Transcript of an email exchange with a noted Kinks scholar, who may or may not be related to me, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the release of Waterloo Sunset last week.

Kinks Maven (KM):

Happy 50th Birthday, Waterloo Sunset!

Me:

And did not chart in US – I wonder when I first heard it – maybe on fm radio in 70s?

KM:

Don’t know, but….

Here is list of Waterloo Sunset’s highest chart positions around the world:

Great Britain: 2

New Zealand: 7

Austria: 11

Australia: 6

Holland: 1!

Germany: 7*

Belgium: 8

Sweden: 4

*Trivia question: which of their singles achieved the highest chart position in Germany? (It reached #1 there, #2 in Belgium, #3 in Holland, and # 5 in Austria; didn’t chart in the US or the UK)

Take a guess. If you don’t get it, I can give you some clues.

Me:

My first guess would be Superman, though I thought that charted in US

KM:

Superman peaked at #41 in US.

Hint: it was the only top 5 Kink’s song in the States . . . except they never had a top 5 hit in the States.

Me:

That is a very cryptic hint.

It was a top 5 song in the states, but the Kinks never had a top 5 hit in the states?

Lola wasn’t a top 5 hit in the states?

Father Christmas?

Death of a Clown?

KM:

Death of a Clown is probably your best guess yet. Like DOAC, this song was a hit, but (here’s the real meaning of the hint) not for the Kinks.

Of course DOAC was a non-Kinks song in name only.

A cover version of this song reached #5 in the US and #1 in Canada; the Kinks’ version, while a hit elsewhere (#1 in Germany, etc.), was not released in the UK or US as a single. Now you should get it.

I don’t need to tell you the group who covered it, do I? Maybe the year it was a hit? Here’s a hint: it was a hit for the Kinks on the European continent the same year as it was a hit in North America for the other group.

Of course their five top tens in the states were YRGM, All Day…, Tired of Waiting, Lola and Come Dancing. Extra credit if you can tell me the highest chart position for each.

Me:

Stop Your Sobbing?

Wild guesses on the top ten chart positions

YRGM – 4

All Day… – 3

Tired of Waiting – 6

Lola – 1

Come Dancing – 8

KM:

SYS was not a hit for the Kinks, and certainly wouldn’t have been released when The Pretenders’ cover was. In fact, don’t think they ever released Stop.. as a single.

Me:

Good point on SYS

Got it – Dandy! (by Herman’s Hermits)

Just to clarify, the kinks version of Dandy was #1 in Germany (and the other non us/uk positions you mentioned) but did not chart in us or uk?

KM:

You got it without the last hint! Grats!

Yes, Kink’s version of Dandy didn’t chart in US/UK, I believe, because it would’ve been impossible, as it was not released as a single. It only appeared as an lp track on Face To Face.

Re the chart positions, I said top ten because, as previously “Stated” (ha ha), they never had a top 5 in the States. I’ll give the chart positions in my next email.

Meanwhile, try to guess which two are tied for highest chart position at #6.

Me:

Lola and Tired of Waiting?

Or Come Dancing?

KM:

Does Come Dancing replace Lola or TOW as your second guess?

Me:

Lola

KM:

Then you win the giant stuffed animal!

YRGM – 7

All Day…  7

Tired of Waiting – 6

Lola – 9

Come Dancing – 6

I’d say you’ve earned a C+ to a B- for this session of the seminar!

Me:

I’ll try to do better next time, sir! Please, no swats with the hickory stick!