vocals, and the band's regular session keyboard Nicky Hopkins, who played piano. "Polly" is one of a few songs recorded during the Village Green sessions to possibly feature a real string section, a rarity on the Kinks' late 1960srecordings since Pye executives saw the hiring of an arranger and string players as too expensive to warrant. English composer David Whitaker likely arranged the strings. In the last week of March1968, Ray selected "Polly" to be the B-side of the Kinks' next single, "Wonderboy". Pye rush released the single in the UK on . A reviewer in Record Mirror magazine wrote that in contrast to its A-side, "Polly" is "more rhythmic, maybe with moments of crashingness", and helped provide the single with value-for-money. Reprise Records issued the single in the US on 15 or . Both sides of the single failed to chart in either the US or UK. In the UK, it sold around 26,000 copies, roughly one-tenth of the Kinks' singles from the previous year, "Waterloo Sunset" and "Autumn Almanac". Though Ray did not include "Polly" on Village Green, when the Kinks' US recording contract required them to submit a new album to Reprise in June1968, it was among the fifteen tracks he sent to the label. The song featured on the label's test pressings of the album, planned for a late1968 release in the US as Four More Respected Gentlemen, though the project was ultimately abandoned. It has since been included on compilation albums like The Kink Kronikles (1972) and Kollectables (1984) and as a bonus track on CD reissues of Something Else by the Kinks (1998) and Village Green (2004). Personnel According to band researcher Doug Hinman: The Kinks Ray Davies lead vocal, guitar Dave Davies backing vocal, electric guitar Pete Quaife backing vocal, bass Mick Avory drums Additional musicians Rasa Davies backing vocal Nicky Hopkinspiano David Whitaker string arrangement Unidentified session musicians string section Notes References Citations Sources External links 1968 songs The Kinks songs Song recordings produced by Ray Davies Songs written by Ray Davies