Hospital Radio: The Tavistock man behind The Kinks

You would be forgiven for not knowing who Peter Quaife is. Maybe if I said Ray, Dave, Peter and Mick it would help? Okay, probably not. 

He was born in Tavistock in 1943, the illegitimate son of serving American soldier. As a teen, now in London, he studied art but always loved music and helped start a group known as The Ravens in 1963 with two brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They later changed their name to The Kinks and the rest, as they say, is history. Peter was the original bassist for the band from 1963 to 1969. 

Quaife and  the Davies brothers all attended William Grimshaw secondary school in Muswell Hill. While closer in age to Ray, Peter was closest to Dave who worked down the road from him in London’s West End. By the mid-sixties, the band had made it, with hits like  the Ray Davies written "You Really Got Me" which became an international hit, and other early hits like "All Day and All of the Night" (1964), "Tired of Waiting for You". Peter was a key member of the band but in 1966 he was involved in a serious car wreck which saw him replaced in the song for a while, but by the end of the year he was back in the line-up.

Clearly he was very highly thought of as Eric Clapton invited him to join Cream, but he turned the opportunity down. He hung on with The Kinks until 1969 before leaving for a final time to form the country rock band Mapleoak. After retiring from the music business, Quaife lived in Denmark and eventually Canada where he worked as a cartoonist and an artist. He did perform with the band on two further occasions, once for a solitary song when they toured Canada and finally at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame awards ceremony in 1990.

Quaife was diagnosed with renal failure in the late nineties. During his dialysis sessions, he drew a series of cartoons based on his experiences. These have subsequently been published as The Lighter Side of Dialysis. Because of his illness he moved back to Denmark in 2005, the same year that he made his final appearance with his ex-bandmates at the UK Music Hall of Fame show. Quaife finally submitted to kidney failure in 2010.

The following appears on The Kinks website, Dave Davies posted a statement on his message board expressing his deep sorrow over the passing of his former band mate and lauding him for his friendship, personality, talent, and contributions to The Kinks’ sound. He stated that Quaife “was never really given the credit he deserved for his contribution and involvement.” Ray dedicated his 27 June 2010 show at Glastonbury Festival to Pete by saying: “I wouldn’t be here today, if it wasn’t for him.”

If you are a fan of the band, you could do worse that take in Sunny Afternoon, the award winning musical which is in Torquay from 17th to 21st May as part of the nationwide tour following two years on the West End. Based on the true story of The Kinks, one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion and featuring all the hits. It is a proper story featuring the fame Peter enjoyed with the Davies brothers and showcases the fame they enjoyed.

Sunny Afternoon is a story of friendship, fame and rock history, set to a soundtrack of era-defining songs that brings the sound of the 60s roaring back to life. Experience the electrifying true story behind The Kinks, the band that changed rock music forever, with a back catalogue of unforgettable hits. E

ven without songwriting credits, Quaife’s role was significant in shaping the band’s early sound, he is often  described as an unsung hero whose musicianship and personality were central to the band’s early chemistry. Tickets are still available.