A disrespected man? NBC cut Ray Davies singing the Kinks' classic and perfectly apt "Waterloo Sunset"--considered by top songwriters one of the great compositions of the day--from its coverage tonight despite my coverage after watching it live. They did include rock star legend Russell Brand singing "I Am a Walnut" or some such. So here's Ray singing it back in 1973 (I interviewed him a couple of times back then when I was editor at Crawdaddy, swell guy). By the way, Ray contributed more to Western culture with "You Really Got Me" than Russell Brand can even dream about. UPDATE: The segment cut by NBC now posted (with Beatles intro).
28 comments:
Truly a disgrace. "Waterloo Sunset" is a great piece and I would have loved to see the current version.
Thank you for bringing this to people's attention. NBC must be run by 12 year olds.
Absolutely unacceptable! They cut Ray but we had to endure Russell Brand and video if dead singers!
I'VE BEEN SEARCHING AROUND THE DIAL i can't beleive they took him off the air think I'll sell my tv now that he's not there! LET NBC KNOW YOU ARE UPSET THEY TOOK THE GREATEST SONGWRITER OF ALL TIME SINGING THE GREATEST SONG OF ALL TIME OFF THE REBROADCAST OF THE CLOSING CERMONIES HERE IN THE USA!
NBC should be ashamed of themselves for cutting Rock Icon Ray Davies and forcing us to sit through multitudes of lame acts for fear we might miss the true star of the Closing Olympic Ceremonies. I await their apologies.
Unbelievable that NBC doesn't broadcast Ray Davies!!! What were they thinking!!!!!!!!!!
I can't believe I watched that entire tripe-fest waiting for Ray and he never appeared. I'm so upset. NBC are idiots. I agree that Ray is one of the greatest songwriters of our era. (But pah-lease, I don't agree that his so called "wife" was a great rock star. That is laughable. He wasn't even married to her.)
A well respected man, my ass. The Olympian producers (and NBC network) win the gold medal for the most inept art direction and worldwide stage production. Think before you prioritize guest artists. Think before you ever again submit worldwide viewers to trash presented poorly!
I have to express my great disappointment to the Olympic Coverage team at NBC for cutting Waterloo Sunset by Ray Davies, probably the most iconic London anthem. There are few opportunities for once in a lifetime televised moments. This was surely one of them. Ray Davies has, and still does make indelible contributions to the international music industry. It's a shame that in an atmosphere of honor and champions, a true hero of the city of London was overlooked. Poorly done, NBC. Very poorly done.
I have to express my great disappointment to the Olympic Coverage team at NBC for cutting Waterloo Sunset by Ray Davies, probably the most iconic London anthem. There are few opportunities for once in a lifetime televised moments. This was surely one of them. Ray Davies has, and still does make indelible contributions to the international music industry. It's a shame that in an atmosphere of honor and champions, a true hero of the city of London was overlooked. Poorly done, NBC. Very poorly done.
NBC truly sucks.
I just feel like the BBC and YouTube should have cut a deal and streamed it live / put the whole thing up after the fact. So many great London moments that should've been shared properly.
Just... Thank you. Needed to be said.
Arrghh, I've been watching this crap for nothing! NBC stinks.
Cutting Ray Davies - and especially "Waterloo Sunset" from the coverage of the Olympics closing was asinine. NBC - a pox on your house!
I stayed up waiting...so tired of waiting...and got .... nothing! Rubbish. Ray Davies IS jolly old England. Shameful. A pox on NBC and I hereby boycott it.
I concur. I hereby boycott NBC. Disgraceful.
NBC capped off their inept coverage of the Olympics by cutting not only Ray Davies but The Who from the closing ceremony. At 11 pm sharp they went abruptly to their new sitcom about an animal hospital. I'm not kidding. I would boycott NBC but right now I watch maybe 2 of their shows a month.
Unbelievable! I agree that cutting such an iconic figure as ray Davies was a huge mistake on nbc's part. I'm so pissed!! I too waited and waited. I even thought they were perhaps leaving it fior after the news here on the left coast. I couldn't believe it, so I searched online for a clue. Maybe he didn't perform. Silly me. It was just another idiotic decision by NBC. What a shame. I hope someone will post a recording on you tube.
Thanks for posting this video! Great performance. Awful judgement, NBC! Cannot believe that you deleted Muse, Ray Davies and the Who. Wow.
Anyone know how to see Ray sing Waterloo Sunset on Olympic show ? Not old clip please ! Someone must have taped from stands ?
Can we start a protest petition to force NBC fools to show it ?
Will someone remind me in four yers NOT to go anywhere near Olympic coverage on penalty of #######!
US TV sooooo bad......
Ray's (missing)song last straw !
You Really Got Me ? Check clip from BBC I'm dancing front of band.....B/W too...........
Those WERE the days !
Great decision NBC. You cut Waterloo Sunset and show us One Direction and Russell Brand. Keep up the good work!
The people behind NBC choice just showed their ignorance.
Thanks for this. I just saw ray in san Diego last month with my daughter. Waterloo sunset was song playing in birth room when she was born. How could NBC cut the perfect song, unforgivable.
Agree with all of the above -- NBC execs and producers should be hanging their collective heads in shame. Why should a tape of David Bowie -- who couldn't even be bothered to show up -- be included when live performances by iconic figures such as Ray Davies, Pete Townshend, and Roger Daltrey be scrapped. I understand that they must have commercials to pay for their enterprise, but since they already had a tape delay, they could have cut anything in the show. And Russell Brand, whose on-air hi-jinks once forced him off of BBC radio -- his overblown production number, which had nothing to do with London, stayed in, but not Ray Davies' glorious paean to the city? Who made that decision? It was bad enough that for days, we had to sit through numerous watered-down travelogues about James Bond and Shakespeare when many sporting events weren't televised. But to take scissors to the closing ceremonies with such poor judgment . . . it's an outrage.
Agree. One of the most beautiful songs ever, by one of the most gifted songwriters in the universe.
Er, Ray Davies has said the "Terry" in the song was his nephew, Terry. Not Terrence Stamp.
NBC is not worthy of its exclusive Olympic broadcast responsibilities in the U.S.
To preempt Ray Davies the Who and others in favor of promoting a pilot sitcom was unconscionable.
It was certainly not a good way introduce a new show. I wouldn't watch Animal Practice now if it was the only show on TV.
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