Today I want to give a salute to The Troggs.
In the late seventies, I borrowed a single from a friend…that was Wild Thing by the Troggs. I loved the raw sound. If there was ever a garage band that hit the big time…it was the Troggs. Wild Thing (1966) was a massive hit that sold over 1 million copies. Their other big hits were With A Girl Like You (1966) and Love Is All Around (1967). The B side to the single I had at the time was With A Girl Like You and I liked it better than Wild Thing.
The Troggs influenced a lot of Punk and Garage bands. Their songs could be played with a little practice. Almost every band starting out will play the 3 chord Wild Thing at least a few times.
Their songs have been covered by a countless number of unknown bands. Three more well-known artists have been Jimi Hendrix playing Wild Thing at Monterey and REM and Wet, Wet, Wet covered Love Is All Around.
The original members were Reg Presley, Ronnie Bond, Chris Britton, and Pete Staples. Reg Presley was the lead singer and wrote Love Is All Around which went to #7 and With A Girl Like You which went to #29.
The band is probably more known for a failed recording session which was leaked out more than they were for their hits. They are swearing and fighting with each other.
It is funny. If you are put off by swearing don’t listen but when you hear “Oh, we’ll put some fairy dust over it. I’ll piss over the tape”….it’s hard to resist. It was recorded in 1970 and leaked out in the early seventies on bootlegs called The Troggs Tapes...this became the inspiration for a few Spinal Tap scenes. I have some of it below in the videos.
After Love Is All Around in 1967 the band’s fame waned. They released some more singles but nothing approached their three big hits. REM made an album with the Troggs in 1992 called Athens Andover.
Reg Presley passed away in 2013. Chris Britton still plays some gigs with the Troggs today as the only original member left.
Wild Thing… like Louie, Louie was an important song in the history of Rock and Roll. It was much more important than the band that brought it to us…but you have to tip your hat to the Troggs. A garage band that is still being talked about in 2022.
This group was not one of the super British bands of the sixties, not even close. They will never be on anyone’s top ten, twenty, or higher best band list…but they left a few memorable songs, a large one, some influence, and a hilarious bitch session on tape for posterity…
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I listened to this bar band when I was in Brazil, and they did a nice rendition of Wild Thing followed by Born To Be Wild, it was great.
This song belongs in the ultimate garage band hand book. The lead singers unique voice makes the song. You’re right, three chords is all you needed to know for this one.
Yep… ‘Wild Thing’ is kind of like the gold standard that later bands like the Ramones would aim for. I always liked ‘Love is All Around’ in almost any version but am particularly fond of the REM one. Just those two songs showed the Troggs had a bit of range not every garage rock unit did.
They were a good raw fun band….who really hit huge with Wild Thing.
I saw one version by Mills that he said that he and Peter Buck liked the Troggs but again Stipe didn’t much care about them. Stipe wasn’t a big fan of garage music I don’t think…he didn’t like Superman either too well.
that’s probably why Mills did lead vocals… while I guess I prefer Stipe’s vocals and its what makes REM sound like REM, I do like the songs where Mills takes over – “Texarkana”, “Near Wild Heaven” etc. Buck was much more the rock afficionado, whereas Stipe liked art rock (like Patti smith, Talking Heads) or straight ahead pop – he loves Jimmy Webb songs…then again, who doesn’t?
That makes sense on their likes…it’s good to hear a different voice in songs to me once in a while…it breaks it up. I think Mills sings Superman great live…it gives a variety.
‘Wild Thing’ is one of my two ‘go to’ karaoke songs! (The other being ‘Johnny B Goode.’ )
Did the WET WET WET cover of ‘Love is All Around’ make the US Charts? 15 wees at #1 here in UK – the third ongest stay at the top spot, behind Frankie Laine and then Bryan Adams wth 18 and 16 weeeks respectively.
https://youtu.be/h3gEkwhdXUE
That tape is a riot!
Yes it is. You can almost see how Spinal Tap was made.
For ’66 this song was in-tense; You can hear the barely restrained teenage rebellion seething away.
I always rated ‘Love Is All Around.’ Wet Wet Wets version -excuse the pun- was not a patch on it, though it sold and sold and held on to the number one spot forever here, as Onceuponatime70s said.
After listening to Wild Thing and other songs back then…yea I could see that it would stick out among the pack.
I agree with you with that version completely. Sometimes the best way is the straightforward way.
Was a fan in my teens (and probably still am). I thoroughly enjoyed their 11 minutes of creativity!
We are on the same wavelength Bruce! I wasn’t born when Wild Thing was out…but I do enjoy them.
How are you doing Bruce? You resting up?
Hi Max – I’m back to the stories today. I’ve been trying to sort out my music on a music site. Not sure how effective the site is – https://www.free-scores.com/ I’ve been listened to (apparently) around 600 times and only 1 like so far LOL. I might resort to a bit of Trogg vocab if this keeps up!
I found your new story as soon as I commented….I’m checking that site out now Bruce
Another one you can try with a lot of traffic is Sound Cloud
I shall look thanks Max.
I think you would get more hits.
Depends on what I get hit with!
I’d never heard ‘With a Girl With You’ until I wrote my #1 post on it, but I really like it. Possibly the most ‘garagey’ of all the 64-66 beat songs (tied with ‘You Really Got Me’). But their finest moment is probably that grungey opening note on ‘Wild Thing’. Love it!
Yea…it’s hard to beat Wild Thing but yea…With A Girl Like You sounds like it came out a neighborhood basement or garage…. hmm. garagey…yea I have to remember that!
I don’t believe you’ll find it in the dictionary 😄
It’s in mine now!
There’s a great Byrds bitch session as a bonus track to Notorious. Everyone getting frustrated at the drummer and Crosby being annoying.
Thanks…I’ll have to find that one.
“Wild Thing” is a classic. I always loved that tune. I knew “Love Is All Around” from the Wet Wet Wet version and had not been aware it’s a Troggs tune. “With a Girl Like You” is a great song as well.
I do like their raw garage sound… They sound like a garage band that just hit big with Wild Thing
They had some good hits. Not real crazy about the name of the band. I also like that Mike Mills version of Love is All Around me.
They probably couldn’t spell Troglodyte lol.
Interesting article about them. “Love is All Around” is my favorite song of theirs.