Louie Louie (p)revisited

[kesslari]

I grew up with the Kingsmen's version of this song. I knew they were covering an earlier version (story is their lyrics were unintelligible because they couldn't understand the lyrics to the original).
I just discovered the original - Richard Berry's.
I dig it.

 

[Stumbo]

Me gotta go!

 

[oldandbold]

Jeez, how could they not "understand" the lyrics?

 

[5StringBlues]

I won tickets to a 1990 Paul McCartney concert by knowing what Louie's occupation was.


I had just read a magazine article the month before in which Richard Berry said that he had Frank Sinatra's "One For My Baby (And One For The Road) in mind when writing the lyrics. So Louie is a bartender that the singer, a sailor, is speaking to.


Hurray for synchronicity!




I used to love playing it when I got my first bass in 1979 at the age of 15. I had an oldies single with Louie on one side and Isley Brothers Twist and Shout on the other that was my prized possession!


My other big memory of it is my father's reaction. My sisters were 12 and 14 years older than I , so it was played around my house before and around the time I was born.


His reaction? "Not this again!"

 

[ElectroVibe]

There was a big FBI investigation due to the misinterpretation of the Kingsmen's popular version. It was all due to SLURRED pronunciation by the singer. But if you read the original lyrics, or listen to it, it is pretty clear that the Kingsmen were singing the EXACT same words as the original.

 

[ElectroVibe]

Richard Berry's song was inspired by Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon".

 

[Rich Fiscus]

There was a big FBI investigation due to the misinterpretation of the Kingsmen's popular version. It was all due to SLURRED pronunciation by the singer. But if you read the original lyrics, or listen to it, it is pretty clear that the Kingsmen were singing the EXACT same words as the original.

And in all their hours of listening closely to the lyrics, they completely missed the drummer’s f-bomb when he dropped a stick.

Personally, I prefer Motorhead’s version.

 

[Richland123]

 

[ElectroVibe]

Here is a 1988 version. I love the guitar solo.