Supersonic Rocket Ship
Encyclopedia
Supersonic Rocket Ship is a single
recorded by British rock
band The Kinks
, written by Ray Davies
. It was released on May 5, 1972, in the UK, and in September of that year for its US release. 'Supersonic Rocket Ship' was also included as a track on the double LP Everybody's in Show-Biz
, which was released on August 25, 1972, in the US and on September 1 in the UK. Everybody's in Show-Biz also yielded the song 'Celluloid Heroes
', which, although not a hit, has become one of The Kinks' most popular songs.
', that express a desire to go back to a simpler life or escape from all life's woes to a better world (a desert island, the rocket ship, etc.)
music at the time. This is emphasized with the use of a steel drum in the background, adding an island or Trinidadian sound to the song. 'Supersonic Rocket Ship' also features prominent use of Ray Davies' National Steel
resonator guitar
.
, the same on Record Retailer
, and #23 on New Musical Express. It was to be the band's last sizeable hit in the UK for 11 years, until 'Come Dancing
' got to #11 in the summer of 1983. In the US, however, it only made it to #111 on Billboard
.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
recorded by British rock
British rock
British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
band The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, written by Ray Davies
Ray Davies
Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
. It was released on May 5, 1972, in the UK, and in September of that year for its US release. 'Supersonic Rocket Ship' was also included as a track on the double LP Everybody's in Show-Biz
Everybody's in Show-Biz
Everybody's in Show-Biz is the tenth studio album released by English rock group The Kinks, released in 1972. A double album, the first disc features studio recordings, while the second disc documents a two-night Carnegie Hall stand....
, which was released on August 25, 1972, in the US and on September 1 in the UK. Everybody's in Show-Biz also yielded the song 'Celluloid Heroes
Celluloid Heroes
"Celluloid Heroes" is a song performed by The Kinks and written by their lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Ray Davies. It debuted on their 1972 album Everybody's in Show-Biz.-Lyrical themes:...
', which, although not a hit, has become one of The Kinks' most popular songs.
Synopsis
In the song, the singer talks about his "supersonic rocket ship", which contains a kind of paradise or refuge from all the troubles in the world, where "nobody has to be hip", "nobody's gonna travel second class", and "there'll be equality, and no suppression of minorities". It fits in the groove of other Ray Davies songs like 'ApemanApeman (song)
"Apeman" is a song by the British rock band The Kinks. It was written by Ray Davies and appears on the album Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. It is 3:54 in length.-Themes:...
', that express a desire to go back to a simpler life or escape from all life's woes to a better world (a desert island, the rocket ship, etc.)
Instrumentation
The song has strong Caribbean undertones (another similarity to 'Apeman'), perhaps influenced by the popularity of reggaeReggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
music at the time. This is emphasized with the use of a steel drum in the background, adding an island or Trinidadian sound to the song. 'Supersonic Rocket Ship' also features prominent use of Ray Davies' National Steel
National String Instrument Corporation
The National String Instrument Corporation was a guitar company that formed to manufacture the first resonator guitars.-National resonator guitar designs:...
resonator guitar
Resonator guitar
A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar whose sound is produced by one or more spun metal cones instead of the wooden sound board . Resonator guitars were originally designed to be louder than conventional acoustic guitars which were overwhelmed by horns and percussion...
.
Single release
It was released as a single in the UK in May 1972, and September in the US. It was a hit in the UK, climbing to #16 on Melody MakerMelody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, the same on Record Retailer
Record Retailer
Record Retailer was a trade newspaper for the UK record industry. It was founded in August 1959 as a monthly newspaper covering both labels and dealers. Its founding editor was Roy Parker...
, and #23 on New Musical Express. It was to be the band's last sizeable hit in the UK for 11 years, until 'Come Dancing
Come Dancing (song)
"Come Dancing" is a 1982 recording by British rock group The Kinks; a 1983 hit single in both the US and the UK, the track was included on the album State of Confusion.-Song themes and meaning:...
' got to #11 in the summer of 1983. In the US, however, it only made it to #111 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
.
Personnel
- Ray DaviesRay DaviesRay Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
- acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, lead vocals - Dave DaviesDave DaviesDavid Russell Gordon "Dave" Davies is an English rock musician best known for his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the English rock band The Kinks....
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals - John DaltonJohn DaltonJohn Dalton FRS was an English chemist, meteorologist and physicist. He is best known for his pioneering work in the development of modern atomic theory, and his research into colour blindness .-Early life:John Dalton was born into a Quaker family at Eaglesfield, near Cockermouth, Cumberland,...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - John GoslingJohn Goslingnot to be confused with John Gostling John Gosling , is an English classically trained organist and pianist....
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Mick AvoryMick AvoryMichael Charles "Mick" Avory is an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and percussionist for the British rock band, The Kinks, joining them shortly after their formation in 1964 and remaining with them until 1984, when he left amid creative friction with guitarist Dave Davies...
- drums, percussion - Mike Cotton - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- John Beecham - tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, tubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...