Metallica claim The Kinks’ track ‘You Really Got Me’ “chose them” when asked to cover one of the band’s tracks.

The heavy metal band were approached by the 60s group’s frontman, Ray Davies, to record a version of one of his songs, and Metallica frontman James Hetfield said he knew instinctively which track the group would pick.

He said: “This song chose us, not the other way around.”

Ray explained how Metallica could see a clear link between their thrash metal styling and the sound which he established – particularly in his heavy, distorted guitar sounds – with his band on their record, released in 1964.

He said: “They saw it as a direct link between what The Kinks started out doing and what became heavy metal.”

Ray also enjoyed the recording process with Metallica, which took place in Oslo, Norway.

He added: “We’d socialised a bit in the past and had played ‘You Really Got Me’ once at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“So everyone just got down and played live and sang live at the same time. It was a really great occasion.”

‘See My Friends’ which sees Ray perform his biggest hits with a number of today’s stars, is released today (08.11.10).