The Kinks’ 1970 hit “Lola” may not have become the iconic song that it did if not for one minor lyric change.
Lead vocalist Ray Davies claimed in his autobiography that he was aiming to write something that would “sell in the first five seconds.”
So when BBC informed the band that they would not be airing “Lola,” Davies reportedly flew across the globe to re-record the song.
“I met her in a club down in old Soho / Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola / C-O-L-A, Cola,” the original lyrics read.
However, due to the BBC Radio’s “no product placement” policy, Davies changed the line to “tastes just like cherry cola.”
The band was on tour at the time, and, according to UCR, Davies flew to London after a gig in Minnesota for the re-record. However, the new recording was not up to par, and he was forced to do another round-trip flight to London shortly after.
“Lola” went on to become a massive hit, reaching No. 1 in Netherlands, Ireland and New Zealand. It peaked at No. 2 in the UK, and topped out at No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
