Formed in 1963 in Muswell Hill, North London, they first gained prominence on the heels of the well-received and highly influential single "You Really Got Me" (1964). The group originally consisted of lead singer/guitarist Ray Davies, his brother lead guitarist Dave Davies, drummer Mick Avory, and bassist Pete Quaife. Quaife left (twice) in the late 1960s, and Avory finally left in 1984 as the result of a long-running dispute with Dave Davies, leaving only the Davies brothers as the core of the original group.
With Ray Davies' songwriting skills and unabashedly English voices, Dave Davies' impressive guitar work, and Avory's tight and steady drumming, the band became one of the best and most influential groups of British pop and the "British Invasion" of the U.S.A., lasting longer than any of their competitors, apart from the Rolling Stones, as they broke up in 1996. Their catalogue of songs has been covered by Van Halen, The Pretenders, The Black Keys, The Stranglers, Queens of the Stone Age , and many more.
Members:
Ray Davies – vocals, rhythm guitar (1963–1996)
Dave Davies – lead guitar, vocals (1963–1996)
Pete Quaife – bass guitar (1963–1969)
John Dalton – bass guitar (1969–1976)
Andy Pyle – bass guitar (1976–1978)
Jim Rodford – bass guitar (1978–1996)
Mick Avory – drums (1963–1984)
Bob Henrit – drums (1984–1996)
John Gosling – keyboards, piano (1970–1978)
Gordon Edwards – keyboards, piano (1978–1979)
Ian Gibbons – keyboards, piano (1979–1989, 1993–1996)
Mark Haley – keyboards, piano (1989–1993)
Session Man
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The day he played at the Albert Hall
A million sessions ago it seems
He is a session man
A chord progression
A top musician
Rock 'n' roll or folk group star
Everything comes the same to him
He is a session man
A chord progression
A top musician
He's not paid to think, just play
A session man
A session man
A session man
Playing at a different studio every day
He reads the dots and plays each line
And always finishes on time
No overtime nor favors done
He is a session man
A chord progression
A top musician
He's not paid to think, just play
A session man
A session man
A session man
A session man
The Kinks's song Session Man is an ode to the unsung hero - the session musician. It portrays the life of a talented musician who has found his niche as a session man who plays at different studios every day. The song follows his journey, from the glory days of playing at the Albert Hall to now being a top session musician. He takes pride in his work and is meticulous in his approach. He doesn't overthink his role; he reads the dots and plays each line, always finishing on time with no overtime or favors done.
These lyrics speak to the life of a session musician, who is often thought of as a replaceable and dispensable member of the music industry. The session man is the backbone of many tracks, providing the perfect sound and harmony to elevate the main artist or band. The song highlights the fact that even though the session man never steals the spotlight, they are a vital part of the music-making process.
Interestingly, the lyrics could easily be interpreted to mean that the session man is not limited by genre. He can play with rock 'n' roll, vocal stars, folk groups, and philharmonic orchestras with the same ease, as everything comes the same to him. The song's message is clear - a session man is a consummate professional, and his skills are a vital part of the music industry ecosystem.
Line by Line Meaning
He never will forget at all
He vividly remembers the day he played at the Albert Hall
The day he played at the Albert Hall.
He played a memorable show at the prestigious Albert Hall
A million sessions ago it seems.
It feels like ages ago that he started his career as a session musician
He is a session man,
His profession is being a session musician
A chord progression,
He can play guitar chords with ease
A top musician.
He is highly skilled and sought-after
Rock 'n' roll or vocal star
He can work with different genres of music and artists
Everything comes the same to him.
He approaches each session with equal professionalism
He's not paid to think, just play,
His job is not to make creative decisions but to deliver quality music
Playing at a different studio every day.
He's always on the move, working at different studios regularly
He reads the dots and plays each line,
He follows written sheet music and executes it to perfection
And always finishes on time.
He's reliable and punctual, never missing a deadline
No overtime nor favors done.
He doesn't go beyond his job description or expect special treatment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Raymond Douglas Davies
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DistantLights
I love how the intro part plays in the background, unnoticed, like the session man himself
TheDrummer51
That was Nicky Hopkins. Probably who the song is about.
Robert Rodes
Check Bach's Prelude number 2 in C minor, book 1.
DistantLights
@Robert Rodes wow, that's great how Nicky adapted that to fit this song
AdamPalatine
Wow, this is definitely one of my favorite Kinks songs. It is SO GOOD!
Photo Not Available
Wow, I love the chord progression + the tone of Dave Davies' guitar. :-)
Marco Piaggesi
basically, you make the A7 position on 2md fret (with the G string free) and move up the keyboard, on 4°, 5°, 7°, 9° ànd 11° fret.
on fret 4, 9 and 11, the the fret on the B string is one fret lower (better use the index instead of the medium, in those positions).
Glenn Wheatcroft
12 string
Paul Wheeler
He's a session man of chord progression. Classic Kinks lyrics.
David Huffman
THE Session Man….Nicky Hopkins. What a wonderful talent.