The Kinks' soundtrack to the 1971 oddball British comedy Percy was released 50 years ago this past month, and coinciding with the milestone anniversary, a limited-edition vinyl picture disc version of the album will be issued on June 12 as part of the 2021 Record Store Day campaign.
A follow-up to The Kinks' hit 1970 album, Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, the Percy soundtrack had little commercial impact, although the risque film was successful at the U.K. box office.
The movie told the story of a man who receives the world's first penis transplant after losing his own manhood in a bizarre accident.
"I always thought the music for Percy was better than the film, in all modesty," Kinks guitarist Dave Davies tells ABC Audio. "It was fun film, but…it's strange in a lot of ways…[I]t's such a weird comedic kind of dark, funny piece."
The soundtrack was written entirely by Kinks frontman Ray Davies. Almost half of the album is made up of instrumental tracks, including a blues-jam version of the band's then-recent smash "Lola."
Dave suggests that The Kinks may have been asked to do Percy's soundtrack because of the similarly provocative nature of "Lola," which is about a guy who spends a romantic evening with an apparent transvestite.
Beyond the instrumental tracks, Dave says "there's some lovely songs" on the album, particularly the lead track, "God's Children," which muses about how technology could result in negative changes to mankind.
"I think [it's] one of Ray's fabulous songs," he declares. "It's one of his more sensitive pieces, and it kind of works in good juxtaposition with the film."
The Percy picture disc will be available exclusively at independent record shops.
Here's the album's full track list:
"God's Children"
"Lola"*
"The Way Love Used to Be"
"Completely"*
"Running Round Town"*
"Moments"
"Animals in the Zoo"
"Just Friends"
"Whip Lady"*
"Dreams"
"Helga"*
"Willesden Green"
"God's Children - End"*
* = instrumental track