of ''

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

''. In 2004, the B-side appeared on the three-disc Deluxe Edition of '' The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society'', while in 2011, both the mono and stereo mixes of the A-side appeared on the Deluxe Edition of ''Arthur''.

Personnel

According to band researcher Doug Hinman: *

lead vocal, electric guitar *

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 ind ...

backing vocal, electric guitar *

backing vocal, bass *

Mick Avory Michael Charles Avory (born 15 February 1944) is an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and percussionist for the English rock band the Kinks. He joined them shortly after their formation in 1964 and remained with them until 1984, ...

backing vocal, drums

References

Sources

* * {{Authority control The Kinks songs 1969 singles Songs written by Ray Davies Song recordings produced by Ray Davies Pye Records singles 1969 songs Satirical songs