page_title: Come Dancing (song)
section_title: Writing and recording
hierarchical_section_title: Come Dancing (song) / Writing and recording
caption_attribution_description: English: Mick Avory performing with The Swinging Blue Jeans (Alan Lovell, Peter Oakman, Jeff Bannister) at Kisapirtti in Parikkala, Finland July 13th 2013.
context_page_description: "Come Dancing" is a 1982 song written by Ray Davies and performed by British rock group the Kinks on their 1983 album State of Confusion. The song was inspired by Davies' memories of his older sister, Rene, who died of a heart attack while dancing at a dance hall. The lyrics, sung from the perspective of an "East End barrow boy," are about the boy's sister going on dates at a local Palais dance hall.
  When first released as a single in United Kingdom in November 1982, "Come Dancing" failed to chart. Although Arista Records founder Clive Davis had reservations about releasing the single in the United States due to the English subject matter of dance halls, the track saw an American single release in April 1983. "Come Dancing" reached number six on the Hot 100, becoming the band's highest US charting single in over a decade and tying with "Tired of Waiting for You" as the band's highest charting single ever. This success was achieved largely with the help of a promotional music video directed by Julien Temple that saw frequent airing on MTV. As a result of its American success, the single was re-released in Britain.
context_section_description: In a 1983 interview, Ray Davies claimed that writing the song was an "easy" and quick process, but the idea for the song had been in his head for a long time. He reportedly began writing the song in March 1982 on a flight home from Tokyo using a newly purchased Casio keyboard. The song was completed in London that October. Author Nick Hasted claimed that the song was also written "to reach out to the Kinks' lost British audience." The opening verse appears to be a development of the first line of Lionel Bart's Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be: 'They changed our local Palais into a bowling alley'.
  A demo for the song was created at Konk Studios, the recording facility in Hornsey that Ray Davies owned, in October 1982. A master backing track with bass, acoustic guitar, and drums was made during that same month, with overdubs following. Dave Davies later claimed that the recording was completed on the day after an intense argument with brother Ray. Also completed that month was "Don't Forget to Dance," which later competed with "Come Dancing" for the A-side of the first single from State of Confusion.
  In the song, Ray Davies sang in a strong British accent, later claiming that he "tried to retain the Englishness." While recording "Come Dancing," Ray was asked to sing in an "American accent," a request he turned down. He said of this, "Back when the Kinks were recording 'Come Dancing,' which was a big hit in the States, the record company actually asked me to sing it in more of an American accent. I just refused." Ray has singled out Mick Avory's drum performance on the song, saying, "Just keep Mick Avory nervous, and you'll get great performances from him. He's responsible for some of the great comedy drum parts. His drum roll into 'Come Dancing,' ... it's totally a beat late. It's totally unplanned, and that's what was so magical, when we were rolling."
caption: Mick Avory's drum performance on "Come Dancing" has since received praise from Ray Davies.[9]
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