Kinks reunion documentary-in-progress

Joshua Glenn says:

My friend Geoff Edgers, the Boston Globe's arts reporter, is spending all his free time on a personal mission: to reunite The Kinks. ("I've stood by helplessly as countless crappy rock bands have gotten back together -- Styx, Flock of Seagulls, The fucking Eagles!") Local movie director-producer Robert Patton-Spruill is documenting Geoff's quixotic efforts, but I haven't been paying much attention -- because it seemed crazy, to me. But check out this excerpt from "Do It Again," their documentary in progress. Geoff talks to Kinks bassist Pete Quaife, who compares the band to the movie The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly; he gets Sting's endorsement, and the two of them duet on The Kinks' "Set Me Free"; and Hollywood lovely Zooey Deschanel says she thinks the band secretly wants to get back together.

(By the way, I used this little trick to embed the YouTube video in higher resolution than normal.)

• [shmengie]

  there’s only one band i would pay more to see reunited: xtc. i had the privilege of seeing the kinks on the low budget tour, and just saw ray about 3 months ago. wish i coulda seen ‘soap opera’ live.

• [DXMachina]

  #21, That’s what I was wondering. Dave did have a stroke a few years back. The Kinks were always about the meshing of Ray’s words with Dave’s guitar work, and if Dave can’t play as he once did, a reunited Kinks would only be a shadow of what they once were.

• [Rambling Canuck]

  Geoff, this is a beautiful thing. This was the first band I ever truly got into on my own as a kid. Give The People What They Want was the first arena show I ever saw. The Police reunion was cool (your clip with Sting was hilarious) but the Kinks would absolutely kill. You must make this happen. They’re listening…I know it. Good luck.

• [airship]

  *sigh* Zooey…

• [grimshaw]

  @ #3, I guess, although it may have been meant as a recognition of Anderson’s use of the Kinks music in his films, so it might not be fair to call it an outright ripping off. I think the font is Futura. My favorite use of Kinks music in a film is Wim Wenders The American Friend (Also my favorite of theRipley / Highsmith film adaptations, imo).

• [nightflight]

  Is their an issue of Dave Davies health? didn’t he have a stroke?…I love rock docs..but never seem to find much info on the kinks…did see them play back in 84 in Minneapolis ..good luck.

• [meanmud]

  Nobody smells like British Invasion as much as the Kinks!

• [fatuousplatitudes]

  Just watched Ray Davies interviewed on BBC2 by Jools Holland, talking about re-writing parts for the musical “Come Dancing”…
  The man is so humble but talented.
  Excellent!

• [Anonymous]

  I appreciate that you noticed we used Futura as the font. Of course, I know Anderson uses it exclusively, but that shouldn’t block it as a possibility in the lexicon of wonderful sans-serif modern fonts! Come on, what am I going to use, Arial?

  Brad Allen Wilde
  The Editor

• [broussardish]

  I’d love it if The Kinks performed, toured, recorded again, but reunions are always a crapshoot. Deep down what everyone who loves them really wants is to find the wormhole that will allow us to sneak into the “Something Else” studio in 1967, roll ourselves a harry rag and hang out with the mates, the mods and the miniskirts as history is written and set to music. The Kinks are dead. Love live The Kinks.

• [Mycroft]

  In general I’d rather gouge out my eyes than see a reunion tour, but I’d kill babies all day to be able to see The Kinks live.

• [Anonymous]

  There is nothing I would like more than to see the Kinks reunite. I’m only 21 so since I discovered the kinks at 17 I thought I’d never have the chance to see them. That said, their live shows have always been described to me as drunken stupors not the mastery that you see on the album.

• [Cupcake Faerie]

  I saw the Kinks perform at the Seattle Center Colosseum back in the late 70s. It was, as I vaguely remember, a great hit filled concert and a major moment in my rock n roll education. It was though one of the strangest concerts for the one reason being that some guy climbed to the apex of the performance hall and then fell, maybe 75 feet to the floor, while the Kinks were playing “All Day and All of the Night”. I don’t think the Darwin Award aspirant died, but not surprisingly, the concert was over at that moment. I’d go to a Kinks reunion just to hear ADAAOTHN all the way through. My favorite Kinks song though is “Celluloid Heroes”.

• [grimshaw]

  Woah, I responded to myself! I always forget about the anon posts and numbering snafu…so, I meant to say:

  @ DUMASE, I guess, although it may have been meant as a recognition of Anderson’s use of the Kinks music in his films, so it might not be fair to call it an outright ripping off. I think the font is Futura. My favorite use of Kinks music in a film is Wim Wenders The American Friend (Also my favorite of theRipley / Highsmith film adaptations, imo).

• [Flying Orca]

  Grimshaw, you totally should have done it. Mr Davies’ Sunday night set was awesome. Hell of a weekend for me, seeing Davies and Knopfler in the space of three days…

• [jonnygoldstein]

  Lola…

• [mguerena]

  Having seen the Kinks several times in the late 80′s, I only saw them late in their career. They were good rock shows, but the bootlegs I have of shows from 60′s and 70′s were are fairer reflection of The Kinks that I am most interested in. I do not think that a Kinks reunion would be as amazing as everyone thinks unless they dig into the catalog. I can live without hearing You Really Got Me and Lola live again for the nth time. Maybe do Village Green Preservation Society in its entirety like what Brian Wilson did a few years ago with Pet Sounds. Ray has been dipping into the back catalog a bit in the his solo shows. He played Long Way From Home on his last tour and there is a beautiful version of Shangri La on You Tube with a choral group backing him.
  I am happy to see the Kinks getting the love they have deserved for a long time.

• [b0tterman]

  Looks more like a Narcissists excuse for some star-fucking, if you ask me. Kinks deserve better than than THIS bullshit. What the fuck does Zooey D have to do with the Kinks for f -sake. I hear Julian Temple is making a real film about them. Let’s hope this lame self-promotional crap never sees the light of day.

• [mdh]

  Kinks deserve better than than THIS bullshit.

  Oh, and we don’t?

• [emilydickinsonridesabmx]

  This is fantastic. I love The Kinks, and really feel that they’ve been pushed to the wayside somewhat by those other English guys with the bad haircuts.

• [Crackity Jones]

  My heart gave a twang of pain at seeing him wearing the mod target – on a tshirt – tucked in to his trousers, bait American Dad stylings.
  It seemed to slap mod in the face.

• [Crackity Jones]

  Are they running out of bands/teams/casts/mcdonalds-work-forces to bring back together yet?

  Leave the memories untainted, leave what was be. If they came back, great, but it would spoil the whole shibang – a bit like if you brought Marilyn Monroe back to life, her mouldy carcass taint the image she left us.

  Plus, the worse guy to do it.

• [lava]

  I think that UTube hack may be the code that calls the H264 content for UTube on the iPhone.

• [Sean Craven]

  We were just discussing the Kinks at band practice last night. There’s that stupid old question — one that still carries a bit of weight with people of a certain age.

  Which do you like, the Beatles or the Stones?

  For me, it’s the Kinks. The introductory hook to You Really Got Me is one of the most perfect musical moments ever and was every bit as punk as anything that came after. Hell, even their disco album was great!

• [Anonymous]

  Oh, I should hope so. For the sake of the children, of course.

• [grimshaw]

  It’s a worthy cause indeed. Ray Davies is still writing and performing – missed him over the summer (Winnipeg Folk Festival show – couldn’t stomach the ticket price).

  @ Sean Craven – since you bring it up, for british r&b i’ve always thought the Pretty Things were raging, and the Dowliners Sect punk as heck, but yeah, i’d take the Kinks any day over the other two you mentioned.

• [mdh]

  The beatles, but really, Jethro Tull (circa 1967).

• [Anonymous]

  Let me preface this suggestion by stating that I am generally against corporate rock.

  But . . . The Kinks have always been tough to pin down from a business perspective and could benefit from a little modern structure. I think LiveNation should sign them to a 360 deal that would include a studio album, world tour, merchandising, live album and live DVD. Lock it all into place and then promote the hell out of it. There is no reason that the Stones, Who and Police should have the success they’ve had and leave Kinks fans endlessly hoping that better things are on the way.

  And there are A LOT of Kinks fans, but it is only the hardcore ones that have been able to follow the Kinks thru the years because things are always so scattered. If you leave it Ray and Dave, they will cobble together a string of shows at weird venues, put out an album on some obscure label and lurch around the world like the ragtag vaudevillians that they are.

  That was great for the 70′s when there was nothing but time, but with all the great music that has transcended ages and genres, the Kinks deserve a celebration with all the lights, all the sound and all the glamour.

  While we’re at it, LiveNation should also take advantage of the opportunity to sign and develop Year Long Disaster, the band of Dave’s son, Daniel. They smoke and should open these shows.

  So, 2cents from a longtime fan with his fingers crossed.

• [gedgers]

  I don’t know what’s going to happen with this… that’s the beauty.

  But feel free to keep in touch – [e-mail] – as time passes. Maybe we’ll all be able to hear the original four play Waterloo Sunset again.

  Geoff

• [dumase]

  worthy enough cause. but this documentary fails in my mind for the sole reason of ripping the wes anderson font.