Why The Kinks Used Jimmy Page and A Common Myth Debunked

Finding Zoso this week published an extensive interview with producer Shel Talmy, who not only produced early albums by The Kinks and The Who but also worked with David Bowie and had a favored studio guitarist by the name of Jimmy Page.

Below is a small excerpt from the interview where Talmy is asked to rate The Kinks Dave Davies as a guitarist, but we also learn the truth about why Jimmy Page recorded with the band and a common myth is struck down:

FZ: How would you rate Dave [Davies] as a guitarist?

ST: I think he's one of the more under-rated guitarists there are. He was an extremely good guitarist.

FZ: He doesn't quite get the credit that he deserves.

ST: Never, I don't think he ever got the credit. His inventions of the solos and stuff, I mean, Jimmy Page did not play the solo on "You Really Got Me" which I've said about 5,000 times to people who insist that he did. The reason I used Jimmy on The Kinks stuff is because Ray didn't really want to play guitar and sing at the same time. In fact, Jimmy was playing rhythm guitar.