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Music et al, Music of the 60s

FBI vs Louie Louie

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FBI vs Louie Louie

A sailor walks into a bar…

When The Kingsmen released “Louie Louie” in May 1963, the tune already had a long recorded history.

FBI vs Louie Louie

FBI vs Louie Louie

Rene Touzet

Rene Touzet and his orchestra played  “El Loco Cha Cha” in the early 1950s.

FBI vs Louie Louie

Richard Berry

One night singer Richard Berry heard  Touzet’s song and decided to use some riffs from it to write his own song. His lyrics were about a sailor missing his girl and talking to a guy named Louie. He released the song in 1956.

It sold well in the Rhythm & Blues market, but he eventually sold the rights to the song so he could get married.

FBI vs Louie Louie

Rockin’ Robin Roberts

Rockin’ Robin Roberts, a musician from the US Pacific Northwest, heard the song and decided to add it to his band’s set list. Because of the song’s popularity, many bands began to perform it. Roberts recorded “Louie Louie” in 1961.

FBI vs Louie Louie

Paul Revere and the Raiders

FBI vs Louie Louie

Paul Revere and the Raiders also released the song in 1963. Their version was a hit on the west coast, but…

FBI vs Louie Louie

The Kingsmen

FBI vs Louie Louie

…the Kingsmen’s recording, initially released on the small jerden label, was hit in the Seattle area which led to a release on the somewhat larger wand label.

FBI vs Louie Louie

The song spent 16 weeks [December 1963 – February 1964] on the Billboard Hot 100.

FBI vs Louie Louie

Blue R & B

Society sometimes condemns rock and roll for its sexual innuendos, but double-meaning lyrics were an old story. “Anybody Here Want To Try My Cabbage?”  by Maggie Jones (1924)…

FBI vs Louie Louie

“Get ‘em from the Peanut Man” by Lil Johnson (1935)…

…and others like “Good Rockin’ Tonight” by Wynonie Harris (1947), and “Smooth Slow and Easy” by the Drivers (1956) are just four of the dozens of songs that weren’t for polite company during that era.

FBI vs Louie Louie

Sarasota

FBI vs Louie Louie

Some adults thought a song’s lyrics obscene simply because someone said so. Such was the case with “Louie Louie.”  On February 10, 1964 the FBI “received complaint from…Sarasota High School, advising that captioned record is very popular with the high school students, and he has been furnished lyrics for the song, which are very obscene.”  And thus was launched the FBI’s inquiry “Louie Louie.”

In May 1965 the FBI concluded with a 119-page inquiry, which had the basic conclusion: “…there are unintelligible words or sounds in their [the Kingsmen] vocal where those who want to apparently find the obscenity [my emphasis], but these were honest vocal effect without thought of intended obscenity and that neither he nor the others in the group can hear the suggested obscenity….”

According to Wikipedia, “By some accounts “Louie Louie” is the world’s most recorded rock song with over 1,600 versions.” So much for obscene lyrics.

FBI vs Louie Louie
…and the sailor says to the bartender, Louie…
[Chorus]

Louie Louie, oh no

Sayin’ we gotta go, yeah yeah, yeah yeah

Said Louie Louie, oh baby

Said we gotta go

A fine little girl, she waits for me

Catch a ship across the sea

Sail that ship about, all alone

Never know if I make it home

[Chorus]

Three nights and days I sail the sea

Think of girl, all constantly

On that ship I dream she’s there

 I smell the rose in her hair

[Chorus]

Okay, let’s give it to ’em, right now!

See, see Jamaica, the moon above

It won’t be long, me see me love

Take her in my arms again

I’ll tell her I’ll never leave again

[Chorus]

I said we gotta go now

Let’s take this on outta here

Let’s go!
FBI vs Louie Louie

A few…

So here’s THE version by the Kingsmen and some other versions plus a Bruce cover!

Paul Revere and the Raiders

The Kingsmen

Louie Louie by  Bruce Springsteen:

FBI vs Louie Louie
Music et al, Music of the 60s

February 6 Music et al

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February 6 Music et al

George Harrison

February 6 Music et al

February 6, 1958: George Harrison joined The Quarrymen. The group, named after Lennon’s school, featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.. George Harrison (recalling those early days): “I was very impressed by John, probably more than Paul, or I showed it more. I suppose I was impressed by all the Art College crowd. John was very sarcastic, always trying to put you down, but I either took no notice or gave him the same back, and it worked.” (see July 15)

February 6 Music et al

All Those Years Ago

February 6 Music et al

Exactly 33 years later (and 60 days after John Lennon’s murder) on February 6, 1981, George Harrison completed the recording of All Those Years Ago, Harrison’s musical tribute to Lennon.

Ringo Starr had worked with Harrison on the song in November 1981 intending to use it on his own album, but decided not to. After lennon’s assassination,  Harrison changed the lyrics and invited Paul McCartney to join on the vocals. 

It was the first time that the three former band mates had appeared on the same recording since “I Me Mine” in 1970. 

The song’s personnel are:

  • George Harrison – vocals, electric guitars, synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Al Kooper – electric piano
  • Herbie Flowers – bass
  • Ringo Starr – drums
  • Ray Cooper – tambourine
  • Paul McCartney – backing vocals
  • Linda McCartney – backing vocals
  • Denny Laine – backing vocals

Harrison’s Dark Horse label released the song in the United States on May 11, 1981. The song went to #2 in the United States.  (2017 K-SHE’95 article) (see Feb 19)

I’m shouting all about love
While they treated you like a dog
When you were the one who had made it so clear
All those years ago

I’m talking all about how to give
They don’t act with much honesty
But you point the way to the truth when you say
All you need is love

Living with good and bad
I always looked up to you
Now we’re left cold and sad
By someone the devil’s best friend
Someone who offended all

We’re living in a bad dream
They’ve forgotten all about mankind
And you were the one they backed up to the wall
All those years ago
You were the one who imagined it all

 All those years ago
All those years ago

Deep in the darkest night
I send out a prayer to you
Now in the world of light
Where the spirit free of lies
And all else that we despised

They’ve forgotten all about God
He’s the only reason we exist
Yet you were the one that they said was so weird
All those years ago
You said it all though not many had ears
All those years ago
You had control of our smiles and our tears
All those years ago

All those years ago
All those years ago

February 6 Music et al

Billboard #1

February 6 Music et al

February 6 – 19, 1965: “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” by the Righteous Brothers #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1999, BMI listed the song as the one most often played on American radio and television in the 20th century, with some 8 million plays. That total includes all versions of the song, not just The Righteous Brothers’.

The husband-and-wife songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote the song. For inspiration, the team used  the idea of Four Tops’ big hit, “Baby I Need Your Loving.” Phil Spector also receives writing credit, although he did not contribute to it. As a powerful producer, he, like others, claimed inspiration and perspiration as sufficient.

The opening line, “You never close your eyes any more when I kiss your lips,” was inspired by the Paris Sisters song “I Love How You Love Me,” which begins, “I love how your eyes close whenever you kiss me.”

The song was the first Righteous Brothers release on Philles Records, and it gave both the duo and the songwriting team their first #1 hit. (see Righteous for more)

February 6 Music et al

The Road to the Woodstock Festival

February 6 Music et al

February 6, 1969: Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld met John Roberts and Joel Rosenman for the first time. Lang and Kornfeld propose a music studio retreat in Woodstock, NY that would be an ideal place for musicians to make music in a relaxed atmosphere in an area where many other young musicians live. (see Road for expanded story)

February 6 Music et al
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February 1 Music et al

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February 1 Music et al

Ken Kesey

February 1 Music et al

February 1, 1962: Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest published.

In a 2012 review, the Daily Beast’s Nathaniel Rich said, “Kesey suggests that war is not only a cause of the patients’ trauma (“I was hurt by seeing things in the Army, in the war,” says Chief Bromden), but a result of it. The mechanization of society leads, inevitably, to a militant society. This is what happens in the ward, after all, where the patients wage an insurgency against Nurse Ratched and her staff.  (see September)

February 1 Music et al  

“Louie, Louie“

February 1, 1964: Billboard  magazine reported that Indiana Governor Matthew E. Welsh had declared the song “Louie, Louie” by the Kingsmen pornographic. He requested that the Indiana Broadcasters Association ban the record. Governor Welsh claimed that hearing the song made his “ears tingle.” (see Feb 8)

February 1 Music et al  

I Want To Hold Your Hand

February 1 Music et al

February 1 – March 30, 1964: “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first of 20 #1 Hot 100 Hits (a record) and the first of 71 Hot 100 hits. (see Feb 3)

February 1 Music et al  

Crimson and Clover

February 1 – 14, 1969: “Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James and the Shondells #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Crimson and Clover” entered the U.S. charts on December 14, where it stayed for 16 weeks on Billboard Hot 100 and 15 weeks on Cash Box Top 100. The band had performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show on January 26, 1969.

February 1 Music et al  

“We Are the World“

February 1, 2010:   Following the magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake in Haiti, which devastated the area and killed thousands of people, it was agreed that the “We Are the World” song would be re-recorded by new artists, in the hope that it would reach a new generation and help benefit the people of Haiti. It was on this day taht “We Are The World 25 For Haiti” was recorded.

February 1 Music et al