Sleepwalker (The Kinks Song)
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"Sleepwalker", written 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 ...
, is the third track (and first single) from
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 ...
' 1977 album of the same name.


Background and recording

"Sleepwalker" was reportedly written about Ray Davies's move from
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to
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at the time. The insomniac Davies was then adapting to the 24-hour schedule of the busy city. Recording for "Sleepwalker" began sometime between 22 and 30 September 1976, cut during the same week as "Sleepless Night" and " Life Goes On" (all three of which would later appear on the final ''Sleepwalker'' album). Both "Sleepwalker" and "Sleepless Night" had been recorded in lengthy, seven-minute versions, eventually resulting in the tracks being cut down for their final releases. Backing vocals for the song were added by Ray Davies, Dave Davies, and John Gosling on 11 October of that year.


Lyrics and music

As the title suggests, "Sleepwalker" is sung from the perspective of a sleepwalker. In the lyrics, the singer claims that "when midnight comes around, e'llstart to lose ismind," calling himself a "sleepwalker", "night stalker", "street walker", and a "night hawker". A break appears midway through the song, described as "Dylanesque" by Denise Sullivan of
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.


Release and reception

"Sleepwalker" was released as the first single from album of the same name. It charted in the American Hot 100 (peaking at #48), the first single from
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 ...
to do so since " Apeman". It also hit #54 in Canada. ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' stated, "Set to a backdrop highly reminiscent of the hallowed back-'em-up-shut-'em-down riffing of Phase 1 Kinks .. the main squeeze is that
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 ...
are making good records again." ''
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''s opinion of the song was mixed, stating "Kinks fans/lovers of 'Waterloo Sunset' won't find 'Sleepwalker' very satisfactory. Respect The Right Honorable Davies though one must, this isn't quite the leap back to form which was hoped for. Not for the chart." ''
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'' said that its "classic rock guitar chords, and an infectious chorus are the pop hooks, and the execution is impeccable throughout." ''
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'' said that it "should rekindle some of the singles action they were accustomed to during their mid -sixties chart reign." More recently, Denise Sullivan claimed that, in her review of "Sleepwalker", "it's the kitchen sink of rock & roll songs. With all the earmarks of a classic, it's amazing 'Sleepwalker' didn't chart Top 40." "Sleepwalker" also appeared on the compilation album ''
Come Dancing with The Kinks ''Come Dancing with The Kinks: The Best of 1977-1986'' is a double album compilation by the Kinks, released on Arista Records in 1986. Every one of the band's seven albums released by Arista during the time period indicated is represented here ...
''.


Performances

To advertise the track, The Kinks performed "Sleepwalker" multiple times on television shows. The band lip-synched the track on an episode of ''
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'' (followed by an interview and live performance of " Celluloid Heroes") that aired on 8 February 1977. It was also performed on ''
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'' on 26 February 1977, following a medley of "
You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies and released as their third single in 1964. The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead B ...
", "
All Day and All of the Night "All Day and All of the Night" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from 1964. Released as a single, it reached No. 2 in the UK on the ''Record Retailer'' chart and No. 7 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1965. The song was incl ...
", " A Well Respected Man", and "
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".


References

{{The Kinks singles 1977 songs The Kinks songs Songs written by Ray Davies Arista Records singles 1977 singles