The Kinks - Drivin'
Drivin' / Mindless Child Of Motherhood
BMG BMGCAT407BOX6 (2019)
This Kinks' 45 was originally released in 1969 on the Pye record label in the UK. The A side was taken from the album "Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire)," more often referred to as simply "Arthur."
"Arthur" was a concept album, written as a soundtrack to an intended TV show that was never produced. Basically it revolved around the story of Arthur Morgan, a carpet-layer, who was based on Ray and guitarist Dave Davies' brother-in-law Arthur Anning who emigrated with their sister Rose to Australia in 1964. Her departure devastated Ray, and it inspired him to write the song "Rosy Won't You Please Come Home" which was released on the 1966 album "Face to Face".
Although critically acclaimed at the time, "Arthur" sold poorly. One US critic, Griel Marcus, stated in his review "Less ambitious than Tommy, and far more musical... Arthur is by all odds the best British album of 1969. It shows that Pete Townshend still has worlds to conquer and that the Beatles have a lot of catching up to do."
The original version of this 45 was the first Kinks' single since 1964 that failed to chart in the UK.
The flip side, credited to Dave Davies And The Kinks, should have appeared on Dave's first solo album which was due to be released sometime in 1968. However with poor sales of Dave's solo 45s during 1968, Pye records cancelled the album's release in early 1969. The track did not appear on an album until 1972's "The Kink Kronikles," and the album was eventually released in 2011 entitled "Hidden Treasures".
In 2019 "Arthur" was given the "super deluxe box set" treatment and was released with three 45s. In the 60s very few UK 45s were released with picture covers and the original issue of this single would have come in a Pye company sleeve. The sleeve design for this re-issue is closely based on the original French 1969 release.
This 45, like the original release, is a mono recording.
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