The Kinks are going back to the Village Green - and it's grown quite a bit in size! On October 26, the band's legendary fifth album, 1968's The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, will arrive from BMG Rights Management in a massive new box set produced by Andrew Sandoval. The new box will boast 3 LPs, 5 CDs, 3 seven-inch singles and more, for a total of 174 tracks (3 previously unreleased songs, 55 previously unreleased versions).
Considered the band's most enduring masterwork, Village Green gave full voice to Ray Davies' uniquely English observational songwriting - poignant, funny, sad, and moving, yet always tuneful and well-crafted. The box set is part of BMG's new series The Art of the Album, focusing on lavish expansions of key albums from the label's catalogue. Indeed, this set will dwarf previous expanded editions of Village Green, most notably the 2004 deluxe edition which boasted 3 CDs and 62 tracks.
The new set includes the following:
- LPs: Gatefold 2-LP set featuring original album (new stereo remaster and new mono remaster). Original artwork faithfully reproduced in high resolution. Plus: Reissue of the continental (Swedish) original, 12-track version of the LP which includes "Days";
- CD1: 2018 Stereo Remaster (remastered by Andrew Sandoval from original HD tape transfers) + bonus tracks including singles, B-sides & alternate mixes;
- CD2: 2018 Mono Remaster (remastered by Andrew Sandoval from original HD tape transfers) + bonus tracks including singles, B-sides & alternate mixes;
- CD3: Village Green Sessions - including alternate versions, mixes and backing tracks, many previously unreleased;
- CD4: Village Green at the BBC - TV performance track audio and band interviews, many previously unreleased;
- CD5: Preservation, Sessions, Live & Demos - including mid-'70s recordings, previously unreleased home demos, Ray Davies live in Denmark 2010 and unreleased track "Time Song";
- 7" PICTURE SLEEVE SINGLES: Days / She's Got Everything (1968); Starstruck / Picture Book (1968); The Village Green Preservation Society / Do You Remember Walter? (1969);
- BOOK: Deluxe, beautifully produced, 52-page hardback photo book with extensive sleeve notes and new band interviews, essays from Pete Townshend and other writers, plus rare and unseen Kinks Village Green related photos and imagery; and
- MEMORABILIA: Poster of Village Green LP inner gatefold; Empire Liverpool 1968 tour poster; glossy 10" x 8" photos from Hampstead Heath 1968 photo shoot; colour press photo with reproduced band signatures; Bournemouth 1968 gig ticket; Pye Records promo card; 'Days' sheet music.
It's all packaged in a rigid card box with a debossed cover, gold foil and metallic text, wrapped in special linen cloth finish. The first 1,000 customers who pre-order from The Kinks' official site will receive an additional, exclusive 7-inch single of "Time Song" (2018 Single Mix) and "Village Green" (Alternative Mix).
Village Green will also be available in 1CD, 2CD, and 1LP editions. The 1CD and 1LP editions have the remastered stereo album while the 2CD version has the stereo and mono albums plus bonuses for a total of 49 tracks.
The complete track listing and Amazon pre-order links can be found below! The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society is due on October 26 from BMG.
The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (BMG, 2018)
5CD/3LP/3-7" Box Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Original Stereo Album Side 1
1. The Village Green Preservation Society (2018 Stereo Remaster)
2. Do You Remember Walter? (2018 Stereo Remaster)
3. Picture Book (2018 Stereo Remaster)
4. Johnny Thunder (2018 Stereo Remaster)
5. Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (2018 Stereo Remaster)
6. Big Sky (2018 Stereo Remaster)
7. Sitting By the Riverside (2018 Stereo Remaster)
Original Stereo Album Side 2
1. Animal Farm (2018 Stereo Remaster)
2. Village Green (2018 Stereo Remaster)
3. Starstruck (2018 Stereo Remaster)
4. Phenomenal Cat (2018 Stereo Remaster)
5. All of My Friends Were There (2018 Stereo Remaster)
6. Wicked Annabella (2018 Stereo Remaster)
7. Monica (2018 Stereo Remaster)
8. People Take Pictures of Each Other (2018 Stereo Remaster)
Original Mono Album Side 1
1. The Village Green Preservation Society (2018 Mono Remaster)
2. Do You Remember Walter? (2018 Mono Remaster)
3. Picture Book (2018 Mono Remaster)
4. Johnny Thunder (2018 Mono Remaster)
5. Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (2018 Mono Remaster)
6. Big Sky (2018 Mono Remaster)
7. Sitting By the Riverside (2018 Mono Remaster)
Original Mono Album Side 2
1. Animal Farm (2018 Mono Remaster)
2. Village Green (2018 Mono Remaster)
3. Starstruck (2018 Mono Remaster)
4. Phenomenal Cat (2018 Mono Remaster)
5. All of My Friends Were There (2018 Mono Remaster)
6. Wicked Annabella (2018 Mono Remaster)
7. Monica (2018 Mono Remaster)
8. People Take Pictures of Each Other (2018 Mono Remaster)
Swedish Original Album Release Side 1
1. The Village Green Preservation Society (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
2. Do You Remember Walter? (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
3. Picture Book (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
4. Johnny Thunder (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
5. Monica (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
6. Days (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
Swedish Original Album Release Side 2
1. Village Green (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
2. Mr. Songbird (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
3. Wicked Annabella (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
4. Starstruck (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
5. Phenomenal Cat (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
6. People Take Pictures of Each Other (Swedish Version; 2018 Stereo Remaster)
CD 1: Stereo Album plus bonus tracks
1. The Village Green Preservation Society (2018 Stereo Remaster)
2. Do You Remember Walter? (2018 Stereo Remaster)
3. Picture Book (2018 Stereo Remaster)
4. Johnny Thunder (2018 Stereo Remaster)
5. Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (2018 Stereo Remaster)
6. Big Sky (2018 Stereo Remaster)
7. Sitting By the Riverside (2018 Stereo Remaster)
8. Animal Farm (2018 Stereo Remaster)
9. Village Green (2018 Stereo Remaster)
10. Starstruck (2018 Stereo Remaster)
11. Phenomenal Cat (2018 Stereo Remaster)
12. All of My Friends Were There (2018 Stereo Remaster)
13. Wicked Annabella (2018 Stereo Remaster)
14. Monica (2018 Stereo Remaster)
15. People Take Pictures of Each Other (2018 Stereo Remaster)
16. Days (Stereo Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
17. She's Got Everything (Stereo Mix) [2018 Remaster]
18. Mr. Songbird (Stereo Mix) [2018 Remaster]
19. Wonderboy (Stereo Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
20. Polly (Stereo Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
21. Berkeley Mews (Stereo Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
22. Rosemary Rose (Stereo Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
23. Misty Water (Stereo Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
24. Did You See His Name? (Stereo Mix) [2018 Remaster]
25. Do You Remember Walter? (European Stereo Mix Without Tambourine) [2018 Remastered Version]
26. Animal Farm (Alternate Stereo Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
27. People Take Pictures of Each Other (European Stereo Mix With Big Band Coda) [2018 Remastered Version
CD 2: Mono Album plus Bonus Tracks
1. The Village Green Preservation Society (2018 Mono Remaster)
2. Do You Remember Walter? (2018 Mono Remaster)
3. Picture Book (2018 Mono Remaster)
4. Johnny Thunder (2018 Mono Remaster)
5. Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (2018 Mono Remaster)
6. Big Sky (2018 Mono Remaster)
7. Sitting By the Riverside (2018 Mono Remaster)
8. Animal Farm (2018 Mono Remaster)
9. Village Green (2018 Mono Remaster)
10. Starstruck (2018 Mono Remaster)
11. Phenomenal Cat (2018 Mono Remaster)
12. All of My Friends Were There (2018 Mono Remaster)
13. Wicked Annabella (2018 Mono Remaster)
14. Monica (2018 Mono Remaster)
15. People Take Pictures of Each Other (2018 Mono Remaster)
16. Days (Mono Single Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
17. She's Got Everything (Single Mix) [2018 Mono Remaster]
18. Mr. Songbird (2018 Mono Remaster)
19. Wonderboy (Mono Single Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
20. Polly (Single Mix) [2018 Mono Remaster]
21. Till Death Us Do Part (Mono Mix) [2018 Remastered Versio]
22. Berkeley Mews (Single Mix) [2018 Mono Remaster]
23. Village Green (Alternate Vocal) [2018 Mono Remaster]
24. Lavender Hill (Mono Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
25. Rosemary Rose (Mono Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
26. Pictures in the Sand (Mono Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]
27. Misty Water (Mono Mix) [2018 Remaster]
28. Did You See His Name? (2018 Mono Remaster)
29. Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (With Alternate Ending) [2018 - Remaster]
CD 3: Village Green Sessions
1. The Village Green Preservation Society (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
2. Do You Remember Walter? (Backing Track)
3. Picture Book (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
4. Johnny Thunder (Alternate Mix With Session Chat) [2018 Stereo Remaster]
5. Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
6. Big Sky (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
7. Animal Farm (Takes 16 & 17 With Session Chat)
8. Village Green (Unissued Mix from Acetate)
9. Starstruck (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
10. Phenomenal Cat (Alternate Mix With Session Chat) [2018 Stereo Remaster]
11. Monica (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
12. People Take Pictures of Each Other (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
13. Egg Stained Pyjamas (Backing Track)
14. Days (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
15. She's Got Everything (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
16. Misty Water (Alternate Stereo Mix)
17. Mr. Songbird (Alternate Mix)
18. Pictures in the Sand (Backing Track - Stereo Mix)
19. Berkeley Mews (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
20. Easy Come, There You Went (Backing Track) [Alternate Mix Stereo] [2018 Remaster]
21. Did You See His Name? (Alternate Mix With Session Chat)
22. Mick Avory's Underpants (Backing Track - Mono Mix; 2018 Remastered Version)
23. Spotty Grotty Anna (Stereo Backing Track; 2018 Remastered Version)
24. Lavender Hill (Stereo Backing Track)
25. Village Green (Backing Track - Stereo Mix; 2018 Remastered Version)
CD 4: Village Green at The BBC
1. Interview: Ray talks about working (Recorded July 1968; 2018 Mono Remaster)
2. Days (Top Gear, Recorded 1st July 1968; 2018 Remastered Version)
3. Waterloo Sunset (Top Gear, Recorded 1st July 1968; 2018 Mono Remaster)
4. Interview: Ray Talks About Solo Records (Recorded July 1968; 2018 Mono Remaster)
5. Love Me Till the Sun Shines (Top Gear, Recorded 1 July 1968; 2018 Mono Remaster)
6. Monica (Top Gear, Recorded 1st July 1968; 2018 Mono Remaster)
7. Interview: Ray talks about Village Green (Recorded November 1968; 2018 Mono Remaster)
8. The Village Green Preservation Society (Saturday Club, Recorded 26th November 1968; 2018 Mono Remast
9. Animal Farm (Live at the BBC, Saturday Club, 26th November 1968) [2018 Mono Remaster]
10. Interview: Ray & Dave Talk About Last of the Steam-Powered Trains, (Saturday Club, Broadcast 18th Ja
11. Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (Live at Julie Felix Show, 7 January 1969) [Mono]
12. Picture Book (Live Vocals) [Julie Felix Show, Recorded 7 January 1969; Mono]
13. Do You Remember Walter? (BBC Mix) [Symonds On Sunday, Recorded 2 April 1968; 2018 Mono Remaster]
14. Medley: Dedicated Follower of Fashion / A Well Respected Man / Death of a Clown (TV Pre-Mix Of Uniqu
15. Sunny Afternoon (TV Pre-Mix Minus Melodica; Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
16. Picture Book (Live TV Pre-Mix) [Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968]
17. Days (TV Pre-Mix) [TV Pre-Mix; Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968]
18. Lazy Old Sun (TV Pre-Mix; Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
19. Two Sisters (TV Pre-Mix; Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968)
20. Monica (TV Pre-Mix) [TV Pre-Mix; Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968]
21. Lincoln County (TV Pre-Mix Minus Strings Overdub; Colour Me Pop, Recorded 22 July 1968; 2018 Mono Re
22. Where Did My Spring Go? (Where Was Spring?, Recorded 1969) [2018 Mono Remaster]
23. When I Turn Off the Living Room Light (Where Was Spring?, Recorded 1969) [2018 Mono Remaster]
CD 5: Preservation, Sessions, Live & Demos
1. Home Demos Medley
2. Days (Acoustic Version)
3. Mr. Songbird (Alternate Mix; Stereo)
4. The Village Green Preservation Society (Alternate Mix; Stereo)
5. Johnny Thunder (Backing Track; Stereo Mix)
6. Big Sky (Alternate Mix) [Stereo]
7. Phenomenal Cat (Backing Track; 2018 Remastered Version)
8. Picture Book (Vocals and Guitar; Stereo Mix)
9. Animal Farm (Backing Track; Stereo Mix)
10. Time Song (Monitor Mix - Stereo)
11. The Village Green Preservation Society (Preservation Version - Stereo)
12. Medley: Picture Book / People Take Pictures Of Each Other (Preservation Version - Stereo)
13. Village Green Overture (Preservation Version) [Stereo]
14. Days (with The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble)
15. Village Green Suite: Ray Davies Spoken Intro
16. Village Green Suite: Village Green (with The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble)
17. Village Green Suite: Picture Book (with The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble)
18. Village Green Suite: Big Sky (with The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble)
19. Village Green Suite: Do You Remember Walter? (with The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble)
20. Village Green Suite: Johnny Thunder (with The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble)
21. Village Green Suite: The Village Green Preservation Society (with The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble)
22. The Way Love Used To Be (with The DR Symphony & Vocal Ensemble)
7-Inch Single:
Days (Mono Single Mix) [2018 Remastered Version]/Starstruck [2018 Mono Remaster]
7-Inch Single:
Starstruck (2018 Mono Remaster)/Picture Book (2018 Mono Remaster)
7-Inch Single:
The Village Green Preservation Society (2018 Stereo Remaster)/Do You Remember Walter? (2018 Stereo Remaster)
Joe Mac Pherson says
These extraordinary box sets and deluxe CD editions keep my bank account quite active. If only The Kinks would do the same for Face To Face, Something Else and Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround!
You KNOW I'm going to buy this. Thank You for the write up!
Stephen Talia says
I wish that there could be a basic 5-CD edition rather than throwing vinyl into the equation.
Philip Cohen says
The first of this fall's classic rock archival boxed sets to be confirmed as real and become orderable will inevitably be the ones that I will be most likely to order. If they become orderable, that is.
David Olstein says
I’ve already ordered this. However, I’m disappointed that they haven’t included a download card for a high resolution version of the stereo and mono albums. Or better yet, they could have included a blu ray disc with hi res versions of the tracks plus bonus video content (promo films, TV appearances).
John Sakamoto says
I received my copy of the deluxe box on Friday. It was great -- except that it was missing one of the six glossy photos that's supposed to come with it. Given the cost of the set, I sent it back to Amazon and got a replacement box. Same problem. (The missing photo is the colour Polaroid with the band's signatures on it.) Is anyone else having this problem? Since this is the second set with the same missing photo, I'm not sure it'll do any good to return it yet again. Any suggestions?