Scarce original 1966 Japanese Pye pressing of one of Ray Davies' most important early compositions, housed in its wonderful Japanese fold-out picture sleeve. "A Well Respected Man" marked a major turning point for The Kinks. Moving away from the raw attack of You Really Got Me and All Day And All Of The Night, Ray Davies turned his attention towards distinctly British character studies and social satire, targeting respectability, conformity and the English class system. It became the blueprint for the observational songwriting that would define much of The Kinks' greatest work. Interestingly, Pye never issued the song as a conventional UK single. Instead it appeared as the lead track on the Kwyet Kinks EP, which reached No. 1 on the British EP chart. Overseas markets treated the song differently: it became a US Top 20 hit and this Japanese LL-869-Y edition was released as a dedicated single in February 1966. The Japanese edition boasts particularly attractive packaging: an original four-page fold-out picture insert with English lyrics for both songs, Japanese liner notes, and the original Japanese Pye company sleeve with stamped matrix and runouts. ⸻ Sleeve (VG+): Very attractive original Japanese fold-out sleeve with some visible ring wear and light signs of age. Still a strong and highly presentable example → VG+ Vinyl (VG): The vinyl retains a nice shine but has one clearly visible superficial mark together with some lighter signs of handling. Nothing deeply feelable, and playback remains very enjoyable → VG ⸻ Details * Japan 1st pressing * Pye label * Catalog: LL-869-Y * 45 RPM 7" single * Original four-page fold-out picture insert * English lyrics included * Japanese liner notes