The Small Faces' Steve Marriott was so struck by The Kinks' 1967 single "Waterloo Sunset" that he directly quizzed guitarist Dave Davies about how its distinctive guitar sound had been achieved. The anecdote illustrates the mutual respect and creative curiosity among London's leading 1960s bands, with the younger, mod-aligned Small Faces looking up to The Kinks as pioneers who had already reshaped British rock with hits like "You Really Got Me".

Dave Davies later revealed that the guitar tone, which helped make "Waterloo Sunset" instantly recognisable, was achieved using a tape-delay echo technique, one not widely used since the 1950s, so it sounded fresh to contemporary ears despite drawing on older rock and roll influences. Davies recalled Marriott approaching him to ask about the sound, joking that "we were almost trendy for a while". The distinctive guitar work, paired with Ray Davies' evocative lyrics, is credited as a key reason the song remains so fondly regarded by fans and fellow musicians alike.