"You Really Got Me" | |||||||||||
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Single by The Kinks | |||||||||||
from the album Kinks | |||||||||||
B-side | "It's All Right" | ||||||||||
Released | 4 August 1964 26 August 1964 (USA) |
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Format | 7" single | ||||||||||
Recorded | July, 1964, IBC Studios, London, England | ||||||||||
Genre | Hard rock,[1] garage rock[2] | ||||||||||
Length | 2:14 | ||||||||||
Label | Pye 7N 15673 Reprise 0306 |
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Writer(s) | Ray Davies | ||||||||||
Producer | Shel Talmy | ||||||||||
The Kinks singles chronology | |||||||||||
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"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks. It was the group's breakthrough hit; it established them as one of the top British Invasion acts in the United States, reaching Number 7 there later in the year. It was later included on the Kinks' debut album, Kinks.
"You Really Got Me" was an early hit song built around power chords (perfect 5ths and octaves),[3] and heavily influenced later rock musicians, particularly in the sub-genres heavy metal and punk rock.[2] American musicologist Robert Walser wrote that it is, "the first hit song built around power chords"[3] while critic Denise Sullivan of Allmusic writes, "'You Really Got Me' remains a blueprint song in the hard rock and heavy metal arsenal."[4]
Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 82 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and at number 4 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.[5] In early 2005, the song was voted the best British song of the 1955-1965 decade in a BBC radio poll. In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at number 9 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[6] In 2009 it was named the 57th Greatest Hard Rock Song by VH1.[7]
Contents |
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008) |
The song was recorded by the Kinks in a number of styles in the summer of 1964 before the final sound was achieved. The group was under tremendous pressure for a hit from their record company, Pye, after their two previous single releases failed to chart. Ray Davies in particular was stubbornly persistent in forcing the Kinks' management and record company to take the time and money needed to develop the record's landmark sound and style. Davies' efforts on behalf of the career-making song effectively established him as the leader and chief songwriter of the Kinks.[citation needed]
The influential distortion sound of the guitar track was created after guitarist Dave Davies sliced the speaker cone of his guitar amplifier with a razor blade and poked it with a pin.[4] The amplifier was affectionately called "little green," after the name of the amplifier made by the Elpico company, and purchased in Davies' neighbourhood music shop, slaved into a Vox AC-30.[citation needed]
The guitar solo on the recording is the source of one of the most controversial and persistent myths in all of rock and roll: that it was not played by the Kinks' lead guitarist Dave Davies, but by then-session player Jimmy Page, who later joined The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin. Among those claiming Page played lead guitar is Jon Lord of Deep Purple who also claimed to play piano on the track.[8] Page has always denied playing the song's guitar solo, going so far as to state in a 1970's interview cited in Sound On Sound magazine that "I didn't play on 'You Really Got Me' and that's what pisses him (Ray Davies) off."[9] Rock historian and author Doug Hinman makes a case that the rumour was begun and fostered by the established UK Rhythm and Blues community, many of whose members were resentful that an upstart band of teenagers such as the Kinks could produce such a powerful and influential blues-based recording, seemingly out of nowhere.[citation needed]
Recent Kinks' releases have given full official credits for the musicians on the track.[10][11] Group members Ray Davies (vocals and rhythm guitar). Dave Davies (lead guitar), Pete Quaife (bass) are joined by session men Bobby Graham (drums), and Arthur Greenslade (piano). Regular Kinks drummer Mick Avory plays the tambourine.
Ray Davies in his autobiographical release "Storyteller" (Capitol, ASIN: B00000635E, released April 21, 1998)[12] also addresses the guitar solo on track 28 ("The Third Single"), in which he tells the story of how the Kinks needed to have a hit within their first three singles in order to maintain their record contract. "You Really Got Me" was their third chance. According to Davies, not only did his brother Dave play the solo, but he also yells "fuck off" to Ray Davies right before the solo starts. Per Ray Davies's recounting of the story:
According to Ray Davies, the song's characteristic riff came about while working out the chords of The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie." Though in 1998, he said: "I'd written 'You Really Got Me' as tribute to all those great blues people I love: Leadbelly and Big Bill Broonzy.[13] The Kinks' use of distorted guitar riffs continued with songs like "All Day and All of the Night," "Tired of Waiting for You," and "Set Me Free," among others. Pete Townshend of The Who has stated that their first single, "I Can't Explain," was an intentional soundalike of The Kinks' work at the time (The Who were also produced by Talmy at that time).
The Kinks would go on to perform successfully together as a band for over 30 years, through many musical styles, and they would always play "You Really Got Me" in concert. Both Ray and Dave Davies still perform the song in solo shows, generally as a closing number.
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2010) |
"You Really Got Me" | ||||
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File:VH You Really Got Me.jpg | ||||
Single by Van Halen | ||||
from the album Van Halen | ||||
B-side | "Atomic Punk" | |||
Released | 1978 | |||
Format | 7" 45 RPM | |||
Recorded | September–October 1977 | |||
Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal | |||
Length | 2:35 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Writer(s) | Ray Davies | |||
Producer | Ted Templeman | |||
Van Halen singles chronology | ||||
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U.S. hard rock band Van Halen recorded "You Really Got Me" (help·info) for their 1978 debut album, Van Halen. It was a popular radio hit which helped jump-start the band's career,[14] as it had done for The Kinks 14 years earlier. The song was used on the soundtrack for the early Ron Howard film Night Shift. On the radio, it has been frequently played together with "Eruption," the instrumental that precedes it on the album.[15] This version was the soundtrack of the celebrated,[16] award-winning[17] 1996 Nissan commercial Toys in which "Nick", driving a toy Nissan 300ZX, entices "Roxanne" out on a date, to "Tad"'s dismay.[18] Mattel sued,[19] but settled.[20] It was also used by Nissan for its Japanese commercials.[21] This version later appeared in the 2003 video game Karaoke Revolution and the 2006 video game Guitar Hero II. The Guitar Hero II version is itself a cover, however, the song was later revisited as a master recording in the Van Halen-themed Guitar Hero game, Guitar Hero: Van Halen.[citation needed]
The Kinks' Dave Davies has gone on record as having a personal dislike of Van Halen's cover of the song and believes "They (Van Halen) would be penniless without The Kinks". He also told of how Kinks fans have approached him and congratulated him on performing a "great cover of the Van Halen song", and how Van Halen fans have approached him to accuse him of "ripping off Van Halen".[22] Ray Davies, on the other hand, liked it.[citation needed]
The main riff of the song is used for commercial break bumpers as well as the closing theme for The Mancow Morning Experience radio program.
The 1979 Live recording appears in Electronic Arts Battlefield Vietnam (2004) as a radio choice for vehicles and the loading music for Operation Flaming Dart
The song was played at the end of the Mad Men episode The Other Woman.
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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1964 | "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks | Pop Singles | 7 |
1978 | "You Really Got Me" by Van Halen | Pop Singles | 36 |
Preceded by "Have I the Right?" by The Honeycombs |
UK number one single "You Really Got Me" 10 September 1964 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by "I'm into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits |
Preceded by "London Bridge" by Fergie |
RIANZ (New Zealand) number-one single "You Really Got Me" (Boyband version) October 9, 2006 (one week) |
Succeeded by "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake |
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Kinks is the self-titled debut album by English rock band The Kinks, released in 1964. It was released with three tracks omitted as You Really Got Me in the US.
The album was re-released in 1998 in the UK on Castle Records with twelve bonus tracks. This reissue was itself reissued in 2004 on the Sanctuary label. A deluxe edition was released on 28 March 2011.
Allmusic assessed the album as lacking in consistency, commenting that "As R&B cover artists, the Kinks weren't nearly as adept as the Stones and Yardbirds; Ray Davies' original tunes were, "You Really Got Me" aside, perfunctory Mersey Beat-ish pastiches; and [the] tunes that producer Shel Talmy penned for the group... were simply abominable."
All songs by Ray Davies, except where noted.
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know what I'm doin'
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know where I'm goin', yeah
Oh Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
You really got me
You really got me
You really got me
Please, don't ever let me be
I only wanna be by your side
Please, don't ever let me be
I only wanna be by your side
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know what I'm doin', yeah
Oh yeah, you really got me now
Got me so I can't sleep at night
You really got me
You really got me
You really got me
Oh no, no, ah
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know what I'm doin'
Ah girl, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know where I'm goin', yeah
Oh yeah, you really got me now
Got me so I can't sleep at night
You really got me
You really got me
You really got me