"Louie Louie" was the creation of Richard Berry, a Los Angeles sideman, session player, and singer-songwriter. [78] The song quickly became "something of a Rorschach test for dirty minds"[332] who "thought they could detect obscene suggestions in the lyric". 1 on Seattle's KJR and establishing "Louie Louie" as "the signature riff of Northwest rock 'n' roll". https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louie_Louie&oldid=1152506921, The 300 Most Important American Records of the 20th Century, Ultimate Jukebox: The 100 Singles You Must Own, The 50 Best Garage Rock Songs of All Time, The 100 Best Singles of the Last 25 Years, Big Bangs: 100 Records That Changed The World. Last updated: May 13 2021. No strangers to controversy themselves, the band pummel the song with their trademark pre-Henry Rollins era guitar sludge, while singer Dez Cadena spits out his nihilistic rewording of the most misunderstood lyrics in rock history."[256]. Amused by its slapdash sound, he played it on his program as "The Worst Record of the Week". The song is actually called Brother Louie (NOT the Kingsmen's song Louie Louie) and came from 1973, first recorded by Hot Chocolate, but the one confused as being Rod Stewart was the version . Louie Louie: Rockin Robin Roberts: March 1961: Louie Louie: Paul Revere and The Raiders: April 1963: Louie Louie: The Kingsmen [US1] May 1963: Louie Louie: I. Kadez: November 1963: Louie Louie: The Wailers [US] December 1963: Louie Louie: Otis Redding: February 1964: Louie Louie: The Surfaris [US1] February 1964: Louie Louie: The Beach Boys . And why I did it a cappella and changed all the lyrics apart from the actual chorus, I have no idea. Puts Down 'Pornographic' Wand Tune", "Louie Louie the Saga of a Pacific Northwest Hit Song", "That time Indiana teens ratted out dirty 'Louie Louie' lyrics, and the FBI got involved", "Did Louie Louie Drummer Yell F*ck During Recording? 97 in Billboard[99][100] and cracking the Top 40 in the Washington market. Louie, Louie you're gonna cry. Other major examples of the song's legacy include the celebration of International Louie Louie Day every year on April 11; the annual Louie Louie Parade in Philadelphia from 1985 to 1989; the LouieFest in Tacoma from 2003 to 2012; the ongoing annual Louie Louie Street Party in Peoria; and the unsuccessful attempt in 1985 to make it the state song of Washington. 35 on the Billboard and Cashbox charts, respectively (the highest charting U.S. version after the Kingsmen). Herb Alpert and A&M Records passed on the distribution opportunity,[88] deeming it "too long" and "out of tune". The 2005 "deluxe edition" of Overkill included the original version, the BBC version, and two alternate versions. "Louie Louie" journeyed to its lyrical Jamaican destination with a reggae version "as soulful as it gets"[36] by Toots and the Maytals. Released on Hart's Sand label and plugged on his radio show,[123] their version was more successful locally. The Kingsmen version was heard during the film along with a brief live rendition by Belushi with Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst, Bruce McGill, and James Widdoes. The Kingsmen - Louie Louie (Lyric Video) LyricsforEveryone 2.31K subscribers 166K views 5 years ago Lyrics for The Kingsmen's most famous song: Louie Louie, from the 1963 album "The Kingsmen. The initial release of the Kingsmen version on the regional Jerden label was in May 1963, but no significant national radio airplay and chart activity (or lyrics controversy) occurred until October and its national chart debut was not until early November. The track also appeared on the CD re-issues of Overkill (1996) and The Best of Motrhead (2000). Originally released on the 1967 album Hey! [392], April 10, 1998 The Kingsmen won a historic legal case against Gusto Records/GML, regaining ownership and royalty rights to all their recordings. A D Em D I take her in my arms and then A D Em D Say I'll never leave again. Talmy wanted the successful sounds of the Kinks' 1964 hits "You Really Got Me", "All Day and All of the Night", and "Till the End of the Day" to be copied by the Who. E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg played "Louie Louie" on his 2017 live Jukebox show,[233] and guitarist Nils Lofgren credited some of his success to "I just happened to play 'Louie Louie' a little different than the other guys. [343] In June 1965, the FBI laboratory obtained a copy of the Kingsmen recording and, after 31 months of investigation, concluded that it could not be interpreted, that it was unintelligible at any speed,[344] and therefore the Bureau could not find that the recording was obscene. As a quick fix, drummer Lynn Easton covered the pause with a drum fill. 2022-06-30; glendale water and power pay bill 2 the following week, a spot which it held for six non-consecutive weeks; it would remain in the top 10 throughout December 1963 and January 1964 before dropping off in early February. 46 on the UK Top 100. Summary of "Louie Louie" rankings and recognition in major publications and surveys. You know the pain that's in my heartIt just shows I'm not very smartWho needs love when you've got a gun?Who needs love to have any fun? "[348][349], A history of the song and its notoriety was published in 1993 by Dave Marsh, including an extensive recounting of the multiple lyrics investigations,[350] but he was unable to obtain permission to publish the song's actual lyrics[351] because the then current owner, Windswept Pacific, wanted people to "continue to fantasize what the words are". I suppose it was my bid for immortality, one of those great bolts of inspiration. Tom Cruise in Knight and Day (2010) used the Kingsmen version as a ringtone/movement reminder. Working with local radio station WCOL, a letter was sent to Wand Records requesting a copy of the lyrics. Entered ""Bubbling Under" chart April 9, 1966, for one week. [94] It was the last No. Brother Louie by Hot Chocolate Album: Greatest Hits ( 1973) Charted: 7 License This Song songfacts She was black as the night Louie was whiter than white Danger, danger when you taste brown sugar Louie fell in love over night Hey man, what's wrong with that? [211] The original release by Hot Chocolate reached No. The song was written by Richard Berry in the 1950s, but it is most famous for the 1963 cover by the Kingsmen. Two rival editionsone featuring lead singer Jack Ely, the other with Lynn Easton who held the rights to the band's namewere competing for live audiences across the country. [156], With the only instrumental version to make the charts, Travis Wammack reached No. [117], When Mike Mitchell died on April 16, 2021, he was the only remaining member of the Kingsmen's original lineup who still performed with the band. [118], Support for International Louie Louie Day and other "Louie Louie"related observances is provided by the Louie Louie Advocacy and Music Appreciation Society (LLAMAS). [170], At a 1967 concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Mothers of Invention keyboardist Don Preston climbed up to the venue's famous pipe organ, usually used for classical works, and played the signature riff (included on the 1969 album Uncle Meat). Chorus: "Louie, Louie, oh no. [28][29], Just prior to the song's release, Berry sold his portion of the publishing and songwriting rights for "Louie Louie" and four other songs for $750 to Max Feirtag, the head of Flip Records, to raise cash for his upcoming wedding. Both tracks from the single were included on the 1983 compilation album The First Four Years, and "Louie Louie" was also included on 1987's WastedAgain. Peter Doggett labeled it "almost impossible to play badly"[42] and Greil Marcus proclaimed, "Has there ever been a bad version of 'Louie Louie'? Entered chart May 14, 1966, for two weeks. Ely's controversial song was a monster hit. [Chorus] Louie, Louie Me gotta go Louie, Louie Me gotta go [Verse 1] Fine little girl she wait for me Me catch the ship for cross the sea I sail the ship all alone I never think I make it home TikTok's current Commercial Music Library of 150,000+ pre-licensed songs includes "Louie Louie" versions by the Kingsmen, the Kinks, Otis Redding, Motrhead, Young and Restless, and the Most.[372]. 15 on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the Kingsmen's No. ", "Kingsmen reign - High court grants royalties, tapes of 'Louie', "Jack Ely dies at 71; vocalist on the Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie', "Mike Mitchell, Guitarist on the Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie,' Dead at 77", "MIKE MITCHELL, CO-FOUNDER OF KINGSMEN AND GUITARIST ON LOUIE LOUIE, DIES AT 77", "Mike Mitchell, The Kingsmen co-founder and Louie Louie guitarist, dies aged 77", "Mike Mitchell, guitarist on the Kingsmen's Louie Louie, dies aged 77", "Mike Mitchell, Guitarist and Co-Founder of The Kingsmen, Dead at 77", "ON THIS DAY IN 1963 ROGER HART PRODUCED LOUIE LOUIE-RAIDERS VERSION! Nos 1 to 500", "Rolling Stone The 100 Best Singles Of The Last 25 Years", "NME Magazine: Top 100 Singles of All Time", "Mojo The 100 Greatest Singles Of All Time", "Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2010 version)", "NEA and RIAA: The top 365 songs of the 20th century", "Big Bangs: 100 Records That Changed the World", "Pitchfork: The 200 Best Songs of the 1960s", A Tale of Two Louies: Interpreting an "Archetypal American Musical Icon" by Christopher Doll (, "The Kingsmen - Louie Louie" by Jerry Reuss, "Are the lyrics to 'Louie Louie' obscene? Toots Hibbert also performed it solo and with other acts, most notably the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Dave Matthews Band.[210]. Am Dm Knowing what's wrong from what's right. There were many covers of the song over the years since it was written. [157] An early guitar innovator and "precursor to guitar-hero shredding", his distinctive sound on "Louie Louie" was "liberally laced with fuzztone"[36] created by playing through an overdriven drive-in movie speaker.[158]. [347], In a 1964 interview, Lynn Easton of the Kingsmen said, "We took the words from the original version and recorded them faithfully. Two days later, a Seattle event commemorated the occasion with the premiere performance of a new, Washington-centric version of the song written by composer Berry. The Kingsmen's lead vocalist, Jack Ely, based his version on the recording by Rockin' Robin Roberts with the Fabulous Wailers, but unintentionally reintroduced Berrys original stop-time rhythm as he showed the other members how to play it with a 123, 12, 123 beat instead of the 1234, 12, 1234 beat on the Wailers record. [8] Other writers described it as "musically simple, lyrically simple, and joyously infectious",[9] "deliciously moronic",[10] "a completely unforgettable earworm",[11] and "the essence of rock's primal energy". [265] One Allmusic reviewer called it "a truly bizarre rendition"[266] while another lamented that the Clarke/Duke version "criminally, never made it onto any of the various artists collections that showcased the legendary Richard Berry tune."[263]. April 11 (Richard Berry's birthday) is celebrated as International Louie Louie Day[384][385] and is listed by Chase's Calendar of Events, the National Special Events Registry,[386] and other sources. "[63], On 6 April 1963,[65] the Kingsmen, a rock and roll group from Portland, Oregon, chose "Louie Louie" for their second recording, their first having been "Peter Gunn Rock". 1-3 Review, "[Review] Stanley Clarke/George Duke: The Clarke/Duke Project (1981)", "RIP: Don Cornelius, host of Soul Train (with Barry White -LOUIE of Week)", "Husker Du and friends LOUIE of the Week", "MOVIE REVIEW: 'Coupe de Ville' Comedy Takes a Wrong Turn", "Meet Bob Wayne, of Rhino's Best of LOUIE LOUIE and Big Daddy", "Richard Berry, Ry Cooder & Steve Douglas in 1990 LOUIE of the Week", "Early Dave Matthews Band Recording From 1992 Surfaces", "LOUIE Project Update / LOUIE on TV part 1", "For This Year's Graduates: Pomp, Circumstance and a Little Rock-and-Roll", "Burton Cummings delivers the hits at Artpark", "For the new year "We're on the Road to D'ohwhere" (a Simpsons LOUIE)", "Cato Salsa Experience and The Thing with Joe McPhee, Two Bands and a Legend", "The Trashmen with Eddie Angel & Johnny Rabb LOUIE of the Week", "The Sonics AND The Hives LOUIE of the Week", "New Live Smashing Pumpkins Video "99 Floors", "James Williamson & Careless Hearts LOUIE of the Week", "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: The Kingsmen, 'Louie Louie', Love That Louie: The Louie Louie Files Various Artists, "Jack Ely, 71; Kingsman sang hit 'Louie, Louie', "How a Sarasota Educator Got the FBI to Investigate the Lyrics of a Rock Song", "FBI Spent Years 'Researching' The Lyrics To 'Louie, Louie' Before Realizing The Copyright Office Must Have Them", "The war behind the scenes over rock's relentless party song", "Band Banned From Performing 'Louie Louie', "Whirs, Beeps and Mating Calls: The Music of Pierre Henry", "History - Over 60 years of Radio Activity", "The Full and Unabridged History of KALX", "Too Much Of A Good Thing? 2010-03-05 17:15:01. [81][87], First released in May 1963, the single was initially issued by the small Jerden label, before being picked up by the larger Wand Records in October 1963. Despite the slam, listener response was swift and positive.[90]. It was the band's first release with Dez Cadena as singer, replacing Ron Reyes who had left the group the previous year. Louie Louie (Lou-i, Lou-i):The Kingsmen. [35][7] The original version was not legitimately re-released until the Ace Records Love That Louie compilation in 2002. [257], The front cover art shows the main verse of the lyrics to "Louie Louie" over a photograph by Edward Colver featuring Black Flag's third singer Dez Cadena. "[339], The following month an outraged parent wrote to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy alleging that the lyrics of "Louie Louie" were obscene, saying, "The lyrics are so filthy that I can-not [sic] enclose them in this letter. Louie Louie Louie Louis Louie Louis Louie Loueye Louie Louie Louie Louis Louie Louie you're gonna die. The reissue was covered in the April 10, 1961 issue of Billboard magazine (p. 38) and reviewed in the April 15, 1961 issue of Cash Box magazine (p. 10). [401][402][403], The City of Tacoma held a summer music and arts festival from 2003 to 2012 in July named LouieFest. This date was chosen as the most significant date for the observance of International Louie Louie Day from a list of "Louie Louie"-related dates occurring in April, including: April 13, 1957 Release of Richard Berry's original single. [84], Critic Dave Marsh suggests it is this moment that gives the recording greatness: "[Ely] went for it so avidly you'd have thought he'd spotted the jugular of a lifelong enemy, so crudely that, at that instant, Ely sounds like Donald Duck on helium. Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go Aye-aye-aye-aye-aye-aye Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go Y'know, my little girl, she's waiting for me Sail a ship across the sea On the ship you know I'm all alone I wonder if I'll ever make it home Louie Louie, oh no, we gotta go Aye-aye-aye-aye . This is my personal list of classic or remarkable versions of the many [i]Louie Louie[/i] covers, arranged chronologically. [25] Berry cited Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon" and his exposure to Latin American music for the song's speech pattern and references to Jamaica. The album was reissued in 1997 with additional remixes including one by Ken Abyss titled "Psych Rock (Metal Time Machine Mix)" that, along with the original, heavily influenced Christopher Tyng's Futurama theme song. The 12" EP, titled Louie Louie, included "Original Mix", "Da Digglar Mix", "Wiseguys Remix", and "Touch's Bonus Beats". Although Richard Berry released his original version of the song in 1957, and the song had been popular with local bands in the Northwest following Rockin' Robin Roberts' 1961 single, the mythical Faber College was based on Dartmouth College in the Northeast U.S., so the use of "Louie Louie" was an anachronism.[227]. There he stood in the night Knowing what's wrong from what's right He took her home to meet his mama and papa Man he had a terrible fight Louie nearly caused a scene Wishin' it was a dream Ain't no diff'rence if you're black or white Brothers you know what I mean. "Louie Louie (Where Did She Roam)", 1996, "Louie Louie Music", 2012, Armitage Shanks (, "I Wanna Louie Louie (All Night Long)", 2020, Charles Albright (, 1999: Mutha Funkin, "Say It Again" (12" single, UK release), This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 17:09. But the most famous version, the one everyone thinks of, was recorded by the Kingsmen in 1963 and put out by Wand Records. Described as a major influence on punk and garage music worldwide,[159] the group's characteristic hard-edged, fuzz-drenched sound and "abrasive, all-out approach"[160] "took the Northwest garage sound to its most primitive extreme"[161] and made their "Louie Louie" version ahead of its time. "Back 2 Back", composed by Hideki Naganuma for Sonic Rush, borrows the "Louie Louie" riff for its main section. Marsh also notes (pp. Satan sang Louie Louie Louie Papa Satan sang Louie Louie. behind the guitar solo. [267] The album was nominated for a 1982 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. [136] As a result, Pete Townshend penned "I Can't Explain", "a desperate copy of The Kinks",[357] released in March 1965. [95] The Kingsmen version quickly became a standard at teen parties in the U.S. during the 1960s and, reaching No. I've no idea to this day why I sang 'Louie Louie,' the ultimate garage anthem from the 60s. [97] The first album, The Kingsmen In Person, peaked at No. Released in July 1999, the "Original Mix" version reached No. [20] Jacob McMurray in Taking Punk To The Masses noted, "All of this only fueled the popularity of the song imprinting this grunge ur-message onto successive generations of youth, all of whom amplified and rebroadcast its powerful sonic meme ."[21], Richard Berry was inspired to write the song in 1955 after listening to an R&B interpretation of "El Loco Cha Cha" performed by the Latin group Ricky Rillera and the Rhythm Rockers. [365] In April 2015 Orme Radio broadcast the First Italian Louie Louie Marathon, playing 279 versions in 24 hours. This is truly the quintessential garage band moment, an audio-vrit snapshot that communicates directly what red-blooded grass roots American rock 'n' roll is all about the Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie' spills forth with a rush of teenage hormones: raw, untutored yet seemingly ready to take on the world. [102], Another factor in the success of the record may have been the rumor that the lyrics were intentionally slurred by the Kingsmento cover up lyrics that were allegedly laced with profanity, graphically depicting sex between the sailor and his lady.