"Set Me Free" is a song by

Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the Rock music, rock band the Kinks, which he led, with his younger brother Dave Davies, Dave pro ...

, released first by

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...

in 1965. Along with " Tired of Waiting for You", it is one of band's first attempts at a softer, more introspective sound. The song's B-side, " I Need You", makes prominent use of

powerchord A power chord , also called a fifth chord, is a colloquial name for a chord on guitar, especially on electric guitar, that consists of the root note and the fifth, as well as possibly octaves of those notes. Power chords are commonly play ...

s in the style of the Kinks' early, "raunchy" sound. "Set Me Free" was heard in the

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a retiredhttps://variety.com/2024/film/global/ken-loach-retirement-the-old-oak-jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-1235956589/ English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views ar ...

-directed '' Up the Junction'', a BBC '' Wednesday Play'' which aired in November 1965; this marked the first appearance of a Kinks song on a film or TV soundtrack. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' said of the single that "hot on the heels of he Kinks'' Tired of Waiting for You' smash comes this down home blues rhythm material with a good teen lyric." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as "a snappy tune that’s taken for an engaging disk ride." __TOC__

Personnel

According to band researcher Doug Hinman: The Kinks *

lead vocal, rhythm guitar * Dave Davies backing vocal, lead guitar *

Pete Quaife Peter Alexander Greenlaw Quaife (born Kinnes; 31 December 1943 – 23 June 2010) was an English musician, artist and author. He was a founding member and the original bassist for the Kinks, from 1963 until 1969. He also sang backing vocals on s ...

bass *

Mick Avory Michael Charles Avory (born 15 February 1944) is an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and percussionist for the English rock band the Kinks. He joined them shortly after their formation in 1964 and remained with them until 1984 ...

drums Additional musician *Rasa Davies backing vocal

Charts

References

Sources

* * 1965 singles The Kinks songs Song recordings produced by Shel Talmy Songs written by Ray Davies Pye Records singles 1965 songs Reprise Records singles {{1960s-single-stub