Date: July 30, 1966
Weeks: 2
So here's where I have to confess some of my biases. The first time I heard this song was when it was played in the movie Major League. The scene where Charlie Sheen's character enters the game as the entire stadium sings "Wild Thing" is a great movie moment. The problem is that that's the performance of the song that resonates with me. This song ought to be sung, nay yelled, by a giant chorus whose enthusiasm exceeds their vocal talent, while loud 80s guitars blare the tune. The Troggs' performance is substantially more subtle than that, and it's going to be hard for me to be fair to it.
The vocals are rough and chaotic, which is absolutely what the song calls for. But they're also not very enthusiastic. I do like the vocals during the breakdowns. "Wild thing I think I love you." It's sexy, which is clearly the intent.
The music is really basic. It's guitar strumming with very few chords and a really simple rhythm. I like the classic rock sound of guitar, bass, and drums, but this doesn't feel like it was recorded all that well. Maybe I'm just comparing to the Major League version, but I just feel like the sound isn't as full as it should be. Then there's a weird flute bridge that seems entirely unnecessary.
The lyrics are really simple. It's a proposition for sex. "Wild thing I think I love you, but I wanna know for sure." There aren't a lot of lyrics here to judge, but I find the simplicity fairly elegant and compelling.
My verdict: Don't like it. "Wild Thing" is a good song, but there are better recordings of it. The song demands more, and this version is too bare-bones.
The flute bridge here reminds me of the Kookaburra flute bit in "A Land Down Under."
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