On June 3, 1970, Ray Davies boarded a flight from New York to London. He was not returning home for a holiday. He was not attending a family emergency. He was flying 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, in the middle of a grueling American tour, to re-record a single phrase in a pop song. The BBC had threatened to ban The Kinks’ new single, “Lola,” because the lyrics mentioned “Coca-Cola.” To save the song from censorship and secure crucial radio play, Davies flew to London, walked into Morgan Studios, changed the lyric to “cherry cola,” and flew back to America.

This was the reality of the British music industry in 1970. The British Broadcasting Corporation held absolute authority over what the nation heard. A ban from the BBC was a death sentence for a single. The Kinks, already struggling to regain their footing after a four-year ban from touring the United States, could not afford a failure.

The story of the “Lola” flight is often reduced to a rock-and-roll anecdote. It is treated as a quirky footnote in the history of a legendary band. But the incident reveals the tension between artistic expression and institutional control. It demonstrates the lengths to which a songwriter will go to protect their work.

The Creation of a Controversial Anthem

By early 1970, The Kinks were at a crossroads. Their previous albums, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968) and Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969), were critical triumphs but commercial disappointments. The band needed a hit. They needed a song that would return them to the top of the charts.

Ray Davies found inspiration in the clubs of Soho, London. The exact origin of “Lola” is a matter of debate. Band manager Robert Wace claimed the song was inspired by an incident where he spent an evening dancing with a drag queen, unaware of her biological sex until the end of the night. Ray Davies has offered varying accounts, sometimes attributing the inspiration to a similar encounter he witnessed or experienced.

Regardless of its specific origin, the song was a masterclass in narrative songwriting. It told the story of a naive young man from the country who meets a sophisticated, physically imposing woman named Lola in a Soho club. The lyrics were ambiguous, playful, and subtly subversive. The song tackled themes of gender identity and sexual ambiguity at a time when such topics were rarely discussed in mainstream pop music.

The Original Lyric: “Where You Drink Champagne and It Tastes Just Like Coca-Cola”

The Kinks recorded “Lola” at Morgan Studios in Willesden, London, in April and May 1970. The track featured a distinctive acoustic guitar riff, played on a vintage 1938 National steel guitar, and a driving rhythm section. The production was dense and layered, reflecting Davies’ growing ambition as a producer.

The song opened with a memorable verse:

“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 lyric was evocative and specific. It perfectly captured the atmosphere of a cheap, bustling nightclub. The use of a brand name grounded the song in reality. It was a stylistic choice that Ray Davies, known for his sharp observational writing, employed frequently.

The band knew they had a hit. “Lola” was catchy, provocative, and distinctively British. They prepared for its release, anticipating a return to the top of the charts.

The BBC’s Strict Broadcasting Code

In 1970, the British broadcasting landscape was vastly different from today. The BBC was a monopoly. If a band wanted their music heard by the British public, they had to go through the BBC. Commercial radio, as it existed in the United States, was virtually nonexistent in the UK.

The BBC operated under a strict broadcasting code. The corporation was funded by a public license fee, and it viewed itself as a guardian of public morality and standards. The code dictated what could and could not be broadcast. Profanity was strictly forbidden. Songs with overt sexual content or drug references were routinely banned.

But the BBC also had a rigid policy regarding commercialism. The corporation was non-commercial and carried no advertising. Consequently, the broadcasting code strictly prohibited any form of product placement. Songs that mentioned specific brand names were deemed to be free advertising and were barred from the airwaves.

The Threat of the Ban

As the release date for “Lola” approached, the BBC reviewed the track. The verdict was swift and uncompromising. The song violated the broadcasting code. The mention of “Coca-Cola” constituted product placement. The BBC informed Pye Records, The Kinks’ label, that “Lola” would not be played on the radio unless the offending lyric was removed.

The timing could not have been worse. The Kinks were in the middle of a crucial American tour. They had finally been allowed back into the United States after a mysterious four-year ban imposed by the American Federation of Musicians. The tour was their chance to re-establish themselves in the world’s largest music market. They were exhausted, traveling constantly, and playing demanding shows.

The news from London was a disaster. A BBC ban meant the song would fail in the UK. The Kinks needed a hit to sustain their career. They could not afford to lose “Lola.”

The 6,000-Mile Round Trip

Ray Davies was faced with a difficult choice. He could refuse to change the lyric, standing on principle and accepting the commercial consequences. Or he could capitulate to the BBC, alter the song, and secure the airplay.

Davies chose the latter. He recognized that the survival of the band depended on the success of “Lola.” But he was in America, and the master tapes were in London. Technology did not allow for remote recording or digital editing. The change had to be made physically, in the studio.

On June 3, 1970, Davies interrupted the tour. He left his bandmates in the United States, traveled to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and boarded a flight to London Heathrow.

The Morgan Studios Session

The journey was grueling. Transatlantic flights in 1970 were long and exhausting. Davies arrived in London jet-lagged and stressed. He immediately traveled to Morgan Studios in Willesden.

The session was brief and focused. The engineers cued up the master tape of “Lola.” Davies stepped up to the microphone. He did not need to re-record the entire song. He only needed to replace two words.

The original lyric was: “Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola.”

Davies sang the replacement: “Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola.”

He sang the new phrase, matching the inflection and tone of the original recording. The engineers spliced the new vocal into the master tape. The fix was seamless. The brand name was gone, replaced by a generic flavor. The BBC’s requirements were met.

His work done, Davies returned to Heathrow Airport. He boarded another flight, traveled 3,000 miles back across the Atlantic, and rejoined the tour in America. The entire round trip, 6,000 miles, two flights, and a studio session, was completed in a matter of days.

The Aftermath and the Impact of “Lola”

The “cherry cola” version of “Lola” was submitted to the BBC. The corporation approved the altered track, and the ban was lifted. The song was added to the playlists of BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2. It received massive airplay across the United Kingdom.

The results were immediate. “Lola” was a massive hit. It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, held off the top spot only by Elvis Presley’s “The Wonder of You.” It was The Kinks’ biggest hit in years. The song also achieved significant success internationally. In the United States, where the original “Coca-Cola” version was released, the song reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.

The success of “Lola” revitalized The Kinks’ career. It provided the financial stability and commercial momentum they needed to continue recording and touring. The album that followed, Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, was a critical and commercial success.

The Legacy of the Edit

The “cherry cola” edit remains one of the most famous examples of musical censorship and capitulation in rock history. It highlights the immense power that broadcasters held over artists in the mid-20th century. The BBC’s strict adherence to its broadcasting code forced one of Britain’s greatest songwriters to alter his work to secure an audience.

Today, the “cherry cola” version is the most widely known recording of “Lola.” It is the version that appears on most compilation albums and is played on classic rock radio stations worldwide. The original “Coca-Cola” version is a rarity, sought after by collectors and audiophiles.

The incident also underscores the pragmatic nature of the music business. Ray Davies was a fiercely independent artist, known for his uncompromising vision. But he was also a professional musician who understood the realities of the industry. He recognized that a song unheard is a song wasted. He made the compromise necessary to ensure his work reached the public.

The flight to London was a grand gesture, a physical manifestation of a songwriter’s commitment to his creation. It was a grueling journey, undertaken not for glory or fortune, but for the sake of two words.

The BBC demanded compliance. The artist delivered a compromise. The song survived.