Fact #104289
When:
Short story:
The Kinks appear at a charity event during a festival held at the Rutland County Agricultural Showground in Oakham, Rutland, UK. The show is promoted by a local civic dignitary, Major David Watts, whose romantic approaches to Kinks' guitarist Dave Davies at a party later in the evening, will provide the inspiration for The Kinks' song, David Watts.
Full article:
Ray Davies (The Kinks) : You know the story behind David Watts? You want my version? I hope the old boy doesn’t object. We played this concert up at Peterborough, Rutland, and he seemed like a regular old army type. 'Look boys, bit of a shithouse out here, why don’t you change at my house?' I said, 'Oh, thank you, Mr Watts.' But I did notice he had white socks on! Anyway, we did the gig and after the gig he said, 'Would you like to come back for a little celebration?' We said, 'Yeah. Why not, we’re not doing anything. Be home in a couple hours.'
We had a few glasses of pink champagne and all these men kept arriving. The head of the local constabulary and detectives, all the noted people in Rutland, all men escorted by little boys! And Mick, of course, and Dave homed in on the situation. Mick and Dave were dancing and Mick’s trousers fell down, and I said to David Watts, 'Don’t you fancy that big hunky drummer?' He said, 'Get lost, sweetie, it’s your brother I’m after.'
I thought, 'This is the chance to get Dave set up.' We had bottles and bottles of champagne and I said, 'Dave, listen. I know you don’t write a lot of songs and you’re a bit worried about the future. Get clued into this, Dave. I think he’s in love with you.' Dave went out to the garden, they had swings in the garden, I said to David Watts, 'Well, you might be all right. He’s my brother and I’m very protective of him. If there is a liason with you, friendship, or affair, I want you to ensure Dave gets half of the house!' They were sat on this swing together holding hands! Dave didn’t fancy him. Simple as that. And David Watts was a bit shattered by it. I think Dave should have taken the offer up. But he came to see us in Peterborough and he met us a few times afterwards. Whenever he heard the song he said, 'You bums writing that song. You bums!'
(Source : Interview by Jon Savage, Ugly Things No30)
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We had a few glasses of pink champagne and all these men kept arriving. The head of the local constabulary and detectives, all the noted people in Rutland, all men escorted by little boys! And Mick, of course, and Dave homed in on the situation. Mick and Dave were dancing and Mick’s trousers fell down, and I said to David Watts, 'Don’t you fancy that big hunky drummer?' He said, 'Get lost, sweetie, it’s your brother I’m after.'
I thought, 'This is the chance to get Dave set up.' We had bottles and bottles of champagne and I said, 'Dave, listen. I know you don’t write a lot of songs and you’re a bit worried about the future. Get clued into this, Dave. I think he’s in love with you.' Dave went out to the garden, they had swings in the garden, I said to David Watts, 'Well, you might be all right. He’s my brother and I’m very protective of him. If there is a liason with you, friendship, or affair, I want you to ensure Dave gets half of the house!' They were sat on this swing together holding hands! Dave didn’t fancy him. Simple as that. And David Watts was a bit shattered by it. I think Dave should have taken the offer up. But he came to see us in Peterborough and he met us a few times afterwards. Whenever he heard the song he said, 'You bums writing that song. You bums!'
(Source : Interview by Jon Savage, Ugly Things No30)