Dandy (song)
| "Dandy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 West German picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by the Kinks | ||||
| from the album Face to Face | ||||
| B-side | "Party Line" | |||
| Released | Late 1966[a] | |||
| Recorded | 9 June 1966[2] | |||
| Studio | Pye, London | |||
| Genre | Pop[3] | |||
| Length | 2:10 | |||
| Label | Pye | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ray Davies | |||
| Producer(s) | Shel Talmy | |||
| The Kinks European singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Dandy" is a 1966 song by the Kinks, appearing on their album Face to Face.
Release and reception
[edit]"Dandy" was only released in Britain and America on the Face to Face album. However, it was released as a single in continental Europe, where it charted, reaching #1 in Germany, #2 in Belgium #3 in the Netherlands and #6 in Austria. In some countries, (such as Norway) "Dandy" was flipped with "Party Line" (also from Face to Face) as the A-side.
AllMusic's Stewart Mason said of "Dandy" that "Davies delivers the lyrics, about a neighborhood lothario, with just the right mixture of disgust and admiration; his slyly witty vocals are truly what makes the song. Musically, the tune harks back to the music hall tradition of George Formby; Dave Davies' guitar is so trebly and clean that it sounds like a ukulele – or perhaps an electrified rubber band – and the gently swinging tune sounds like it could have been an old vaudeville hit. 'Dandy' is a charming, slightly subversive, gem."[4] Stephen Thomas Erlewine, also from AllMusic, noted "the music hall shuffle of 'Dandy'" as a "wonderful moment" from Face to Face.[5]
'Dandy' was a regular feature of the Kinks live act from 1966 to 1969 but was dropped thereafter.
Cover versions
[edit]Herman's Hermits
[edit]| "Dandy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Herman's Hermits | ||||
| from the album There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World | ||||
| B-side | "My Reservation's Been Confirmed" | |||
| Released | September 1966[6] | |||
| Recorded | August 1966[7] | |||
| Studio | De Lane Lea, London | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | MGM | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ray Davies | |||
| Producer(s) | Mickie Most | |||
| Herman's Hermits singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Dandy" became a hit single in North America in 1966 as recorded by fellow UK group Herman's Hermits in that same time frame, reaching #1 in Canada on the RPM national singles chart[8] and #5 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100.[9] It also made #3 in New Zealand. This version was not released as a single in the UK.
When comparing the Kinks' original version of "Dandy" to Herman's Hermits' cover, Stewart Mason of AllMusic said, "Herman's Hermits would have the US hit with Ray Davies' 'Dandy,' but the Kinks' own version, from 1966's masterful Face To Face, is far superior to Peter Noone's charming but gormless rendition."[4] Cash Box called the Herman's Hermits' version "a delectable item."[10]
Other versions
[edit]The Rockin' Vickers also released "Dandy" as the A side to a 1966 single. (Their main claim to fame was that Lemmy was a band member before his stint with Hawkwind and his formation of Motörhead.) British singer Clinton Ford also released a version of the song as a single in the same year.
The Kinks' Pye Records label mate David Garrick included the song on his 1967 album "A Boy Named David", as well as a live version on the 1968 German release "David Garrick and the Dandys - Blow-Up Live".
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1966–67) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] | 6 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[13] | 14 |
| Germany (GfK)[14] | 1 |
| Netherlands (Veronica Top 40)[15] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] | 2 |
| Chart (1966–67) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] | 14 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[18] | 1 |
| Denmark (Danmarks Radio)[19] | 4 |
| New Zealand (Listener)[20] | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[21] | 5 |
Notes
[edit]- ^ The single's earliest European chart appearance was on the Dutch Veronica Top 40 for the week ending 8 October 1966.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Week 41 (8 oktober 1966)" (in Dutch). Veronica Top 40. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ Hinman 2004, p. 84.
- ^ Hawkins 2017, p. 48.
- ^ a b Mason, Stewart. "AllMusic 'Dandy'". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "AllMusic 'Face to Face'". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Hinman 2004, p. 89.
- ^ Hinman 2004, p. 88.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 382.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 24 September 1966. p. 10. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "The Kinks – Dandy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "The Kinks – Dandy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "The Kinks – Dandy" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "The Kinks – Dandy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Kinks" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "The Kinks – Dandy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5775." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "danskehitlister.dk". 15 April 2016. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Hinman 2004, p. 91.
Sources
[edit]- Hawkins, Stan (2017). The British Pop Dandy: Masculinity, Popular Music and Culture. New York City: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7546-5858-0 – via Google Books.
- Hinman, Doug (2004). The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night: Day-by-Day Concerts, Recordings and Broadcasts, 1961–1996. San Francisco, California: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-765-3.
