Originally called The Troglodytes, the Troggs formed in 1964 and were signed by the manager of The Kinks, Larry Page in 1965. They recorded on Page's Page One Records, and Page also leased them to CBS for debut single "Lost Girl". Their most famous hit was the single "Wild Thing" (written by Chip Taylor), which with the help of television exposure on Thank Your Lucky Stars reached number 2 in the UK and number 1 in the United States in June 1966. Its combination of a simple heavy guitar riff and flirtatious lyrics helped it to quickly become a garage rock standard. It was recorded in one complete take (take two) at Olympic Studios in London, with Keith Grant engineering. Because of a dispute over US distribution rights, "Wild Thing" was released (along with the first album of the same name) on two labels: Fontana and Atco. The band's success in the US was also limited by not touring there until 1968.
They also had a number of other hits, including "With a Girl Like You" (a UK number 1 in July 1966, US number 29), "I Can't Control Myself" (a UK number 2 in September 1966 -- this was also their second and final dual-label release in the US, with Fontana retaining the rights to all subsequent releases), "Anyway That You Want Me" (UK number 10 in December 1966), all at Olympic Studios, "Night of the Long Grass" (UK number 17 in May 1967), and "Love Is All Around" (UK number 5 in October 1967 and US number 7 in February 1968). With chart success eluding the band, they split up in March 1969. Ronnie Bond was the first to release a solo record, with the "Anything For You" single in March 1969, followed in April by Reg Presley with "Lucinda Lee". Chris Britton released a solo album, As I Am, the same year. The band reformed later that year, with former Plastic Penny bassist Tony Murray replacing Staples, and in 1974, after a spell on Pye Records, in an attempt to re-create their 1960s successes, the Troggs re-united with Larry Page, now running Penny Farthing Records. The resulting cover version of the Beach Boys hit "Good Vibrations" did not capture the public's imagination. A reggae version of "Wild Thing" also failed to chart. The band found a sympathetic ear at French label New Rose in the 1980s, the label releasing 1982's Black Bottom LP and 1990's AU.
In 1991, the Troggs recorded Athens Andover, an eleven-song collaboration between themselves and three members of R.E.M. It was recorded in the American band's hometown of Athens, Georgia, and was released in March 1992.
The band attempted to capitalize on this new exposure with a couple of bizarre collaborations on new versions of "Wild Thing". In 1992 they teamed up with notorious drinkers Oliver Reed and Alex Higgins, with another version the following year featuring Wolf from the TV show Gladiators, which actually reached number 69 in the UK Singles Chart.
The band's original drummer, Ronnie Bond, died in 1992. Dave Wright, another founding member, died on 10 October 2008.
Legacy and influence
The Troggs are widely seen as a highly influential band whose sound was one inspiration for garage rock and punk rock. For example, Iggy Pop of the Stooges has cited[citation needed] the Troggs as influential to their sound, and the early version of British pop-punk pioneers Buzzcocks featured I Can't Control Myself in their live repertoire. The Ramones are also amongst punk bands who cited the Troggs as an influence. The MC5 covered "I Want You" at their live shows and recorded the song for the album "Kick out the Jams", although they renamed it "I Want You Right Now".
The Jimi Hendrix Experience 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.[2]
In 1990, the first hit for the band Spiritualized was a cover of "Anyway That You Want Me". This cover was later used in the movie Me and You and Everyone We Know.
"With a Girl Like You" is featured uncut in a school dance scene from the 1991 Nicole Kidman/Noah Taylor movie Flirting.
In 1991, "Love Is All Around" was covered by R.E.M. during live performances and was released later that year as a B-side on their "Radio Song" single. They also performed an acoustic version of the song on MTV Unplugged.
In 1994, Scottish band Wet Wet Wet's version of the song spent fifteen weeks at number one in the UK after its inclusion in Four Weddings and a Funeral.
A modified version of "Love Is All Around" was featured in the film Love Actually (2003), performed by actor Bill Nighy.
An in-studio tape of Reg Presley's running commentary on a recording session, filled with in-fighting and swearing (known as "The Troggs Tapes") was widely circulated in the music underground, and was included in the Archaeology box set. The in-group infighting is believed to be the inspiration for a scene in the comedy film This Is Spinal Tap where the band members are arguing. Some of this dialogue was sampled by the California punk band The Dwarves on their recording of a cover version of the Troggs song "Strange Movies".
In January 2012, after over 40 years of touring, Reg Presley retired due to lung cancer, apparently ending the Troggs. However, the remaining members, Chris Britton (guitar), Pete Lucas (bass) and Dave Maggs (drums) are continuing the Troggs. They are joined by special guest Chris Allen on lead vocals, who has been in the Denny Laine Band, the Commitments and part time with the Animals.
Reg Presley died on 4 February 2013.
Lost Girl
The Troggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't express
My grieve,
My sorrow,
My emptiness
I hope someday
That she'll hear my plea
And with opened arms
Yes, she will,
Ah, yes, she will now
Ah, yeh, babe
I thought I knew
Her every sound
Her smile,
Her tear,
Her ups and down
But I was wrong
As a fellow can be
Cos she's just turned round
And walked out on me
Yes, she has -
Ah, yes, she has been
Ah, yeah
(break)
The times we had,
The times we spent
The day we met
By accident
Was easy come,
Was easy go
It seems a pity
'cos I loved you so
Yes, I did,
Ah, yes, I did now
Ah, baby
I think someday
I'd take a chance
Go out and find
A new romance
Some other tune,
Some other gal
Someone who'll love me
Like I hope she will
Yes, she will,
I hope she will now
Ah, come here, baby
The song Lost Girl by The Troggs is a heart-wrenching ballad about a man who has lost his loved one and is now struggling to come to terms with the reality of the situation. The lyrics express the man's deep sense of loss and the emptiness that he feels inside as a result of his lost love. The opening lines of the song, "I've lost my girl, I can't express my grieve, my sorrow, my emptiness" immediately establish the theme of the song and the despair at the heart of the man's experience.
The second verse of the song reveals that the man thought he knew his girl inside and out, including all her moods and sounds, but he was wrong. She has now turned around and walked out of his life without warning or explanation. This betrayal is the ultimate heartbreak for the man, and he is struggling to come to terms with the fact that the woman he loved has now gone forever.
In the final verse, the man expresses a glimmer of hope that he might one day find love again. He recognises that he can't keep living in the past and must move forward with his life. However, he hopes that he will find someone who loves him as much as he loved his lost girl.
Overall, the song Lost Girl is a poignant and emotional ballad about the pain of lost love and the struggle to come to terms with the reality of a relationship that has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
I've lost my girl,
I no longer have my girlfriend with me
I can't express
I am unable to articulate my feelings
My grieve,
My sadness
My sorrow,
My feelings of loss
My emptiness
My feeling of being incomplete
I hope someday
I have a wish for the future
That she'll hear my plea
I hope she will listen to my request or appeal
And with opened arms
I hope she will accept me back with an embrace
She will run to me
I hope she will return to me quickly and happily
Yes, she will,
I believe she will come back to me
Ah, yes, she will now
I am confident she will come back to me soon
Ah, yeh, babe
An expression of affection and fondness for her
I thought I knew
I believed I understood
Her every sound
I recognized every tone or noise she made
Her smile,
I recognized and appreciated the way she smiled
Her tear,
I recognized and empathized with her sadness when she cried
Her ups and down
I understood her fluctuations in mood and energy
But I was wrong
However, I was mistaken
As a fellow can be
As wrong as anyone can be
Cos she's just turned round
Because she suddenly changed
And walked out on me
And left me behind
Yes, she has -
It is true that she left me
Ah, yes, she has been
I am acknowledging that she has gone
Ah, yeah
An expression of resignation
The times we had,
The moments of happiness we shared
The times we spent
The amount of time we were together
The day we met
The day we first encountered each other
By accident
Unintentionally or coincidentally
Was easy come,
It was straightforward to begin our relationship
Was easy go
It was just as easy to let go of our relationship
It seems a pity
It is unfortunate
'cos I loved you so
Because I loved you deeply
Yes, I did,
I truly loved you
Ah, yes, I did now
An expression of sincerity
Ah, baby
An endearing term for someone you love
I think someday
I believe at some point in the future
I'd take a chance
I would be willing to risk trying something new
Go out and find
Search for
A new romance
Another opportunity for love and connection
Some other tune,
A different experience or song/aspect of life
Some other gal
Another woman
Someone who'll love me
Someone who will have affection for me
Like I hope she will
Like I had hoped she would
Yes, she will,
I believe the woman I meet in the future will love me
I hope she will now
I have a strong desire to find someone to love
Ah, come here, baby
An appeal or invitation to a new partner
Contributed by Scarlett F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@CarmieSchulz
I don't get tired of the Troggs music like other bands. At first I wasn't that impressed but they hold up good, more than almost any other band. I keep returning to them. They get the basics right without being fancy.
@shelleyganz9095
BARBARIC!!! THE BEST!!! I had the very good fortune to see them, and meet them afterwards. Super Nice!! They played this GEM in their 2nd set. Too cool!! One of the Best shows I'd ever seen!! THE TROGGS....
@WedgePee
Their best effort? I think so!
CBS actually re-promoted this just before the first Page One single was out. It stiffed again!
@lorenzomastromarino8982
Du très bon garage rock, dans la scène pop Rock des sixties
@leewoodauthor
Their first record before 'Wild Thing' and released in February 1966 in the UK.
@mikekeeping7372
I got to sit down for dinner with Reg and Chris before their show in Edmonton, Alberta of all places. Big day for a huge Troggs fan.
@Augmuse
Love the Troggs who are way more than the band who played Wild Thing
@WedgePee
I’d say this is their best, followed by With a Girl Like You and I Can’t Control Myself.
@yardbirdmackay
Must try and get my live version on here at some point.
@shelleyganz9095
Uhh....THEIR 2ND BEST TUNE!!! REAL FAVE!!!