“I thought it was quite funny-sounding. It was very good as well, though. I’ve gotten used to it”: Dave Davies on Van Halen’s rendition of this career-making Kinks track

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Although he’s grown to like it, The Kinks’ Dave Davies wasn’t immediately keen on Van Halen’s 1978 take on the band’s classic, You Really Got Me.

“Well, I thought it was quite funny-sounding. It was very good as well, though. I’ve gotten used to it,” he quips in a new interview with Guitar World.

As for whether he ever talked to Eddie Van Halen about his version, Davies replies with, “Sadly, I never got to meet him.

“Although, 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 Kinks – You Really Got Me (Official Audio) – YouTube

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Indeed, it’s safe to say that You Really Got Me became a timeless classic – and the stories behind its creation are equally captivating. For instance, it was long rumored that Jimmy Page played the song’s guitar solo, a claim later debunked by the Led Zeppelin guitarist himself.

“It was one of those moments that, when you look at everybody and you think, ‘Hey, we’ve got something here,’” recalls Davis in an interview with Ultimate Guitar about the iconic track.

“It was one of those magical moments, and it was an amazing, amazing time. We did have something special. And where it came from? God knows.”

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Van Halen – You Really Got Me (Official Music Video) – YouTube

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The Van Halen connection doesn’t stop with You Really Got Me, however. The EVH-led outfit also covered a second Kinks song, 1965’s Where Have All the Good Times Gone, a rendition that Davies posits as being “really good.”

“I thought that was more complimentary. It’s a better version. I kind of laugh because it appeared to be a funny time: they call them heavy metal, and it was just a heavy song.”

“Frustrated kids, y’know?” he concludes.

Guitar World’s upcoming interview with Dave Davies will be published in the coming weeks.

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.