Dandy (song)

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"Dandy"
Dandy cover.jpg
Single by The Kinks
from the album Face to Face
B-side"Party Line"
Released18. November 1966 (Europe) 30. November 1966 (USA)
RecordedMay–June 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
GenrePop rock
LabelPye 7N 317
Songwriter(s)Ray Davies
Producer(s)Shel Talmy
The Kinks singles chronology
"Sunny Afternoon"
(1966) 		"Dandy"
(1966) 		"Dead End Street"
(1966)

"Dandy" is a 1966 song by The Kinks, appearing on their album Face to Face.

Release and reception[]

"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."[1] Stephen Thomas Erlewine, also from AllMusic, noted "the music hall shuffle of 'Dandy'" as a "wonderful moment" from Face to Face.[2]

'Dandy' was a regular feature of The Kinks live act from 1966 to 1969 but was dropped thereafter.

Herman's Hermits version[]

"Dandy"
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"
ReleasedSeptember 1966 (US)
February 1967 (UK)
RecordedDe Lane Lea Studios, London, 13 August 1966
GenrePop
LabelMGM K-13603
Songwriter(s)Ray Davies
Producer(s)Mickie Most
Herman's Hermits singles chronology
"This Door Swings Both Ways"
(1966) 		"Dandy"
(1966) 		""
(1966)

"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[3] and #5 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] 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."[1] Cash Box called the Herman's Hermits' version "a delectable item."[5]

The Rockin' Vickers version[]

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.

David Garrick versions[]

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".

References[]

  1. ^ a b Mason, Stewart. "AllMusic 'Dandy'". Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "AllMusic 'Face to Face'". Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 382.
  5. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 24 September 1966. p. 10. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
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