The Kinks’ Ray Davies Says Band’s Four-Year U.S. Ban Sparked Creative Breakthrough

In 1965, The Kinks faced a four-year U.S. performance ban. Wild antics and a fight with a TV producer during their summer shows led to this strict penalty. "I was talking to Mick Avory the other day, and we concluded that the ban in America was a result of bad management, bad luck, and bad behavior — but we were only young," said the lead singer and guitarist, Sir Ray Davies, to The Sun.

Before the ban, the band struck gold in America. "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" shot into the U.S. top 10 in 1964. Just as British music swept across America, The Kinks lost their chance while The Beatles and The Rolling Stones soared.

Cut off from U.S. stages, Davies poured his energy into British-themed music. The band created hits like "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" and "Waterloo Sunset."

In 1970, "Lola" marked their U.S. comeback. They started by playing in smaller venues, and they adapted their sound to fit the energetic punk era.

The mid-1970s brought new success with their raw sound. At Davies' Konk Studios in London, they made Sleepwalker, their first record with Clive Davis's Arista label.

Living in New York City sparked Davies to write "Superman" and "Catch Me Now I'm Falling." These tracks helped their 1979 album, Low Budget, win American hearts, even as Davies kept his London voice strong. The band kept making successful albums in the 1980s, including Give the People What They Want and State of Confusion.

A newly found tape from their final Royal Albert Hall show in 1993 appears on The Journey Part 3, released on July 11. Fans can hear classic hits like "You Really Got Me" and "Sunny Afternoon" from this special night.