Like our sister . "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen - Song Meanings and Facts Everybody thinks that these white guys recorded it, but a black guy did this. Originally. Me catch the ship across the sea. The official lyrics are listed below in plain print, with one of the many alternative versions in italics. "[32] In the Love That Louie CD booklet, Alec Palao wrote,[36]. Am Dm He took her home to meet his mama and papa, Em Dm Am Man, he had a terrible fight. [137] Other surf music versions included the Chan-Dells in 1963, the Pyramids and the Surfaris in 1964, the Trashmen, the Invictas, and Jan and Dean in 1965, the Challengers in 1966, the Ripp Tides in 1981, and the Shockwaves in 1988. [89], Sales of the Kingsmen record were initially so low (reportedly 600) that the group considered disbanding. '"[116] When it came time to do that, however, Ely discovered the sound engineer had raised the studio's only microphone several feet above his head. Ely, however, missed his mark, coming in two bars too soon, before the restatement of the riff. Go to google and type in Louie Louie and it'll give you several websites that have the lyrics. More recent non-English efforts included: "Louie Louie" has spawned a number of answer songs, sequels, and tributes from the 1960s to the present:[44], As "Louie Louie" began to climb the national charts in late 1963, Jack Ely's "slurry snarl"[328] and "mush-mouthed",[329] "gloriously garbled",[330] "legendarily manic", [331] "punk squawk"[36] vocals gave rise to dark rumors about "dirty lyrics". [208] Another author, writing about the song's use in a scene in This Is England noted, "A black Jamaican band's cover of a black American song, made famous by a white American band, seems an appropriate signifier of the racial harmony that [director Shane] Meadows seeks to evoke ."[209], The group performed the song frequently in concert and a live version appeared on the 1998 various artists album Reggae Live Sessions Volume 2. Louie Anderson Obituary (2022) - Racine, WI - Racine County Eye The one person they never interviewed was the man who actually sang the words in question, Jack Ely, whose name apparently never came up because he was no longer with the Kingsmen. Louie's mom was originally going to name him Rebel. [19] Other authors noted that the song "reap[ed] the benefits that accrue from being pursued by the guardians of public morals"[353] and "Such stupidity helped ensure 'Louie Louie' a long and prosperous life. [59] The arrangement, devised by Roberts with the band, was "the first-ever garage version of 'Louie Louie'"[59] and included his "one of the true great moments of rock"[36] ad-lib "Let's give it to 'em, RIGHT NOW!!" Dave Marsh in 1993 called their version "the last great "Louie Louie" to date".[275]. Louie Louie, me gotta go . Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons! [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. 11 out of the 1001 greatest singles ever made, describing it as "the most profound and sublime expression of rock and roll's ability to create something from nothing". re all under arrest now! Not When It's 'Louie', "KFJC-FM 2011 International Louie Louie Day program", "Sweet New Facebook Messenger App Turns Texts Into Pop Songs", "Short video service Musical.ly is merging into sister app TikTok", "PRESIDENT ENJOYS REUNION 'LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE', "When 'Louie, Louie' almost became Washington's state song", "Here's why the Mariners aren't playing 'Louie Louie' during the seventh-inning stretch", "International 'Louie Louie' Day celebrates birthday of songwriter Richard Berry", "Louie Louie May Mean Lots, Lots for Kingsmen", "Louie Louie Advocacy and Music Appreciation Society (LLAMAS)", "LLAMAS LOUIE LOUIE Advocacy and Music Appreciation Society", "April is the coolest month for holidays", "Happy Belated International Louie Louie Day", "WATD-FM 2011 International Louie Louie Day program", "754 guitars rock into the record book with 'Louie Louie', "City Cancels 'Louie Parade;' Cites Rowdies", "The Kingsmen's famously innocent "Louie Louie" now back in front of the feds at downtown Federal Building", "Editorial: Me gotta go now: 'Louie' sculpture is fitting tribute", "The 1992 Louie Awards -- Sex, Sewage And Mr. Lifto Win Our Louies", "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducts Songs for the First Time, Including 'Born to Be Wild' & 'Louie Louie', "The Wire - 100 Most Important Records Ever Made", "Ultimate Jukebox: The 100 Singles You Must Own", "Q Magazine: The Music That Changed the World", "1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made Part 1. [62], Roberts was killed in an automobile accident in 1967, but his "legacy would reverberate down through the ages". #2 in 1963. Cover versions of Louie Louie written by Richard Berry | SecondHandSongs Their anonymity remained in place, so no one would ever know exactly who was behind the banning of Louie Louie. Did 'Louie Louie' Drummer Yell 'F*ck' During Recording? As the "godfather of punk", he inspired a host of punk rock successors, including many with their own versions as the song became a "live staple for many punk-rock bands of the 1970s". Continued touring, line-up changes, and occasional reunions resulted in multiple recorded live versions with various lead singers Keith Morris, Dez Cadena, Henry Rollins, Ron Reyes, and Mike Vallely. [52] As a leader of the "dirty but cool" Seattle R&B sound,[53] he would often substitute mumbled, "somewhat pornographic" lyrics in live performances. 7 on the UK singles chart. [103][104][105][106] These actions were taken despite the small matter that practically no one could distinguish the actual lyrics. Louie Louie: The History and Mythology of the World's Most Famous Rock 'n Roll Song; Including the Full Details of Its Torture and Persecution at the Hands of the Kingsmen, J. Edgar Hoover's FBI . The "Watermelon Man", Cuban percussionist and bandleader Mongo Santamaria, returned "Louie Louie" to its Afro-Cuban roots, echoing Rene Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha" with his conga- and trumpet-driven Latin jazz version. As a quick fix, drummer Lynn Easton covered the pause with a drum fill. [123][124][125][126] The recording was paid for and produced by KISN radio personality Roger Hart, who soon became personal manager for the band. Louie Louie - YouTube Music 46 on the UK Top 100. [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 All the great rock songs are about longing. Where can you hear the instrumental. "[18] However, drummer Lynn Easton later admitted that he yelled "Fuck" after fumbling a drum fill at 0:54 on the record.[107][108][109][110]. 91, and No. [406] DeBella described it as " a parade for no reason and the no reason would be 'Louie Louie'. It entered the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for December 7, and peaked at No. & The Checkmates (Lavender R1936), "Louie Go Home", 1966, The Campus Kingsmen (Impalla V 1481); different song from the Raiders version, "Louie Louie's Comin' Back", 1967, The Pantels (Rich RR-120). DId Rod Stewart ever sing the song Louie Louie Louie Louie? 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 . KFJC's Maximum Louie Louie Marathon topped the competition in August 1983 with 823 versions played over 63 hours, plus in studio performances by Richard Berry and Jack Ely. Although not commercially released, an example of the song's influence was the 2000 performance by the Dover High School Band joined on saxophone by Bill Clinton (who played in a jazz trio named the Kingsmen at Hot Springs High School, and at whose 1964 graduation dance the actual Kingsmen performed). Commemorations of International Louie Louie Day have included newspaper articles,[398] magazine stories,[399][400] and radio programs with discussions of the song's history and playlists of multiple "Louie Louie" versions. 1948), guitarist/vocalist John Lees (b. 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? 1 hit in the U.S. later the same year, but with the parental roles reversed. Entered chart August 2, 1975, for six weeks. Who sang i want to be like you from jungle book? "Louie Louie" was written by a minor songwriter and performer from Los Angeles named Richard Berry (no relation to Chuck Berry) and was recorded several times in the 1950s, including by Berry,. What are the REAL lyrics to "Louie Louie"? - The Straight Dope "[335] Richard Berry told Esquire Magazine in 1988 that the Kingsmen had sung the song exactly as written[22] and often deflected questions about the lyrics by saying, "If I told you the words, you wouldn't believe me anyway. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 2010-03-05 17:15:01. Iggy Pop American Caesar 1993 Virgin Records America, Inc. Things changed when Boston's biggest DJ, Arnie Ginsburg, was given the record by a pitchman. BROTHER LOUIE CHORDS by Hot Chocolate @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com Described as "a committed and omnipresent figure on the punk and post-punk scene in Manchester",[216] Jon the Postman became known for waiting until headline bands like the Buzzcocks, the Fall, and Warsaw (later Joy Division)[217] had finished their sets (sometimes before they had finished) before mounting the stage in a drunken state, grabbing the microphone, and performing his own versions of "Louie Louie". 97 in Billboard[99][100] and cracking the Top 40 in the Washington market. "[122], Paul Revere & the Raiders also recorded a "cleaner, more accomplished"[36] version of "Louie Louie", probably on April 11 or 13, 1963, in the same Portland studio as the Kingsmen. "Louie Louie" was Motrhead's first single for Bronze Records in 1978, following their initial release on Chiswick Records in 1977. A 12" EP (Cypress Records V-74500) was released with four tracks: "Louie Rap", "Louie Vocal Attack", "Louie Louie House Mix", and "Louie DePalma Mix" (all "featuring Maestro Fresh Wes" and "produced by Young MC"). I've Said It Again" by Bobby Vinton prevented the single from reaching No. 1, Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, the Presidents of the United States of America, Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, University of Washington Husky Marching Band. Toots Hibbert also performed it solo and with other acts, most notably the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Dave Matthews Band.[210]. Brother Louie (Hot Chocolate song) - Wikipedia Where can you hear the instrumental. "), Kareem Abdul Jabbar ("Its a dance song! What is a louie? - Answers A settlement was reached later in 1964 giving Easton the right to the Kingsmen name but requiring all future pressings of the original version of "Louie Louie" to display "Lead vocal by Jack Ely" on the label. Wild Flower Records Archives - Zero to 180 - Three Minute Magic Brothers, you know what I mean. [211] The original release by Hot Chocolate reached No. [289], The first release by the Three Amigos (Dylan Amlot, Milroy Nadarajah, and Marc Williams) was their cover of "Louie Louie". [147] Other sources stated that Davies wrote "You Really Got Me" while trying to work out the chords of "Louie Louie" at the suggestion of the group's manager, Larry Page. Supported by a "back-breaking" touring schedule, the "high-octane" version reached No. Another actor from the film, DeWayne Jessie as Otis Day of Otis Day and the Knights, included a version on the VHS release Otis My Man in 1987. Entered chart September 30, 1978, for four weeks. 1 record ". Hint: It's Not Who You Think", Taking Punk to the Masses: From Nowhere to Nevermind, "RIP: The Last of Richard Berry's Pharaohs", "RIP: Dorothy Berry, high school sweetheart + first wife of Richard", "Louie Louie why the influential garage classic was investigated by the FBI", "Richard Berry: Los Angeles Native Turned Tacoma Icon", "Little Bill & the Bluenotes (2008) LOUIE of the Week", "Mr. Jimbo Metastasizing, or, You Can't Aways Death What You Want: Griel Marcus on the Doors", "The History of "Louie Louie" - Part 3: Answer Songs, Sequels, and Tributes", "Proto-punk: 10 records that paved the way for '76", "Lewis, Dave (19381998): Father of Northwest Rock", "The 50 Best Garage Rock Songs of All Time", "Everybody sing! (Trivia: 'Louie' is written, directed, edited and produced by comedian Louis C.K.) Since the original lyrics were notoriously difficult to discern, the translations were often inaccurate or adapted to a different storyline. [26], Los Angeles-based Flip Records recorded Berry's composition with his vocal group the Pharaohs in April 1956 and released it in April 1957 as a single B-side of "You Are My Sunshine". The song was re-released by Flip in 1961 as an A-side single and again in 1964 on a four-song EP, but never appeared on any of the various record charts. on the Seattle TV station KING, spearheaded an effort to have "Louie Louie" replace "Washington, My Home" by Helen Davis as Washington's official state song. Bruce Springsteen has had a long association with "Louie Louie", playing it at multiple concerts and guest appearances, and commenting often on its significance. Ain't no difference if you're black or white. In 1979 "Louie Louie" (Kingsmen version) was included on the Quadrophenia soundtrack album. The bureau's. followed by a sax intro similar to the Rockin' Robin Roberts version (guitar in later releases). Kids Menu. Released nationally on Columbia label in October 1963. He took her home to meet his mama and papa, Man, he had a terrible fight. [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. The popularity of the Roberts release effectively buried another "reasonably close to the Richard Berry/Ron Holden arrangement"[36] version put out at about the same time by Little Bill Englehardt (Topaz T-1305). Cadena would go on to sing on the Six Pack EP before switching to rhythm guitar and being replaced on vocals by Henry Rollins. album, and also as 12" and a 7" single (shortened from 7:14 to 3:35). Jack Ely, the lead singer of the group the Kingsmen which recorded the hit " Louie Louie " -- a song that prompted an FBI investigation -- has died. [135], Surf music icons the Beach Boys released their version on the 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2 with lead vocals shared by Carl Wilson and Mike Love. Since its introduction in 1987, California Games has been ported to more than a dozen gaming platforms, resulting in multiple unique "Louie Louie" versions based on different or improved programmable sound generator (PSG) chips. [49] Local R&B groups like Ron Holden and the Playboys and the Dave Lewis Combo popularized "Louie Louie", rearranging Berry's version and performing it at live shows and "battle of the bands" events.[50][51]. Denials of chicanery by Kingsmen and Ely did not stop the controversy. [410][411]. (2014). Entered ""Bubbling Under" chart April 9, 1966, for one week. [365] In April 2015 Orme Radio broadcast the First Italian Louie Louie Marathon, playing 279 versions in 24 hours. [338] Scepter/Wand Records commented, "Not in anyone's wildest imagination are the lyrics as presented on the Wand recording suggestive, let alone obscene. [254][255], Bryan Carroll of AllMusic gave the single four out of five stars, saying, "Of the more than 1,500 commitments of Richard Berry's 'Louie Louie' to wax Black Flag's volatile take on the song is incomparable. [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. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and rock. [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. Not on the 1979 LP or 1993 CD reissue. She was black as the nightLouie was whiter than whiteDanger, danger when you taste brown suga'Louie fell in love overnightNothing bad, it was goodLouie had t. The error "imbued the Kingsmen recording with a touching humility and humanity"[36] and is now so well known that multiple versions by other groups duplicate it. Talk:Louie Louie - Wikipedia 128 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 in April 1966. "[44], The Kingsmen version in particular has been cited as the "rosetta stone" of garage rock,[36] the defining "ur-text" of punk rock,[45][46] and "the original grunge classic". [334][335] He referred the matter to the FCC (which declined to act) and also requested that the Indiana Broadcasters Association advise their member stations to pull the record from their playlists. [92] "Dominique" by the Singing Nun and "There! Before punk it was like you had to have a double degree in music. The guitar break is triggered by a shout, "Okay, let's give it to 'em right now! "), Martin Short, Young MC, and others. Then he placed Ely in the middle of his fellow musicians, all in an effort to create a better "live feel" for the recording. A D Em D A D Em D I said, Lou..ie Lou. At the time the record was made, the group consisted of the following members (listed alphabetically): Lynn Easton, drums Jack Ely, rhythm guitar Don Gallucci, keyboards [219] A version with his group Puerile was included on the 1978 album John the Postman's Puerile. A hotel room in the McMenamins Crystal Hotel in Portland, Oregon has a "Louie Louie" theme including a painting representing the song by artist Jonathan Case and lyrics on the walls. Other notable 1960s instrumental versions included the Ventures and Ian Whitcomb in 1965, Ace Cannon and Sandy Nelson in 1966, Floyd Cramer and Pete Fountain in 1967, and Willie Mitchell in 1969.[138]. Gloria Jones of the Dreamers provided additional backup vocals. [118] His "Louie Louie" guitar break has been called "iconic",[119] "blistering",[120] and "one of the most famous guitar solos of all time". Who played louie DePalma on taxi? - Answers Consequence called this version "a rock standard blown up from the inside out" and said, "The bands cover of 'Louie Louie' somehow both honors their rock n roll forebears and spits on their legacy. But you couldn't understand the words, they were all garbled.". Wiki User. The song "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen might not strike you as Federal Bureau of Investigation material. Later with the Stooges and as a solo performer, he recorded multiple versions of the song. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Entered chart October 15, 1988, for three weeks. The Kingsmen, in an audience performance at the end of, Joske Harry's and the King Creoles (Belgium), on a 1963 single (Arsa 107), Les Players (France), as "Si C'Etait Elle", on a 1964 single (Polydor 1879) and a 1964 EP (Polydor 27 129), Los Supersnicos (El Salvador), on a 1965 single (DCA 1082) and eponymous album, Pedrito Ramirez con Los Yogis (US), on a 1965 single (Angelo 518), I Trappers (Italy), as "Lui Lui Non Ha", on a 1965 single (CGD 9606), Los Corbs (Spain), as "Loui Loui", on a 1966 EP (Marfer M.622), Les Zniths (Canada), on a 1966 single (Premire 825), Maddalena (Italy), as "Lui Lui" on a 1967 single (RCA Italiana 3413), Dynasis (Greece), as "Loui Loui" on a 2019 digital single, "Louie Come Home", 1965, The Epics (Zen 202), "Louise Louise", 1966, H.B. [Outro] A D Em D A D Em D Oh, we gotta go now. [58] Known for his dynamic onstage performances, Roberts added "Louie Louie" to the band's set and, in 1960 recorded the track with the Wailers as his backing band. [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]. Me gotta go. It was also included on two later various artists compilations, Love That Louie: The Louie Louie Files (2002) and Boom Boom A Go-Go! 1 on Seattle's KJR and establishing "Louie Louie" as "the signature riff of Northwest rock 'n' roll". This article is about the song. The Kingsmen version is heard in the film. [54] Lewis, "the singularly most significant figure on the Pacific Northwest's nascent rhythm & blues scene in the 1950s and 1960s",[55] released a three chord clone, "David's Mood - Part 2", that was a regional hit in 1963. Disco king Barry White created Richard Berry's "all-time favorite" version[268] as he "reworked and revamped"[269] the original to create a "Latin-tinged"[270] rendition that "took the song from pure rock 'n' roll to pure moan 'n' groan". Am Ain't no diff'rence 'tween black or white Em Dm Am Brothers, you know what I mean Am Dm Louie, Louie, Louie, Louie Am Dm Louie, Louie, Louie, Lou-I Am Dm Louie, Louie, Louie, Louie Em Dm Am Louie, Louie, you're gonna cry Instrumental : Am Dm x3 Em Dm Am Am Dm There he stood in the night Am Dm Knowing what's wrong from what's right Am Dm He . Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie' lyrics dirty? Well, the FBI got involved. Alec Palao in the Love That Louie CD sleeve notes highlighted Davies' "supremely lecherous, almost drunken vocal" and suggested that "Davies drew from 'Louie' the urchin persona that populated so much of the Kinks' early work". Multiple live versions were released on Nuggets (recorded 1980, released 1999), Where The Faces Shine - Volume 2 (recorded 1982, released 2008), The Legendary Breaking Point Tour (recorded 1983, released 1993), Kiss My Blood (1991, VHS), Beside You (1993), and Roadkill Rising (1994). The original version also contains a scarcely audible "dirty lyric" when Mark Lindsay says, "Do she fuck? [5] Music historian Peter Blecha noted, "Far from shuffling off to a quiet retirement, evidence indicates that 'Louie Louie' may actually prove to be immortal. Tom Cruise in Knight and Day (2010) used the Kingsmen version as a ringtone/movement reminder. Play That Barbershop Chord (from "In the Good Old Summertime") [2022 [138], The Kinks recorded "Louie Louie" on October 18, 1964. [36], After their No. [274], The Fat Boys with producers Latin Rascals brought "Louie Louie" up to date in 1988 with a hip hop version which reached No. The song gained new life when it was featured in the 1978 film National Lampoon's Animal House, despite the fact that the story took place in 1962, a year before the song's actual release."Louie, Louie" has been featured in many other movies and television shows, including Quadrophenia, Wayne's World 2, and Mr. Holland's Opus.The song has been covered numerous times by bands as .