Ray Davies Rerecording Kinks Songs With Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and More

Posted on Feb 24th 2010 5:20PM by Steve Baltin
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While Kinks frontman Ray Davies joins millions of British Invasion fans in waiting on his brother and guitarist Dave Davies to decide if he wants to reunite the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, the singer-songwriter is continuing to find new ways to re-examine his legendary band's catalog.

Having viewed the Kinks through the eyes of choirs with 'The Kinks Choral Collection,' he now will see the band through some of music's biggest stars. In an interview with NJ.com, Davies revealed that he's recording a duets album of classic Kinks tunes with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, the Killers, Lucinda Williams and more.

Davies and Springsteen, who duet on 'Better Things' from the 1981 Kinks album 'Give the People What They Want,' met last October at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concerts, where Davies jammed with Metallica -- who might also be on the album -- for memorable versions of 'You Really Got Me' and 'All Day and All of the Night.' Davies gives New Jersey double the love, doing 'Celluloid Heroes' with Jon Bon Jovi. "Bruce took about two or three hours and Jon about the same, but they were well-prepped and I was very impressed," Davies said. "I'm thrilled to have done the tracks with those two guys."

He also addressed his band's reunion, saying, "[Kinks drummer] Mick Avory and I are going through lots of tapes that we recorded with Dave, and we're sifting through the archives. We'll see if he wants to get involved again. It's in the works. It's really up to Dave."

The Davies' were the original feuding musical siblings, setting the template for Oasis' Gallagher brothers and the Black Crowes' fighting Robinsons back before any of the others could utter their first curses, but Davies says that after his younger brother's stroke six years ago the two have resolved their disputes. "He came and stayed with me, and I loved having him in my house," he said. But don't worry -- if that reunion does come to pass, there will still be some friction. "He's my little brother. He can be annoying," says Ray. And what does he do that's annoying? "He's just my little brother." Now those are the Kinks we know and love.