Dandy (song)

"Dandy"
Single by The Kinks
from the album Face to Face
B-side	"Party Line"
Released	October 1966 (Europe)
Format	7" single (45 RPM)
Recorded	May–June 1966 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
Genre	Rock
Label	Pye 7N 317
Writer(s)	Ray Davies
Producer(s)	Shel Talmy
The Kinks singles chronology
"Sunny Afternoon" (1966) "Dandy" (1966) "Dead End Street" (1966)

"Dandy" is a 1966 song from The Kinks, appearing on their Face to Face album. It was released as a single in Continental Europe only, where it charted, reaching #1 in Germany, #2 in Belgium and #3 in the Netherlands. In some countries, the single was flipped with "Party Line" (also from Face to Face) as the A-side.

In the song, songwriter Ray Davies skewered the would-be master lover of the title. There is speculation that Davies wrote the song in reference to the wild lifestyle of his younger brother, Kinks guitarist Dave Davies.

Herman's Hermits version

"Dandy" became a hit single in North America in 1966 as recorded by fellow UK group Herman's Hermits in that same time frame, reaching #1 in Canada on the RPM national singles chart^[1] and #5 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100. It also made #3 in New Zealand. This version was not released as a single in the UK.

The Rockin' Vickers also released "Dandy" as the A side to a 1966 single. (Their main claim to fame was that Lemmy was a band member before his stint with Hawkwind and his formation of Motörhead.) British singer Clinton Ford also released a version of the song as a single in the same year.

References