Notes and Quotes: "You Really Got Me"

Shel Talmy produced the original recorded version of this song and used so much reverb that Ray Davies refused to released it. Davies arranged for a second recording, possibly with money from his publisher. (Schaffner 1982: 96). Talmy asserts that he was in charge of all of the recordings.

Ray Davies (NME 1971): When that record starts it's like four people doing the four-minute mile; there's a lot of emotion. It was a great experience standing next to Dave when he played [his solo] because I was shouting at him, willing him to do it, saying it was the last chance we had. There's determination, fight, and guts in that record. (Schaffner 1982: 96).

Dave Davies (NME 1966): I never was a very good guitarist . . . so I used to experiment with sounds. I had a very small amplifier which distorted badly. . . . ripped up the speakers of this little amp . . . [and] linked it up with the regular Vox amplifiers (Schaffner 1982: 96).

Shel Talmy: They're both my versions. . There's one that's slower, it's a slower blues version. ... I haven't heard it in years and I have no idea who's even got it. That's the way we were doing it initially.... Ray (who I did not know at the time, [but I] subsequently found out only by reading his auto-biography that he was having great mental problems) had a hissy fit and decided he had to do it faster. I said, "Ok, fine." So we did. We did it faster. I understand you've read that I wasn't on these sessions. The one word answer to that is "bullshit." Am I surprised? Not then and even less now. There were always people with agendas and massive egos out there attempting to claim credit. (Interview 14 February 2001)

Arthur Greenslade: You can hear halfway through, yours truly coming in with that blooming, crunching 8 in the bar. Now, funny enough, I can tell you about that session. There's a little story goes to it. It was an American chap who was the producer of that called Shel Talmy. … And, anyway, that was done, it was a studio in upper Regent Street, London, just up from the main BBC. Anyway, Bobby Graham, the drummer, and myself, we were on a session before that night from 7 till 10, right? Now I can't think who that session would be, but anyway, Bob and meself, among other people we were on another session. Anyway, we got a phone call from Charlie Katz, "Would we stay there? A session was starting at midnight." Right? With Shel Talmy. Stay on. There was session starting at midnight. So this was for Bobby and myself. Alright. At the back of these studios, there would be little mews and there was a pub there. And I can remember Bob and meself, we went out through the back door of these studios, through the garden, and into the pub. And in those days Bobby and meself, we used to drink whiskey and coke. And we stayed in the pub there, and came back in about 11:30, went back into the studio. And about twelve o'clock, who should come in but The Kinks. And obviously I got very friendly with Ray. I can't think of his surname. Ray Davies and his brother, and they were very nice blokes. But anyway, that particular night, when we saw these guys come in with long hair down to their shoulders…, we got bloody frightened to death, Bobby and meself. But anyway, we finished up doing that session for them. It was very good, and we got very friendly with the Davies boys after that. They had a poll of musicians or something in London at one time and Ray Davis came out; I was his favorite piano player. (Interview 15 January 2002)

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22 February, 2012