{"id":635055,"date":"2026-06-12T15:21:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T15:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/635055\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T15:21:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T15:21:13","slug":"the-1983-kinks-song-that-came-to-ray-davies-like-tragic-magic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/635055\/","title":{"rendered":"The 1983 Kinks song that came to Ray Davies like tragic magic"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ray<\/p>\n

Credit: Far Out \/ Ray Davies<\/p>\n

Fri 12 June 2026 11:55, UK <\/p>\n

Out of all the songs in his back catalogue, Ray Davies<\/a> seems proudest of his work on \u2018Come Dancing\u2019, which was his exploration of the dance halls that surrounded the songwriter as he sat near to them. <\/p>\n

More than that, the song reminded him of his sister, who died before her time. \u201cRene had died dancing in a ballroom in London in the arms of a stranger,\u201d Davies recalled. \u201cComing back from Canada where she\u2019d emigrated [from the UK] to die, really, and again, being a source of inspiration,\u201d Davies elaborated. \u201cShe gave me my first guitar, which was quite a great parting gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

The deeply personal nature of \u2018Come Dancing\u2019 is one of the reasons it occupies such a special place in Davies\u2019 catalogue. While the song is wrapped in upbeat melodies and affectionate nostalgia, beneath the surface lies a poignant meditation on family, memory and loss.<\/p>\n

The backbeat is elastic and electric, and the frenzied guitar hooks bend around the corner, creating a genuinely piercing, passionate display of hooks. In the middle of the work comes the sound of a crashing guitar hook, pushing the music to more sophisticated territories. The track also boasts a genuinely fanciful drum backbeat from Mick Avory<\/a>, as he charges through the back, creating a soundscape workout based on pedals, cymbals and drum fills.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust keep Mick Avory nervous,\u201d Davie chuckled, \u201cAnd you\u2019ll get great performances from him. He\u2019s responsible for some of the great comedy drum parts. His drum roll into \u2018Come Dancing,\u2019 \u2026 it\u2019s totally a beat late. It\u2019s totally unplanned, and that\u2019s what was so magical when we were rolling.\u201d<\/p>\n

The drummer<\/a> delivers a thunderous performance that can come from a place of creative energy, as the drums kick from all angles of the kit. The tune wallops along, creating a jauntiness that bounces along, bringing an aura of genuine good humour for the track in question, which might explain why the tune in question is so enjoyable in question, creating a sense of giddy invention, ensuring a sense of bonhomie and tangible frisson. As it happens, the tune was something of a triumph for Davies, who considered it one of his personal favourites.<\/p>\n

In the above quote, Davies claims that the tune is magical, and I\u2019m inclined to agree with him, as it paints a portrait of an England<\/a> soon to be washed over by the tide of time and memory. The tune provides a mosaic for the listeners to wash in and out of the world of the music, but it\u2019s to the songwriter\u2019s credit that he helps channel the flavour of memory to let the band revel up and roar out. The guitars in question burst in the middle, and the coda erupts with the ferocity of a muscular behemoth. Davies plays a chiming hook and a passionate vocal delivery.<\/p>\n

Further reading: From The Vault<\/p>\n

Within the perimeters of rock, the tune held a more nostalgic flavour, which is why the tune ricochets along, barrelling through the backdrop, to create a fiery backchannel that shows that nostalgia isn\u2019t always the answer to capture resolve and resolution. The characters in the tune fizzle to the sound of the backdrop. It was Davies\u2019 late sister that inspired the tune, and in his own way, he gives her new life in the confines of the song in question. Beautiful.<\/p>\n

More than four decades after its release, \u2018Come Dancing\u2019 remains one of Davies\u2019 most accomplished achievements. By transforming a personal family tragedy into a universally relatable reflection on memory and change, he created a song that resonates far beyond its autobiographical origins, standing as one of the defining moments in The Kinks\u2019 catalogue.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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