The Kinks' 1965 US Tour
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The English rock band
the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...
staged their first concert tour of the United States in June and July1965. The sixteen concerts comprised the third stage of a world tour, following shows in Australasia, Asia and in the United Kingdom and before later stages in continental Europe. Initially one of the most popular
British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
groups, the Kinks saw major commercial opportunity in the US, but the resultant tour was plagued with issues between the band, their management, local promoters and the American music unions. Promoters and union officials filed complaints over the Kinks' conduct, prompting the US musicians' union to withhold work permits from the band for the next four years, effectively banning them from US performance. The programme was in the package-tour format typical of the 1960s, with one show per day, several support acts on the bill and the Kinks' set lasting around 40minutes. Concerts were characterised by screaming fans and weak sound systems. The US press, which still largely viewed rock music as simple teenage entertainment, generally avoided reporting on the tour. Some shows were poorly attended, owing to a lack of advertising and promotion, leaving local promoters sometimes unable to pay the band the full amount they were due. A payment disagreement led to the band refusing to perform at the
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near San Francisco, and an argument over a union contract before a television appearance resulted in
Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the Rock music, rock band the Kinks, which he led, with his younger brother Dave Davies, Dave pro ...
, the Kinks' bandleader, physically fighting with a union official. The relationship between Ray and the Kinks' personal manager,
Larry Page Lawrence Edward Page (born March 26, 1973) is an American businessman, computer engineer and computer scientist best known for co-founding Google with Sergey Brin. Page was chief executive officer of Google from 1997 until August 2001 when ...
, was marked by continual friction. Bothered by Ray's behaviour, Page departed to England in the tour's final week, an action that the Kinks viewed as an abandonment. The band's subsequent efforts to dismiss Page led to a protracted legal dispute in English courts. Unable to promote their music in the US via tours or television appearances, the Kinks saw a decline in their American record sales. Cut off from the American music scene, Ray shifted his songwriting approach towards more overt English influences. Ray resolved the ban in early1969, and the Kinks staged a comeback tour later that year, but they did not achieve regular commercial success in the country again until the late 1970s.


Background

In April 1965,
the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...
' personal manager
Larry Page Lawrence Edward Page (born March 26, 1973) is an American businessman, computer engineer and computer scientist best known for co-founding Google with Sergey Brin. Page was chief executive officer of Google from 1997 until August 2001 when ...
announced the band's intention to tour the United States. Initially planned to begin on 11June, the tour would run for three weeks and would be the band's first in the country. The shows formed the third leg of a world tour, following concerts in January and February in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore, and
concerts in the United Kingdom A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...
in April and May. Page began co-managing the Kinks in November1963, around two months after the band's two other managers, Grenville Collins and Robert Wace. The resulting three-manager set-up was complicated, and it soon became a source of resentment for the Kinks when they saw much of their income going to other people. After witnessing the enormous commercial success experienced in the US by
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
in 1964, Page was hoping to break the Kinks into the American market before
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, who he felt had been underpromoted. Like their contemporaries, the Kinks were part of the
British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
, a cultural phenomenon where British pop acts experienced sudden popularity in the US. A second wave of British acts, including the Rolling Stones,
the Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1963. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963–1965), Jeff Beck (1965–1966) and Jimmy Page (1966–1968), all of whom ...
and
Them Them or THEM, a third-person singular or plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to: Books * ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet'' * '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fict ...
, entered the American charts in early 1965, and the Kinks were initially the most popular of these. Two of their earliest US singles – "
You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies and released as their third single in 1964. The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead B ...
" and "
All Day and All of the Night "All Day and All of the Night" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from 1964. Released as a single, it reached No. 2 in the UK on the ''Record Retailer'' chart and No. 7 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1965. The song was incl ...
", released in September and December1964, respectively – had each reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, while their first US album was moderately successful, peaking at number 29 in the magazine's Top LPs chart in March1965. As the Kinks appeared to be on the verge of major American success, the band and their management considered a US tour to be the next pivotal step in their career. From 10 to 14February 1965, while returning to Britain from the first leg of their world tour, the Kinks visited the US for the first time. The original plan had the band appearing on two musical variety programmes – '' Hullabaloo'' in New York and ''
Shindig! ''Shindig!'' is an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles,American Federation of Television and Radio Artists The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was a performers' union that represented a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording ...
(AFTRA), the US performers' union. Joining the union was a requirement of the Kinks' appearance, but the band were not convinced that it was necessary. Two weeks after the band's visit, their US label
Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...
issued " Tired of Waiting for You" as a single in the US. It subsequently reached number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making it the Kinks' third consecutive top ten single in the US. To capitalise on the nationwide publicity the band were experiencing, Reprise rushed out a second album in lateMarch, ''
Kinks-Size ''Kinks-Size'' is a studio album by the English rock band the Kinks. Released in the United States and Canada in March1965, it was their second album issued on Reprise Records. It peaked at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' album chart in the thi ...
'', which peaked at number 13 in the third week of June, the same week the US tour commenced. By early1965, the Kinks had developed a reputation for violence and aggression, both on and off the stage. The band's concerts were characterised by hysterical fans, whose swarming attempts occasionally left the group bruised, concussed and with torn clothing. On 9April, a concert in
Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the Øresund strait. The Øres ...
, descended into a riot between fans and police; the incident was covered by the
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newswire and reported on in newspapers across the US. The band sometimes broke into physical altercations during rehearsals, recording sessions and concerts; infighting was most common between the brothers
Ray Ray or RAY may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), the bony or horny spine on ray-finned fish Science and mathematics * Half-line (geometry) or ray, half of a line split at an ...
and
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, led by his older brother (and principal writer and singer) ...
and between Dave and the drummer
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 ...
. Tensions within the group were more elevated than usual following a violent intra-band dispute on 19May at a concert in
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
, Wales, where Avory struck Dave in the head with a
hi-hat A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock music, rock, popular music, pop, jazz, an ...
stand. Dave was briefly hospitalised, and the four remaining dates of the band's UK tour were cancelled. Britain's national press covered the Cardiff incident in detail, leading to
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s across the country imposing an unofficial ban on the Kinks. The band initially considered replacing Avory with a different drummer, but their managers pressurised them into downplaying the incident, both to avoid police charges and to allow them to fulfil their commitments, including the imminent US tour. After agreeing to regroup, the band performed one concert and made four British television appearances in the first week of June.


Repertoire, tour personnel and equipment

The US shows were in the package-tour format typical of the 1960s. The Kinks and
the Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals) and Clint W ...
were set to be joint headliners, but when the Moody Blues were unable to enter the country after having been denied US visas, they were replaced with different acts at various stages of the tour, including
the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
,
the Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark was the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964, they had their first UK top-ten single, ...
and
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. Local groups and musicians performed as support acts, including
Paul Peterson Paul Joseph Peterson (born October 18, 1964), also known as St. Paul Peterson, is a singer and musician best known for his memberships in the bands The Family and The Time. Life and career Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Peterson was the you ...
,
Dick and Dee Dee Dick and Dee Dee (or Dick and Deedee) are an American singer-songwriter duo who reached popularity in the early to mid-1960s. The group was founded by California classmates Richard Gosting and Mary Sperling. They eventually changed their names ...
,
the Hollywood Argyles The Hollywood Argyles were an American musical ensemble, assembled for studio recordings by the producer and songwriter Kim Fowley and his friend and fellow musician Gary S. Paxton. They had a US number one hit record, "Alley Oop" (Lute Records ...
,
the Rivieras The Rivieras were an American rock band that formed in the early 1960s in South Bend, Indiana. They had a hit with the song " California Sun". History The Rivieras were made up of teenagers from South Bend Central High School. Originally cal ...
and
Dobie Gray Dobie Gray (born Lawrence Darrow Brown; July 26, 1940 – December 6, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter. Gray's music spanned multiple genres, including soul, country, pop, and musical theater. His hit songs included " The 'In' Cro ...
, among others. Rather than headlining at the shows in California on 3 and 4July, the Kinks instead appeared as one of several support acts for the American rock band
the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
. The shows ran for several hours, the Kinks' set usually lasting for around 40 minutes. On Page's recommendation, they based their shows around their first hit single "You Really Got Me". To generate anticipation, they played the opening bars of the song at the start of each concert before abruptly switching to a different number. They performed a complete version of the song midway through the set and repeated it during their encore. The band wore matching red
jackets A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. Jackets without sleeves are vests. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and l ...
, frilly shirts, black trousers and
Chelsea boot Chelsea boots are close-fitting, ankle-length boots with elastic side panels, a low heel and a snug fit around the ankle. They often have a loop or tab of fabric on the back of the boot, enabling the boot to be pulled on. The boot dates back to ...
s, all of which were custom-ordered from Bermans & Nathans, a major theatrical costumier in London. Page commissioned the outfits in April1964 as part of his early efforts to rework the band's image, providing them with a distinctive look, similar in effect to the collarless suits the Beatles wore in 1963. Though not historically accurate to the
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
, the look emphasised the band's Englishness, especially to an American audience who knew little about English culture. The band were regularly taunted by Americans during the tour over their appearance, especially their long hair, which, when paired with their outfits, gave them a more
androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in humans, it often r ...
and less masculine appearance than that of other contemporary pop acts. Sound quality at the band's shows was poor, as the often weak
PA systems A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...
at the venues struggled to compete with the loud screams of fans. Drums were typically not miked, and Avory later recalled struggling to hear himself play at larger venues. A local newspaper article describing a show at one of the smaller venues reported that the band's vocals were "lost in an array of electric guitars". Dave began the tour with his main guitar, a black
Guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
archtop An archtop guitar is a hollow acoustic or semi-acoustic guitar with a full body and a distinctive arched top, whose sound is particularly popular with jazz, blues, and rockabilly players. Typically, an archtop guitar has: * Six strings * An a ...
electric with two Guild humbucking pick-ups and a Bigsby tailpiece, a custom-built instrument originally meant for Beatle
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...
. The guitar was lost by an airline when the band flew to Los Angeles, and because the band did not travel with spare guitars, Dave was obliged to find a replacement at a local music shop. He bought a 1958
Gibson Flying V The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designe ...
, which he debuted on ''Shindig!'' on 1July. Dave played the guitar at chest-height, placing his arm through the cut-out V shape at the guitar's base. The Kinks were accompanied on tour by Page and road manager Sam Curtis, who was hired two months earlier, before the band's recent UK tour. Page saw his own role as mainly promotional, dealing with stage management and public relations, while Curtis handled custodial duties, such as organising transport, meals and sleeping arrangements. In the final week of the US tour, California businessman Don Zacharlini stood in as temporary tour manager in Page's place. Collins and Wace, who generally focused on office work, remained in the UK for the duration of the tour. The band were regularly visited by their publisher
Edward Kassner Edward Kassner (28 February 1920 – 19 November 1996) was an Austrian-born music industry executive and songwriter who was responsible for establishing the music publisher Kassner Music and the President record label. He lived and worked in both ...
, who took time to promote Ray's songwriting catalogue; the band's publicist Brian Sommerville and booking agent Arthur Howes arrived three weeks before the start of the tour to perform advance work. The tour was booked through Ken Kendall Associates in New York City.


Tour


Final preparations

After announcing the tour, Page made several changes to the itinerary. He announced different dates in press releases before delaying the start by a week to 17June, something necessitated by Dave's head injury in Cardiff. Early plans included different locations, including a Canadian show, probably for
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, on 11July. By 16June, five of 16 finalised shows were cancelled, prompting the addition of hastily arranged concerts in
downstate Illinois Downstate Illinois refers to the part of the U.S. state of Illinois south or outside of the Chicago metropolitan area, which is in the northeast corner of the state and has been dominant in state history, politics, and culture. Downstate Illinoi ...
,
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and
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. The Kinks signed contracts for the tour on 16June at Denmark Productions, the London offices of Page and Kassner. Among the forms were applications to join the
American Federation of Musicians The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/AFofM) is a 501(c)(5) trade union, labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada. The AFM, which has its headquarters in N ...
(AFM), the US musicians' union. The union's main purpose was to regulate the movement and placement of professional musicians in America, and joining was a requirement for working in the country. Concerned that foreign workers would take away jobs from American citizens, the AFM in 1964 initially opposed allowing any British rock musicians to perform in the US. British groups often found the regulations of the AFM and AFTRA overly complicated, and some complained about the requirements to pay hundreds of dollars in fees for each visit. Ray initially expressed reservations about signing the necessary paperwork; after working a union job as a teenager, he had come to see trade unions as needlessly corrupt and militant. Page instead ascribed Ray's hesitance to his tendency towards ''
prima donna In opera or ''commedia dell'arte'', a prima donna (; Italian for 'first lady'; : ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the ''prime'' roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage pe ...
''–like behaviour. Each of the Kinks had held romantic notions about the US since they were young, but Ray was apprehensive about visiting the country, having become more cynical after the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy in November1963. He worried in part how American police would respond to the Kinks' sometimes violent intra-band disputes, especially since only a month had passed since the incident in Cardiff. He was further disappointed by the poor financial returns of the band's February visit and was unhappy about leaving his wife Rasa at home with their first-born child, who was born weeks earlier in mid-May. Ray agreed to go after receiving assurances from his father that he would help Rasa take care of the baby.


Arrival and first week

The Kinks departed London at midday on 17June and arrived in New York City early that afternoon. The same day of their arrival, the band appeared on ''
The Clay Cole Show ''The Clay Cole Show'' is an American rock music television show based in New York City, hosted by Clay Cole from 1959 to 1967. History First broadcast on WNTA-TV (now WNET) in September 1959 as ''Rate the Records'', within two months the forma ...
'' to promote their latest single " Set Me Free", which entered the Hot 100 the week before and peaked a month later at number 23. The tour's first show occurred the following day at the Academy of Music, a cinema in New York City. The appearance was beset by issues; the band were disappointed by the old venue's facilities and the theatre's employees, who showed open contempt to those in the
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
business. The venue's marquee initially incorrectly advertised "The Kings", and a dispute arose when the Kinks, the Supremes and the Dave Clark Five realised that promoter Sid Bernstein had promised each group that they would be topping the bill. Problems continued at the following day's performance in Philadelphia, where Page was arrested and briefly jailed for failing to pay a local tax as demanded by a union official. The Kinks' audience, many of whom were teenage girls, were prone to fanatical behaviour. Curtis recalled women following the band throughout the tour out of sexual interest, especially for Dave. Upon their arrival in New York, the band were unable to enter their hotel for about two hours owing to a large crowd; and on other nights fans clung to the side of their moving vehicle or smashed its windows with their fists. After fans rushed the Kinks at the conclusion of their concert in Chicago, police and security guarded the stage at a show two nights later in
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. To keep the fans further at bay during the tour, police escorted the band throughout the day and were posted at their hotel. Tensions among the Kinks remained high during the tour. Since the incident in Cardiff, Dave and Avory had generally stopped speaking to one another, and Page later recalled separating the group to prevent more fighting. He further recalled that 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 bassist for the Kinks, from 1963 until 1969. He also sang backing vocals on s ...
was generally a calming influence among his bandmates, but he remained hesitant to take sides. Throughout the tour, Page experienced regular issues from Ray, who often pestered his manager to amuse himself. Page described Ray as behaving like a ''prima donna'', and Curtis suggested that Ray regularly sought to annoy anyone whose interest in him was entirely financial. While the other Kinks went out to clubs, Ray spent much of his free time during the tour alone in his hotel room, disappointed he was not at home with Rasa and their newborn. The Kinks' shows received little to no coverage in local newspapers, as most journalists viewed the band and rock music more broadly as simple teenage entertainment. In contrast with the effective publicity work done by the Beatles and their management, the Kinks were aloof with the press in interviews. Ray was apprehensive about his role as the band's
frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
and he was typically nervous in front of cameras. The band often tried to make interviewers look foolish or feel uncomfortable, something which regularly drew consternation from Page. Band biographer
Jon Savage Jon Savage (born Jonathan Malcolm Sage, 2 September 1953) is an English writer, broadcaster and music journalist, best known for his definitive history of the Sex Pistols and punk music, ''England's Dreaming'' (1991). Early life and educati ...
writes that compared to the British Invasion's "packaged pop groups", like the Dave Clark Five and
Herman's Hermits Herman's Hermits are an English rock and pop group formed in 1963 in Manchester and formerly fronted by singer Peter Noone. Known for their jaunty beat sound and Noone's often tongue-in-cheek vocal style, the Hermits charted with numerous tra ...
, the Kinks instead presented as "brooding, dark, androgynous mutants" whose attitudes seemed anarchic to Middle America. The band later described sometimes feeling resentment from Americans during the tour, especially as they proceeded into the
American Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern c ...
, where attitudes skewed more conservative. Ray further sensed disgust on the part of those in the American music business, whose unhappiness with disruption of their industry by British acts was compounded when the Kinks' appearances were drawing less money than originally expected. A week before the band's 27June show in
Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...
, promoter Betty Kaye cancelled the concert because of poor advance-ticket sales, an action she expected to lose her around US$3,500 (). The Kinks were disappointed by the tour's early financial returns, which left them staying in inexpensive hotels and travelling mostly by
coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...
. The band and their management experienced regular issues with local promoters, who often looked for reasons to avoid paying the full amount required by contract. Having been hastily arranged only weeks earlier, the band's shows in downstate Illinois were poorly advertised and poorly run, contributing to a growing feeling among the band that the tour was not meeting their original expectations. The band's 25June concert in
Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...
, was poorly attended because of both a lack of advertising and its conflicting with the opening day of the popular Annual Reno Rodeo. Kaye offered the band half of the agreed payment upfront, promising them the rest after the next night's performance in
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. In retaliation, Page threatened to sue her, and the Kinks only performed for 20 minutes rather than the 40 minutes originally contracted. At the Sacramento show, Kaye was further offended when the Kinks played for 45 minutes but filled much of their set with a prolonged version of "You Really Got Me".


Promotional work

From 27June to 2July, the Kinks had a week off from concerts, during which time they mostly did promotional work in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
, California. The band lip-synched performances on the television programmes '' Shivaree'', ''
The Lloyd Thaxton Show Lloyd Thaxton (May 31, 1927 – October 5, 2008) was an American writer, television producer, Television director, director, and Television host#Television presenter, television host widely known for his syndicated pop music television program of ...
'', ''Shindig!'' and
Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...
's variety show '' Where the Action Is''. At the same time, Kassner promoted Ray's songwriting catalogue around Los Angeles. By the end of the week he had secured four agreements, including from
Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...
, who recorded "
I Go to Sleep "I Go to Sleep" is a song written by Ray Davies which has been covered by numerous artists. Peggy Lee, the Applejacks and Cher recorded covers in 1965 without chart success. The Pretenders released a cover in 1981 which reached number seven o ...
" as a single. The same week, Page met
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
as she finished sessions for her debut album at
Gold Star Studios Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California. In its entire history, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world. Founded by David S. Gold ...
in Hollywood, and he convinced her to record "I Go to Sleep" as well. Cher's recording inspired Page, who booked studio time for the Kinks at Gold Star on 30June. The band were normally produced by
Shel Talmy Sheldon Talmy (August 11, 1937 – November 13, 2024) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger, best known for his work in England in the 1960s with the Who, the Kinks, and many other artists. Talmy arranged and produced hits ...
, whose contract with
Pye Records PYE or Pye Records is an independent British record label. It was first established in 1955 and played a major role in shaping rock 'n' roll and pop music history. The Pye name was dropped in 1980 due to trademark issues, after which it produced ...
specified that he was to supervise all of their recording sessions. Talmy anticipated Page attempting to usurp his role and had filed a legal notice before the band left England advising them to not record in the US without him, but the session proceeded anyway. The Kinks were enthusiastic at the prospect of recording in an American studio for the first time, especially after plans to do so the day before at
Warner Brothers Studios Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
failed to materialise. During the session, they recorded Ray's composition "
Ring the Bells ''Seven'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band James. It was released on 17 February 1992, through Fontana Records. After writing new material in their practice space, the band began recording at The Manor Studios. The sessions lasted ...
". Page hoped to issue the recording as their next single, but Talmy again served the band legal papers to prevent it, leaving the recording unissued. The Kinks were the featured performers on ''Shindig!'' for the week of 1July, and the band selected " Long Tall Shorty" to play as the show's closing number. Rather than have the band
mime A mime artist, or simply mime (from Greek language, Greek , , "imitator, actor"), is a person who uses ''mime'' (also called ''pantomime'' outside of Britain), the acting out of a story through body motions without the use of speech, as a the ...
to the version they recorded for their first LP, AFM requirements dictated that a new
backing track A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live m ...
be made, which the show's
house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...
the Shindogs recorded at a separate evening session on 30June. The Kinks attended the session, but Dave was the only one of them who appeared on the recording, contributing rhythm guitar. Among the Shindogs was lead guitarist
James Burton James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana, United States) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also ...
, whom the Kinks were especially excited to meet, having known him for his guitar solos on many of
Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he began a ...
's hits; Ray later recalled that getting to play with Burton was both "the biggest thrill" and "the only good thing" to happen during the tour. On 2July, the Kinks appeared at the Cinnamon Cinder club in
North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood and district in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, El Portal Theater, several art galleries, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Th ...
for a daytime shoot of ''Where the Action Is''. While waiting beforehand in the band's dressing room, Dave refused to sign a contract presented to the band by AFTRA. The refusal prompted a union official to threaten to have the Kinks banned from ever playing in the US again. After a further exchange of words, a physical altercation occurred between the official and Ray, which ended when Ray punched him in the face. Ray later said the worker taunted the Kinks by calling them "communists", "limey bastards" and "
fairies A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...
". He also recalled:


Final week

Ray's fight with the union official on 2July marked a low point on the tour for him, a depression exacerbated by the absence of Rasa. The following day, after the afternoon
soundcheck A soundcheck is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance to adjust the sound on the venue's sound reinforcement or public address system. The performer and the audio engineers run through a small po ...
at the
Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and Urban park, public park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018 and was listed on ...
, Ray informed Page that he was not going to perform the evening's show. Advertised as "The Beach Boys Summer Spectacular", the concert had the Kinks billed highest among the Beach Boys' ten support acts. Page regarded the concert as the pinnacle of the tour and an opportunity to present the Kinks as a second Beatles, and he later recalled trying to convince Ray to perform: "I spent all day pleading, begging, grovelling – and this was after a very heavy tour... it was totally degrading for me." Ray demanded of Page that Rasa and Quaife's girlfriend Nicola be flown out to see them, and Page contacted Collins back in London to arrange the flight. Ray agreed to perform, and the concert proceeded as normal in front of around 15,000 concertgoers. Rasa and Nicola arrived in Los Angeles after the show and joined the group for the remainder of the tour. After weeks of being agitated by Ray's behaviour, Page lost his patience at the Hollywood Bowl. He abruptly departed back to London on the morning of 4July. In his place, he arranged for the band to be led by both Curtis and temporary tour manager Don Zacharlini, a local businessman who owned a chain of laundromats. Page advised Dave, Quaife and Avory of his intentions but did not tell Ray, who learned of Page's absence later that day. Ray was incensed by what he saw as an abandonment of the band; after expressing his feelings to his bandmates, the group decided that they would extricate Page from their business dealings upon their return to the UK. The same day as Page's departure, the Kinks arrived at the
Cow Palace The Cow Palace (originally the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena and events center located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through t ...
near San Francisco for an afternoon show as part of "The Beach Boys' Firecracker". The promoter, again Kaye, lost a significant amount of money when only 3,500 tickets were sold out of 14,000. The Kinks demanded to be paid upfront, but a lack of cash receipts meant that she was only able to offer a
cheque A cheque (or check in American English) is a document that orders a bank, building society, or credit union, to pay a specific amount of money from a person's account to the person in whose name the cheque has been issued. The person writing ...
. In light of their earlier pay disputes with her in Reno and Sacramento, the band refused to perform the San Francisco show. Despite the absence of Page, the final week of the tour proceeded generally without incident. The band arrived in Hawaii on 5July and held two concerts in Honolulu the following day, including a show for US Army troops at
Schofield Barracks Schofield Barracks is a United States Army installation and census-designated place (CDP) located in Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Hawaii. Schofield Barracks lies adjacent to the town of Wahiawā, separated ...
. Ray had expected Hawaii to be overly commercialised, but he was charmed by the islands' quiet beaches; he later named it his best holiday ever, and Rasa described her time there with Ray as like a second honeymoon. After an off-day spent in Waikiki, the band flew to Washington state and held three concerts, concluding the tour in Seattle on 10July.


Aftermath


Return to England and dismissal of Larry Page

Quaife and Avory remained in the US for an extra ten days sightseeing southern California with Zacharlini; Ray and Dave arrived home in London on 11July and immediately conveyed their angry feelings about Page to Wace. Page was initially unaware of the others' plans to oust him, and though Ray and Wace continued to be friendly in their interactions with him, the two met with a solicitor on 2August to begin planning the separation. The following day, Ray arrived unannounced at a Sonny & Cher recording session at which Page was present, angrily objecting to the duo recording one of his compositions, "Set Me Free", while also expressing his wish for Page to terminate involvement with the Kinks. The Kinks resumed their world tour in Sweden on 1September, accompanied only by Curtis. The following day, Wace and Collins' firm Boscobel Productions served a legal notice advising Page and Kassners' firm Denmark Productions that the Kinks intended to terminate their existing contract. Page filed litigation in November over his subsequent remuneration, leading to a protracted
legal dispute Legal proceeding is an activity that seeks to invoke the power of a tribunal in order to enforce a law. Although the term may be defined more broadly or more narrowly as circumstances require, it has been noted that " e term ''legal proceedings'' ...
between the two parties in London's High Court in May and June1967, followed by the
Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...
from March to June1968. Key aspects of each of the hearings centred on whether Page's departure to London in the final week of the US tour constituted a legal abandonment, something which generated disagreement among the three justices hearing the appeal. Page was only partially successful, when both courts awarded him compensation up to 14September 1965. The management dispute ended on 9October 1968, when a final appeal filed by Page was rejected.


American performance ban

Following the issues between the Kinks and Betty Kaye in Reno, Sacramento and San Francisco, she filed a formal complaint with Local 6, the SanFrancisco branch of the AFM. Union officials in Los Angeles and likely San Francisco filed further complaints. In response, the AFM withheld future work permits from the Kinks, in effect banning the band from future US performance. The AFM made no public statements regarding their action against the Kinks, nor did they communicate to the band an explanation or possible duration. The Kinks hoped to return to the US soon after, but four tours booked for between December1965 and December1966 were each cancelled a month beforehand after the band proved unable to obtain work visas. Anticipating further visa issues, they declined an invitation to the
Monterey International Pop Festival The Monterey International Pop Festival was a three-day music festival held June 16-18, 1967, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. The festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by the Jimi Hendrix E ...
, a June1967 Californian music festival which elevated the American popularity of several acts. Plans to tour the US in December1967 and December1968 similarly fell through after more visa denials. The AFM's ban on the Kinks persisted for four years. Ray negotiated with the union to lift it when he visited Los Angeles in April1969. As part of the agreement, the AFM required the Kinks and their management to write apologies to Kaye and refrain from discussing the matter publicly. Over ensuing decades, Ray, Dave and the band's management remained vague in explaining the situation in interviews. Asked for comment in December1969 by ''
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. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine, the union stated that it had no official paperwork regarding a ban on the Kinks but added that the reciprocity agreement between the AFM and the British Musicians' Union allowed either organisation to withhold permits from acts which "behave badly on stage or fail to show for scheduled performances without good reason". Other AFM officials subsequently said that the Kinks were banned on the grounds of "unprofessional conduct". The biographer Thomas M. Kitts alternatively suggests that the AFM's sanctions against the Kinks were motivated by a desire "to make an example of some young English musicians who, the union believed, were taking work from Americans". Kitts adds that the Kinks proved an easier target than the Rolling Stones, who, despite their presentation as one of teenage rebellion, often remained on agreeable terms with officials and promoters. In later interviews, Ray regularly cited the ban as producing a pivot in his songwriting towards English-focused lyrics. The situation left the Kinks comparatively isolated from American influence and changes in its music scene, guiding the band away from their earlier
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
-based riffing towards a distinctly English style. While American songwriters explored the emerging
drug culture Drug cultures are examples of countercultures that are primarily defined by Entheogen, spiritual, Self-medication, medical, and recreational drug use. They may be focused on a single drug, or endorse polydrug use. They sometimes eagerly or reluct ...
and genre of
psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...
, Ray focused on English musical influences like
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...
. Ray later suggested that visiting America ended his envy of the country's music, leading him to abandon attempts to "Americanise" his accent while withdrawing into what he later termed "complete Englishness and quaintness". The American ban hampered the development of the Kinks' career. Unable to promote their music in the US via tours or television appearances, they saw a decline in their American record sales. American groups covered Ray's compositions less often after 1965, and those that did generally restricted their selection to British Top Ten hits. The band experienced continued success in the UK, but only two of their singles entered the top 30 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 while the ban remained active. By late1967, after a string of poor performing singles, American record shops had generally stopped stocking the band's releases. The band steadily lost American fans, but they retained a cult following and received favourable coverage from America's nascent underground rock press. After the ban was lifted, Reprise and
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
initiated a promotional campaign to re-establish the Kinks' commercial standing before their return tour, held from October to December1969, which the promotional campaign and some contemporary newspapers described as the band's first American tour. Other than their single "
Lola Lola may refer to: Places * Lolá, a or subdistrict of Panama * Lola Township, Cherokee County, Kansas, United States * Lola Prefecture, Guinea * Lola, Guinea, a town in Lola Prefecture * Lola Island, in the Solomon Islands People * Lol ...
", which reached number nine in the US in October1970, the Kinks did not achieve regular commercial success in the country again until the late 1970s. Critics and journalists often retrospectively identify the American ban as the critical juncture in the Kinks' career. Commentators typically see the ban as essential in shaping the band's underdog and outsider image, especially when compared to most successful British Invasion bands. According to the academic Carey Fleiner, the ban serves as a "rallying cry" for the band's fans when arguing why they do not enjoy the same long-term "multinational corporate brand" as the Beatles or the Rolling Stones.


Set list

The Kinks played for around 40minutes, but no complete set lists from the US tour are known to band biographers. Below are examples of set lists from the second and fifth legs of the world tour, roughly two months before and three months after the US tour, respectively: 30 April 1965, Adelphi Cinema, Slough, UK #"
You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies and released as their third single in 1964. The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead B ...
" #"
Beautiful Delilah ''Chuck Berry's Golden Decade'' is a compilation of music by Chuck Berry, released in three volumes in 1967, 1973, and 1974. Covering the decade from 1955 to 1964, each volume consists of a two-LP set of 24 songs recorded by Berry. The first volu ...
" #" It's Alright" #" Tired of Waiting for You" #"
Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy" is a song by Ray Davies, released as a UK single by the Kinks in 1965. As the follow-up to the number-one hit " Tired of Waiting for You", and having their previous three singles all chart among the top two, it was ...
" #"
It's All Over Now "It's All Over Now" is a song written by Bobby Womack and his sister-in-law Shirley Womack. It was first released by The Valentinos, featuring Bobby Womack, in 1964. The Rolling Stones heard it on its release and quickly recorded a cover ver ...
" #"
All Day and All of the Night "All Day and All of the Night" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from 1964. Released as a single, it reached No. 2 in the UK on the ''Record Retailer'' chart and No. 7 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1965. The song was incl ...
" #"
Hide and Seek Hide and seek may refer to: * Hide-and-seek, a children's game Film * ''Hide and Seek'' (1932 cartoon), a Fleischer Studios Talkartoon animated short * ''Hide and Seek'' (1963 film), a Swedish comedy film * ''Hide and Seek'' (1964 film), a ...
" 1 October 1965, Hit House, Munich, West Germany #"You Really Got Me" #"Beautiful Delilah" #"Tired of Waiting for You" #" Got Love If You Want It" #"Come On Now" #"All Day and All of the Night"


Tour dates

According to the band researcher Doug Hinman, except where noted: Note *The above table includes neither those shows which were cancelled before the tour began nor those dates which were not finalised. The cancelled shows were in
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
,
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
, Rockford, San Jose and
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, planned for 20, 22, 23June and 2 and 5July, respectively. Tentative dates planned for 9–16June but never finalised included
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
,
Wappingers Falls Wappingers Falls is a village in the towns of Poughkeepsie and Wappinger, in Dutchess County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 5,522. The community was named for the cascade in Wappinger Creek. The Wappin ...
,
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
,
New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...
,
Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...
,
Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
and
Youngstown Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
, as well as Vancouver on 11July.


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Premium High Resolution Photos
of the Kinks in the US in 1965 at
Getty Images Getty Images Holdings, Inc. (stylized as gettyimages) is a visual media company and supplier of stock images, editorial photography, video, and music for business and consumers, with a library of over 477 million assets. It targets three mark ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kinks' 1965 US Tour 1965 US 1965 concert tours 1965 in American music Concert tours of the United States June 1965 in the United States July 1965 in the United States