Saturday August 7, 2021 “All Day and All of the Night” The Kinks vs “Hello I Love You” The Doors
In 1964 The Kinks recorded their follow-up to “You Really Got Me” with “All Day and All of the Night” which went to the top ten. In truth Kinks songwriter and lead singer Ray Davies should probably have sued himself for plagiarizing his own first record because they are so similar.
There was a persistent rumor that Jimmy Page played guitar on some early Kinks songs, including this one. In a 1981 interview and Ray Davies replied: "I remember Page coming to one of our sessions when we were recording 'All Day And All Of The Night.' Page was doing a session in the other studio, and he came in to hear Dave's (Davies lead guitarist for the Kinks) solo, and he laughed and he snickered. And now he says that he played it! So I think he's an asshole…”
The Doors released “Hello I Love You” in 1965 and there is little doubt that, lyrics aside, this is essentially the same tune as “All Day…”. Reportedly, Jim Morrison, the Doors lead singer and co-writer of “Hello I Love You” admitted to the musical lift and the Doors ultimately settled a lawsuit brought by the Kinks' music publishing company and paid Davies royalties on the song.
And the Doors song popularized the pickup line - "Hello, I love you. Won't you tell me your name?" - that probably never worked for anyone but Jim Morrison.
Although these are the last tunes for ‘same song week’, there are so many more of these, with some additional ones suggested by song of the dayers, so we will certainly need to do part two.
Stay safe and well...and keep your ears open for some of the many musical similarities that exist...they have really all been written many, many times...but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t good songs, all of them.