▁Ray ▁Dav ies ' ▁fin est ▁songs ▁ever ." ▁ ▁George ▁Star ost in , ▁on ▁his ▁music ▁review ▁website ▁" Only ▁Sol itaire ", ▁pra ises ▁the ▁song , ▁saying ▁that ▁it ▁" ran ks ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁three ▁or ▁four ▁K inks ' ▁songs ▁ever ". ▁ ▁" Sh ang ri - La " ▁was ▁released ▁as ▁a ▁single ▁in ▁Britain , ▁but ▁like ▁the ▁K inks ▁previous ▁single , ▁" D riv in , ▁" Sh ang ri - La " ▁failed ▁to ▁chart ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁or ▁US . ▁Dave ▁Dav ies ▁has ▁since ▁expressed ▁disappoint ment ▁in ▁the ▁single ' s ▁lack ▁of ▁commercial ▁success , ▁saying , ▁" R ay ▁was ▁writing ▁fant astic , ▁sensitive ▁words ▁that ▁were ▁so ▁relevant ▁to ▁what ▁was ▁going ▁on ▁- ▁better ▁than ▁any ▁politician . ▁I ▁was ▁really ▁surprised ▁at ▁the ▁response ▁we ▁got ▁to ▁( single ) ▁' Sh ang ri - La ,' ▁because ▁I ▁thought ▁it ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁massive , ▁massive ▁hit ." ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁say , ▁" As ▁a ▁cre ative ▁person ▁you ▁may ▁think ▁you ' ve ▁failed ▁at ▁something , ▁then ▁find ▁out ▁later ▁that ▁you ' ve ▁really ▁learned ▁from ▁it . ▁I ▁wish ▁I ' d ▁real ised ▁that ▁when ▁I ▁was ▁feeling ▁really ▁sh itt y ▁about ▁' Sh ang ri - La ' ▁not ▁being ▁number ▁one ." ▁It ▁did ▁reach ▁number ▁ 2 7 ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁ ▁Bass ist ▁John