The Kinks’ Dave brands Ray a liar

The Kinks’ Dave Davies says his brother is “lying” after Ray claimed he created the sound on iconic track You Really Got Me.

In a recent radio interview, Ray insisted he helped create the guitar effect by plunging a knitting needle into an amplifier in the studio.

He told NPR Music: “My brother Dave and I played records so loud it made the speakers distort and we thought it would be a nice idea to make the guitar sound distorted. We cranked up the amplifier and I stuck a knitting needle in it.”

The comment enraged Dave, whose written an angry response on his Facebook page, saying: “My brother is lying. I don’t know why he does this but it was my Elpico amp that I bought and out of frustration I cut the speaker cone up with a razor blade. Ray liked the sound and he had written a riff on the piano which formed the basis of You Really Got Me and I played the riff on my guitar with my new sound. I alone created this sound.

“I am just flabbergasted and shocked at the depth of his selfish desire to take credit for everything. I never once claimed songwriting royalties on You Really Got Me yet this song would not have happened without my guitar sound.”

Dave also revealed the scene depicting the disputed event had to be revised in Ray’s stage musical Sunny Afternoon.

He told ABC Radio: “I decided to let it go because it does work dramatically better. You see me doing all the invention of what I did but I thought the first version took away my creative invention of that amp and that sound. But now at least it’s presented as a more realistic event.”

Meanwhile Dave is attempting to save a pub in Fortis Green, North London, which is under threat from housing developers. He and his brother spent their formative years at The Alex which could be gutted and turned into three-bedroom homes if planning permission is granted later this month.

He tells the Broadway Ham & High: “It was an influence on the Kinks as me and Ray listened to a lot of different music here. It would be tragic to lose this London asset.”

Earlier this year, The Kinks issued a statement slamming reports that Ray would tour without his brother, while five-disc collection The Anthology 1964-1971 launched last month featuring 139 tracks.

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.