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The Kinks Greatest Hits!

{{good article}}

{{Short description|1966 greatest hits album by the Kinks}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}

{{Redirect|Greatest Hits!|other uses|Greatest Hits (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox album

| name = The Kinks Greatest Hits!

| type = greatest

| artist = the Kinks

| cover = Greatest Hits!.jpeg

| alt = A photo montage of the Kinks is beneath the album's title and a listing of its songs

| released = 10 August 1966

| recorded = July{{nbsp}}1964{{snd}}February{{nbsp}}1966

| studio = Pye and IBC, London

| genre = *Pop{{harvnb|Gross|1967|p=10}}: "The repackaged product currently clicking in the pop field include[s]{{nbsp}}... 'The Kinks' Greatest Hits' (Reprise)".

  • rock and roll{{harvnb|Santosuosso|1966|p=23}}: "Another well-wrapped package of R 'n R hits is 'The Kinks Greatest Hits!' (Reprise)."

| length = {{duration|m=23|s=54}}

| label = Reprise

| producer = Shel Talmy

| chronology = The Kinks US

| prev_title = The Kink Kontroversy

| prev_year = 1966

| next_title = Face to Face

| next_year = 1966

}}

The Kinks Greatest Hits! (also spelled The Kinks' Greatest Hits!){{efn|The title includes the apostrophe on the spine of the album sleeve, but it is omitted on the LP's label and on the sleeve's front and back.{{sfn|Anon.(a)|1966}}}} is a compilation album by the English rock band the Kinks. Released in the United States in August 1966 by Reprise Records, the album mostly consists of singles issued by the group between 1964 and 1966. The band's first greatest hits album, it remained on the Billboard Top LPs chart for over a year, peaking at number 9, making it the Kinks' highest charting album in the US. The album was in print for decades and was the Kinks' only gold record in America until 1980.

Release

Reprise Records released The Kinks Greatest Hits! in the US on 10 August 1966.{{efn|Author Thomas M. Kitts wrote in 2002 that the album was released on {{nowrap|12 August 1966}}, while Kinks researcher Doug Hinman wrote in 2004 that it was the 10th.{{harvnb|Kitts|2002|p=12}}; {{harvnb|Hinman|2004|p=88}}.}} The band's first greatest hits album,{{sfn|Rogan|2015|p=721}} it mostly consists of singles issued by the group between 1964 and 1966,{{sfn|Hinman|2004|p=88}} ranging from "You Really Got Me" to "Dedicated Follower of Fashion", recorded in mid-July{{nbsp}}1964 and February{{nbsp}}1966, respectively. All the tracks were recorded at Pye or IBC Studios in London and were produced by Shel Talmy.{{sfn|Hinman|2004|pp=31, 38, 46, 50, 51, 56, 66, 70}} "Something Better Beginning" is the only non-single on the album, first issued on Kinda Kinks (1965).{{sfn|Hinman|2004|pp=50, 88}}

The album's liner notes include one of the earliest instances of Ray Davies, the Kinks' principal songwriter, being characterised as a genius.{{sfn|Kitts|2008|p=115}} Author Thomas. M. Kitts suggests the description of Davies as "a brooding-faced, long-haired genius"{{harvnb|Anon.(a)|1966}}, quoted in {{harvnb|Kitts|2008|pp=11, 115}}. was an attempt to connect him to the English poet Lord Byron.{{sfn|Kitts|2008|p=11}} Eder writes that Ed Thrasher's cover art for the album, depicting the band in several concert photographs, further added to its collectibility.{{harvnb|Anon.(a)|1966}}: (Ed Thrasher's cover art).

Commercial performance and reception

{{Album ratings

|title = Retrospective professional ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}

| rev2 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{sfn|Larkin|2011|loc=chap. "Kinks"}}

| rev3 = The Great Rock Discography

| rev3score = {{Rating|8|10}}{{sfn|Strong|2004|p=840}}

}}

Like subsequent British compilations collecting the Kinks' mid-1960s hits, the album's sales surpassed those of the band's late 1960s studio albums.{{sfn|Hinman|2004|p=121}}{{efn|The album sold over 200,000 copies by 1969.{{sfn|Christgau|1969|p=31}} By comparison, Something Else by the Kinks (1968) and The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1969) sold a combined 25,000 copies in America.{{sfn|Hasted|2011|p=147}}}} It remained on the Billboard Top LPs chart for 64 weeks, peaking in November 1966 at number 9,{{sfn|Hinman|2004|pp=88, 92}} making it the Kinks' highest charting album in the US.{{cite web |title=The Kinks Chart History |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-kinks/chart-history/tlp/ |website=Billboard |access-date=21 February 2023 |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221154201/https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-kinks/chart-history/tlp/ |url-status=live }} It additionally reached number 13 and 8 on Cash Box and Record World{{'s}} charts, respectively.{{harvnb|Anon.(b)|1966|p=29}}; {{harvnb|Anon.(c)|1966|p=29}}. RIAA certified it gold in November{{nbsp}}1968, indicating retail sales of US$1{{nbsp}}million (equivalent to US${{Inflation|US|1|1968|r=1}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}).{{sfn|Hinman|2004|pp=88, 121}} The album remained in print for around 20 years and was the Kinks' only American gold record until Low Budget{{'s}} (1979) certification in 1980.{{harvnb|Barnes|2000|p=76}}; {{harvnb|Hinman|2004|p=236}}: (Low Budget certified gold on 7 January 1980).

Crawdaddy magazine critic Sandy Pearlman contemporaneously described it as among the best greatest hits albums available.{{harvnb|Pearlman|1968|p=38}}, quoted in {{harvnb|Gunton|1982|p=89}}. Authors Steve Alleman and Bruce Eder each retrospectively write that the album's joining of various styles served to indicate the Kinks' earliest musical developments, though Eder suggests the album's shortcoming is its omission of the band's later 1966 songs, like "Sunny Afternoon" and "Dandy".{{cite web |last1=Eder |first1=Bruce |title=The Kinks' Greatest Hits [Reprise] – The Kinks |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-kinks-greatest-hits-reprise--mw0000850286 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=29 June 2022 |language=en |archive-date=29 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629040938/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-kinks-greatest-hits-reprise--mw0000850286 |url-status=live}}{{sfn|Alleman|2002|p=46}} Critic Robert Christgau included the album in his "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in his book Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981).{{sfn|Christgau|1981|p=455}}

Track listing

All songs by Ray Davies.

Side one

  1. "You Really Got Me" – 2:20
  2. "Tired of Waiting for You" – 2:30
  3. "Set Me Free" – 2:10
  4. "Something Better Beginning" – 2:23
  5. "Who'll Be the Next in Line" – 1:59

Side two

  1. "Till the End of the Day" – 2:20
  2. "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" – 2:59
  3. "A Well Respected Man" – 2:38
  4. "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy" – 2:15
  5. "All Day and All of the Night" – 2:20

Personnel

According to band researcher Doug Hinman,{{sfn|Hinman|2004|pp=29–30, 38, 46, 50, 51, 56, 66, 70, 77, 88}} except where noted:

The Kinks

  • Ray Davies{{snd}} lead vocals; electric and acoustic rhythm guitars; piano {{small|("Something Better Beginning", "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy")}}
  • Dave Davies{{snd}} backing vocals, electric lead guitar
  • Pete Quaife{{snd}} backing vocals, bass
  • Mick Avory{{snd}} drums; tambourine {{small|("You Really Got Me", "Till the End of the Day", "All Day and All of the Night")}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

Additional musicians

  • Clem Cattini{{snd}} drums {{small|("Till the End of the Day")}}
  • Rasa Davies{{snd}} backing vocals {{small|("Something Better Beginning", "Set Me Free", "Till the End of the Day", "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy")}}
  • Perry Ford{{snd}} piano {{small|("All Day and All of the Night")}}
  • Bobby Graham{{snd}} drums {{small|("You Really Got Me", "Tired of Waiting for You", "All Day and All of the Night")}}
  • Arthur Greenslade{{snd}} piano {{small|("You Really Got Me")}}
  • Nicky Hopkins{{snd}} piano {{small|("Till the End of the Day", "Dedicated Follower of Fashion")}}
  • Unidentified girlfriends of the Kinks{{snd}} backing vocals {{small|("Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy")}}
  • Unidentified session musician{{efn|Hinman writes a guitarist from Edward Kassner's office played additional rhythm guitar on "You Really Got Me", "likely Harry, possibly Bob or Vic, surname unknown".{{sfn|Hinman|2004|p=29}}}}{{snd}} rhythm guitar {{small|("You Really Got Me")}}

{{col-2}}

Production and additional personnel

  • Bob Auger{{snd}} engineering
  • Glyn Johns{{snd}} engineering {{small|("You Really Got Me")}}
  • Alan MacKenzie{{snd}} engineering {{small|("Till the End of the Day", "Dedicated Follower of Fashion", "A Well Respected Man")}}
  • Shel Talmy{{snd}} producer
  • Ed Thrasher{{snd}} art direction{{sfn|Anon.(a)|1966}}

{{col-end}}

Charts and certifications

{{col begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|+Weekly chart performance

! scope="col" | Chart (1966–1967)

! scope="col" | Peak
position

scope="row" |US Billboard Top LPs{{sfn|Anon.(d)|1966|p=50}}

|align="center"|9

scope="row" |US Cash Box Top 100 Albums{{sfn|Anon.(b)|1966|p=29}}

|align="center"|13

scope="row" |US Record World Album Chart{{sfn|Anon.(c)|1966|p=29}}

|align="center"|8

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|+Year-end chart performance

! scope="col" | Chart (1966)

! scope="col" | Ranking

scope="row" |US Cash Box{{sfn|Anon.(e)|1966|p=34}}

|align="center"|83

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for The Kinks Greatest Hits!}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=The Kinks|title=The Kinks Greatest Hits|award=Gold|type=album|salesamount=$1,000,000|salesref={{sfn|Hinman|2004|pp=88, 121}}}}

{{End}}

{{col end}}

Notes

{{Notelist|30em}}

References

= Citations =

{{Reflist|20em}}

= Sources =

{{Refbegin|35em|indent=yes}}

  • {{cite book |last=Alleman |first=Steve |editor1-last=Kitts |editor1-first=Thomas M. |title=Living on a Thin Line: Crossing Aesthetic Borders with The Kinks |date=2002 |publisher=Desolation Angel Books |location=Rumford, Rhode Island |isbn=0-9641005-4-1 |pages=44–51 |chapter='The Hard Way' or 'Something Better Beginning' – An Alternate View of The Kinks' Artistic Development}}
  • {{Cite AV media notes |author=Anon.[a] |title=The Kinks Greatest Hits! |others=The Kinks |year=1966 |type=Liner notes|publisher=Reprise Records |id=R-6217 |ref={{SfnRef|Anon.(a)|1966}}}}
  • {{cite magazine|author=Anon.[b]|title=Top 100 Albums|magazine=Cash Box|date=8 October 1966|page=29|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-10-08.pdf|ref={{SfnRef|Anon.(b)|1966}}|access-date=28 June 2022|archive-date=22 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322034121/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-10-08.pdf|url-status=live}}
  • {{cite magazine|author=Anon.[c]|title=100 Top LP's|magazine=Record World|date=22 October 1966|page=29|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/66/RW-1966-10-22-Chart.pdf|ref={{SfnRef|Anon.(c)|1966}}|access-date=28 June 2022|archive-date=7 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707131057/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/66/RW-1966-10-22-Chart.pdf|url-status=live}}
  • {{cite magazine|author=Anon.[d]|title=Top LPs|magazine=Billboard|date=19 November 1966|page=50|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1966/Billboard%201966-11-19.pdf|ref={{SfnRef|Anon.(d)|1966}}|access-date=28 June 2022|archive-date=29 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629065346/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1966/Billboard%201966-11-19.pdf|url-status=live}}
  • {{cite magazine|author=Anon.[e]|title=Best Albums of 1966|magazine=Cash Box|date=24 December 1966|page=34|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-12-24.pdf|ref={{SfnRef|Anon.(e)|1966}}|access-date=29 June 2022|archive-date=9 October 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-12-24.pdf|url-status=live}}
  • {{cite magazine|last=Barnes|first=Terry|title=Rock|magazine=Billboard|page=76|date=13 May 2000|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76|access-date=29 June 2022|archive-date=29 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629000743/https://books.google.com/books?id=JQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76|url-status=live}}
  • {{cite magazine |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |title=Kinks Kountry |magazine=The Village Voice |date=10 April 1969 |pages=31, 36–37 |volume=XIV |number=26 |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/kinks-69.php |archive-date=16 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216105123/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/kinks-69.php |url-status=live |via=robertchristgau.com }}
  • {{cite book |last1=Christgau |first1=Robert |title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies |date=1981 |publisher=Ticknor & Fields |location=New Haven, Connecticut |isbn=978-0-89919-025-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/christgausrecord00robe_1 |url-access=registration }}
  • {{cite magazine|last=Gross|first=Mike|title=Dressed-Up Reissues Giving Record Firms Sales Bonanza|magazine=Billboard|date=24 June 1967|pages=1, 10|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1967/Billboard%201967-06-24.pdf|access-date=29 June 2022|archive-date=29 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629012121/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1967/Billboard%201967-06-24.pdf|url-status=live}}
  • {{cite book |editor1-last=Gunton |editor1-first=Sharon R. |title=Contemporary Literary Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Today's Novelists, Poets, Playwrights, Short Story Writers, Filmmakers, Screenwriters, and Other Creative Writers |date=1982 |publisher=Gale Research Company |location=Detroit, Michigan |isbn=0-8103-0117-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/contemporarylite21gale/ |url-access=registration }}
  • {{cite book |last1=Hasted |first1=Nick |title=The Story of the Kinks: You Really Got Me |date=2011 |publisher=Omnibus Press |location=London |isbn=978-1-84938-660-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/storyofkinksyour0000hast |url-access=registration }}
  • {{cite book |last1=Hinman |first1=Doug |title=The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night: Day-by-Day Concerts, Recordings and Broadcasts, 1961–1996 |date=2004 |publisher=Backbeat Books |location=San Francisco, California |isbn=978-0-87930-765-3}}
  • {{cite book |editor1-last=Kitts |editor1-first=Thomas M. |title=Living on a Thin Line: Crossing Aesthetic Borders with The Kinks |date=2002 |publisher=Desolation Angel Books |location=Rumford, Rhode Island |isbn=0-9641005-4-1 |pages=9–24 |chapter=Chronology}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Kitts |first1=Thomas M. |title=Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else |date=2008 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York City |isbn=978-0-415-97768-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/raydaviesnotlike0000kitt/ |url-access=registration }}
  • {{cite book |editor-last=Larkin |editor-first=Colin |editor-link=Colin Larkin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2011 |publisher=Omnibus Press |location=London |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8 |edition=Fifth concise |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC |language=en |access-date=3 July 2022 |archive-date=24 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324154302/https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC |url-status=live }}
  • {{cite magazine |last=Pearlman |first=Sandy |author-link=Sandy Pearlman |title=Doors & Kinks |date=January 1968 |magazine=Crawdaddy |pages=21, 25, 36–39}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Rogan |first1=Johnny |author1-link=Johnny Rogan |title=Ray Davies: A Complicated Life |date=2015 |publisher=The Bodley Head |location=London |isbn=978-1-84792-317-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/raydaviescomplic0000roga |url-access=registration }}
  • {{cite news |last1=Santosuosso |first1=Ernie |title=Pseudo-Emperor's Reign A Traumatic Experience |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104919242/ |work=The Boston Globe |date=4 September 1966 |page=23 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=4 July 2022 |archive-date=23 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023081603/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/104919242/ |url-status=live }}
  • {{cite book |last1=Strong |first1=Martin C. |author1-link=Martin C. Strong |title=The Great Rock Discography |date=2004 |publisher=Canongate U.S. |location=New York City |isbn=978-1-84195-615-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr0000stro_r9o1/ |url-access=registration }}

{{Refend}}

External links

  • {{Discogs master|type=album|102455|name=The Kinks Greatest Hits!}}

{{The Kinks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kinks Greatest Hits}}

Category:The Kinks compilation albums

Category:1966 greatest hits albums

Category:Reprise Records compilation albums

Cateogry:Pop compilation albums

Category:British rock-and-roll albums