The Kinks, the Kingsmens and the version Steve posted (thank you for reminding me of that one!) are all great and would be legendary if they stood alone, but since the Kingsmens version happens to be slightly above the others (even if they all have individual qualities), that's the one that I go to 95% of the times. The Kinks is definitely the most sleazy one.
Essentially Ray announcing to the world that he has to urinate. It's largely a blues progression in the key of A. The most musically interesting part of this track is the bridge at 1:38 where he throws in a couple of additional chords (G and F).
I Gotta Go Now is one of many Ray songs from this period (late '64 and 65) that are really frustrating to analyse, because they are so unique that they demand a minor essay, but yet they are not good enough to really be worth the effort. In this song, Ray combines his typical voice from the period with a dynamic range that is seldom heard in rock music -- one earlier example would be Jerry Lee Lewis Great Balls of Fire. Maybe it's just me, but if I lived at the time and had kids that listened to the Kinks, I'd imagine that this is the song that would provoke me the most. In a sense this tender performance is even more sleazy than Louie Louie or You Really Got Me.
Louie Louie I haven't heard the recorded version of this cover, only a bit of the live version. It's well done. And big surprise - you can hear what the lyrics are. So used to the Kingsmen version, I just assumed that you just mumbled something and "me gotta go". Very bold of them to change it to "I gotta go". Ha ha. I Gotta Go Now Nothing objectionable about the track, but one knows what's ahead, so it just ain't the Kinks to me. Just more of boy leaves girl and is sort of sad.
"Louie Louie" takes me back to the early 2000s days of P2P N@pster/L1mew1re/etc file-sharing software and the golden age of mislabeling an artist and/or song title. As I was first exploring the Kinks' stuff, I can't tell you how many times I stumbled upon the Kingsmen's version misattributed to the Kinks. I assumed this was just a classic internet kerfuffle akin to all the "Bob Dylan - Stuck In The Middle With You"s or "The Beatles - She's Not There"s one might come across. Imagine my surprise years later when I purchased the 98 debut album Castle CD and discovered that, yup, The Kinks HAD in fact recorded "Louie Louie" and it was...yeah, pretty underwhelming. Always liked "Gotta Go Now" for its simplicity and Dave's guitar licks during the verse.
LOUIE LOUIE After starting their first album with a lame cover, The Kinks decide to do the same thing with their first EP. Nothing new here. Ray sings Louie Lou-Eye like the Kingsmen and provides pretty unintelligible lyrics too but in an annoyingly slurred manner. Dave's solo is OK but no better than the original, which you can check out here. Note the groovy dancers. I GOTTA GO NOW A lot better. Nice vocal and guitar interplay. Unfortunately, just when you think the track is really taking off, it just starts repeating itself. File under MOR (missed opportunity revisited).
Getting off-topic just a bit, one of the most over-the-top Louie Louie events ever was KFJC's "Maximun Louie Louie" broadcast in 1983. The playlist included something like 800 versions and ran over 63 hours.
That sounds brutal! I listened to several today to decide which I liked the most. I'm not a huge fan of the song, but I love The Troggs, and I think they do a very cool and interesting version. It's not far off from "Wild Thing" and fits their style really well with Reg Presley's vocal and the guitar sound. This is probably my favorite version.
"Louie, Louie"-A perfunctory cover of possibly the most perfunctory song of the 60's. Filler, but not a bad cover. "I Gotta Go Now"-Much better. Even in such an early stage you could see the difference in Ray's songwriting vs. the covers. So much more advanced. Looking back you could see he was onto something. Time would prove that he was.
I’m excited for the thread also. I must be a schizo Kinks fan. In their earliest era I only bought the US Reprise greatest hits album, which was amazing of course . But it dawns on me the reason I didn’t buy their early albums was cash flow. I was a kid with limited money when they were released and there was a ton of killer British Invasion music being released so I had to pick and choose . Then I bought every album from Face to Face through Everybody’s in Show -Biz then got off the bus, so like you I can also learn a ton about their twelve or thirteen later albums also. So, I’m a guy who’s never heard a dozen of their albums, but I’m one of the few, the proud people that bought Something Else, Village Green, the US The Live Kinks album and The Great Lost Kinks Album when they were released. I don’t think many people did when they were first released. I’ve laid low in this thread so far because I still don’t own their first album but I have everything from Kinda Kinks through Everybody’s in Show-Biz, so I can jump in soon.
I'm with whoever said they just don't like Louie Louie no matter who did it. Even The Kinks. I'm struggling to remember I Gotta Go Now, I must have it, so it can't have been that memorable. Whilst not posting as much at the moment, I'm continuing to follow & enjoy the thread
I remembered the tune as soon as I saw the title, so it must have been one of my favourites on the 2 CD version of the debut. Louie Louie - once you've heard the version by The Kingsmen, there's no need to listen to any others!
I had the original UK EP years ago but sold it as it seemed a bit underwhelming to me like thinking.....ok just where is the standout EP track?
If you have time, you can still have a listen and give us your thoughts. There are no right or wrong thoughts
I've Got That Feeling mono mix (2:45), recorded 18 Oct, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London This opens up with that jaunty Kinks sound to me. We have a minor key sound for most of the song, and it works really well in my opinion. The guitar and drums push along the staggered kind of rhythm, and the piano bangs away on the beat. The vocals are in unison and it gives the song a certain feeling. I've got that feeling, it's her, oh yeah I've got that feeling, it's her, oh yeah-ah-ah Let me tell you 'bout a girl I know I love her, I love her When we kiss (?) show But I love her, I love her She is the sweetest girl I know And when she kisses me I know Whoa-oh-oh I've got that feeling, it's her, oh yeah I've got that feeling, it's her, oh yeah-ah-ah She's got a crazy way of kissing while we're talking And I love her, I love her She makes my heart start a-bumping and a-jumping 'Cause I love her, I love her She is the sweetest girl I know And when she kisses me I know Whoa-oh-oh Let me tell you 'bout a girl I know I love her, I love her When we kiss (?) show But I love her, I love her She is the sweetest girl I know And when she kisses me I know Whoa-oh-oh I've got that feeling, it's her, oh yeah I've got that feeling, it's her, oh yeah Songwriters: R. Davies I've Got That Feeling lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing LLC Written by: Ray Davies Published by: Kassner Music Co. Ltd (we have a couple of different publishers here, and I don't know which is correct.... I reckon this is a cool song, but to some degree it seems like the production and/or recording side of things is a little rough.... It doesn't detract too much for me.... but it gives the impression that the sessions in October may have been a little rushed or something. Even with the rough around the edges sound, I think this works. Again, I get the feeling that we have Ray just trying new things out with his writing.
If there was much thought put into it at all, I’m guessing ‘Louie Louie’ was meant to be the standout star track, a bit like ‘Long Tall Sally’ was on The Beatles original EP earlier that year, except as we’ve covered it’s an underwhelming version that they could have done better even by their own standards.
(Deep Breath).................................................. That's about the only scenario that would find me backing the renewal of nuclear testing!
Things Are Getting Better mono mix (1:57), recorded 18 Oct, 1964 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London Here we seem to have Ray trying his hand at writing a Bob Diddley style track. A fairly uptempo track with a staccato opening that launches into a full steam ahead rocker. Well I worked for a week and I got no pay. (Things getting better.) Well my baby's coming back home to stay (Things getting better.) Well she's coming back home, but I haven't got a dime (Things getting better.) But I've got my love to keep me fine[?]. (Things getting better.) Oh-oh Things getting better. Things getting better. Well since my baby's been away, (Things getting better.) Well things got worse from day to day. (Things getting better.) Well now my baby's come back to me. (Things getting better.) Yeah, it'll get better, wait and see. (Things getting better.) Oh-oh Things getting better. Things getting better. Oh-oh Things getting better. Things getting better. Well I pawned my watch and I sold my car. (Things getting better.) The money I've got wouldn't get me far. (Things getting better.) But I don't mind now that you've packed. (Things getting better.) It's a fact, that Things getting better. Things getting better. Oh-oh Things getting better. Things getting better. Written by: Ray Davies Published by: Kassner Music Co. Ltd The song is arranged with a call and response vocal, and the guys seem to do pretty well with this kind of thing. The backing vocals always generally come over pretty well on these early Kinks tracks. The song pummels its way to the finish line, in its fairly short length, but we get more harmonica and it fits the feel of the song.
Louie Louie Having just listened to several of the versions posted, I prefer it with the slurry verses - retains some mystery! Not really a huge fan of the song to start with though! I Gotta Go Now I agree with this, having not heard it before today. It feels as though it should go somewhere else, but doesn't...!
True, I’m just thinking selfishly in terms of the fan who would have more good records from that era to collect. It’s ironic that when Ray was really on fire as a songwriter, could not write a bad song if he tried, is when the taps were turned down in terms of flooding the market. Thus weak tracks like the ones on this EP have always been part of the canon whereas the likes of ‘Lavender Hill’ and ‘Pictures in the Sand’ are condemned to outtake purgatory. Frustrating!
For me the EP is pretty good, but it seems, like the album, that there was a push to get product out from the record company. We have three tracks recorded on October 18th, and one flown in from the previous month that didn't make the album. With everyone's thoughts about Ray's somewhat disinterested vocal on Louie Louie, I wonder if that is because he was starting to want to just do his own songs, but there was pressure to do covers for that instant hit thing that record companies want. Interestingly I didn't really hear it as disinterested, it just seemed like Ray trying out another personality in the vocal. His phrasing and inflection are one of my favourite things about his vocals, particularly as we move through these songs. I reckon the EP comes over pretty well, but in the light of what we know the guys can do, hindsight makes it seem a little underdone. Essentially, I am happy to have these songs on the cd, but I would probably not hunt out the EP if that wasn't the case.
I Got That Feeling: The Kinkles have arrived! Their most outwardly Beatle-esque track, this is easily my favourite here. I was very familiar with the BBC version for ages, and when I heard the extra vocals in the chorus on the EP it kinda shocked me! The "She is the sweetest girl I know" bridge has a lovely best melody to it, and I come back to this often. A very solid, if rushed off, tune, and one of my favourites we've covered so far. Things Are Getting Better: Feels like classic Beat group B-Side material, nothing fantastic, but a welcome burst of energy that the group could churn out at this time. The "Things are gettin' better, things are gettin' better" hook often appears in my head.
I've Got That Feeling I think this has a nice feel about it, and I enjoyed the piano break in the middle as a change from a guitar solo. I find the way the backing vocal comes in on 'and when she kisses me...' a touch awkward. Perhaps this is down to it being rushed and not given a lot of consideration? (Or it could just be me!) Things are Getting Better Energetic and very short! Nothing really standing out for me but an enjoyable b-side.
