Who Wrote the Rock Classic Wild Thing?

Recorded by such diverse acts as Kermit the Frog, Jeff Beck, and Jimi Hendrix, it was Andover England’s The Troggs who took “Wild Thing” to #1 in 1966.

“Hailing from the relatively unknown British town of Andover, the Troggs hooked up with manager/producer Larry Page (who was involved in the Kinks’ early affairs) in the mid-’60s. After a flop debut single, they were fortunate enough to come across a demo of Chip Taylor’s ‘Wild Thing (which had already been unsuccessfully recorded by the Wild Ones). In the hands of the Troggs, ‘Wild Thing’ — with its grungy chords and off-the-wall ocarina solo — became a primeval three-chord monster, famous not only in its original hit Troggs version, but in its psychedelic revamping by Jimi Hendrix, who used it to close his famous set at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.” —AllMusic.com

One of the great, indestructible rock’n’roll songs, “Wild Thing” has survived assaults from The Goodies and, in disco form, Suzi Quatro. Arguably, the best-known version is by Andover’s The Troggs, but they weren’t the first band to record it. “Wild Thing” was written by Chip Taylor, brother of the actor Jon Voight, for The Wild Ones, the house band at New York discothèque, Arthur, run by Richard Burton’s former wife, Sybil.

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The Troggs consisted of Reg Presley with his “proto-punk” vocals along with Chris Britton on guitar, Pete Staples on bass, and Ronnie Bulls on Drums.

“Wild Thing” was written by a songwriter with the assumed name Chip Taylor. Chip Taylor was actually born John Wesley Voight and is the younger brother of noted actor and Oscar winner (for Coming Home) Jon Voight. (Which makes him the uncle of the famous jet-setting mom and activist Angelina Jolie!)

Chip Taylor is an interesting subject in his own right, having penned hundreds of songs including the 1981 Top Ten hit “Angel of the Morning,” as recorded by Juice Newton. He is the son of a professional golfer and had a “swing” at golf, in addition to his music career. He is also a noted professional gambler. And, oh yeah, the uncle of Angelina Jolie.

As sole songwriter of the classic “Wild Thing,” Taylor undoubtedly can afford to tinker with just about any interest. “Wild Thing” has been recorded by dozens of bands, used in film and TV projects, and performed live everywhere for half a century!

The simplistic but unforgettable “Wild Thing” is a rock standard!

Reg Presley, Lead Singer of Troggs, Dies at 71

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