The year was 1967. The "Summer of Love" was blooming in London, and while the Beatles were busy getting cosmic with Sgt. Pepper, a different kind of magic was happening in a small studio in Pye Records. Most people see the name "The Kinks" and immediately think of Ray Davies. He's the lyrical genius, the storyteller, the guy who gave us "Waterloo Sunset." But then there’s The Kinks Death of a Clown, a track that sounds like a drunken wake at a Victorian circus. It’s haunting. It’s messy. And it technically isn't even a Kinks song, even though it basically is.
Confused? You should be. The history of this track is a tangled mess of sibling rivalry, solo ambitions, and a very specific kind of English melancholy that only the Davies brothers could capture.
The Night Dave Davies Saw a Ghost (Metaphorically)
Dave Davies was only 20 years old when he wrote this. Imagine that. At 20, most of us are trying to figure out how to pay rent or pass a sociology exam. Dave was busy being the "Rave" of the British Invasion, but he was also burnt out. He’s gone on record many times—notably in his autobiography Kink—explaining that the song came from a place of deep exhaustion with the party lifestyle.
He had this vision. It wasn't a literal clown dying in a ring. It was about the "party" ending. He felt like the performer who had to keep smiling while everyone else went home. The song was inspired by a specific incident where he fainted on stage in Cardiff. When he woke up, he felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Ray Davies helped him finish it. Ray added those descending piano lines that sound like someone falling down a flight of stairs in slow motion. Nicky Hopkins—the legendary session player who played with everyone from the Stones to The Who—provided that distinct, honky-tonk piano that gives the song its "pub at 2 AM" vibe.
Is it a Solo Song or a Kinks Record?
This is where the SEO nerds and the vinyl collectors get into fights. On the original 45rpm vinyl, the artist is listed as Dave Davies. It was his debut solo single. However, if you look at the personnel, it’s the Kinks. It’s Ray on backing vocals (those "la-la-las" are unmistakable), Pete Quaife on bass, and Mick Avory on drums.
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It hit number 3 on the UK charts. It was a massive success, arguably bigger than some of the full-band singles released around that time. Because of that success, it was shoved onto the 1967 album Something Else by The Kinks. So, while it started as Dave’s big "I’m my own man" moment, it’s forever tethered to the band’s legacy.
Honestly, it’s the best thing that could have happened for the song. The chemistry between the brothers—despite their legendary fistfights—is what makes the track breathe. Ray’s voice sits just behind Dave’s rougher, more strained lead. It creates this eerie, double-tracked feeling of a man talking to his own shadow.
The Sound of 1960s Disillusionment
Musically, The Kinks Death of a Clown is a bit of an outlier for 1967. While everyone else was using sitars and backward tapes, Dave Davies went backward in time. It sounds like a music hall song from the 1920s.
- The Piano: Nicky Hopkins used a "tack piano" or something similar to get that percussive, metallic ring. It sounds cheap in a way that feels expensive.
- The Vocals: Dave isn’t trying to be a crooner here. He sounds raspy. He sounds like he’s had a few too many gins.
- The Lyrics: "The fortune teller passed me by / She didn't want to tell me my lie." That’s dark stuff for a pop hit.
Most people don't realize how influential this specific "baroque-pop-meets-drunk-uncle" sound became. You can hear echoes of it in David Bowie’s early work and certainly in the Britpop explosion of the 90s. Oasis and Blur owe a massive debt to this specific three-minute window of Dave Davies' psyche.
Why Nobody Talks About the "Death" Part
We use the word "clown" as an insult now. Back then, Dave was using it as a metaphor for the celebrity machine. The 1960s were moving so fast. Bands were being chewed up and spat out every six months. By 1967, The Kinks were already being treated like "old men" of the scene, despite being in their early twenties.
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The "death" in the song is the death of innocence. It’s the realization that the swinging sixties weren't actually going to change the world—they were just a different kind of circus. When the clown dies, the audience doesn't cry; they just wait for the next act. It’s cynical. It’s brilliant.
The Mystery of the Missing Solo Album
Because "Death of a Clown" was such a hit, the record label (Pye) screamed for a Dave Davies solo album. Dave spent a lot of 1967 and 1968 recording tracks like "Susannah's Still Alive" and "Lincoln County." But the album never materialized. It became one of the great "lost" albums of the rock era.
Some say it was Ray’s ego that killed it. Others say Dave just didn't have the stamina to finish a full project while the Kinks were recording masterpieces like The Village Green Preservation Society. Most of those solo tracks ended up as Kinks B-sides or were tucked away on compilations decades later.
It makes "Death of a Clown" feel even more precious. It’s a glimpse of what a Dave Davies solo career could have been if he hadn’t been tethered to his brother’s gravity.
That Iconic "Something Else" Era
If you’re just getting into The Kinks Death of a Clown, you have to listen to the whole Something Else album. It’s the bridge between their "You Really Got Me" garage rock days and their "Village Green" conceptual phase.
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The album is a collection of character sketches. You have "David Watts," the guy everyone wants to be, and then you have the "Clown," the guy everyone is laughing at. The contrast is sharp. It shows a band that was becoming incredibly self-aware. They knew the bubble was going to burst.
Real-World Impact and Legacy
Even today, the song shows up in weird places. It was in the movie The Darjeeling Limited. It’s been covered by various indie bands who want to tap into that "sad-but-catchy" vibe.
What’s the takeaway here? Don't sleep on Dave Davies. Ray is the architect, sure, but Dave was the soul. He provided the grit. Without Dave’s distorted guitar and his weird, vulnerable songwriting, The Kinks would have just been another clever British band. "Death of a Clown" proved he was a formidable songwriter in his own right.
How to Appreciate This Song Today
To really "get" this track, you need to stop listening to it on tiny phone speakers.
- Find a mono mix. The stereo mixes from the 60s often panned things weirdly. The mono mix hits harder and feels more claustrophobic, which suits the lyrics.
- Listen for the background noise. There’s a certain "room sound" to these recordings. You can almost smell the cigarette smoke and the stale beer in the studio.
- Compare it to "Waterloo Sunset." They were recorded around the same time. One is a beautiful, romantic dream; the other is a hungover nightmare. They are two sides of the same London coin.
If you're a musician, try playing those chords. It’s a simple progression, but the way the piano interacts with the vocal melody is a masterclass in tension and release. It shouldn't work—it’s too bouncy for a song about a dead clown—but that irony is exactly why it’s a classic.
The next time you hear that "la-la-la" chorus, remember it’s not just a catchy hook. It’s the sound of a young man realizing that the circus is leaving town, and he’s the only one left to sweep up the confetti.
Next Steps for the Deep Diver
- Audit the Solo Work: Go find the "Lost Album" tracks, specifically "Mindless Child of Motherhood" and "Hold My Hand." You'll see that Dave's writing style was much more jagged and emotional than Ray's polished satire.
- Read the Source Material: Pick up a copy of Kink by Dave Davies. He goes into the psychological state he was in during the 1967 tour, providing context that makes the lyrics hit ten times harder.
- Analyze the Gear: For the guitarists, research the "Elpico" amp Dave used. While this track is piano-heavy, his tonal influence is all over the production choices of this era.