"Susannah's Still Alive" ("Suzanah's Still Alive" on the original UK release) is a song by Dave Davies, released for his second solo single. The recording featured all of the Kinks' members as his backing band. It was a hit (peaking at #20 in the UK)[4] but it did not live up to the expectations of Davies' last single "Death of a Clown", which was a Top 5 hit.[4] It failed to chart in the US, but was a significant success in Europe, reaching #10 in the Netherlands, #27 in Germany, #18 in Belgium and #18 in Sweden.[4] Although it was never featured on an LP, its B-side "Funny Face" was included on the Kinks' 1967 album Something Else by the Kinks.
| "Susannah's Still Alive" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 West German picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Dave Davies | ||||
| B-side | "Funny Face" | |||
| Released | 24 November 1967 | |||
| Recorded | October 1967[1] | |||
| Studio | Pye, London | |||
| Genre | Pop,[2] folk pop[3] | |||
| Length | 2:22 | |||
| Label | Pye | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dave Davies | |||
| Producer(s) | Ray Davies | |||
| Dave Davies singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Although all original UK singles used the spelling 'Suzanah', in many other countries and on later compilation albums Suzannah or Susannah was used.
Personnel
editAccording to band researcher Doug Hinman:[5]
The Kinks
- Dave Davies – lead vocal, electric guitar
- Ray Davies – acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica
- Pete Quaife – bass
- Mick Avory – drums
Additional musician
- Nicky Hopkins – piano[6]
Cardiacs version
edit| "Susannah's Still Alive" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Cardiacs | ||||
| Released | 5 September 1988[7] | |||
| Recorded | Summer 1988 | |||
| Studio | The Slaughterhouse (Yorkshire) | |||
| Label | Alphabet Business Concern | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dave Davies | |||
| Producer(s) | Tim Smith | |||
| Cardiacs singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Susannah's Still Alive" is the fourth single and only cover version ever recorded by Cardiacs. As well as being released as a single, the track was also on the Kinks tribute album, Shangri-La - A Tribute to The Kinks.
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the 12" liner notes.[8] Personnel according to Eric Benac:[9]
- Tim Smith – guitar, vocals
- Jim Smith – bass, vocals
- Sarah Smith – sax, vocals
- William D. Drake – keyboards, vocals
- Dominic Luckman – drums
- Tim Quy – percussion, vocals
Technical
- Tim Smith – production
- Roger Tebbutt – production assistance, engineering
Locations
- Recorded at the Slaughterhouse in Yorkshire, England in the Summer 1988
- "Blind in Safety and Leafy in Love" recorded under the bed
References
edit- ^ Hinman 2004, pp. 105, 107.
- ^ Smith 2011, p. 10.
- ^ Cobb, Cam (May 2022). "Perfect Stranger". Shindig!. Silverback.
- ^ a b c Emlen, Dave. "The Kinks' Chart Positions". Kindakinks.net. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
- ^ Hinman 2004, p. 107.
- ^ Smith 2011, pp. 10, 23.
- ^ "Susannah's Still Alive Flyer -". 2 August 2014.
- ^ "Susannah's Still Alive" (liner notes). Cardiacs. Alphabet Business Concern. 5 September 1988. ALPH 009.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Benac, Eric (27 August 2021). The Cardiacs: Every Album, Every Song. On Track. Sonicbond Publishing. p. 157. ISBN 978-1-78952-131-3.
Sources
edit- Hinman, Doug (2004). The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night: Day-by-Day Concerts, Recordings and Broadcasts, 1961–1996. San Francisco, California: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-765-3.
- Smith, Russell (2011). Hidden Treasures (Liner notes). Dave Davies. Universal UMC. 277 765-3.
External links
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