Eddie Van Halen Admitted He Was “Bummed” About Van Halen’s First Single in 1978

In 1978, Van Halen released “You Really Got Me”, their debut single. On their eponymous freshman record, “You Really Got Me” became a Top 40 single, the beginning of a career that would last for decades.

It often takes artists several singles to have even a moderate hit. So it’s surprising that Eddie Van Halen, one of the band’s founders, was not happy with “You Really Got Me”. The song was first recorded by The Kinks and released as a single for them in 1964. One of The Kinks’ most noteworthy singles, Eddie Van Halen was displeased that they introduced themselves to the world with a cover song. 

The idea to release “You Really Got Me” goes to the band’s producer, Ted Templeman.

‘”It kind of bummed me out that Ted wanted our first single to be someone else’s tune,” Eddie Van Halen later says. “I would have maybe picked ‘Jamie’s Cryin”, just because it was our own.”

Interestingly, members of the band wrote all of the songs on Van Halen except for “You Really Got Me” and “Ice Cream Man”. “Ice Cream Man” was written and performed by John Brim. “You Really Got Me” is the only hit from their first project. On their sophomore album, Van Halen II, they had a Top 15 hit with “Dance The Night Away”. 

What The Kinks Say About Van Halen Covering “You Really Got Me”

Ray Davies, lead singer of The Kinks, is the only writer of “You Really Got Me”. Although Van Halen gave “You Really Got Me” a big boost, more than a decade after The Kinks’ version, Davies admits he has mixed feelings about the cover.

“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,” Davies says. “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’!’”

Fortunately, Davies was able to find humor in the success of the updated rock version of “You Really Got Me”.

“The Kinks had an album out called Low Budget, and we ended up touring and playing stadiums,” he says. “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.”

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