The Kinks 1962. The band performed under several names between 1962 and 1963—the Pete Quaife Band, the Bo-Weevils, the Ramrods, and the Ravens—before settling on the Kinks in early 1964. Ray has stated that a performance at Hornsey Town Hall on Valentine's Day 1963 was when the band were truly born. The Kinks made their first tour of Australia and New Zealand in January 1965 as part of a "package" bill that included Manfred Mann and the Honeycombs. They performed and toured relentlessly, headlining package tours throughout 1965 with performers such as the Yardbirds and Mickey Finn. Tensions began to emerge within
The Kinks three books on the Kinks were published: "The Kinks: The Official Biography", by Jon Savage; "The Kinks Kronikles", by rock critic John Mendelsohn, who had overseen the 1972 "The Kink Kronikles" compilation album; and "The Kinks—The Sound And The Fury" ("The Kinks—A Mental Institution" in the US), by Johnny Rogan. In early 1986, the group signed with MCA Records in the United States and London Records in the UK. Their first album for the new labels, "Think Visual", released later that year, was a moderate success, peaking at number 81 on the "Billboard" albums chart. Songs like the ballad "Lost