“Jeg blev pissesur over, at han hele tiden snakkede om mode. Jeg kom op at slås med ham, et forfærdeligt klammeri og jeg sparkede ham. Det var slemt. Der var blod. Næste dag sagde jeg: ‘Glem det, det må stoppe, brug det i dit arbejde, og så skrev jeg den sang, skrev den straks ned på maskine”
(Ray Davies om “Dedicated Follower of Fashion”, 1965)

Davies fortæller anekdoten til Observer, som supplerer med at fortælle, at sangen, som udstillede modelunerne i Carnaby Street, var en af de sange, der var med til at skabe Kinks anden kreative fase. En fase, der resulterede i fire stor hit i perioden marts 1966 til juni 1967. De andre sange var “Sunny Afternoon”, “Dead End Street” og “Waterloo Sunset” (‘den smukkeste sang, der nogensinde er skrevet om London ‘).
Ray Davies står for mig som en sangskriver, der aldrig er gået på kompromis med sin sangskrivning, aldrig har glemt den arbejderbaggrund, han kom fra og som er gået sine egne vegne. Som Observer noterer: en outsider, der udefra og lidt oppefra i fugleperspektiv har skrevet kritisk, men også solidarisk om sin tid og dens mennesker.
Dedicated Follower of Fashion og den samtidige Well Respected Man (som Peter Belli lavede en kongenial udgave af, Helt igennem respektabel) var sange, der gjorde mig til fan af Ray Davies’ sangskrivning.

They seek him here
they seek him there

his clothes are loud but never square.
It will make or break him

so he’s got to buy the best

‘cos he’s a dedicated follower of fashion.

And when he does his little rounds

round the boutiques of London Town

eagerly pursuing
all the latest fads and trends

‘cos he’s a dedicated follower of fashion.

Oh
yes
he is (oh
yes
he is)
Oh
yes
he is (oh
yes
he is)
He thinks he is a flower to be looked at

and when he pulls his frilly nylon
panties right up tight

he feels a dedicated follower of fashion.

Oh
yes
he is (oh
yes
he is)
Oh
yes
he is (oh
yes
he is)
There’s one thing that he loves
and that is flattery

one week he’s in polka dots

the next week he’sin stripes

‘cos he’s a dedicated follower of fashion.

They seek him here
they seek him there

in Regent Street and Leicester Square.
Ev’rywhere the carnabytion army marches on

each one a dedicated follower of fashion.

His world is built ’round discotheques and parties

this pleasure seeking individual always looks his best

‘cos he’s a dedicated follower of fashion.

He flits from shop to shop just like a butterfly

in matters of the cloth he is as fickle as can be

‘cos he’s a dedicated follower of fashion.

He’s a dedicated follower of fashion.