<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Problems playing this file? See media help . </Td> </Tr> <P> While the sessions for Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) were nearing completion in June 1969, the track "Drivin"' was released as a single in the UK, backed with "Mindless Child of Motherhood". For the first time since their breakthrough in 1964, a Kinks single failed to make an impression on the UK charts--Johnny Rogan notes that "This was the first of two pilot singles for...Arthur and its failure did not augur well ." The group followed with another single in September, "Shangri - La", which again failed to chart in the UK . As with Village Green, the album itself failed to chart when released in October . </P> <P> In the US, "Victoria" was chosen as the lead single, backed with the album track "Brainwashed", and was released the same week as the LP . The single proved to be relatively successful, and reached number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100--their highest position since their Top 20 hit "Sunny Afternoon" in 1966 . The success of the single led to its release in the UK; backed with "Mr. Churchill Says", it reached a peak of number 30 . Arthur itself was a moderate commercial success in the US, where it peaked at number 105 (the highest for a Kinks album since 1965) and remained on the charts for 20 weeks . </P> <P> Reprise Records, the Kinks' US label, devised an elaborate, multi-levelled promotional campaign for Arthur in early 1969 . The most famous branch of the programme involved a promo package entitled God Save The Kinks . The set featured various items, including a consumer's guide to the band's albums, a bag of "grass" from the "Daviesland village green", and an LP entitled Then, Now and Inbetween . The set was accompanied by a positive letter from Hal Halverstadt of creative services at Warner / Reprise, part of which read, "...(We are led) to believe that The Kinks may not have had it at all...The Kinks are to be supported, encouraged, cheered . And saved ." The campaign was officially launched on 3 July, at a meeting between Ray Davies and Reprise executives in Burbank, California . Reprise considered seeding false stories in the press to create an "outlaw" image for the group as part of the campaign, including pieces about marijuana possession and income tax evasion . Ray called the idea "mad", and the programme was dropped . Several pieces, however, were used in the press kit for Arthur's release, with titles including "English Pop Group Arrested on Rape Rap". </P>

The kinks rise and fall of the british empire