Classic Pop Icons

The Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons. “Waterloo Sunset” was released on single in May 1967 in the UK, backed with “Act Nice and Gentle,” and in July of the same year in the US, backed with “Two Sisters.” It was also the closing track on the band’s album “Something Else.”

When “Waterloo Sunset” was released it enhanced Ray Davies’ already burgeoning reputation as a versatile and imaginative songwriter, whose influences ranged from American blues and rock ‘n’ roll to English music hall. The song grabs the listener from the start with a superbly constructed intro consisting of a descending bass line, which is joined by a great lead guitar line that mirrors the melody of Ray Davies’ opening vocals. Davies takes a well judged light and subtle vocal approach, which helps the listener believe that he is the slightly forlorn figure perusing the streets of London.

The song “Waterloo Sunset” tells the story of a courtship between a couple, Terry and Julie, who are reunited each week at Waterloo Station in London. The relationship between actors Terence Stamp and Julie Christie led to speculation that Davies was writing about the pair, but this isn’t the case. He has noted that he could imagine them being cast in the roles, but that the characters in the song were “imagined people.” In 2004, he told the BBC:

Although Terry and Julie are at the centre of the song, the story is observed by a third party, as explained by Davies in an interview with prefixmag.com:

The city of London itself (and specifically Waterloo) is also an important component of the song. From the start, the narrator highlights the imperfections of the city (“Dirty old river, must you keep rolling”), but he also takes comfort from the familiar surroundings and his appreciation of the beauty of the “Waterloo sunset” – an appreciation shared by Terry and Julie. Davies has said that the “Dirty old river” imagery derives from his time looking at the “red and rusty” river from St Thomas’ hospital as a sickly child.

References to Waterloo Station and Waterloo Underground made the song quintessentially English, even though the themes are universal. Such references were somewhat of a departure for UK music fans, who were far more used to songs that mentioned faraway locations such as Memphis or New York City. This likely worked in reverse for fans listening from afar of course, who probably developed romantic notions about Waterloo.

Although Waterloo looms large in the song, it was not in fact Davies’ original choice of location. He was going to write the song as “Liverpool Sunset” in recognition of his admiration for the Liverpool bands and his affection for that city.

The Kinks – “Waterloo Sunset”

Authorship

“Waterloo Sunset” was written Ray Davies.

Recording date/location

“Waterloo Sunset” was recorded during April 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London.

Musicians

The following musicians appeared on “Waterloo Sunset”:

Rasa Davies was Ray’s wife.

Chart performance

“Waterloo Sunset” did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. This was in the period when the Kinks were “banned” from touring the US and so promotional options were limited.

The song did hit number two on the UK singles chart in May, 1967 and remained there for two weeks. It was kept off the top spot by the Tremeloes’ “Silence is Golden.” Some sources state that the Beatles’ “All You Need is Love” kept the Kinks off the top, but that is false as the Beatles’ number one was several weeks later.

Covers

Peter Gabriel – “Waterloo Sunset”

Peter Gabriel recorded “Waterloo Sunset” for the 2010 album “Scratch My Back,” but it was dropped from the initial release and appeared only as a bonus on the deluxe edition of the album. With his raw vocal and somber orchestral arrangement, Gabriel fully embraces the trace of melancholy present in the original.

David Bowie – “Waterloo Sunset”

David Bowie included “Waterloo Sunset” as a bonus track on the tour edition of his 2003 album “Reality” and also featured it on the EU-only CD single “Never Get Old” in 2004. Bowie retains the main elements of the original recording, including the classic intro, but makes use of modern studio techniques to bring things up to date. He does fine with it, but it’s no surprise that it was only granted “bonus track” status.

There will be a new Song of the Week on July 25.

“Waterloo Sunset” is available on the excellent 2-CD deluxe reissue of “Something Else” which came out last month.

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