Dave Davies on how You Really Got Me saved The Kinks, those Jimmy Page rumors – and what he really thought of Van Halen's cover
Dave Davies isn't quite as active as he used to be after a stroke slowed his pace in 2013. But right now he's busier than usual, promoting The Journey – Part 3, which documents The Kinks' late era.
Though the band is best known for You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset and Lola from the '60s and '70s, the new set reminds us that late-stage cuts like Come Dancing, Destroyer and Better Things have earned pride of place in the band's catalog, too.
'We had a great comeback,' Davies reflects. 'We had many comebacks! It was like a renaissance with that era. There's so much stuff there. At that point we were playing more live shows. We had new songs, new management, and there was a lot of stuff to go through. It was like a rebirth in America. We were blossoming.'
It's no revelation that Davies is a proverbial godfather of distortion, inspiring players who came after him by using new levels of gain, distortion, and fuzz without the help of stompboxes. He achieved his sound by slashing the cone of his amp's speaker, leading to a gnarly, garage-meets-heavy rock tone that, in some ways, launched hard rock and heavy metal.
That might sound hyperbolic – but for Davies it's just the truth. 'Well, yes, we did do that,' he states proudly. 'And we did it without any pedals. It just happened, you know? It was really spontaneous. I think I'm most proud of You Really Got Me. It was a great song, and it remains a great song. And it really had a great attitude for the time.'
What's your perspective on how The Kinks had impacted heavy rock music and distorted guitar after you tore up your amp's speaker cone?
'I just did that, and it came out as You Really Got Me. Man, we didn't know, but it worked.'
What prompted you to tear the cone?
'If I knew I'd tell you! I came up with it one afternoon, and that sound came about. It was like a piece of magic.'
There's been a lot of speculation over the years that Jimmy Page recorded the solo for You Really Got Me.
'It's quite ridiculous. It's totally ridiculous that someone can merely try to take credit. It was me – it was a Kinks song. It was The Kinks' sound on a Kinks record. So of course I recorded the solo.'
Have you ever spoken to Jimmy Page or session engineer Eddie Kramer about the claims?
'I've never talked to Jimmy about it, no. But I have talked to Eddie, and he denies Jimmy did it.'
Was the You Really Got Me solo off the cuff, or did you plan it out?
'It was probably off the cuff. There's really no way one could plan that. I don't remember the gear; it all happened so quickly. We were thankful for it because we maybe wouldn't have been The Kinks if we hadn't found that sound. The albums hadn't been doing well; we weren't doing great, really. And suddenly, with You Really Got Me, we kind of surprised people.'
What were your thoughts on the Van Halen version of You Really Got Me from 1978?
'Well, I thought it was quite funny-sounding! It was very good as well, though. I've gotten used to it!'
Did you ever talk to Eddie Van Halen about how you influenced him?
'Sadly I never got to meet him. He had great success with that version of You Really Got Me. He even played it on tour. And we had really great success with it, so I'm happy with it.'
The Journey – Part 3 is on sale now.
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