THE KINKS
THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY
The Kinks first recorded the song Village Green during the sessions for their Something Else LP, in late November 1966. However, instead of including the song in the album it was originally meant for, leader and main songwriter Ray Davies who decided to store the song for a future project he had envisioned, where it would be its' centerpiece.
At first it would be a solo project by Davies, centered around the Village Green and nostalgia concepts, based on his childhood memories and experiences in England, scheduled for release sometime in late 1967. However, with the others becoming interested in the concept, he decided to scrap such plans and turn the then-titled Village Green album into a band effort.
The recording for this new project started soon after they released the Something Else album, in September of 1967. They tracked three new songs, one of them being released as a non-album single (Autumn Almanac), which managed to hit #3 in the UK charts), and the other two being reserved for the new record, Village Green. Recording followed, with sessions happening during 1968, until August, when they finished a 12-track master.
Scheduled for release on September 27th, this 12 song Village Green album was soon canceled under Ray's wishes. He had asked the Pyle label to have some additional time to track new songs and perhaps even expand it into a 20-track double LP. The label reluctantly agreed, and so in September, they recorded an additional two songs for the record, them being Big Sky and Last of the Steam Powered Trains, and started to mix the new double LP. However, Pye Records weren't that confident in the band back then.
The failure of the band's latest single Wonderboy, which barely made the top 30 in England, had left a bad taste in their mouths, and a double LP by them would be a big bet. The Pye label decided to nix the idea, much to Davies' anger and insisted on it being a single. As a compromise, however, they decided to allow the album to feature fifteen tracks, instead of the original twelve. The meant two tracks, instead of the original twelve. That meant two tracks would be removed, them being Days and Mr. Songbird , and the two newly recorded songs and three outtakes would be added. That gave Sitting By the Riverside, Animal Farm, and All my Friends Were There, the spots they now have in the LP.
What Did the Kinks do with the rest of the material? The Kinks ended up releasing the fantastic Days as a non-album single, ending up with a big hit (#12 in the singles charts) and one of their best-remembered tracks. And the band's American label, Reprise, alongside Ray, had scheduled to release an 11-song album titled Four More Respected Gentlemen compromising of some of the outtakes and some album songs. Titles like Misty Water, Polly and Berkeley Mews were featured, and the compilation was even given a serial number, and release was imminent.
However, once more it seemed luck wasn't on their side, and the Pye label ended up scrapping it and releasing only the regular 15-track album instead, based on its strength. That way, the song ended up released on a mess of rare comps, greatest hits records, and some other very peculiar releases, instead of in their home, Ray's concept of the Village Green.
Despite having that many difficulties in the making, the released album was almost unanimously acclaimed, and although selling poorly, managed to become a classic of the 1960's British music scene, and to some of their the album was their greatest record.
What if the Kinks wishes of releasing a 20-track double album had come to fruition? First of all, we would have to address one of the main problems of that idea: the album's length. If one were to follow that song limit, the band would end up with a terribly short and brief record. The Pye label greenlit the project, they ask Davies and the band to try to expand the record into more ideal 25-ish, as a bare minimum. The Kinks certainly had enough quality tunes to turn that into reality.
IMAGINE WHAT THIS ALBUM
COULD HAVE BLOWN OUR MINDS!
The Village Green Preservation Society
Do You Remember Walter?
Picture Book
Johnny Thunder
Mr. Songbird
Last Of The Steam Powered Trains
Animal Farm
Big Sky
Did You See His Name?
Polly
Misty Water
Sitting by the Riverside
Starstruck
Phenomenal Cat
Rosemary Rose
All My Friends Were There
Berkeley Mews
Wicked Annabella
Days
Village Green
Pictures in the Sand
Wonderboy
Lavander Hills
Monica
People Take Pictures of Each Other
This one is dedicated to my friend, John
