who sang louie louie louie lou eye

Published on: May 5, 2023

It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and rock. For a few weeks, the two singles appeared destined to battle each other, but demand for the Kingsmen single, backed by national promotion from Wand, acquired momentum and by the end of 1963, Columbia Records had stopped promoting the Raiders version. [409], A sculpture titled "Louie Louie, 2013" by Las Vegas-based artist Tim Bavington is displayed on the lobby wall of the Edith Green - Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in Portland, Oregon. [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. Three nights and days we sailed the sea. 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. "Like A Rolling Stone" is about longing; 'How does it feel to be without a home?' I suppose it was my bid for immortality, one of those great bolts of inspiration. Live versions were included on Here They Come! Jack Ely, founder and guitarist with the Kingsmen and lead singer on their #2 hit, "Louie Louie" (1963), died Monday (April 27th, 2015) at his home in Redmond, Oregon after what as termed a "long illness." He was 71. It was also included on two later various artists compilations, Love That Louie: The Louie Louie Files (2002) and Boom Boom A Go-Go! One lyric in particular captured Pop's long term relationship with the song: "I think about the meaning of my life again, and I have to sing "Louie Louie" again. Chorus: "Louie, Louie, oh no. Sail that ship about, all alone. 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 . Amused by its slapdash sound, he played it on his program as "The Worst Record of the Week". " Louie Louie " is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. By the end of October, it was listed in Billboard as a regional breakout and a "bubbling under" entry for the national chart. The Raiders also recorded Richard Berry's "Have Love, Will Travel", a "'Louie Louie' rewrite",[133] and "Louie, Go Home", an answer song penned by Lindsay and Revere after Berry declined their request for a "Louie Louie" follow-up,[134] as well as "Just Like Me", a "first cousin to 'Louie Louie'". 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). Peak chart position reached in February 1964. [382], Although the effort failed in the end, a cover of Berry's rewritten version was released in 1986 by Jr. Cadillac and included on the 1994 compilation The Louie Louie Collection. [140], A Minnesota girl group, the Shaggs, released a version as a 1965 single (Concert 1-78-65), and Honey Ltd. covered the song on a 1968 album and as a single (LHI 1216); however, the distinction of first girl group participation on a version of "Louie Louie" would go to the Shalimars, an Olympia girl group who provided overdubbed backing vocals in 1960 for a recording by Little Bill (Englehardt) released as a single in 1961 (Topaz 1305). The quick success of "Louie Louie" faltered, however, due to lack of support from Columbia and its A&R man Mitch Miller,[127] a former bandleader (Sing Along With Mitch) with "retrogressive taste"[128] who disliked the "musical illiteracy" of rock and roll. Danny DeVito. [338] Scepter/Wand Records commented, "Not in anyone's wildest imagination are the lyrics as presented on the Wand recording suggestive, let alone obscene. A partial list (see Recognition and rankings table below) includes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, National Public Radio, VH1, Rolling Stone Magazine, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Recording Industry Association of America. 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. [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. [59], Female solo artist versions in the 1960s included Maddalena in 1967, titled "Lui Lui", as a single (RCA Italiana 3413), Tina Turner in 1968, released in 1989 on The Best of Louie Louie, Volume 2, and "a sexiest-of-all version by smokey-voiced diva Julie London"[141] released as a single (Liberty 56085) and included on her 1969 album Yummy, Yummy, Yummy. s eye Lord up above Oowee Louie pie Mama Satan sat down on . One writer called the two songs "sparse representations of a "Louie Louie" mentality",[143] Another noted that the "You Really Got Me" riff is "unquestionably a guitar-based piece, [that] fundamentally differs from "Louie Louie" and other earlier riff pieces with which it sometimes is compared",[144] while another succinctly calls it "a rewrite of the Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie'". [59], The record was then reissued and promoted by Liberty Records in Los Angeles, but it failed to chart nationally. [381] After a spirited debate, the legislature ultimately preserved "Washington, My Home" as the state song while also adopting Woody Guthrie's "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" as the official folk song. [376][377][378], In 1985, Ross Shafer, host and a writer-performer of the late-night comedy series Almost Live! 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. This answers first letter of which starts with E and can be found at the end of Y. Nothing bad, it was good Louie had the best girl he could [62], Roberts was killed in an automobile accident in 1967, but his "legacy would reverberate down through the ages". And Ray copied a lot of his vocal style from that guy [Jack Ely]. This article is about the song. He has said that "Born in the U.S.A." was "the most misunderstood song since 'Louie Louie'",[230] and one critic characterized The River as "Less Kierkegaard, lots more Kingsmen". [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. [71] They also recorded "Jamaica Farewell" and what became the B-side of the release, an original "surf instrumental"[72] by Ely and keyboardist Don Gallucci called "Haunted Castle". The film's soundtrack producer Kenny Vance (formerly of Jay and the Americans) also released a version with his group The Planotones on the 2007 album Dancin' And Romancin'. [211] In 1993, the Quireboys' version reached No. 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. The first album to reach number one was Abbey Road by the Beatles in 1969, and the first Swedish-language album was Cornelis sjunger Taube by Cornelis Vreeswijk that same year) Catch a ship across the sea. [47] "The influential rock critics Dave Marsh and Greil Marcus believe that virtually all punk rock can be traced back to a single proto-punk song, 'Louie Louie'. [379] A "groundswell of public support" followed including support from the Kingsmen, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and the Wailers, an appearance by Shafer on Dick Clark's TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes, and a Dubious Achievement Award from Esquire. 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. (Trivia: 'Louie' is written, directed, edited and produced by comedian Louis C.K.) "[15] Humorist Dave Barry (perhaps with some exaggeration) called it "one of the greatest songs in the history of the world". Let's Party, it was also included on the 1983 compilation The Best of Louie Louie, Volume 2. [56], Robin Roberts developed an interest in rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues records as a high school student in Tacoma, Washington. In the 1980s, due to the widespread availability of sheet music arrangements, "Louie Louie" became a staple of concert, marching, and pep bands for middle schools, high schools, and colleges and universities in the U.S. 26 in 1964, and to date remains the last "Louie Louie" version to appear on the US or UK charts. [347], In a 1964 interview, Lynn Easton of the Kingsmen said, "We took the words from the original version and recorded them faithfully. [60] Dave Marsh dedicated his 1993 book, "For Richard Berry, who gave birth to this unruly child, and Rockin' Robin Roberts, who first raised it to glory. "[354], The lyrics controversy resurfaced briefly in 2005 when the superintendent of the school system in Benton Harbor, Michigan, refused to let a marching band play the song in a local parade; she later relented.[355][356]. The Belushi version was also released as a single (MCA 3046) and reached No. The Who also covered the 1964 Lindsay-Revere sequel "Louie Go Home" in 1965 as "Lubie (Come Back Home)". It entered the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for December 7, and peaked at No. Then we heard The Kingsmen and he had that lazy, throwaway, laid-back drawl in his voice, and it was magic. There were many covers of the song over the years since it was written. [393], April 28, 2015 Death of Kingsmen vocalist Jack Ely. 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. [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. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was covered that same year in German by Die Rosy-Singers.[319]. Ely, however, missed his mark, coming in two bars too soon, before the restatement of the riff. Used as a cell phone ringtone by Roy Miller (. [404][405], The largest "Louie Louie" parade, organized by WWMR deejay John DeBella, was held in Philadelphia from 1985 to 1989 with proceeds going to leukemia victims. Louie Louie, oh baby. 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? Among the songs he began performing as an occasional guest singer with a local band, the Bluenotes, in 1958 were "Louie Louie", which he had "rescued from oblivion"[7] after hearing Berry's obscure original single, and Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin", which gave him his stage name. Later releases featured different lead vocalists on Special Edition (1982, Michael Bradley), Generic Rock & Roll (1993, Carlo Driggs), Flower Power (2011, Darren Dowler), and The Revolutionary Hits of Paul Revere & the Raiders (2019, David Huizenga). It's the essential equation of rock 'n' roll. [390], April 14, 1985 "Louie Louie Day" proclaimed by the mayor of Seattle. The official lyrics are listed below in plain print, with one of the many alternative versions in italics. Throughout the majority of The Kingsmen's existence, the late Jack Ely was not the band's lead singer. He realized his mistake and stopped the verse short, but the band did not realize that he had done so. (1965), Paul Revere Rides Again! [103][104][105][106] These actions were taken despite the small matter that practically no one could distinguish the actual lyrics. Entered chart July 3, 1999, for six weeks. followed by a sax intro similar to the Rockin' Robin Roberts version (guitar in later releases). [41] It has been released or performed by a wide range of artists from reggae to hard rock, from jazz to psychedelic, from hip hop to easy listening. You're yearning for 'Where's that big party that I know is out there, but I can't find it'. Columbia Records issued the single nationally in June 1963 and it went to No. The Kingsmen initially ignored the rumors, but soon "news networks were filing reports from New Orleans, Florida, Michigan, and elsewhere about an American public nearly hysterical over the possible dangers of this record". Entered chart October 22, 1966, for seven weeks. 128 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 in April 1966. [149], Biographer Johnny Rogan noted no "Louie Louie" influence, writing that Davies adapted an earlier piano riff to the jazz blues style of Mose Allison, and that he was further influenced by seeing Chuck Berry and Gerry Mulligan in Jazz on a Summer's Day, a 1958 film about the Newport Jazz Festival. [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". 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! The result, Ely would say over the years, was that he had to stand on his toes, lean his head back and shout as loudly as he could just to be heard over the drums and guitars. All the great rock songs are about longing. (Marsh, 1993, p. 116). Where can you hear the instrumental. By helping UG you make the world better. Louie's phone number is 555-0123. Louie nearly caused a scene, Wishing it was a dream. The song's combination of narration and singing within a storytelling structure elicited a variety of critic's reactions ranging from "appealing"[264] and "imaginative adaptation"[261] to "probably the funkiest version of 'Louie Louie' ever recorded". A duo of "jazz rock fusioneers",[261] bassist Stanley Clarke and keyboardist George Duke, included a "killer version"[262] "funk cover"[263] on The Clarke/Duke Project, a 1981 album of eight original compositions and one cover. The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" While Jack Ely's crazed vocal gets almost all of the attention, the Kingsmen were a group that played their own instruments and sang. Louie often calls his oldest brother Huey "nerd". [219] A version with his group Puerile was included on the 1978 album John the Postman's Puerile. Summary of "Louie Louie" rankings and recognition in major publications and surveys. It's the reason the universe will never be fully comprehensible. In compliance with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements, some of these records are no longer in the physical possession of the FBI, eliminating the FBI's capability to re-review and/or re-process this material. 'Louie Louie, oh no, me gotta go', "The Greatest Debut 45 Records In History", "10 Times Studio Mistakes Created Music Magic", "Herb Alpert Talks Passing on the Kingsmen, Loving the Beatles, and Recording His New LP", "How the Kingsmen Stirred Up Controversy With 'Louie Louie', "After 23 years, 'Louie Louie' cooler than ever", "Indiana Gov. [203] It was used during the opening credits of Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story and as an ending song in Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes in which Pop took part as himself. The 12" EP, titled Louie Louie, included "Original Mix", "Da Digglar Mix", "Wiseguys Remix", and "Touch's Bonus Beats". Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band. Born in Portland, Jack started out as a jazz pianist but switched to guitar after seeing Elvis Presley perform on television. [326] The "state rock song" was played following "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch at all Seattle Mariners home games from 1990 up until the 2022 season.[383]. Dave Marsh in 1993 called their version "the last great "Louie Louie" to date".[275]. The work is constructed of 80 colored glass and acrylic panels representing the waveforms of the song using Bavington's concept of sculpting sound waves. [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]. [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. But the most famous version, the one everyone thinks of, was recorded by the Kingsmen in 1963 and put out by Wand Records. A fine little girl, she wait for me. [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. Like our sister . [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. 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. )[93] "Louie Louie" did reach No. [101] Total sales estimates for the single range from 10 million[26] to over 12 million with cover versions accounting for another 300 million.