"Louie, Louie" is a pop song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of different versions recorded by different artists.

Original version

Berry [1] was inspired to write the song after hearing René Touzet 's "El Loco Cha Cha" from outside a nightclub. The bass line, a walking ten-note riff, was almost all that was audible outside the club, and provided the bedrock riff for "Louie, Louie". (Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon" may have also been an inspiration.) Richard Berry recorded it in 1956 with his backing band, the Pharoahs, and scored a minor success on the rhythm and blues charts in the U.S., which were dominated by black artists and bought almost exclusively by black listeners.

Berry was later compensated for unpaid royalties owed for the subsequent success of the song in the 1990s.

The song is written in the style of a simple Jamaican ballad, and tells the story of a Jamaican sailor returning to the island to see his lady love.

Original lyrics

Version by The Kingsmen

In the U.S. music industry of the 1950s and '60s, mainstream white artists would often re-record songs by black artists, and "Louie, Louie" was no exception. In April, 1963, a new rock and roll group from Portland, Oregon called The Kingsmen chose "Louie, Louie" as their first recording. The song features simple verse-chorus form.

There is some controversy as to the circumstances of this recording. It is definitely known that the Kingsmen recorded it at Northwestern Inc, Motion Pictures and Recording in Portland, Oregon as a demo for a possible cruise ship gig, and paid $50 for a short after hours evening session. Lead singer Jack Ely briefed the band on the song, either intentionally or accidentally introducing a slight change in the rhythm as he did. It was recorded in either one or two takes (with the second being used); according to some reports, the band may have thought they were rehearsing rather than laying down the final track. Ely himself was either hoarse, wearing braces on his teeth, or hung over. Contrary to popular legend he didn't shout the lyrics upwards into a hanging microphone. (Interview with Robert Lindahl, president and chief engineer of NWI. [2]) Lindahl was not only the engineer on the Kingsman session but two days later recorded the Paul Revere and the Raiders version in the same studio. He recalls that both times the boom mics were parked against the wall and never used. Perhaps the Kingsman may simply have lacked the talent to record a "proper" version [3] as it is worth noting despite the same venue the Raiders version is not known for 'garbled lyrics' or amatuerish recording technique.

Whatever the factors in the session, the Kingsmen transformed Berry's relatively easy-going ballad into a raucous, anarchic, rock 'n' roll romp, complete with a twangy guitar, occasional background chatter, and almost completely unintelligible lyrics by Ely. The version quickly became a standard for teen parties of the Sixties in the U.S., and reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Another factor in the success of the record may have been the rumor that the lyrics were intentionally slurred by the Kingsmen to cover the fact that it was laced with profanity, usually in the graphic depiction of sex between the sailor and his lady. Crumpled pieces of paper professing to be "the real lyrics" to "Louie, Louie" circulated among teens. It was banned on many radio stations and in many places in the United States, including Indiana, where it was personally banned by the Governor, Matthew Welch, simply on the rumor alone, as practically no one could understand the actual lyrics. The Kingsmen and Ely protested, when asked, that the lyrics were sung more or less as Berry had written them, but this did not stop the controversy. Even the FBI became involved in the controversy - but concluded a 31-month investigation with a report that they were "unable to interpret any of the wording in the record" [4].

Since its pressing, the Kingsmen's version has remained the most popular version of the song, retaining its association with wild partying. It enjoyed a brief comeback which also associated it with college fraternity parties in the 1970s when it was sung, complete with the obscene supposed lyrics, by Bluto (John Belushi) and his fellow fraternity brothers in the movie National Lampoon's Animal House.

Transcribed lyrics

The following is perhaps the best attempted transcription of the lyrics to "Louie, Louie", as sung by the Kingsmen. It has been introduced into the public domain by David Spector.

Other versions

It is unknown exactly how many versions of "Louie, Louie" have been recorded, but it is believed to be over 1,500 variations, according to the experts at LouieLouie.net. It is a staple in many rock artists' repretoires.

Some bands have taken liberties with the lyrics of the song, including attempts to record the supposed "obscene lyrics". It is believed the first artists to do so were Iggy Pop and the Stooges.

Black Flag released a short EP called Louie, Louie in 1981 on SST Records. It features Dez Cadena on vocals for the lead track, and also includes the "long" version of the song "Damaged I".

In August, 2003, 754 guitarists played a ten-minute rendition of "Louie, Louie" at Cheney Stadium, in Tacoma, Washington, United States, in what was believed to be the world's largest jam session [5].

Samples

• LouieLouie.ogg of The Kingsmen's "Louie, Louie"

References

• Marsh, Dave . Louie Louie. Hyperion, 1993. ISBN 1562828657.

External links

• LouieLouie.net
• Classic Bands entry on The Kingsmen
• What are the REAL lyrics to "Louie Louie"? courtesy of The Straight Dope

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