Dave Davies Forces AI Kinks Track Removal After Backlash

The creator of an AI-generated song, which was meant to mimic the sound of the Kinks, decided to take it down after guitarist Dave Davies had a negative reaction to it.

Recently, Dave Davies came across a track titled “Hop Skip Jump!” that had been created using the band’s music as a foundation. When Davies voiced his shock and displeasure upon hearing it, the developer of the digital track swiftly issued an apology.

“What the fuk is this???” Davies expressed his horror on X. “This Kinks AI cover is like a horror show – sounds fukin horrible.” He shared a link to Leeroy’s Musical Journey’s song on YouTube, which has now been removed.

Leeroy, the person behind the song, responded to Davies, saying: “Sorry Dave; I’m a big fan and my favorite all-time band. I meant no disrespect. I have taken it down. Hopefully, you prefer my cover of ‘Living in a Thin Line.’”

Leeroy included a link to another track, to which Davies responded positively: “I really like your cover.”

Leeroy—who has about 2,000 subscribers on YouTube and has posted 451 videos, including 11 Kinks songs—had earlier explained in his channel introduction: “I love making music in my spare time using Cubase, which has opened up a whole world of musical sounds and creation. I like to cover songs and make my own originals.”

He also mentioned: “If you have your own basic tune that you would like to see get additional instruments and mixing, let me know. I love the challenge.”

Following this interaction, Davies addressed the public’s reaction by stating: “It wasn’t even vaguely like a Kinks song… I’m glad it’s not.”