R.I.P Reg Presley
 

How fickle is the world of pop, that no-one is mourning the death of Reg Presley, lead singer of The Troggs, who died of cancer on Monday, at the age of 71 ?

They weren`t the greatest of sixties bands, and in fact one journalist at the time wrote of them, "The Troggs are minimalists by default." Often sounding a bit amateur, they none-the-less had their moments of glory, their groupie adulation and a few half-way decent songs. In this clip, their big, break-through single, you may notice that RP is suspiciously coy when the flute interlude starts up ...




Because of a leaked studio tape, people have had further fun at their expense over the years, for example in this version of the tape, in which all their original bad language has been spliced up, out of sequence, and illustrative music has been added :-



On the plus side, to redress the negative impression of the above clip, try remembering the charming song, Love Is All Around in the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral. If you enjoyed that song, then you were enjoying a Reg Presley composition.

So I guess my attitude to The Troggs is a kind of jokey affection really. If I admire RP, it`s not so much for the musical acheivements, but for the man. He was born in Andover, the kind of English market town where teenagers are forever complaining that nothing ever happens. He became an accomplished bricklayer, which is commendable in itself, before following his muse. Apparently, through his ups and downs, he remained a "regular guy" - approachable, unpretentious and ready to do a favour.

So rest in peace, Reg Presley ; a bricklayer and a friendly guy who made his dream come true.
..............12 June 1941 - 5 Feb 2013

I love the Troggs. I would say however they were one of the better sixties bands in general. I'd have them up in the hierarchy of 60s bands like the Kinks and The Who.

That`s interesting, Fred, I assumed the Troggs had been forgotten by MB.

I remember enjoying their singles at the time of release, but haven`t followed their fortunes since. Although personally I wouldn`t rate them alongside the Kinks or the Who, this guy has nothing but good things to say about Reg :-

BBC News - Reg Presley: Troggs tribute to 'brilliant' singer

I wouldn't call them as polished as The Kinks or Who, but they are equally as enjoyable to me upon listen. I've always been a fan of a more raw sound so that aspect is appealing. He certainly deserves some praise as he had a brilliant career that many didn't even know about. This is coming from an American, but I've always had a profound love for most things British.

With a good dis of the Wet Wet Wet version of "Love Is All Around" at the start.




RIP, Reg.

I see The Troggs too often get lumped into the British invasion scene solely based on the time they became popular in America. But, anyone who heard their music knows they are in the company of the garage rock and proto punk rockers from the early 60's, such as the Sonic and Wailers. In fact, when I was looking for a thread about Reg's passing, I never would have thought to look under the Pop forum. I've just never seen them as a pop band, rather a sort of ugly ducking that had a very influential sound and have a legacy based around a handful of songs that are covered to death and used in movies and television constantly.

The Troggs are definitely one of those bands where once you begin to look deeper into their discography, you have several deja vu moments of "Oh, they did that song too!". Very influential and overlooked, I believe.

RIP Reg.

I'll leave my favorite Troggs song below. And in the spoiler, I'll leave MC5's excellent cover of 'I Want You' (Elektra records made MC5 change the song title so they wouldn't have to pay royalties to the Troggs)

He's probably more well known for being some crank that would endlessly talk about crop circles & aliens these days more than he ever was for his music.

I chose to look past that...
















But you're right :laughing:

To be honest most news organizations this year did not mention the anniversary of John Lennon passing away. Reg was mentioned on the news, but that was it and it was in the newspaper. A band from 40 odd years ago does not seem to hold much importance when a member passes away. I mean it may require it to be like one of the Stones or Zeppelin these days......

:laughing: Yes, that`s clever !

Thanks for posting a real tribute to the Troggs, Screen13. I love the bit where RP is on a building site and hears Wild Thing on the radio: "...I threw down my trowel and said, "Share out my tools, lads. I`m off !" " What a cinematographic moment that must`ve been.

I see what you`re saying, ET; a point well-illustrated with the song you chose, but for me the Troggs remain eager-to-please popsters who just made relatively uncomplicated music.

Yes, Urban. I`d like to hear a conversation between RP and Dave Davies ...