The Troggs | Artist
The Troggs were an English rock band formed 1964 in Andover, Hampshire. The core lineup was Reg Presley (lead vocals, bass), Ronnie Bond (drums, vocals), Chris Britton (guitar, vocals) and Tony Murray (bass). They played a proto-punk garage style of rock that is typified by their hit singles "Wild Thing" and "I Can't Control Myself", both from 1966. Their songs have been covered by Iggy Pop, MC5, The Ramones, Buzzcocks and REM. Starting out, Reg Presley and Ronnie Bond were childhood friends and in the early 1960s formed an R&B band in their home town of Andover, originally named the Troglodytes. Having shortened the name to The Troggs, the band was signed by the Kinks' manager Larry Page, in 1965, also recording on Page's Page One Records. The debut single "Lost Girl" was soon followed by the hit single "Wild Thing" which, with the help of television exposure on Thank Your Lucky Stars, reached number 2 in the UK and number 1 in the US in July 1966. Their debut album, the excellent From Nowhere was released in 1966, containing all their early hits. Although the band's mainstream popularity soon waned, with the rise of more 'sophisticated' psychedelic and progressive rock sounds, The Troggs retained an enduring fan base and continued to influence other artists. Influential American critic Lester Bangs called the band "the progenitors of punk", and artists such as Iggy Pop, Buzzcocks and Ramones all covered Troggs songs in their live repertoire. The song "I Can't Control Myself" is perhaps the most enduring favourite of critics; it continues to be championed for its originality and lasting influence by radio hosts such as "Little" Steven Van Zandt. Of course the Jimi Hendrix Experience also famously covered "Wild Thing" during their appearance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, introducing it as the British/American joint "national anthem", and climaxing with Hendrix burning his guitar. "Wild Thing", written by American Chip Taylor, is ranked No. 257 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was an influence on garage rock and punk rock. Outstanding Troggs albums include their classic From Nowhere (1966), Trogglodynamite (1967), Mixed Bag (1968) and The Trogg Tapes (1976). Also highly recommended are the compilation albums Love is All Around (1968) and Archeology (1966-1976) from 1992. In later life, band leader Reginald Maurice Ball aka Reg Presley used his song royalties to fund research on subjects such as alien spacecraft, lost civilisations, alchemy and crop circles, and outlined his findings in the book Wild Things They Don't Tell Us, published in October 2002.
Artist Website: thetroggs.co.uk
Featured Albums: The Troggs
Related Artists: Les Troggs, Reg Presley, Chris Britton, REM
Video Clips: Wild Thing, With a Girl Like You, I Can't Control Myself
