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The Kinks and Bach
I’m quite fascinated with the fact Johann Sebastian Bach was a big influence on the Kinks. I never would have thought that. Dave Davies lists Bach as one of their favorite composers along with Chuck Berry and Glenn Miller. In another interview with Ray Davies, Ray mentions Bach and guitarist Charlie Byrd as some of his favorite influencers. In a Rolling Stone Magazine interview, Kinks Ray Davies specifically referred to Bach influence in “Sunny Afternoon”.
From the Kinks biography book: “You Really Got Me: The story of the Kinks” in Chapter 1, The Village:
In interviews then, Dave (Davies) listed his favourite composers as Bach, Gershwin, Berry (Chuck) and Ray. Ray (Davies) mentioned Glenn Miller. This unique culture to one side of rock, learned from their sisters, would eventually define the Kinks.In another interview with Kinks Ray Davies in 2018 in northjersey.com
Wanting to know what kind of music influenced him in the past and what he listens to nowadays, he responded, “I listen to anything that has a bit of meaning and a bit of spirit and feeling.” He referenced Charlie Byrd, a guitar player from the 60s, who he characterized as buoyant, saying when he listened he would “expect something good to happen.” He added that some other favorites were Bach and Haydn as well as some of his contemporaries like Leo Kottke and The Band.
From Wikipedia: On Ray Davies
As the band began to experiment with theatrical sound effects and baroque musical arrangements (Nicky Hopkins played harpsichord on several tracks), Davies’ songwriting fully acquired its distinctive elements of narrative, observation and wry social commentary. His topical songs took aim at the complacency and indolence of wealthy playboys and the upper class (“A House in the Country”, “Sunny Afternoon”), the heedless ostentation of a self-indulgent spendthrift nouveau riche (“Most Exclusive Residence For Sale”), and even the mercenary nature of the music business itself (“Session Man”).
One of Bach’s greatest work is his “The Well-Tempered Clavier” Books 1 and 2. Two books of musical pieces for practice on the keyboard (harpsichord and piano) that Bach wrote. There are some 24 individual piano pieces (Preludes and Fugues Nos 1 thru 24 for book 1 alone) which are short 2 to 3 minutes pieces, that in my opinion could be done on the guitar as well. These are considered some of the greatest works of music in history. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ray and Dave Davies took some inspiration from some of the piano runs from these Bach pieces in their guitar work, given how they both state Bach is one of their favorite composers and influencers. Listening to the Kinks “Sunny Afternoon”, the melodic rhythm guitar part has a familiar Bach kind of driving rhythm to it I think. This is just another example of the linkage between classical music and pop/rock music in bands like the Beatle and the Kinks.
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5 Replies
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Here is an example of one of the pieces from Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier Book 1. Feel that melodic left hand.
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Jung, I know very little about classical music, but toward the end this composition reminded me a lot of a short classical piece that Peter Tork once played on a Monkees TV special. (I seem to be on a Monkees bender today…) I looked it up and found that it was written by Bach’s son, who I didn’t know was a composer in his own right.
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David, Peter Tork is great on the harpsichord/clavichord! Yes Johann Sebastian Bach had 20 kids actually, and 4 of them were quite accomplished composers too. Apparently Bach was a bit of a hell raiser in his day when he wasn’t making music. He also resisted being told what kind of music he should make as dictated by the royalty and the church, and was even jailed for a month for his defiance. A true artist! If he lived in the 20th century, I think he would have easily fit in with some of the roughest rockers!
Four of Bach’s children went on to have careers as composers – Carl Philip Emmanuel (pictured), Wilhelm Friedemann, Johann Christoph Friedrich and Johann Christian. However, none of them managed to eclipse their father in terms of popularity.
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Blackbird by Paul was also based on a Bach piece. From what I understand he just reversed the sequence of Bach’s piece to get Blackbird. Mike.
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Hi Mike, yes Beatles Blackbird was Bach inspired indeed, as was Simon and Garfunkles Bridge Over Troubled Waters. It seems quite clear I as I am learning too these days, Bach’s inspiration is quite prolific in modern rock/pop. In case anyone missed it, I posted this video on another thread here, where both Paul Simon and Paul McCartney go into more detail about how they incorporated pieces of Bach’s melodic lines and built on it in their own songs.
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