Origin of " Louie Louie " - 3 versions. Wailers, Richard Berry, Little Bill video free download
1) Richard Berry original
2) Rockin Robin Roberts and The Fabulous Wailers
3) Little Bill and the BlueNotes
The classic "Louie Louie" was written and recorded by Richard Berry, a black American, in 1956. Not a hit, it attracted attention in his north-west US area. What started the phenomenon was The Wailers of "Tall Cool One" fame. They had no vocalist, and used guest singers. For this one it was Rockin Robin Roberts. Released in the Seattle area in 1961 it was a big regional hit. At the same time a competing record was released there by Little Bill and the BlueNotes. I don't know how that one charted.
It was in 1963 that the Kingsmen, also from that area, copied it. Not an immediate hit, it was a sleeper which ended up #2 nationally on Billboard and #1 in Cashbox.
By the way, what the craziness is about is a fellow talking to his friend Louie about sailing back to Jamaica to see his lady.
Comments
9 years ago
eldorado62
The Kingsmen nailed it for me.10 years ago
Don Reed
This is f'ing TERRIBLE.10 years ago
Jon Summers
In May 1965, a memo to director J Edgar Hoover concluded: "No further investigation is to be conducted in this matter." Legend has it that an investigator declared Louie Louie "unintelligible at any speed".10 years ago
glendetta
GREAT - THANKYOU!!!!10 years ago
srercrcr
As an aside the lead singer of the Kingsmen died yesterday at 71. He said their recording was intended to be an instrumental but at the last minute jumped in as a vocal. He quit the band after 'Louie' after a group disagreement.10 years ago
jaap aap
THE WAILERS (MOD Garage R&R)10 years ago
Capt Larry
nobody ever gave a fuck about the words.. this was a dance tune.. so often requested that local bands soon grew to hate it at dances. it was old and moldy long before anybody ever heard of "the kingsmen". At West coast dances you couldn't avoid it.10 years ago
Dave Fry
one of the most used riffs in rock music10 years ago
MarvelDcImage
Also, around this time Calypso music was a popular fad so singing in a fake Jamaican patois was not that unusual. It kind of shows you how a badly produced track by the Kingsman sounds better to the human ear because it was raw and more energetic and because the lyrics were garbled enabled them to take on our dirty fun imaginations. 10 years ago
Ed Savage
To me, this is one of the worst songs of all time that became a hit. But, I'd listen to the Wailer's version of it over all the others, even the Mothers of Invention.10 years ago
Shawn McLaughlin
The order in which I like the 4 versions:1> The Wailers2> Richard Berry3> The Kingsmen4> Little Bill and the Blue Notes10 years ago
robert garcia
oh man everybody sang this in school all day walking in hall ways 10 years ago
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
The Kingsmen were inspired by the Wailers, which is why Jack Ely and Rockin Robin Roberts sang in a same manner.. the other The Blue Notes and Richard Berry..10 years ago
David Pool
THE KINGMENS BLOW THIS GUY OUT OF THE WATER AND OFF THAT SHIP.10 years ago
Rudolph Cole
I love this song to death10 years ago
daddybones45
The tune is based on "El Loca Cha Cha" by René Touzet (El loco Cha cha cha ) itself an arrangement of an original by Rosendo Ruiz Jr., leader of Cuba's Trova sound: AMARREN AL LOCO-Charanga America FANATICOS DE LA CHARANGA EN FACEBOOK10 years ago
srercrcr
Berry wrote this while on a ship in the Navy. Listen to the lyrics. Louie is slang for Leutenant.10 years ago
GarySanOly
The Kingsmen had the big hit, ironically The Fabulous Wailers, Little Bill and the Blue Notes all made their marks in the Seattle market. The Kingsmen are originally from Portland but attended the UW in Seattle, became famous in Seattle. Rich Dangel, guitarist with the Wailers died in 2003 and Kent Morill (founding member) the Wailers recently passed away, The Wailers version was released first but didn't go very far. Little Bill's version was a local Seattle release and I don't think it was marketed out of the Puget Sound area.10 years ago
CrackerJackLee
0.00 Richard Berry2:13 Wailers4:46 Blue Notes10 years ago
Rolf Dusseldorf
Wow, to think all these years I never new the source of the song or all the words. Too cool. Thanks for posting.Related Videos
Louie Louie
Louie Louie - The Clash
Louie Louie
Louie Louie - The Kingsmen (HQ)