DAVE DAVIES Slams VAN HALEN's THE KINKS Cover

August 2, 2010

The Pulse of Radio reports: Over 30 years since VAN HALEN broke the Top 40 with their high-octane cover of THE KINKS' "You Really Got Me" — THE KINKS' Dave Davies says he's got a problem with it. Davies, who is recovering after being sidelined by a 2004 stroke, took a poke at VAN HALEN, telling Classic Rock, "There's the thing: good art isn't always about having the comfiest technique. I shouldn't encourage him, but I'm sure Eddie Van Halen played better when he was drunk. But it must be a good record if people like it. VAN HALEN's version was very Middle America. It was like, 'Hey man, look at me with my tight trousers! Here's our version of 'You Really Got Me'!"

Davies says that THE KINKS actually came to resent the cover version that was featured on VAN HALEN's 1978 self-titled debut. "We got pissed off though, when we played America," he said. "THE KINKS had an album out called 'Low Budget' and we ended up touring and playing stadiums. Some kid came up to me after one of the gigs and said: 'I like your cover of VAN HALEN's 'You Really Got Me'. You have to smile sometimes."

Dave Davies, who has always battled his brother Ray Davies for attention and control of THE KINKS says that he's responsible for the band's signature sound on "You Really Got Me" which propelled them to fame. "It wouldn't have been a record without, in all modesty, I think it wouldn't have been a record without that guitar sound on it, so it's like it paved the way for our whole career," he said.

Find more on

Prev More News Next

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).