If you heard this song on the radio in the sixties it probably wasn’t the Kinks version unless you lived in Germany where it peaked at #1, The Netherlands where it peaked at #3 and #2 in Belgium.
The mighty Herman Hermits covered the song and it peaked at #5 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, #3 in New Zealand…sometimes life just isn’t fair.
It is said to have been written about Dave Davies, mostly about his rock star lifestyle… Dave confirmed in the documentary about Dave Davies.
The song was on the Face to Face album.. one of the first rock and roll concept albums. In the album’s original inception, Davies attempted to bridge the songs together with sound effects, but was forced to revert to the more standard album because of the record company.
Ray Davies: “I think it was about someone, probably me, who needed to make up his mind about relationships. Also about my brother, who was flitting from one girl to another. It’s a more serious song than it seems. It’s about a man who’s trapped by his own indecision with relationships and lack of commitment. That’s the way I’d write it now, but when I was twenty-two or twenty-three I wrote it about a jovial person who’s a womanizer.”
From Songfacts
Running to just 2 minutes 22 seconds, “Dandy” was written by Ray Davies, and is the third track on the band’s 1966 Face To Face album.
The song ends with the line “…Dandy, you’re all right”.
Sadly, this sentiment was not reciprocated; in the aforementioned documentary, Dave Davies said that he loved his brother, even though he was an arsehole!
“Dandy” was released as a single in Europe on the Pye label backed by “Party Line.” The single was produced by Shel Talmy, who worked on most of the early Kinks material.
I’m so sorry but I feel I’m obliged to post the Colossal Hermit’s version also.
Dandy
Dandy, Dandy
Where you gonna go now?
Who you gonna run to?
All you life
You’re chasing all the girls,
They can’t resist your smile.
Oh, they long for Dandy, Dandy.
Checkin’ out the ladies,
Tickling their fancy,
Pouring out your charm
To meet all your own demands,
And turn it off at will.
Oh, they long for Dandy, Dandy.
Knockin’ on the back door,
Climbing through the window,
Hubby’s gone away,
And while the cat’s away,
The mice are gonna play.
Oh, you low down Dandy, Dandy.
Dandy
Dandy you know you’re moving much too fast,
And Dandy, you know you can’t escape the past.
Look around you and see the people settle down,
And when you’re old and grey you will remember what they said,
That two girls are too many, three’s a crowd and four you’re dead.
Oh Dandy, Dandy,
When you gonna give up?
Are you feeling old now?
You always will be free,
You need no sympathy,
A bachelor you will stay,
And Dandy, you’re all right.
You’re all right.
You’re all right.
You’re all right.
You’re all right.
You’re all right.
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
Although “two girls are too many, three’s a crowd and four you’re dead”, at least he died with a smile on his face.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t believe I once preferred Herman’s version to the Kinks! Today the Kinks have my vote – age does that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank goodness Bruce! The one Hermans song I do like is I’m Into Something Good…and Hush is not bad either.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting lyrics… Ray could pen them! Strangely, I’m not familiar with it and don’t think I heard either version before… it was before my time but you’d think I would have heard it somewhere along the way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh most of this stuff was before our time lol…I had some Kinks greatest hits.
LikeLike
The Kinks couldn’t miss at this point in time- great tune.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t listened to Face to Face much – I don’t own a CD copy, unlike the next half dozen. Good tune though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Super!! “Dandy, where are you gonna go now???”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for watching last night Max.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure…I was watching on your blog for most of it and I thought I would log into facebook…glad I did.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good stuff Bro and thanks for the support
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting comparison. I’d never paid attention to this song. But the song is actually perfect for Herman’s Hermits, because they portray nice guys lamenting about seeing the ornery guys get the girls. The Kinks’ version is a more complex reflection.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was a bit mean to the Hermits….I do like two of their songs…Hush and I’m Into Something Good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s so easy to poke fun at the Hermits, and hard to take them seriously. But man, when I was a teeny bopper I loved them, and they were an oldies act even then! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
It sounds like they tried to change with the song Hush…from the things I read about them though…they were pretty wild…especially the bass player Karl Green…he kept up the Keith Moon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s pretty humorous to find out they were wild. I never even thought to look into whether their real lives were different from their image. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Peter Noone wasn’t a saint either lol. On the famous night when Moon supposedly drove the car into the pool in Flint Michigan at the Holiday Inn…the Hermits were there…but most believe he didn’t do that but he sure made a mess.
LikeLike
I didn’t know the Hermits were there. That’s awesome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes they were there egging Keith on. Hard to believe the Who were opening for them.
LikeLike
I love it. The Who sure had humble beginnings. I know I’ve mentioned it before,… that they opened for The Buckinghams at a high school in Kansas. It was 1967, Shawnee Mission South HS.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow…that is just so hard to believe in 4 years they would be doing Won’t Get Fooled Again.
LikeLike
It is. They had already produced some iconic songs, and had more in the pipeline for release in the next few months.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Soon as I seen the title of your take i started singing it. No idea that Herman sang it.
LikeLiked by 1 person