International Louie Louie Day – April 11, 2024

History of International Louie Louie Day

Richard Berry wrote ‘Louie Louie’ in 1955. The Pharaohs recorded and issued the song in 1957. It garnered some broadcasts around San Francisco and gained popularity in the Pacific Northwest. Other garage bands covered it, and it gained a partying hit in the West. Berry’s version tells of a seaman who journeys three days to Jamaica to visit his girl. A bartender, Louie, is given the story.

The Kingsmen recorded their famous rendition on April 6, 1963, in Portland, Oregon. The Kingsmen’s recording session totaled $50 and was only one take. Legend has it they assumed it was a demo tape or a rehearsal. Paul Revere and the Raiders recorded a separate version of ‘Louie Louie’ the same week, in the same studio. Musically, the Raiders’ version is preferred, but the Kingsmen’s version won the day. This would become the song’s most enduring rendition. The microphone was positioned far above vocalist Jack Ely, making it difficult to understand his words. Because it was recorded in one take, the mistakes were left in. Particularly, after the guitar solo, at 1:57, Ely begins to sing but stops suddenly, realizing he entered too early. Lynn Easton tries to hide the error with a drum fill.

It was originally released on Jerden in May 1963 and then picked up by Wand Records in October. It attained number two on the Billboard charts in December of that year and spent 16 weeks in the top 100. However, the song sparked debate. Some radio stations banned it due to its sometimes unclear lyrics, which many felt were filthy. The F.B.I. even spent 30 months looking into its lyrics. Because Ely’s lyrics were unintelligible, they were declared not obscene. At 0:54, Easton yells a curse after dropping his drumsticks. The band broke up soon after recording the single, and they didn’t get paid till the late 1990s. It was Ely’s only recording with the Kingsmen. He departed the band shortly after, perhaps to return to school or because of a vocal conflict. The reasons differ. His return was refused when the song became viral. On April 10, 1998, they won a legal case, allowing them to receive $200,000 in royalties and reclaim all rights to their Wand songs.