The Kinks – Think Bensonium

Day 400: Waterloo Sunset, The Kinks

Roderick Benson — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 23:00:35 +0000

Well we have hit day 400 of Covid Island Discs. Given this is something that is all part of living in Britian I thought I would share a very pretty song from British band the Kinks about an inner city London sunset. Of course in order to experience a Waterloo sunset from the comfort of your home you would need to now be either very rich or paying a large chunk of your salary in rent.

Day 384: I am an ape man, The Kinks

Roderick Benson — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 23:00:53 +0000

I like this song and it contains lyrics that are timeless and pretty much apply as much today as when the song was first published in 1970.

I think I’m so educated
And I’m so civilized
‘Cause I’m a strict vegetarian
And with the over population
And inflation and starvation
And the crazy politicians
I don’t feel safe in this world no more
I don’t want to die in a nuclear war
I want to sail away to a distant shore
And make like an apeman

Day 315: Lola, The Kinks

Roderick Benson — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 00:00:44 +0000

Can’t believe I haven’t published this song yet in Covid Island Discs. An absolute rock and roll classic from a great English band who up until now, have been completely left out of my Covid Island Discs collection. An interesting bit of trivia about this song is that the line where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola was originally (and unsurprisingly) meant to be where you drink champagne and it tastes just like coco-cola.

The band had to change that line because of trademark issues around using the registered name “coco-cola” in their hit song. Not sure if this was down to an objection by the actual coco-cola company or simply due to some overly nervous lawyer inside their record company, but either way, I would have thought that if they had of used the coke brand in their song, it would have been great free advertising for the coco-cola drink. Having said all that, the song does sound better with the iconic line “cherry cola” rather than “coco-cola” so the overall legal force on the crafting of this tune was positive.