Big Black Smoke

1966 single by the Kinks

"Big Black Smoke"

Single by the Kinks

A-side

"Dead End Street"

Released

18 November 1966

Recorded

21–22 October 1966^[1]

Studio

Pye, London

Genre

Rock

Label

Pye (UK, 7N 17222)
Reprise (US, 0540)

Songwriter(s)

Ray Davies

Producer(s)

Shel Talmy

The Kinks UK singles chronology

"Sunny Afternoon"
(1966)

"Dead End Street" / "Big Black Smoke"
(1966)

"Waterloo Sunset"
(1967)

The Kinks US singles chronology

"Sunny Afternoon"
(1966)

"Dead End Street" / "Big Black Smoke"
(1966)

"Mister Pleasant"
(1967)

"Big Black Smoke" is the B-side to The Kinks' single "Dead End Street", written by Ray Davies. The song was not originally included on any album, but has since appeared as a track on the popular 1972 Kink Kronikles compilation and as a bonus track on the CD reissue of Face to Face.

The Big Smoke is a euphemism for London, the setting of the story told in the lyric.

The song makes reference to the recreational use of the drug Drinamyl with the lyric "And every penny she had was spent on purple hearts and cigarettes."

Personnel

According to band researcher Doug Hinman:^[2]

The Kinks

Ray Davies – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Dave Davies – backing vocals, electric guitar
John Dalton^{[nb 1]} – backing vocals, bass
Mick Avory – drums

Notes

^ After Pete Quaife was injured in a 3 June 1966 car accident, Dalton served as a temporary replacement.^[3] Dalton replaced Quaife as the Kinks' full-time bassist on 12 September 1966, making "Big Black Smoke" among Dalton's first recordings as an official member of the group.^[4] Quaife returned to the band on 14 November 1966, replacing Dalton.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Hinman 2004, p. 91.
^ Hinman 2004, p. 93.
^ Hinman 2004, p. 84.
^ Hinman 2004, pp. 89, 91.

Sources

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.

The Kinks singles discography

1960s singles
(UK & US)

1964: "Long Tall Sally"; "You Still Want Me"; "You Really Got Me"; "All Day and All of the Night"

1965: "Tired of Waiting for You"; "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy"; "Set Me Free"; "See My Friends"; "Who'll Be the Next in Line"; "A Well Respected Man"; "Till the End of the Day"

1966: "Dedicated Follower of Fashion"; "Sunny Afternoon"; "Dead End Street"

1967: "Mister Pleasant"; "Waterloo Sunset"; "Death of a Clown" (Dave Davies solo); "Autumn Almanac"; "Susannah's Still Alive" (Dave Davies solo)

1968: "Wonderboy"; "Days"; "Lincoln County" (Dave Davies solo)

1969: "Starstruck"; "Hold My Hand" (Dave Davies solo); "Plastic Man"; "Drivin'"; "The Village Green Preservation Society"; "Shangri-La"; "Victoria"

1970s singles
(UK & US)