Dave Davies VS. Van Halen

[That 70s Guy]

from blabbermouth.net

DAVE DAVIES Slams VAN HALEN's THE KINKS Cover - Aug. 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.

 

[Magic]

They can slam Van Halen if they want, but ultimately they gave permission and the rights to VH to record the cover. To boohoo and cry about VH having success from the cover is like a kid crying over spilled milk. Sounds more like jealousy to me

 

[Foxhound]

Dave probably heard the Van Halen version once too often on the radio. That would be enough to make any man snap

 

[Groovy Man]

Too bad Dave Davies won't stop being a twit and tour with his brother, but instead he makes silly remarks about a song of his being covered by Van Halen 32 friggin' years later.

C'mon Dave, you sound like a bitter old fool.

BTW, I LOVE The Kinks.

 

[Flower]

Too bad Dave Davies won't stop being a twit and tour with his brother, but instead he makes silly remarks about a song of his being covered by Van Halen 32 friggin' years later.

C'mon Dave, you sound like a bitter old fool.

BTW, I LOVE The Kinks.

I think that Dave had a stroke in 2004.

I personally think that Van Halen's cover sucks big time. Having people praise something that you feel is inferior, would make a person bitter or at least sad.

 

[Flower]

They can slam Van Halen if they want, but ultimately they gave permission and the rights to VH to record the cover. To boohoo and cry about VH having success from the cover is like a kid crying over spilled milk. Sounds more like jealousy to me

How do you know if this was the case?


The Straight Dope: Must you get permission to record someone else's song?

^^^

Surprisingly enough, if somebody is determined to do a cover version of your song, it is well-nigh impossible for you, Joe Composer, to stop them. In general, the right to record somebody else's song is called a "mechanical license," and usually it's negotiated in a routine manner between representatives of the copyright holder and the would-be cover artiste. (Outfits like The Harry Fox Agency in New York generally handle the publisher's side.) However, in the rare event that negotiations fail, the copyright laws contain provisions for a type of mechanical license called a "compulsory license," which, in effect, give anyone the right to record any song he or she wants to, as long as notice is given to the song's copyright owners within 30 days after the recording is made and before it is distributed. Compulsory licenses were written into the copyright laws in 1909 in an attempt to break up a monopoly in the piano-roll industry--an industry which has since been pretty well broken up, period. So why negotiate at all? Mainly because the law dictates higher royalty rates and stricter payment schedules for compulsory licenses than you can obtain with the negotiated kind.

 

[Groovy Man]

I think that Dave had a stroke in 2004.

I personally think that Van Halen's cover sucks big time. Having people praise something that you feel is inferior, would make a person bitter or at least sad.

He did have a stroke, and I'm glad he's well, but he still sounds like a bitter fool.

Why wait 32 years, then put down Van Halen?

Sounds bitter, to me.

Anyway...

I'm personally starting to think that some Kink fans are jealous that Van Halen did a kick ass version that gave The Kinks a run for their money.

Why can't you just enjoy both versions - it's not like Van Halen rearranged the structure of the song, and added a disco beat, with a horn section and female back up singers and synthesizers.

Van Halen did not destroy ''You Really Got Me'' - they paid tribute to a great rock song and a great rock band.

That's the way, I see it.

 

[LG]

^^I much prefer VH's cover to the Kinks original. They add their own stamp on it and as far as the uproar about Dave, like GM said that is over 32 years ago time to move on.

As long as you pay the royalties to the rights holders anything is open for being covered by another artist. Sometimes bands will ask their heroes first to see if it's alright but even if the authors don't like the idea there is no way to stop it. Now that I think about it, it's really out of the musicians hands, the record labels usually have ownership of the material so if it can make them some money off an old song they have no trouble with that at all.

More troubling to me is the fact that i-tunes has been caught numerous times distributing songs without paying for them, and that is kind of ridiculous for a company of their stature to even consider trying to get away with it.

 

[Flower]

Groovy Man:

I can only speak for myself ... I don't like the VH version.

I do enjoy many covers, some more than the original.

The Zombies do some kick ass R & B covers, especially "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted".

I didn't research this but perhaps Dave did speak out 32 years ago but yesterday was a slow news day or it just hit him in the face one too many times.

Since Dave didn't have the right to stop VH from doing a cover, perhaps it was eating him up for years and years?

 

[METALPRIEST]

Too bad Dave Davies won't stop being a twit and tour with his brother, but instead he makes silly remarks about a song of his being covered by Van Halen 32 friggin' years later.

C'mon Dave, you sound like a bitter old fool.

BTW, I LOVE The Kinks.

A song coverd by Van Halen that put a few extra dollars in his pocket.

But yeah I agree...get out there with the Kinks and show 'em up.