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The Kinks to release 'Arthur' 50th anniversary box set

By Annie Martin

July 30 (UPI) -- The Kinks will release a 50th anniversary box set version of their album Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire).

The British rock band unveiled a special edition of the album Tuesday featuring unreleased tracks and new recordings.

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The box set will include four CDs, four Arthur-related 7" singles, a softback book, printed memorabilia and a pin badge. The set retails for $89.99 and is available for pre-order, with an official release date of Oct. 25.

The CDs feature newly remastered stereo and mono versions of the original Arthur album, five previously unreleased tracks and 28 previously unreleased versions. They include two new recordings of The Kinks member Ray Davies with the Doo Wop Choir and three previously unreleased tracks written for Arthur.

In addition, the softback book features new interviews with Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory, as well as band photos and original release international cover artwork.

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) originally debuted in October 1969. The album includes the singles "Drivin," "Shangri-La" and "Victoria."

The Kinks promoted the box set in a tweet Tuesday.

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"Arthur (Or The Decline and Fall or the British Empire). The 50th anniversary edition box sex. Unreleased tracks, new recordings, a long lost Dave Davies solo album and a much much more!" the post reads.

Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Mick Avory and Pete Quaife debuted as The Kinks in 1964. Ray announced in June 2018 that he, Dave and Avory had reunited to make a new Kinks album. Quaife died in 2010.

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