Dead End Street (song)

"Dead End Street" is a song by the British band the Kinks from 1966, written by main songwriter Ray Davies. Like many other songs written by Davies, it is to some degree influenced by British Music Hall. It was originally released as a non-album single, but has since been included as one of several bonus tracks from the Face to Face CD. The song, like many others by the group, deals with the poverty and misery found in the lower classes of English society. The song was a big success in the UK, reaching #5 on the singles charts, but only reached #73 in the United States.[1] In 1976 it ranked #72 on New Musical Express's list of the Top 100 Singles of All Time.[2] Some labels list the song as "Deadend Street".

"Dead End Street"
Single by the Kinks
B-side"Big Black Smoke"
Released18 November 1966 (1966-11-18) (UK)
Recorded21 October 1966
StudioPye (No. 2), London
GenreRock
Length3:20
Label
Songwriter(s)Ray Davies
Producer(s)Shel Talmy
The Kinks UK & US singles chronology
"Sunny Afternoon"
(1966)		 "Dead End Street"
(1966)		 "Waterloo Sunset"
(1967)

Promotional film

A mimed promotional film (precursor to the modern music video) was produced for the song in late 1966. It was filmed on Little Green Street, a diminutive eighteenth century lane in North London, located off Highgate Road in Kentish Town.

Little Green Street, location of the "Dead End Street" Music Video.

The film was shot in black and white, and featured each member of the band dressed as an undertaker, as well as playing various other characters throughout. With a length of roughly 3:15 in total. Dave Davies says that the BBC disliked the film, with the group dressed as Victorian pallbearers and one of their roadies in a nightshirt suddenly leaping out of the coffin as they put it down on the pavement, claiming it was in bad taste.[3]

The song was recorded at a time when bassist Pete Quaife had left the band after a scooter accident, and was replaced by John Dalton. Quaife had returned to the group by the time the promotional film was shot.

Personnel

Charts
Chart (1966–67) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 62
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[6] 15
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 28
Canada (CHUM)[8] 7
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[9] 23
France (IFOP)[10] 28
Germany (Official German Charts)[11] 5
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 5
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 4
New Zealand (Listener)[15] 4
Norway (VG-lista)[16] 6
Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[17] 12
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 73
US Cash Box Top 100[20] 72

Covers and alternative versions

"Dead End Street" has been covered by the Jam. The song and its music video influenced Oasis's #1 hit "The Importance of Being Idle" from 2005.[21] An unreleased alternative recording of the song from October 1966 was issued in December 2008 on the Kinks 6-CD box set Picture Book. In 2010, Davies also recorded this as a duet with Amy Macdonald on the album See My Friends.

References
  1. "U.S. Chart Positions". Kinks.it.rit.edu. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  2. "Rocklist.net NME Greatest Singles Lists". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  3. "Dave Davies Returns to Little Green Street and talks about Dead End Street". Youtube.com. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  4. "Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1967". www.top100singles.net.
  5. "Ultratop.be – The Kinks – Dead End Street" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. "Ultratop.be – The Kinks – Dead End Street" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10037." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  8. "CHUM Hit Parade, week of January 16, 1967". 16 January 1967. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  9. "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit KET - KIR". Sisältää hitin. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  10. "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par K" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Kinks" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Kinks – Dead End Street". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  12. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Dead End Street". Irish Singles Chart.
  13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Kinks" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  14. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Kinks – Dead End Street" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  15. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  16. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Kinks – Dead End Street". VG-lista.
  17. "HITS ALLER TIJDEN". www.hitsallertijden.nl. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  18. "Kinks: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  19. "The Kinks Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  20. "Cash Box Top 100 1/21/67". cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  21. Stephen Thomas Erlewine (31 May 2005). "Don't Believe the Truth – Oasis | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
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