The Ravens

Many of the songs in the English Freakbeat Series were by musicians that became famous in later bands or in other contexts.  The real attraction for the English Freakbeat, Volume 3 CD reissue though are three songs by a band called the Ravens; their bandleader Dave Davies and his younger brother Ray Davies were later in the Kinks, with Ray being the frontman and main songwriter for that stellar British Invasion group.  Ray Davies was supposedly not involved in the Ravens at all according to the band’s official history; however, the CD liner notes as well as the review by Allmusic notes that some of these songs bear Ray Davies’ stamp and might have been sung (if not written) by him. 

(March 2014/2)