| Sunny Afternoon | |
| Cover: | Sunny Afternoon West German picture sleeve.jpg |
| Caption: | West German picture sleeve |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | the Kinks |
| Album: | Face to Face |
| B-Side: | I'm Not Like Everybody Else |
| Recorded: | 13 May 1966 |
| Studio: | Pye, London |
| Label: | |
| Producer: | Shel Talmy |
| Prev Title: | Dedicated Follower of Fashion |
| Prev Year: | 1966 |
| Next Title: | Dead End Street |
| Next Year: | 1966 |
"Sunny Afternoon" is a song by the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies.[1] The track later featured on the Face to Face album as well as being the title track for their 1967 compilation album. Like its contemporary "Taxman" by the Beatles, the song references the high levels of progressive tax taken by the British Labour government of Harold Wilson, although it does so through the lens of an unsympathetic aristocrat bemoaning the loss of his vast unearned wealth. Its strong music hall flavour and lyrical focus was part of a stylistic departure for the band (begun with 1965's "A Well Respected Man"), which had risen to fame in 1964–65 with a series of hard-driving, power-chord rock hits.[2]
"Sunny Afternoon" was written in Ray Davies' house when he was ill. He recalled:
Davies used the song's narrator to reflect on his own situation in the song's lyrics: "The only way I could interpret how I felt was through a dusty, fallen aristocrat who had come from old money as opposed to the wealth I had created for myself." In order to prevent the listener from sympathizing with the song's protagonist, Davies said, "I turned him into a scoundrel who fought with his girlfriend after a night of drunkenness and cruelty."
Davies explained of the circumstances in which the song was written and recorded:
Released as a single on 3 June 1966, "Sunny Afternoon" went to number one on the UK Singles Chart on 7 July 1966, remaining there for two weeks.[3] The track also went to number one in Ireland on 14 July 1966. In America, it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart early autumn 1966.[4] The promotional video for the single featured the band performing in a cold, snowy environment.
In a 1995 interview, Ray Davies recalled being surprised at the song's broad appeal, stating, Sunny Afternoon', I remember the record coming out and I walked into a British Legion or a pub. I thought I was in a British Legion. All these people, old soldiers and things, singing it. I was 23 years old. I said, 'Wow, all these old people really like it.' And this old guy came up and said, 'You young guys... this is the sort of music we can relate to!' I thought, Wow, this is it, it's the end (laughs)."[5]
Billboard praised the single's "off-beat music hall melody and up-to-date lyrics."[6] Cash Box said that it is a "slow-moving, blues-drenched, seasonal affair with a catchy, low-key repeating riff."[7] "Sunny Afternoon" was placed at No. 200 on Pitchfork Media's list of The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s.[8] The song was featured in and was the title song of West End musical Sunny Afternoon. It has been covered by artists including Jimmy Buffett, Stereophonics, Michael McDonald, and Michael Caruso.
| Chart (1966) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Go-Set)[9] | 37 | |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] | 13 | |
| Denmark (Danmarks Radio)[11] | 3 | |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] | 7 | |
| France (IFOP)[13] | 11 | |
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[14] | 12 | |
| New Zealand (Listener)[15] | 2 | |
| South Africa (Springbok)[16] | 15 | |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[17] | 10 | |
| Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[18] | 2 | |
| Sweden (Tio i Topp)[19] | 2 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100[20] | 11 |
| Chart (1966) | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[21] | 80 | |
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[22] | 90 | |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[23] | 8 | |
| US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[24] | 154 |
According to band researcher Doug Hinman, except where noted:
The Kinks
Additional musicians
(twelve-string, acoustic rhythm); : (Ray Davies, acoustic guitar).