July 30, 2009 11:36

Ray Davies: 'The Kray twins wanted to manage The Kinks'

Notorious London gangsters approached the band in their heyday

Ray Davies has revealed that London gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray were keen to manage The Kinks in their '60s heyday.

According to the star, the Kray twins sent one of their organisation to meet with The Kinks' management to discuss looking after the band.

"Our managers at the time were stockbroker types. They had a visit from someone in the Kray twins' organisation saying they were interested in managing us," Davies explained. "They also asked if Mick Avory (The Kinks' drummer) would be available for a date. It wouldn't have been beneath our managers to strike a deal. The mind boggles."

Davies added that he again communicated with one of the Krays, Reggie, in 1998.

Kray, in prison for the murder of Jack 'The Hat' McVitie in 1967, contacted Davies to tell him how much he liked a song ('London Song') he had written about him, reports WENN.

"I received a phone call from Her Majesty's Prison saying how much he liked it," Davies recalled.

The Kray twins' influence on music is fairly widespread, with both Morrissey and The Libertines among the acts to reference them in their songs.