- David Watts (song)
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"David Watts" Song by The Kinks from the album Something Else by the Kinks Released 15 September 1967 Recorded Feb-Mar 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London Genre Pop Label Pye NPL 18193 Composer Ray Davies Producer Shel Talmy, Ray Davies Something Else by the Kinks track listing "David Watts"
(1)"Death of a Clown"
(2)"David Watts" Single by The Jam from the album All Mod Cons B-side "A" Bomb in Wardour Street Released 26 August 1978 Genre Mod revival, Punk rock Label Polydor Writer(s) Ray Davies Producer Vic Smith & Chris Parry The Jam singles chronology "News of the World"
(1978)"David Watts"
(1978)"Down in the Tube Station at Midnight"
(1978)"David Watts" is a song written by Ray Davies that originally appeared on the Kinks's 1967 album Something Else by the Kinks.[1] It was also the American and Continental Europe B-side to Autumn Almanac. It has been included on several compilation albums, including The Kink Kronikles (1972).
It is about the singer's great admiration of fellow schoolboy David Watts, who appears to have a "charmed life." There is an undercurrent of either deep jealousy or, as AllMusic put it, "a schoolboy crush." It is also, as Jon Savage has written, one of Ray Davies' "sharpest homoerotic songs". As Ray Davies has confirmed in "The KInks: The Official Biography" by Savage, "David Watts is a real person. He was a concert promoter in Rutland". Ray goes on to relate how the real Watts was gay and demonstrated an obvious romantic interest in brother Dave. In this light, lines like "he is so gay and fancy free"; and "the girls of the neighbourhood [who] try to go out with David Watts....but can't succeed.." provide a second level of interpretation based on this ironic in-joke.[2]
The song was later covered by The Jam, who released it on 26 August 1978 as the first single from their third studio album, All Mod Cons. The Jam version, which reached #25 in the UK Singles Chart, featured bassist Bruce Foxton on vocals rather than Paul Weller as it wasn't in the right key for the Jam frontman.[3] It was backed by "'A' Bomb in Wardour Street", also from All Mod Cons.References
- ^ http://kindakinks.net/discography/showsong.php
- ^ Savage, Jon "The Kinks:The Official Biography" London: Faber and Faber, 1984 pp.94-96
- ^ David Watts Songfacts
Paul Weller · Bruce Foxton · Rick Buckler · Steve Brookes Studio albums Live albums Singles "In the City" · "All Around the World" · "The Modern World" · "News of the World" · "David Watts" / "'A' Bomb In Wardour Street" · "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" · "Strange Town" · "When You're Young" · "The Eton Rifles" · "Going Underground" / "Dreams of Children" · "Start!" · "That's Entertainment" · "Funeral Pyre" · "Absolute Beginners" · "Town Called Malice" / "Precious" · "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" · "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)" · "Beat Surrender"Compilations Snap! · Greatest Hits · Extras · Collection · Direction Reaction Creation · The Very Best of The Jam · Beat Surrender · 45 rpm: The Singles, 1977-1979 · 45 rpm: The Singles, 1980–1982 · The Sound of the JamRelated articles Fire and Skill: The Songs of the Jam · Mod revival · Polydor Records · The Style Council · The Merton Parkas · Vic Coppersmith-HeavenCategories:- 1967 songs
- The Kinks songs
- 1978 singles
- The Jam songs
- Songs written by Ray Davies
- 1960s single stubs
- 1960s rock song stubs
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