"Susannah's Still Alive" ("Suzanah's Still Alive" on the original UK release) is a song by

Dave Davies David Russell Gordon Davies ( '; born 3 February 1947) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the English rock band the Kinks, led by his older brother (and principal writer and singer) ...

, 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) but it did not live up to the expectations of Davies' last single " Death of a Clown", which was a Top 5 hit. It failed to chart in the US, but was a significant success in Europe, reaching #10 in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, #27 in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, #18 in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

and #18 in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. 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''. Although all original UK singles used the spelling 'Suzanah', in many other countries and on later compilation albums ''Suzannah'' or ''Susannah'' was used.

Personnel

According to band researcher Doug Hinman: The Kinks *

lead vocal, electric guitar *

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 ...

acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica *

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 *

Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. He performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, including on songs recorde ...

piano

Cardiacs version

"Susannah's Still Alive" is the fourth single and only cover version ever recorded by

Cardiacs Cardiacs are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Kingston upon Thames by Tim Smith (Cardiacs), Tim Smith (guitar and lead vocals) and his brother Jim Smith (bassist), Jim (bass, backing vocals) in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest. One ...

. As well as being released as a single, the track was also on the

Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers 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 rhythm ...

tribute album, ''Shangri-La - A Tribute to The Kinks''.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the 12" liner notes. Personnel according to Eric Benac: * Tim Smith – guitar, vocals * Jim Smith – bass, vocals * Sarah Smith – sax, vocals * William D. Drake – keyboards, vocals * Dominic Luckman – drums *

Tim Quy Timothy Graham Quy ( ; 14 August 19612 February 2023) was a British musician, best known as the percussionist for the rock band Cardiacs from 1981 to 1990. Initially the band's sound engineer, Quy first gigged as reserve bass player in 1980 and j ...

– 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

Sources

* *

External links

Dave Davies Official Site
1967 singles 1988 singles The Kinks songs Cardiacs songs Songs written by Dave Davies Pye Records singles 1967 songs Song recordings produced by Ray Davies {{1960s-single-stub