Susannah's Still Alive

"Susannah's Still Alive"
West German picture sleeve
Single by Dave Davies
B-side	"Funny Face"
Released	24 November 1967
Recorded	October 1967[1]
Studio	Pye, London
Genre	Pop,[2] folk pop[3]
Length	2:22
Label	Pye
Songwriter(s)	Dave Davies
Producer(s)	Ray Davies
Dave Davies singles chronology
"Death of a Clown" (1967) "Susannah's Still Alive" (1967) "Lincoln County" (1968)

"Susannah's Still Alive" ("Suzanah's Still Alive" on the original UK release) is a song by Dave Davies, released for his second solo single. The recording featured all of the Kinks' members as his backing band. It was a hit (peaking at #20 in the UK)^[4] but it did not live up to the expectations of Davies' last single "Death of a Clown", which was a Top 5 hit.^[4] It failed to chart in the US, but was a significant success in Europe, reaching #10 in the Netherlands, #27 in Germany, #18 in Belgium and #18 in Sweden.^[4] Although it was never featured on an LP, its B-side "Funny Face" was included on the Kinks' 1967 album Something Else by the Kinks.

Although all original UK singles used the spelling 'Suzanah', in many other countries and on later compilation albums Suzannah or Susannah was used.

Personnel

According to band researcher Doug Hinman:^[5]

The Kinks

• Dave Davies – lead vocal, electric guitar
• Ray Davies – acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica
• Pete Quaife – bass
• Mick Avory – drums

Additional musician

• Nicky Hopkins – piano^[6]

Cardiacs version

"Susannah's Still Alive"
Single by Cardiacs
Released	5 September 1988[7]
Recorded	Summer 1988
Studio	The Slaughterhouse (Yorkshire)
Label	Alphabet Business Concern
Songwriter(s)	Dave Davies
Producer(s)	Tim Smith
Cardiacs singles chronology
"Is This the Life" (1988) "Susannah's Still Alive" (1988) "Night Tracks (The Janice Long Session)" (1988)

"Susannah's Still Alive" is the fourth single and only cover version ever recorded by Cardiacs. As well as being released as a single, the track was also on the Kinks tribute album, Shangri-La - A Tribute to The Kinks.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the 12" liner notes.^[8] Personnel according to Eric Benac:^[9]

• Tim Smith – guitar, vocals
• Jim Smith – bass, vocals
• Sarah Smith – sax, vocals
• William D. Drake – keyboards, vocals
• Dominic Luckman – drums
• Tim Quy – percussion, vocals

Technical

• Tim Smith – production
• Roger Tebbutt – production assistance, engineering

Locations

• Recorded at the Slaughterhouse in Yorkshire, England in the Summer 1988
• "Blind in Safety and Leafy in Love" recorded under the bed

References

Sources

External links

• Dave Davies Official Site

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