Remembering a long-standing musical collaborator
An Resource note on a public remembrance for Ian Gibbons, whose keyboard work formed part of a significant period of the band’s live and recorded sound.
Read recorded noteSongs, stagecraft & cultural memory
A considered record of Ray Davies and his work.
Ray Davies History is an independent informational and biographical resource. It brings together context around recordings, public appearances, writing and the lasting place of his songs in British music culture.
Record desk
Selected resource notes
A small selection of documented moments from the later public record. Each entry is presented as context and reference material, rather than current official news.
A signed soundwave artwork project
Context for a limited artwork initiative connected with the Roundhouse and a song from the catalogue.
Read recorded note
A guest appearance in the recording Resource
A reference entry on a recorded contribution to Bill Shanley’s Midnight Mission.
Read RECORDED note
An in-store album event, revisited
Photographic and editorial context around a Rough Trade East appearance connected with a release-era programme.
Read RECORDED note
A public conversation about a new record
An entry concerning a discussion held during the release period for Our Country: Americana Act II.
Read RECORDED noteBiography in brief
A songwriter’s changing vantage point
The work associated with Ray Davies moves between close observation, character studies, theatrical scale and a persistent interest in everyday social detail. This independent resource follows those threads across songwriting, recordings and public appearances.
- 1960s
Early songwriting establishes a sharply observed voice within British popular music.
- 1970s
Ambitious albums bring narrative, character and stage-minded storytelling into fuller focus.
- 1990s–2000s
Writing, performance and solo work create further routes through an extensive catalogue.
- Later work
Recent recordings continue to return to memory, travel, place and the afterlife of popular song.
Screen & sound
Viewing and listening reference
The former video listings are recast here as an editorial guide to recurring themes in the work: Americana, narrative songs and the relationship between recorded sound and performance.
Americana: a narrative frame
A guide to the story-led material associated with Americana and Our Country.
Song forms and voices
Listening context for spoken passages, character pieces and songs that shift point of view.
Live presentation
Reference notes on the ways songs have been reframed for stage and public conversation.
Record notes
Our Country: Americana Act II
An editorial entry for a later record whose sequence combines songs, narrative framing and a broad American road-story setting.
Selected sequence
- Our Country
- The Invaders
- Back In The Day
- Oklahoma U.S.A.
- Bringing Up Baby
- The Getaway
- The Take
- We Will Get There
- The Real World
- A Street Called Hope
- The Empty Room
- Calling Home
- Louisiana Sky
- March Of The Zombies
- The Big Weird
- Tony And Bob
- The Big Guy
- Epilogue
- Muswell Kills
Editorial approach
How this website works
01
Collect
We organise public-facing reference material around recordings, appearances and published announcements.
02
Contextualise
Entries explain why a moment belongs within the wider musical and cultural record.
03
Distinguish
Historic notices are clearly treated as record material, not as current official communications.
04
Maintain
Pages are reviewed as an independent information resource and dated accordingly.
Reader notes
Frequently asked questions
What kind of material does the website cover?
The focus is on music, albums, public appearances, interviews as historical context, video references and selected news items from the available record.
Why do some entries describe older announcements?
Older announcements are preserved because they help document a release period, collaboration or public event. They are not presented as current offers, schedules or official notices.
Does the site list current tour information?
The website does not verify or publish current event schedules. The Tour Dates page remains available as a historical navigation route from the source collection.
Is Ray Davies History an official website?
No. Ray Davies History is an independent informational and biographical resource. It does not speak for, represent, or operate on behalf of Ray Davies or any associated organisation. You can find all the latest and most relevant information at the following link: thekinks.info
Can I suggest a correction or archival source?
Yes. Please send a concise note, including a public source where possible, to the website contact below.
Are images on this page documentary photographs of Ray Davies?
No. The images are editorially selected music and performance visuals used to support the site’s design. They are not presented as portraits or documentary images of the subject.
Website correspondence
About this site
Ray Davies History is built as a readable, independent reference point for people interested in the music and its context. For corrections, source notes or general site correspondence, use the email address provided.