comment #1

vp19 says ...

Good song, but I still prefer "I Can't Help Myself," another one oldies stations don't seem to play anymore. "Your slacks are low and your hips are showing..."

comment #2

Walter Sobchak says ...

AWESOME song. Way cooler than their better known "Wild Thing".

Still well-known in the UK.

Great usage of it in "Shine", when he's at University and gets hit on by the girl/guy at the bar.

comment #3

R. Hunt says ...

Yeah, pretty cool stuff. Somewhere around '73 or '74 there was a two-record "History of British Rock" collection - and a few follow-ups later. (I think "A Girl Like You" was on volume 2.) The Troggs, Dusty Springfeld, Silkie, ..I'm pretty sure it changed my life.

comment #4

Walter Sobchak says ...

R. Hunt.... you're talking about the two discs crammed into a single sleeve and sporting a large Union Jack on the cover? I had it, too.

We're in good company. Wes Anderson had that same record and it shaped his musical tastes for years to come. (Just listen to his movies)

comment #5

Vitesse98 says ...

What a coincidence: did you know "Wild Thing" was written by Chip Taylor, aka James Wesley Voight, aka Jon Voight's cousin? Funny that the Troggs should come to mind now, of all times!

comment #6

Vitesse98 says ...

Whoops! I meant, Jon Voight's brother.

comment #7

SpinDozer says ...

I've looked around, but I can't find the quote, someone (Bo Diddley?) was asked what he thought of the music produced by his British Proteges to which he replied (paraphrased), 'Brother, your music is shit.'

The Troggs, Kinks, & even the Nashville Teens had their moments tho.

comment #8

Craptastic says ...

That is one of my favorite songs of all time! Good call, Wells. It was used really well in the film "Flirting".

"Love Is All Around" is another great Troggs tune as well.

comment #9

frankbooth says ...

(Voice of Animal from the muppets): TRROGGGGGGGGSSS! RAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

comment #10

bmcintire says ...

You're missing a "buh" in there.

comment #11

Craptastic says ...

However, R.E.M. covered the shit out of "Love Is All Around" (complete with bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bahhh's) on MTV's unplugged and, in my nostalgia- fueled mind.

The odd twist is... this me and my first girlfriend's song. She's actually coming to visit me for the first time here in L.A. this weekend after not seeing one another for ten years!)

Wish me luck, guys! So odd that Wells decides to post the Troggs on the eve of her arrival.

In the meantime, enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k3mG6CBE9I

comment #12

The Hoyk says ...

R. Hunt, I think the collection you're talking about was put together by Sire Records, not too long after they reissued the Nuggets compilation. In fact, they did two of them. Those are really great - I know those tracks are probably spread out to death on other compilations, but I would love to have those specific sets on CD. Greg Shaw of Bomp Records wrote the liner notes.

Count me in also as a fan of how "A Girl Like You" was featured in John Duigan's extremely underrated FLIRTING. Do you think he and Noah Taylor will ever make that third part of the trilogy now that he's an adult? And where is the DVD of THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE?

The Troggs did a "reunion" album with some R.E.M. guys producing called "Athens Andover" for Rhino. It's mostly forgettable, but the opening track, "Crazy Annie" I'm very fond of - some filmmaker should use that, it's very atmospheric.

And not quite Troggs, but in their songbook, will anyone forget how heartbreakingly beautiful the Spiritualized cover of "Any Way That You Want Me" was used in Miranda July's ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW?

comment #13

Vitesse98 says ...

This was the band's (Spiritualized's) first single. Talk about starting out on the right foot! Funny that this song and "Wild Thing" (both by Chip Taylor) are essentially flip sides of the same melody but with totally different results.