Dandy (song)

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title: "Dandy (song)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1966-singles", "number-one-singles-in-germany", "the-kinks-songs", "herman's-hermits-songs", "song-recordings-produced-by-shel-talmy", "song-recordings-produced-by-mickie-most", "songs-written-by-ray-davies", "rpm-top-singles-number-one-singles", "pye-records-singles", "mgm-records-singles", "1966-songs"] description: "1966 single by The Kinks" topic_path: "geography/germany" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandy_(song)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1966 single by The Kinks ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Dandy
cover	Dandy cover.jpg
caption	West German picture sleeve
alt	The Kinks sit together straight-faced on a patch of grass
type	single
artist	the Kinks
album	Face to Face
B-side	Party Line
released	Late 1966
recorded	9 June 1966
studio	Pye, London
genre	Pop
length
label	Pye
writer	Ray Davies
producer	Shel Talmy
chronology	The Kinks European
prev_title	Sunny Afternoon
prev_year	1966
next_title	Dead End Street
next_year	1966
::

| name = Dandy | cover = Dandy cover.jpg | caption = West German picture sleeve | alt = The Kinks sit together straight-faced on a patch of grass | type = single | artist = the Kinks | album = Face to Face | B-side = Party Line | released = Late 1966 | recorded = 9 June 1966 | studio = Pye, London | venue = | genre = Pop | length = | label = Pye | writer = Ray Davies | producer = Shel Talmy | chronology = The Kinks European | prev_title = Sunny Afternoon | prev_year = 1966 | next_title = Dead End Street | next_year = 1966

"Dandy" is a 1966 song by the Kinks, appearing on their album Face to Face.

Release and reception

"Dandy" was only released in Britain and America on the Face to Face album. However, it was released as a single in continental Europe, where it charted, reaching No. 1 in Germany, No. 2 in Belgium No. 3 in the Netherlands and No. 6 in Austria. In some countries, (such as Norway) "Dandy" was flipped with "Party Line" (also from Face to Face) as the A-side.

*AllMusic'''s Stewart Mason said of "Dandy" that "Davies delivers the lyrics, about a neighborhood lothario, with just the right mixture of disgust and admiration; his slyly witty vocals are truly what makes the song. Musically, the tune harks back to the music hall tradition of George Formby; Dave Davies' guitar is so trebly and clean that it sounds like a ukulele – or perhaps an electrified rubber band – and the gently swinging tune sounds like it could have been an old vaudeville hit. 'Dandy' is a charming, slightly subversive, gem." Stephen Thomas Erlewine, also from AllMusic, noted "the music hall shuffle of 'Dandy'" as a "wonderful moment" from *Face to Face''.

"Dandy" was a regular feature of the Kinks live act from 1966 to 1969 but was dropped thereafter.

Cover versions

Herman's Hermits

| name = Dandy | cover = "Dandy" by Herman's Hermits.jpg | caption = US picture sleeve | alt = | type = single | artist = Herman's Hermits | album = There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World | B-side = My Reservation's Been Confirmed | released = September 1966 | recorded = August 1966 | studio = De Lane Lea, London | venue = | genre = Pop | length = | label = MGM | writer = Ray Davies | producer = Mickie Most | prev_title = This Door Swings Both Ways | prev_year = 1966 | next_title = East West | next_year = 1966

"Dandy" became a hit single in North America in 1966 as recorded by fellow UK group Herman's Hermits in that same time frame, reaching No. 1 in Canada on the RPM national singles chart and No. 5 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100. It also made No. 3 in New Zealand. This version was not released as a single in the UK.

When comparing the Kinks' original version of "Dandy" to Herman's Hermits' cover, Stewart Mason of AllMusic said, "Herman's Hermits would have the US hit with Ray Davies' 'Dandy,' but the Kinks' own version, from 1966's masterful Face To Face, is far superior to Peter Noone's charming but gormless rendition." Cash Box called the Herman's Hermits' version "a delectable item".

Other versions

The Rockin' Vickers also released "Dandy" as the A-side to a 1966 single. (Their main claim to fame was that Lemmy was a band member before his stint with Hawkwind and his formation of Motörhead.) British singer Clinton Ford also released a version of the song as a single in the same year.

The Kinks' Pye Records label mate David Garrick included the song on his 1967 album "A Boy Named David", as well as a live version on the 1968 German release "David Garrick and the Dandys - Blow-Up Live".

Charts

::data[format=table title="The Kinks' version"] | Chart (1966–67) | Peak position | Netherlands (Veronica Top 40) | |---|---|---| | 3 | | | ::

::data[format=table title="Herman's Hermits' version"] | Chart (1966–67) | Peak position | Australia (Kent Music Report) | Denmark (Danmarks Radio) | New Zealand (Listener) | US Billboard Hot 100 | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 14 | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | ::

Notes

References

Sources

References

1. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Week 41 (8 oktober 1966)". [[Dutch Top 40.
2. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
3. Whitburn, Joel. (2013). "Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012". Record Research.
4. (September 24, 1966). "CashBox Record Reviews".
5. "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Kinks". [[Dutch Top 40]].
6. Kent, David. (2005). "Australian Chart Book 1940–1969". Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W..
7. (2016-04-15). "danskehitlister.dk".
8. "flavour of new zealand - search listener".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::