“I was traumatised by Rene’s death,” he said. “When I was a kid if you had an issue you kept quiet about it. There was shame. So I didn’t sit down and say I am going to write a melancholy theme. I was sensitive and couldn’t express myself. Then I found music and the outpouring began. I’ll never stop writing because I think of tunes incessantly – it bugs me. They come into my head – literally voices in my head.”
(Ray Davies – the anniversary edition of The Kinks‘ 1969 concept album is out now)