“Wild Thing” is a classic, beyond any shadow of a doubt. Like many popular songs from the 60s, it’s a cover of a song which was written for another band.
Here, the song was written by Chip Taylor for The Wild Ones in 1965. It didn’t sell particularly well.
The Troggs’ version did sell quite well. Released in 1966, they had a number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with it, and number 2 in the U.K. singles chart.
This isn’t an 8 minute rock masterpiece with lush strings and epic guitar solos. Regardless, it’s one of rock’s most enduring and well known songs, presaging hard rock and punk with its rough charm.
The song is a combination of husky vocals, simply crunchy guitar riff, and a solo which might appear to be whistling but is actually an obscure instrument called an ocarina!
There’s a certain rogueish nature to the way the song is sung, reinforced by the way it pauses almost drunkenly before launching off again…