"Louie Louie" is a

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by

the Kingsmen The Kingsmen are a 1960s American rock band from Portland, Oregon. They are best known for their 1963 recording of R&B singer Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the No. 2 spot on the ''Billboard'' charts for six weeks and has bec ...

and has become a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

. The song is based on the tune "El Loco Cha Cha" popularized by bandleader

René Touzet René Touzet y Monte (September 8, 1916, in Havana, Cuba – June 15, 2003, in Miami, Florida) was a Cuban composer, pianist and bandleader. Career as bandleader Growing up in the city of Cojimar, Touzet learned classical piano from the age o ...

and is an example of

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans () or Black Cubans are Cubans of full or partial sub-Saharan African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba associated with this community, and the combining of native African a ...

influence on American popular music. "Louie Louie" tells, in simple

verse–chorus form Verse–chorus form is a musical form going back to the 1840s, in such songs as "Oh! Susanna", " The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", and many others. It became passé in the early 1900s, with advent of the AABA (with verse) form in the T ...

, the first-person story of a "lovesick sailor's lament to a bartender about wanting to get back home to his girl".

Historical significance

The "extraordinary roller-coaster tale of obscurity, scandal, success and immortality" and "remarkable historical impact" of "Louie Louie" have been recognized by organizations and publications worldwide. A partial list (see Recognition and rankings table below) includes the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

, the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' Magazine, the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

, and the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. Other major examples of the song's legacy include the celebration of

International Louie Louie Day "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry (musician), Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become ...

every year on April 11; the annual Louie Louie Parade in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

from 1985 to 1989; the

LouieFest LouieFest is an American music festival featuring the prominent contributions to rock and roll by bands and performers, both emerging and established, from the Northwest region. Organized in 2003 by John 'Buck' Ormsby and Kent Morrill, members of Th ...

Tacoma Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...

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 Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born ) is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has published num ...

in his book ''Louie Louie: The History and Mythology of the World's Most Famous Rock 'n' Roll Song'' wrote, "It is the best of songs, it is the worst of songs", and also labeled it "cosmically crude". Rock critic

Greil Marcus Greil Marcus (né Gerstley; born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics. Biogra ...

called it "a law of nature" and ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' music critic

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.Peter Blecha Peter Charles Blecha is an American historian, curator, essayist, author, musician, and director of the Seattle-based Northwest Music Archives. He is primarily known for research related to aspects of Pacific Northwest musical history. In additio ...

noted, "Far from shuffling off to a quiet retirement, evidence indicates that 'Louie Louie' may actually prove to be immortal." Although the song "surely resists learned

exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (philosophy), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern us ...

", other writers described it as "musically simple, lyrically simple, and joyously infectious", "deliciously moronic", "a completely unforgettable

earworm An earworm or brainworm, also described as sticky music or stuck song syndrome, is a Catchiness, catchy or memorable piece of music or saying that continuously occupies a person's mind even after it is no longer being played or spoken about. In ...

", "the essence of rock's primal energy", and "the immortal international hit ... that defines rock 'n' roll." Others noted that it "served as a bridge to the R&B of the past and the rap scene of the future", that "it came to symbolize the garage rock genre, where the typical performance was often aggressive and usually amateurish", and that "all you need to make a great rock 'n' roll record are the chords to 'Louie Louie' and a bad attitude." Music historian and filmmaker Eric Predoehl of ''The Louie Report'' described the song as,

''Purity. It's just a very pure, honest rock 'n' roll song. It's a song of romantic ideals hidden amongst a three-chord melody. It's an idealistic song. It's a misunderstood song. It's a confusing and disorienting song. It's like a heartbeat.''

Humorist

Dave Barry David McAlister Barry (born July 3, 1947) is an American author and columnist who wrote a nationally Print syndication, syndicated humor column for the ''Miami Herald'' from 1983 to 2005. He has written numerous books of humor and parody, as we ...

(with perhaps some exaggeration) called it "one of the greatest songs in the history of the world". ''

American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...

'' summarized, "It might be the best-known rock song of all time. It might be the most important rock song of all time." The Kingsmen's recording was the subject of an

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

investigation about the supposed, but nonexistent, obscenity of the lyrics that ended without prosecution. The nearly unintelligible (and innocuous) lyrics were widely misinterpreted, and the song was banned by radio stations. Marsh wrote that the lyrics controversy "reflected the country's infantile sexuality" and "ensured the song's eternal perpetuation", while another writer termed it "the ultimate expression of youthful rebellion". Jacob McMurray in '' Taking Punk To The Masses'' noted, "All of this only fueled the popularity of the song ... imprinting this grunge ur-message onto successive generations of youth, ... all of whom amplified and rebroadcast its powerful sonic meme ...."

Original version by Richard Berry and the Pharaohs

Richard Berry was inspired to write the song in 1955 after listening to an R&B interpretation of "El Loco Cha Cha" performed by the Latin group Ricky Rillera and the Rhythm Rockers. The tune was written originally as "Amarren Al Loco" ("Tie Up The Madman" or "Tie Up That Lunatic") by Cuban bandleader Rosendo Ruiz Jr. (also known as Rosendo Ruiz Quevedo), but became best known in the "El Loco Cha Cha" arrangement by

which included "three great chords, solid and true" and a ten-note "1-2-3 1–2 1-2-3 1–2"

tumbao In music of Afro-Cuban origin, tumbao is the basic rhythm played on the bass. In North America, the basic conga drum pattern used in popular music is also called ''tumbao''. In the contemporary form of Cuban popular dance music known as timba, pian ...

or rhythmic pattern. The "unforgettable hook" of "Louie Louie" was lifted directly from Touzet's composition. Louie Louie rhythm

In Berry's mind, the words to "Louie Louie" "just kind of fell out of the sky", superimposing themselves over the repeating

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, and classical music, for the low-pitched P ...

as he scribbled backstage on a strip of toilet paper. Lyrically, the first person perspective of the song was influenced by "

One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" is a song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the movie musical '' The Sky's the Limit'' (1943) and first performed in the film by Fred Astaire. Background Harold Arlen described the song ...

", which is sung from the perspective of a customer talking to a bartender ("Louie" was the name of Berry's bartender). He additionally cited

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

's " Havana Moon" and his own exposure to

Latin American music The music of Latin America refers to music originating from Latin America, namely the Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese-speaking regions of the Americas south of the United States. Latin American music highly incorpor ...

for the song's speech pattern and references to

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

. Los Angeles-based Flip Records recorded Berry's composition with his

vocal group A musical ensemble, also known as a music group, musical group, or a band is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrume ...

the Pharaohs in April 1956. The Pharaohs were Godoy Colbert (first tenor), Stanley Henderson (second tenor, subbing for Robert Harris), and Noel Collins (baritone). Gloria Jones of the Dreamers provided additional backup vocals. Session musicians included

Plas Johnson Plas John Johnson Jr. () (born July 21, 1931) is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s " The Pink Panther Theme". He also performs on alto and bar ...

on tenor sax, Jewel Grant on baritone sax,

Ernie Freeman Ernest Aaron Freeman (August 16, 1922 – May 16, 1981) was an American pianist, organist, bandleader, and arranger. He was responsible for arranging many successful rhythm and blues and pop music, pop records from the 1950s to the 1970s. B ...

on piano,

Irving Ashby Irving Conrad Ashby (December 29, 1920 – April 22, 1987) was an American jazz guitarist. Ashby was born in Somerville, Massachusetts and started playing guitar when he was nine. His career started in 1940 when he became a member of Lionel Ha ...

on guitar,

Red Callender George Sylvester "Red" Callender (March 6, 1916 – March 8, 1992) was an American string bass and tuba player. He is perhaps best known as a jazz musician, but worked with an array of pop, rock and vocal acts as a member of The Wrecking Cre ...

on bass, Ray Martinez on drums, and

John Anderson John Anderson may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * John Anderson (jazz trumpeter) (1921–1974), American musician * Jon Anderson (John Roy Anderson, born 1944), lead singer of the British band Yes * John Anderson (producer) (1948–2024 ...

on trumpet. Flip released the record in April 1957 with "Louie Louie" as the B-side of "

You Are My Sunshine "You Are My Sunshine" is an American standard of old-time and country music and the state song of Louisiana. Its original writer is disputed. According to the performance rights organization BMI, by the year 2000 the song had been recorded by ...

", but prior to the song's release, Berry sold his portion of the publishing and songwriting rights for "Louie Louie" and four other songs for $750 to Max Feirtag, the head of Flip Records, to raise cash for his upcoming wedding. Both 7-inch 45 RPM and 10-inch 78 RPM versions were pressed. (An early 45 RPM label misprint exists, reported by

Steve Propes Stephen C. "Steve" Propes (b. about 1943)
Steve Hochman, ''

vie".) A

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

review rated the A-side as a B+, but the B-side only rated a B with the comment, "Richard Berry chants a middle beat with a steady, syncopated rhythm that captures an excitement." Local A-side airplay was modest, but then KGFJ deejay

Hunter Hancock Hunter Dunagan Hancock (April 21, 1916 – August 4, 2004) was an American disc jockey regarded as the first in the Western United States to play rhythm and blues records on the radio, and among the first to broadcast rock and roll. He was born i ...

flipped the record and put the B-side in heavy rotation, resulting in a regional hit, particularly in San Francisco. When Berry toured the Pacific Northwest, local R&B bands began to play the song, increasing its popularity. The song was re-released by Flip in 1961 as an A-side single and again in 1964 on a four-song EP, but never appeared on any of the national charts. Sales estimates ranged from 40,000 to 130,000 copies. Other versions appeared on ''Casino Club Presents Richard Berry'' (1966), ''Great Rhythm and Blues Oldies Volume 12'' (1977), and ''The Best of Louie, Louie'' (1983). Although similar to the original, the version on

Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

's 1983 ''The Best of Louie, Louie'' compilation is actually a note-for-note re-recording (with backup vocals by doo wop revival group Big Daddy) created because licensing could not be obtained for Berry's 1957 version. The original version was included on a 1986 Swedish compilation, but not until the Ace Records '' Love That Louie'' release in 2002 did it see wide distribution. In the mid-1980s, Berry was living on

welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...

. Drinks company California Cooler wanted to use "Louie Louie" in a commercial, but discovered it needed Berry's consent because despite having sold the publishing rights, he still owned the radio and television performance rights. The company asked the

Artists Rights Society Artists Rights Society (ARS) is a copyright, licensing, and monitoring organization for visual artists in the United States. Founded in 1987, ARS is a member of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers and as such repre ...

to locate him which led to Berry's taking legal action to regain his rights to the song. The settlement made Berry a millionaire. While the title of the song is often rendered with a comma ("Louie, Louie"), in 1988, Berry told ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'' magazine that the correct title of the song was "Louie Louie" with no comma.

Cover versions

"Louie Louie" is the world's most recorded rock song, with published estimates ranging from over 1,600 to more than 2,000 "with ever more still being released and performed". 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.

Peter Doggett Peter Doggett (born 30 June 1957) is an English music journalist, author and magazine editor. He began his career in music journalism in 1980, when he joined the London-based magazine '' Record Collector''. He subsequently served as the editor ...

labeled it "almost impossible to play badly" and

asked, "Has there ever been a bad version of 'Louie Louie'?"

Paul Revere Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.)May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, military officer and industrialist who played a major role during the opening months of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, ...

summarized, "Three chords and the most mundane beat possible. Any idiot could learn it, and they all did." The Kingsmen version in particular has been cited as the "

Rosetta Stone The Rosetta Stone is a stele of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a Rosetta Stone decree, decree issued in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty of ancient Egypt, Egypt, on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts ...

" of garage rock, the defining "

ur-text Urtext (, from ''ur-'' "primordial" and ''text'' "text", ) may refer to: * Urtext (biblical studies), the text that is believed to precede both the Septuagint and the Masoretic text * Urtext edition An urtext edition (from German prefix wikt:u ...

" of punk rock, and "the original grunge classic". "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'." Pronunciation has varied widely from Berry's original "Lou-ee Lou-ee" to "Lou-ee Lou-eye" (Kingsmen, 1963), "Lou-ee Lou-eye-ay" (Angels, 1964), "Lou-eye Lou-way" (Sonics, 1966; Iggy Pop, 1972), "Lou-ee-a Lou-way" (Kinks, 1964; Motörhead, 1978), "Lou-way Lou-way" (Clarke/Duke Project, 1981), and others.

1950s

Richard Berry was on the underbill for a concert in the Seattle–Tacoma area in September 1957 and his record appeared on local radio station charts in November 1957 after "African American DJs Bob Summerrise and Eager Beaver started playing it on their radio shows”. Local R&B musicians Ron Holden and Dave Lewis popularized "Louie Louie", rearranging Berry's version and performing it at live shows and "battle of the bands" events. Holden recorded an unreleased version, backed by the Thunderbirds, for the Nite Owl label in 1959. As a leader of the "dirty but cool" Seattle R&B sound, he would often substitute mumbled, "somewhat pornographic" lyrics in "a live tour de force

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

often lasted ten minutes or longer, devastating local audiences." Lewis, "the singularly most significant figure on the Pacific Northwest's nascent rhythm & blues scene in the 1950s and 1960s", released a three chord clone, "David's Mood - Part 2", that was a regional hit in 1963.

The Wailers Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as the Wailers and prior to that the Wailing Rudeboys, the Wailing Wailers and the Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Rober ...

, Little Bill and the Bluenotes, the Frantics, Tiny Tony and the Statics, Merrilee and the Turnabouts, and other local groups soon added the song to their set lists.

1960s

Rockin' Robin Roberts and the Wailers (1961)

Robin Roberts developed an interest in rock 'n' roll and

records as a high school student in

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

. 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" after hearing Berry's obscure original single, and

Bobby Day Robert James Byrd (July 1, 1930 – July 27, 1990), known by the stage name Bobby Day, was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit record " Rockin' Robin", written by Leon René un ...

's " Rockin' Robin", which gave him his stage name. In 1959, Roberts left the Bluenotes and began singing with another local band,

the Wailers Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as the Wailers and prior to that the Wailing Rudeboys, the Wailing Wailers and the Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Rober ...

, famed for their "hard-nosed R&B/rock fusion". 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. The arrangement, devised by Roberts with the band, was "the first-ever garage version of 'Louie Louie'" and included "one of the true great moments of rock", his ad-libbed "Let's give it to 'em, RIGHT NOW!!" before the guitar solo. Released as a single on the band's own label, Etiquette, in early 1961, it became a huge hit locally, charting at No. 1 on Seattle's KJR and establishing "Louie Louie" as "''the'' signature riff of Northwest rock 'n' roll". It also picked up play across the border in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, appearing in the top 40 of the CFUN chart. The popularity of the Roberts release effectively buried another "reasonably close to the Richard Berry/Ron Holden arrangement" version put out at about the same time by Little Bill Englehardt (Topaz T-1305). The record was then reissued and promoted by

Liberty Records Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Alvin Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous rev ...

in Los Angeles, but it failed to chart nationally. The track was included on the 1963 album ''The Wailers & Co'', the 1964 compilation album ''Tall Cool One'', the 1998 reissue of the 1962 album ''The Fabulous Wailers Live at the Castle'', and multiple later compilations. Roberts was killed in an automobile accident in 1967, but his "legacy would reverberate down through the ages". 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."

The Kingsmen (1963)

On 6 April 1963,

, a rock and roll group from

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, chose "Louie Louie" for their second recording. The session took place at Northwestern Inc. Motion Pictures & Recording Studios at 411 SW 13th Avenue in Portland. The one hour session, originally intended to produce an audition tape for a summer cruise ship gig, cost either $36, $50, or somewhere in between, and the band split the cost. The session was produced by Ken Chase, a local disc jockey on the AM rock station KISN who also owned The Chase, the teen nightclub where the Kingsmen were the house band. The engineer for the session was the studio owner, Robert Lindahl. The Kingsmen's lead vocalist, Jack Ely, based his version on the recording by Rockin' Robin Roberts with the Fabulous Wailers, but unintentionally reintroduced Berry's original

stop-time In tap dance, tap dancing, jazz, and blues, stop-time is an accompaniment pattern interrupting, or stopping, the meter (music), normal time and featuring regular accent (music), accented attacks on the first beat (music), beat of each or ever ...

rhythm as he showed the other members how to play it with a 1–2–3, 1–2, 1–2–3 beat instead of the 1–2–3–4, 1–2, 1–2–3–4 beat on the Wailers record. The night before their recording session, the band played a 90-minute version of the song during a gig at a local teen club. The Kingsmen's studio version was recorded in one partial and one full take. They also recorded "

Jamaica Farewell "Jamaica Farewell" is a Jamaican-style folk song (mento). The lyrics for the song were written by Lord Burgess ( Irving Burgie), an American-born, half- Barbadian songwriter. It is about the beauties of the West Indian Islands. Harry Belafont ...

" and what became the B-side of the release, an original "surf instrumental" by Ely and keyboardist Don Gallucci called "Haunted Castle". The Kingsmen's version with its "ragged", "sloppy", "chaotic", "shambolic, lumbering style", complete with "manic lead guitar solo, insane cymbal crashes, generally slurred and unintelligible lyrics", transformed the earlier Rockin' Robin Roberts version on which it was based into a "bumbling, bear-in-a-china-shop", "gloriously incoherent", "raw and raucous" "stomping garage-rocker" "so wrong it's right". Ely had to stand on tiptoe to sing into a boom mike, and his braces further impeded his "sinew-stretching", "giraffe-neck gabble" singing. The result was a "raw and unsanitized, unmanaged and unscrubbed" effort that the group hated but manager Ken Chase loved. Jerry Dennon's local Jerden label was contracted to press 1,000 vinyl 45s. The guitar break is triggered by a shout, "Okay, let's give it to 'em right now!", both lifted from the Roberts version. Critic

suggests it is this moment that gives the recording greatness:

'' lywent for it so avidly you'd have thought he'd spotted the jugular of a lifelong enemy, so crudely that, at that instant, Ely sounds like Donald Duck on helium. And it's that faintly ridiculous air that makes the Kingsmen's record the classic that it is ....''

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running ...

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

, whose "passion for music was ignited by the Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie'", termed it a "totem of magic", and recalled that "the lead singer's lyvoice had the air of a boy smoking a cigarette with one hand while banging a tambourine in the other, an insolent distance to his delivery, a vision of being at once boss and bored." Marsh ranked the song as No. 11 out of the 1001 greatest singles ever made, describing it as "the most profound and sublime expression of rock and roll's ability to create something from nothing".

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

in Britain noted that it reinforced "a growing suspicion that enthusiasm was more important to rock 'n' roll than technical competence or literal meaning", and

Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp (band), Pulp, he became a reluctant figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Cocker h ...

added that "you can't tell a word of what the singer is singing and ''it doesn't matter''". Music producer and historian

Alec Palao Alejandro "Alec" Palao (born 1962) is a British musician, music historian, writer, and reissue producer. In addition to his musical output with groups like the Sting-rays, the Sneetches (band), the Sneetches, and Mushroom (band), Mushroom, his wo ...

wrote,

''This is truly the quintessential garage band moment, an audio-vérité snapshot that communicates directly what red-blooded grass roots American rock 'n' roll is all about ... the Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" spills forth with a rush of teenage hormones: raw, untutored, yet seemingly ready to take on the world.''

Albin J. Zak in ''The Poetics of Rock'' commented,

''What makes the Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" a good record? Neither lyrics nor melodic design, harmonic motion, rhythmic groove, or instrumental arrangement — all of which can be represented in some fashion apart from the record (though the lyrics would be at best an approximation) — hold the key to the answer. The record's power is in its sound, which represents multiple elements, processes, and voices — song, arrangement, sounds, techniques of sound recording and processing, musical performances, and all the particular ephemeral nuances that attend the moment of inscription. What is, from a certain perspective, mind-numbingly simple is in fact a complex network of phenomenal elements that we perceive as a whole.''

A significant error on the Kingsmen version occurred just after the lead guitar break. As the group was going by the Wailers version, which had a restatement of the riff twice over before the lead vocalist came back in, it would be expected that Ely would do the same. Ely, however, missed his mark, coming in too soon before the second restatement of the riff. He realized his mistake and stopped the verse short, but the band did not realize that he had done so. As a quick fix, drummer Lynn Easton covered the pause with a

drum fill In popular music, a fill is a short musical passage, riff, or rhythmic sound which helps to sustain the listener's attention during a break between the phrases of a melody. "The terms riff and fill are sometimes used interchangeably by musicians, ...

. The error "imbued the Kingsmen recording with a touching humility and humanity" and is now so well known that multiple versions by other groups duplicate it. First released in May 1963, the single was initially issued by the small Jerden label, before being picked up by the larger

Wand Records Wand Records was an American independent record label, started by Florence Greenberg in 1961 as a subsidiary of Scepter Records. Artists on Wand Records included The Isley Brothers, The Kingsmen, Mel Wynn & the Rhythm Aces, Chuck Jackson, and th ...

in October 1963. Wand president

Florence Greenberg Florence Greenberg (September 16, 1913 – November 2, 1995) was an American record label owner, music executive, and record producer. She was the founder and owner of Tiara Records, Scepter Records, Hob Records, and Wand Records. She is best k ...

said, "... it was forced down my throat by friends. I was ashamed to put it out."

Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, conductor, painter, sculptor and theatre producer, who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (sometimes called "Herb Alpe ...

and

A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...

passed on the distribution opportunity, deeming it "too long" and "out of tune". Sales of the Kingsmen record were initially so low (reportedly 600) that the group considered disbanding. Things changed when Boston's biggest DJ,

Arnie Ginsburg Arnold William Ginsburg (August 5, 1926 – June 26, 2020), known as Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg, was an American disc jockey in the Boston radio market from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. Following this period, he became involved in the business si ...

, was given the record by a pitchman. Amused by its slapdash sound, he played it on his program as "The Worst Record of the Week". Despite the slam, listener response was swift and positive. By the end of October, it was listed in ''Billboard'' as a regional breakout and a "bubbling under" entry for the national chart. Meanwhile, the Raiders version, with far stronger promotion, was becoming a hit in California and was also listed as "bubbling under" one week after the Kingsmen debuted on the chart. 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 Columbia Records is an American reco ...

had stopped promoting the Raiders version. It entered the top ten on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for December 7, and peaked at No. 2 the following week, a spot which it held for six non-consecutive weeks; it would remain in the top 10 throughout December 1963 and January 1964 before dropping off in early February. In total, the Kingsmen's version spent 16 weeks on the Hot 100, selling a million copies by April 1964.

The Singing Nun Jeanne-Paule Marie "Jeannine" Deckers (17 October 1933 – 29 March 1985), better known as and often called The Singing Nun in English-speaking countries, was a Catholic Church in Belgium, Belgian Catholic singer-songwriter and former member ...

's " Dominique" and

Bobby Vinton Stanley Robert Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American singer and actor, who hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid tribute to his Polish heritage. One ...

's "

There! I've Said It Again "There! I've Said It Again" is a popular song written and published by Redd Evans and David Mann in 1941. In early 1945, Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra released Victor 20-1637, which reached the number one position on the Billboard's Natio ...

" prevented the single from reaching No. 1 (although Marsh asserts that it "far outsold" the other records, but was denied ''Billboard's'' top spot due to lack of "proper decorum".) "Louie Louie" did reach No. 1 on the ''

'' and '' Music Vendor/Record World'' pop charts, as well as No. 1 on the ''Cash Box'' R&B chart. In

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

it was No. 1 for three weeks beginning December 30, 1963. It was the last No. 1 on ''Cash Box'' before

Beatlemania Beatlemania was the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles from 1963 to 1966. The group's popularity grew in the United Kingdom in late 1963, propelled by the singles " Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and " She Loves Yo ...

hit the United States with "

I Want to Hold Your Hand "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock music, rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Recorded on 17 October 1963 and released on 29 November 1963 in the United Kingdom, it was the first Beatles recor ...

". The Kingsmen version quickly became a standard at teen parties in the U.S. during the 1960s and, reaching No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart, was the preferred tune for a popular British dance called " The Shake". The first album, '' The Kingsmen in Person'', peaked at No. 20 in 1964 and remained on the charts for over two years (131 weeks total) until 1966. Due to the lyrics controversy and supported by the band's heavy touring schedule, the single continued to sell throughout 1965 and, after being reissued in 1966 as "Louie Louie 64-65-66", briefly reappeared on the charts, reaching No. 65 in ''Cash Box'', No. 76 in ''Record World'', No. 97 in ''Billboard'' and cracking the Top 40 in the Washington market. Total sales estimates for the single range from 10 million to over 12 million with cover versions accounting for another 300 million. Another factor in the success of the record may have been the rumour that the vocals were intentionally slurred by the Kingsmen to cover up lyrics that were allegedly laced with profanity, graphically depicting sex between the sailor and his lady. Crumpled pieces of paper professing to be "the real lyrics" to "Louie Louie" circulated among teens. The song was banned on many radio stations and in many places in the United States, including Indiana, where a ban was requested by Governor Matthew Welsh. These actions were taken despite the fact that practically no one could distinguish the actual lyrics. Denials of chicanery by Kingsmen and Ely did not stop the controversy. The FBI started a 31-month investigation into the matter and concluded they were "unable to interpret any of the wording in the record." However, drummer Lynn Easton later admitted that he yelled "Fuck" after fumbling a drum fill at 0:54 on the record. By the time the Kingsmen version had achieved national popularity, the band had split. Two rival editions—one featuring lead singer Jack Ely, the other with Lynn Easton who held the rights to the band's name—were competing for live audiences across the country. A settlement was reached later in 1964 giving Easton the right to the Kingsmen name but requiring all future pressings of the original version of "Louie Louie" to display "Lead vocal by Jack Ely" on the label. Ely released "Love That Louie" (as Jack E. Lee and the Squires) in 1964 and "Louie Louie '66" and " Louie Go Home" (as Jack Ely and the Courtmen) in 1966 without chart success. He re-recorded "Louie Louie" in 1976 and again in 1980, and these versions appear on multiple 60s hit compilations credited to "Jack Ely (formerly of the Kingsmen)" or "re-recordings by the original artists". Subsequent Kingsmen "Louie Louie" versions with either Lynn Easton or Dick Peterson as lead vocalist appeared on ''Live & Unreleased'' (recorded 1963, released 1992), ''Live at the Castle'' (recorded 1964, released 2011), ''Shindig! Presents Frat Party'' (VHS, recorded 1965, released 1991), ''60s Dance Party'' (1982), ''California Cooler Presents Cooler Hits'' (recorded 1986, released 1987), ''The Louie Louie Collection'' (as the Mystery Band, 1994), ''Red, White & Rock'' (2002), ''Garage Sale'' (recorded 2002, released 2003), and ''My Music: '60s Pop, Rock & Soul'' (DVD, 2011). A solo version by Peterson was also included on the 1999 ''Circle of Friends, Volume 1'' CD. On 9 November 1998, after a protracted lawsuit that lasted five years and cost $1.3 million, the Kingsmen were awarded ownership of all their recordings released on

from

Gusto Records Gusto Records is a Nashville, Tennessee-based record company that specializes in reissuing and licensing recordings. The catalogues that Gusto owns include King Records (except for recordings by James Brown), Starday, Scepter (except for rec ...

, including "Louie Louie". They had not been paid royalties on the songs since the 1960s. When Jack Ely died on April 28, 2015, his son reported that "my father would say, 'We were initially just going to record the song as an instrumental, and at the last minute I decided I'd sing it. When it came time to do that, however, Ely discovered the sound engineer had raised the studio's only microphone several feet above his head. Then he placed Ely in the middle of his fellow musicians, all in an effort to create a better "live feel" for the recording. 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. When Mike Mitchell died on April 16, 2021, he was the only remaining member of the Kingsmen's original lineup who still performed with the band. His "Louie Louie" guitar break has been called "iconic", "blistering", and "one of the most famous guitar solos of all time". ''

Guitar Player ''Guitar Player'' was an American magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francis ...

'' magazine noted, "Raw, lightning-fast, and loud, the solo's unbridled energy helped make the song a No. 2 pop hit, but also helped set the template for garage-rock – and later hard-rock – guitar." Citing it as “the only piece of pop music I can remember from my youth”, British writer

Peter Ackroyd Peter Ackroyd (born 5 October 1949) is an English biographer, novelist and critic with a specialist interest in the history and culture of London. For his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of, among others, William ...

selected the Kingsmen's "Louie Louie", along with works by

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...

, and

Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

as music selections on the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

show, ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...

''. British newspaper ''

'' in 2015 declared it the "party anthem of the universe". ''

Paste Magazine ''Paste'' is an American monthly music and entertainment digital magazine, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with studios in Atlanta and Manhattan, and owned by Paste Media Group. The magazine began as a website in 1998. It ran as a print publi ...

'' in 2018 said, "There is no other song as essential to the garage rock genre … and no one else made it nearly as notable as The Kingsmen did."

=Certifications

Paul Revere & the Raiders (1963)

Shortly after the Kingsmen,

Paul Revere & the Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for including Revolu ...

recorded a "cleaner, more accomplished" "soulful version" of "Louie Louie" in the same Portland studio. Sources concur that the Kingsmen session was first, but differ on the Raiders recording date. Personnel included

Mark Lindsay Mark Lindsay (born March 9, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders. Early life Lindsay was born in Eugene, Oregon, and was the second of eight children of George and Esther Ell ...

(sax, vocals), Steve West (guitar), and Mike Smith (drums) with Paul Revere subbing on bass. The recording was paid for and produced by KISN radio personality Roger Hart, who soon became personal manager for the band. Released on Hart's Sandē label and plugged on his radio show, their version was more successful locally.

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

issued the single nationally in June 1963 and it went to No. 1 in the West and Hawaii, but only reached No. 103 on the ''Billboard''

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart. The quick success of "Louie Louie" faltered, however, due to lack of support from Columbia and its A&R man

Mitch Miller Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...

, a former bandleader (''

Sing Along With Mitch ''Sing Along with Mitch'' was a music television show, led by choral director Mitch Miller, that ran from 1961 to 1964. Each episode consisted of Miller's male chorus singing old, familiar standards, along with famous songs from movies and Broad ...

'') with "retrogressive taste" who disliked the "musical illiteracy" of rock and roll. The Raiders version opened with Lindsay's saxophone intro followed by Smitty's exhortation to "Grab yo woman, it's-a 'Louie Louie' time!". Another signature phrase was "Stomp and shout and work it on out". Lyrically, only the first verse was used with Lindsay improvising the remaining vocals. The original version also contains a scarcely audible "dirty lyric" when Lindsay says, "Do she fuck? That psyches me up!" behind the guitar solo. Robert Lindahl, president and chief engineer of NWI and sound engineer on both the Kingsmen and Raiders recordings, stated that the Raiders version was not known for "garbled lyrics" or an amateurish recording technique, but, as one author noted, their "more competent but uptight take on the song" was less exciting than the Kingsmen's version. Live versions were included on '' Here They Come!'' (1965), ''Paul Revere Rides Again!'' (1983), ''The Last Madman of Rock and Roll'' (1986, DVD), and ''Mojo Workout!'' (2000). 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). The Raiders also recorded Richard Berry's "

Have Love, Will Travel "Have Love, Will Travel" is a 1959 song written and recorded by Richard Berry. While the song may have been recorded before the end of 1959, the correct release date appears to be January, 1960. The title is based on a popular television/radi ...

", a "'Louie Louie' rewrite", and "

Louie, Go Home "Louie, Go Home" is a song written by Paul Revere and Mark Lindsay as a sequel after Richard Berry declined their request for a follow-up to "Louie Louie". It was recorded by Paul Revere and the Raiders in 1963 and released in March 1964. The gr ...

", an

answer song An answer song, response song or answer record is a song (usually a recorded track) made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s to the 1950s. Answer son ...

penned by Lindsay and Revere after Berry declined their request to write a "Louie Louie" follow-up, as well as " Just Like Me", a "first cousin to 'Louie Louie'".

The Beach Boys (1964)

Surf music Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...

icons

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

released their version on the 1964 album ''

Shut Down Volume 2 ''Shut Down Volume 2'' is the fifth album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 2, 1964 on Capitol Records. Produced by Brian Wilson, it is the follow-up to the band's '' Little Deuce Coupe'', released the previous October, a ...

'' with lead vocals shared by

Carl Wilson Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Dennis Wilson, ...

and

Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the vocalists of the Beach Boys, of which he was an original member alongside his cousins Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson and their frien ...

. Their effort was unusual in that it was rendered "in a version so faithful to Berry's Angeleno-revered original" instead of the more common garage rock style as they "

aid In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. Th ...

tribute to the two most important earlier recordings of 'Louie Louie' — the 1957 original by Richard Berry and the Pharaohs, and the infamously unintelligible 1963 cover by the Kingsmen". Other surf music versions included the Chan-Dells in 1963, the Pyramids and

the Surfaris The Surfaris are an American surf music band formed in Glendora, California, in 1962. They are best known for two songs that hit the record chart, charts in the Los Angeles area, and nationally by May 1963: "Surfer Joe" and "Wipe Out (instrume ...

in 1964,

the Trashmen The Trashmen were an American rock band formed in Minneapolis in 1962 and are best known for their biggest hit, 1963's " Surfin' Bird", which reached No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The original line-up of the group featured guitarists Ton ...

, the Invictas, and

Jan and Dean Jan and Dean were an American rock music, rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf m ...

in 1965, the Challengers in 1966, the Ripp Tides in 1981, and the Shockwaves in 1988.

Otis Redding (1964)

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

's "spunky ... free-associating", "rich soul take" version was released on his 1964 album ''

Pain in My Heart Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with ...

''. Dave Marsh called it "the best of the era" and noted that he "rearranged it to suit his style" by adding a full horn section and "garble the lyrics so completely that it seems likely he made up the verses on the spot" as he "sang a story that made sense in his life" (including making Louie a female). Other versions by R&B artists included Bobby Jay and the Hawks in 1964,

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...

the Tams The Tams are an United States, American list of vocal groups, vocal group from Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, who enjoyed their greatest record chart, chart success in the 1960s, but continued to chart in the 1970s, and the 1980s. Two ...

, and Nat & John in 1968,

Wilbert Harrison Wilbert Huntington Harrison (January 5, 1929 – October 26, 1994) was an American rhythm and blues singer, pianist, guitarist and harmonica player. Biography Harrison was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He had a Hot 100 number-one hits o ...

in 1969, the Topics in 1970, and

Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...

in 1981.

The Angels (1964)

With a version on their 1964 album ''A Halo to You'', the Angels were the first

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...

to cover "Louie Louie". Their "unlikely stab at hefrat rock staple" was also one of the first to deliberately duplicate the Jack Ely early vocal re-entry mistake after the bridge. ''The Best of Louie Louie, Volume 2'' included their rendition. 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). Female solo artist versions in the 1960s included Italian singer Maddalena in 1967 as a single titled "Lui Lui",

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...

in 1968 (released in 1988 on ''Ike & Tina Turner's Greatest Hits, Volume 2)'', and

Julie London Julie London (born Julie Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch song, torch singer noted for her contralto voice, London recorded over thirty album ...

on her 1969 album ''

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy "Yummy Yummy Yummy" is a song by Arthur Resnick and Joey Levine, first recorded by Ohio Express in 1968. Their version reached No. 4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart in June and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. It has since been covered by many arti ...

''.

The Kinks (1964)

The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...

recorded "Louie Louie" on October 18, 1964. It was released in November 1964 in the UK on the ''

Kinksize Session ''Kinksize Session'' is the first EP released by the Kinks in the UK in 1964, just under two months after their debut LP, ''Kinks''. The tracks were all exclusive to this release and it includes some original compositions. Recording Despite th ...

'' EP, reaching No. 1 on the ''

Record Retailer ''Record Retailer'' was the only music trade newspaper for the UK record industry. It was founded in August 1959 as a monthly newspaper covering both labels and dealers. Its founding editor was Roy Parker (who died on 27 December 1964). The ti ...

'' EP chart. It was also released in 1965 on two US-only albums, ''

Kinks-Size ''Kinks-Size'' is a studio album by the English rock band the Kinks. Released in the United States and Canada in March1965, it was their second album issued on Reprise Records. It peaked at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' album chart in the thi ...

'' and '' Kinkdom'', and on a French album, ''A Well Respected Man''. Live 1960s versions were released on bootlegs ''The Kinks in Germany'' (1965), ''Kinky Paris'' (1965), ''Live in San Francisco'' (1969), ''Kriminal Kinks'' (1972), and ''The Kinks at the BBC'' (2012). The Kinks version re-entered the charts in 2015, reaching No. 19 on the UK singles chart based on sales, downloads and streaming.

The Kast Off Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and ...

continue to perform it live, occasionally joined by original Kinks members. Sources vary on the impact of "Louie Louie" on the writing of "

You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies and released as their third single in 1964. The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead B ...

" and "

All Day and All of the Night "All Day and All of the Night" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from 1964. Released as a single, it reached No. 2 in the UK on the ''Record Retailer'' chart and No. 7 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1965. The song was incl ...

". One writer called the two songs "sparse representations of a 'Louie Louie' mentality", while another succinctly called the former "a rewrite of the Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie'". A 1965 letter to London's

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

opined, "Besides completely copying the Kingsmen's vocal and instrumental style, The Kinks rose to fame with two watery twists of this classic...." An opposing opinion was voiced by a different author who noted that the "You Really Got Me" riff is "unquestionably a guitar-based piece,

fundamentally differs from "Louie Louie" and other earlier riff pieces with which it sometimes is compared". Dave Marsh asserted that the Kinks "blatantly based their best early hits" on the "Louie Louie" riff. Other sources stated that Davies wrote "You Really Got Me" while trying to work out the chords of "Louie Louie" at the suggestion of the group's manager,

Larry Page Lawrence Edward Page (born March 26, 1973) is an American businessman, computer engineer and computer scientist best known for co-founding Google with Sergey Brin. Page was chief executive officer of Google from 1997 until August 2001 when ...

. According to biographer Thomas M. Kitts, Davies confirmed that Page suggested that "he write a song like 'Louie Louie'", but denied any direct influence. Biographer Johnny Rogan noted no "Louie Louie" influence, writing that Davies adapted an earlier piano riff to the jazz blues style of

Mose Allison Mose John Allison Jr. (November 11, 1927 – November 15, 2016) was an American jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. He became notable for playing a unique mix of blues and modern jazz, both singing and playing piano. After moving to N ...

, and that he was further influenced by seeing

and

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing t ...

in ''

Jazz on a Summer's Day ''Jazz on a Summer's Day'' is a 1959 concert film set at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island (which took place from July 3 to July 6 of 1958). The film was directed by Aram Avakian who also edited the film. and was principal ...

'', a 1958 film about the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

. Rogan also cited brother Dave Davies' distorted power chords as "the sonic contribution that transformed the composition" into a hit song. Whether directly or indirectly, the Kingsmen version influenced the musical style of the early Kinks. They were huge fans of the Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" and Dave Davies remembered the song inspiring Ray's singing, saying in an interview:

''We played that record over and over. And Ray copied a lot of his vocal style from that guy ack Ely I was always trying to get Ray to sing, because I thought he had a great voice, but he was very shy. Then we heard The Kingsmen and he had that lazy, throwaway, laid-back drawl in his voice, and it was magic.''

in the ''Love That Louie'' CD liner notes highlighted Davies' "supremely lecherous, almost drunken vocal" and suggested that "Davies drew from 'Louie' the urchin persona that populated so much of the Kinks' early work".

The Sandpipers (1966)

After their No. 1 hit "

Guantanamera "" (; ) is a Cuban patriotic song, which uses a poem from the collection ''Simple Verses'', by the Cuban poet José Martí, for the lyrics. It is an expression of love for Cuba and of solidarity with the poor people of the world. The official ...

the Sandpipers The Sandpipers were an American easy listening trio who carved a niche in 1960s folk rock with their vocals and innovative arrangements of international ballads and pop standards. They are best remembered for their cover version of "Guantaname ...

, with producer

Tommy LiPuma Tommy LiPuma (July 5, 1936 – March 13, 2017) was an American music producer. His productions received 33 Grammy nominations and sold over 75 million albums. His six individual nominations resulted in five Grammy wins. LiPuma worked with many mus ...

and arranger Nick DeCaro, "cleverly revived" the same

soft rock Soft rock (also known as light rock or mellow rock) is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in the United States and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, mel ...

, smooth ballad, Spanish language approach with a "quiet, yet majestic", "sweet interpretation" of "Louie Louie", reaching No. 30 and No. 35 on the Billboard and Cashbox charts, respectively (the highest charting U.S. version after the Kingsmen). The success of their "smoky version" heralded the entry of the ever adaptable "Louie Louie" into the MOR and

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...

categories and many followed:

David McCallum David Keith McCallum (19 September 1933 – 25 September 2023) was a Scottish actor and musician, based in the United States. He gained wide recognition in the 1960s for playing secret agent Illya Kuryakin in the television series '' The Man fr ...

and J.J. Jones (1967), Honey Ltd. (1968),

(1969),

Sounds Orchestral Sounds Orchestral was a British studio-based easy listening group, assembled by John Schroeder with Johnny Pearson in 1964. Career John Schroeder had worked with Johnny Pearson previously at Oriole Records, producing Johnny Pearson's first s ...

(1970),

Line Renaud Line Renaud (born Jacqueline Ente on 2 July 1928) is a French singer, actress and AIDS activist. In her 80 year career, she has appeared in 86 films and TV films, released 25 albums and 114 singles. She has also appeared in 12 plays and written ...

(1973), Dave Stewart and

Barbara Gaskin Barbara Gaskin (born 5 June 1950) is an English singer formerly associated with the UK Canterbury scene. Gaskin was lead vocalist in British folk-prog band Spirogyra (1969–1974). From 1973 to 1976, she sang backing vocals with Dave Stewart ...

(1991), and others released singles and albums featuring slower and mellower versions of what had previously been an up tempo pop and rock standard.

Travis Wammack (1966)

With the only instrumental version to make the charts,

Travis Wammack Travis Wammack (born November 1944 in Walnut, Mississippi, United States) is an American rock and roll guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee. Described as an "instrumental genius" and "a precursor to guitar-hero shredding", he is known for his "magn ...

reached No. 128 on the

in April 1966. An early guitar innovator and "precursor to guitar-hero shredding", his distinctive sound on "Louie Louie" was "liberally laced with fuzztone" created by playing through an overdriven drive-in movie speaker. Released as a single (Atlantic 2322), the track was not included on Wammack's first album in 1972 or any thereafter. It appeared on a 1967 French release (''Formidable Rhythm And Blues (Vol. 3)''), but not again until two Wammack compilations, ''That Scratchy Guitar From Memphis'' (1987) and ''Scr-Scr-Scratchy!'' (1989). It was also included on two later various artists compilations, ''Love That Louie: The Louie Louie Files'' (2002) and ''Boom Boom A Go-Go!'' (2014). Other notable 1960s instrumental versions included

the Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...

Ian Whitcomb Ian Timothy Whitcomb (10 July 1941 – 19 April 2020) was an English entertainer, singer-songwriter, record producer, writer, broadcaster and actor. As part of the British Invasion, his hit song " You Turn Me On" reached number 8 on the ''B ...

, and

Sandy Nelson Sander Lloyd Nelson (December 1, 1938 – February 14, 2022) was an American drummer. Nelson, one of the best-known rock and modern jazz drummers of the late 1950s and early 1960s, had several solo instrumental Top 40 hits and released over 30 ...

in 1965,

Ace Cannon John Henry "Ace" Cannon (May 5, 1934 – December 6, 2018) was an American tenor and alto saxophonist. He played and toured with Hi Records stablemate Bill Black's Combo, and started a solo career with his record "Tuff" in 1961, using the Blac ...

and

Pete Fountain Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr. (July 3, 1930 – August 6, 2016), known professionally as Pete Fountain, was an American jazz clarinetist. Early life and education LaFontaine was born to Pierre, Sr. and Madeline, in a small Creole cottage-style fr ...

in 1966,

Floyd Cramer Floyd Cramer (October 27, 1933 – December 31, 1997) was an American pianist who became famous for his use of melodic "whole-step" attacks. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His signatur ...

in 1967, and Willie Mitchell in 1969.

The Sonics (1966)

The Sonics The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on Punk rock, punk and Garage rock, garage music worldwide, and they have been named inspir ...

released their "blistering makeover ... definitive punk arrangement" as a 1965 single (Etiquette ET-23) and on the 1966 album '' Boom''. Later versions appeared on ''Sinderella'' (1980) and ''Live at Easy Street'' (2016). Described as a major influence on punk and garage music worldwide, the group's characteristic hard-edged, fuzz-drenched sound and "abrasive, all-out approach" "took the Northwest garage sound to its most primitive extreme" and made their "Louie Louie" version ahead of its time. They also made it more "fierce and threatening" by altering the traditional 1-4-5-4 chord pattern to the "darker, more sinister" 1-3b-4-3b.

Mongo Santamaria (1966)

Cuban percussionist and bandleader

Mongo Santamaria Mongo may refer to: Geography Africa * Mongo, Chad, a Sahel city * Apostolic Vicariate of Mongo, Chad, a Roman Catholic missionary jurisdiction * Mongo Department, Gabon * Mongo, Sierra Leone, a chiefdom * Mongo River (Little Scarces River) ...

's version, a "cousin of ' Watermelon Man'", returned "Louie Louie" to its Afro-Cuban roots, echoing Rene Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha" with his

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...

- and trumpet-driven Latin jazz version. Originally released on the 1966 album ''Hey! Let's Party'', it was also included on the 1983 compilation ''The Best of Louie Louie, Volume 2''. Other early Latin-flavored versions were released by Pedrito Ramirez con los Yogis (Angelo 518, 1965), Pete Terrace (''El Nuevo Pete Terrace'', 1966),

Eddie Cano Edward Cano (June 6, 1927 – January 30, 1988) was an Afro-Cuban jazz and Latin jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cano was born in Los Angeles on June 6, 1927. His mother was Mexican-American, and his father, a bass guitarist, was Mexican. C ...

(''Brought Back Live from P.J.'s'', 1967), Mario Allison (''De Fiesta'', 1967), and Rey Davila (''On His Own'', 1971). Latin American jazz/rock innovator

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...

compared

Tito Puente Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, timbalero, and record producer. He composed dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz music. He was also k ...

's 1962 "

Oye Como Va Oye is Spanish for "hey" or "listen". Oye or Oye! or OYE may refer to: Geography *Oye, Ekiti, a town and LGA in Ekiti State. *Oye-Plage, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France *Oyes, a commune in Marne, France People *Kenneth A. Oye, an American pol ...

" to "Louie Louie" saying, "... how close the feel was to 'Louie Louie' and some Latin jazz tunes" and "... this is a song like 'Louie Louie' or 'Guantanamera'. This is a song that when you play it, people are going to get up and dance, and that's it."

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention (1967)

"Louie Louie" occurred repeatedly as an " idée fixe" in the musical lexicon of

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

in the 1960s with the Soul Giants and

the Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as the Mothers) were an American rock music, rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an ...

. He categorized the riff as one of several "Archetypal American Musical Icons ...

hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube or pipe designed to carry fluids from one location to another, often from a faucet or hydrant. Early hoses were made of leather, although modern hoses are typically made of rubber, canvas, and helically wound w ...

presence in an arrangement puts a spin on any lyric in their vicinity" and used it initially "to make fun of the old-fashioned rock 'n' roll they had transcended". Although he characterized the Kingsmen version as a "mutilation" and an "''Animal House'' joke", he had a higher opinion of Richard Berry, calling him "one of the most important figures in the West Coast rhythm-and-blues scene of the Fifties" and saying, "No one may not underestimate the impact of 'Louie Louie', the original Richard Berry version." His original compositions "

Plastic People "Plastic People" is the first track of the Mothers of Invention's 1967 album '' Absolutely Free''. A live version from 1969 is featured on '' You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1'', released in 1988, as Track 1 on disc 2, along with a "Louie ...

" and "Ruthie-Ruthie" (from

You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 ''You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1'' is a double disc live album by Frank Zappa released in 1988 (see 1988 in music) on the Rykodisc label. It was the first of a series of six double CDs of live performances spanning Zappa's career. ...

) were set to the melody of "Louie Louie" and included "Music by Richard Berry" credits. Zappa said that he fired guitarist

Alice Stuart Alice Stuart (June 15, 1942 – July 31, 2023) was an American blues and folk music, folk singer-songwriter and guitarist. She toured the UK with Van Morrison and throughout the United States with Mississippi John Hurt. Her singing, songwriti ...

from the Mothers of Invention because she couldn't play "Louie Louie", although this comment was obviously intended as a joke. At a 1967 concert at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

in London, Mothers of Invention keyboardist

Don Preston Donald Ward Preston (born September 21, 1932) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist. He is best known for being a member of the original version of Frank Zappa's band The Mothers of Invention during the late 1960s. He continued to work with Z ...

climbed up to the venue's famous

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...

, usually used for classical works, and played the signature riff (included on the 1969 album ''

Uncle Meat ''Uncle Meat'' is the sixth album by the Mothers of Invention, and seventh overall by Frank Zappa, released as a double album in 1969. ''Uncle Meat'' was originally developed as a part of ''No Commercial Potential'', a project which spawned thre ...

''). Quick interpolations of "Louie Louie" also frequently turn up in other Zappa works.

Other 1960s versions

*Little Bill with the Adventurers and the Shalimars, on a 1961 single (Topaz T-1305). * The Jordan Brothers, live in 1963. *

Terry Kath Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist and singer who is best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played lead guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singl ...

, on a 1963 demo with his first group, The Mystics. * The Swamp Rats, on a 1964 single (St. Clair MF69). Also released on their 1979 album ''Disco Sucks''. * The Pyramids, on their 1964 album ''The Pyramids Play The Original Penetration!'' *

The Standells The Standells are an American garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as a "punk band of the 1960s", and are said to have inspired such groups as the Sex Pistols and ...

, on a 1964 album ''The Standells in Person at P.J.s.'' *

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock a ...

, "pumping chords all the way through" as a session player on ''The Top-40 Song Book'', a 1964 singalong album by arranger H. B. Barnum and producer

David Axelrod David M. Axelrod (born February 22, 1955) is an American political consultant and analyst. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best known for being the chief strategist to Barack Obama during his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. In ...

. *

The Sentinals The Sentinals were a surf rock band from San Luis Obispo, California (1961–1965). The band is notable for a Latino influence in some works, such as "Latin'ia" (1962). Notable band members included Tommy Nuñes, drummer John Barbata (later of ...

, on their 1964 album ''Vegas Go Go''. *

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was the leader of the Pat Metheny Group (1977–2010) and continues to work in various small-combo, duet, and solo settings, as well as other side pr ...

, in the 1960s with his first group, The Beat Bombs. *

John Fogerty John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty, he founded the swamp rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), for which he was th ...

, live in 1964 with the

Golliwogs The golliwog, also spelled golliwogg or shortened to golly, is a doll-like character, created by cartoonist and author Florence Kate Upton, which appeared in children's books in the late 19th century, usually depicted as a type of rag doll. I ...

Allen Collins Larkin Allen Collins Jr. (July 19, 1952 – January 23, 1990) was an American guitarist, and one of the founding members of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He co-wrote many of the band's songs with frontman and original lead singer Ronni ...

, with his first group, The Mods, in 1964 *

The Bobby Fuller Four The Bobby Fuller Four (sometimes stylized as Bobby Fuller 4) was a popular mid-1960s American rock & roll band started by Bobby Fuller. First formed in 1962 in Fuller's hometown of El Paso, Texas, the group went on to produce some of its most ...

, recorded 1964, released on a French bootleg LP ''I Fought The Law'' in 1983 and on ''El Paso Rock: Early Recordings, Vol. 1'' in 1996. *

, live on their 1965 ''Command Performance'' album backed by the Fantastic Baggys; considered by some the "best track on the album". *

Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, h ...

, with his group The Strangeurs in 1965. *A

Millbrook School Millbrook School is a private, coeducational preparatory boarding school located in Stanford, New York, United States. History Millbrook School was founded in 1931 by Edward Pulling. Pulling was a graduate of both Princeton University ...

1965 single featuring the Moongazers with "new singing sensation" Gino Wertz. *

, an instrumental version on his 1965 album ''Boss Beat''; also included on the 2005 compilation ''Sandy Nelson's Big Sixties Beat Party''. *

Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway", a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl", and " Whenever You're on My Mind". He is ...

, with his first group in Detroit in the mid-1960s. * The Invictas, on their 1965 album ''The Invictas À Go-Go''; re-released in 1983. * The Pink Finks (Australia), on a 1965 charting single (Mojo MO-001) with Ross Wilson singing "whatever sounded right to him". * The Outcasts (New York), recorded 1960s, released in 1987 on ''The Battle Of The Bands Live!'' *

The Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...

, an instrumental version on their 1965 album '' The Ventures a Go-Go''. *

, an instrumental piano version on a 1965 single (

Tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

216). * The Castaways, live in 1965 at the

Cow Palace The Cow Palace (originally the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena and events center located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through t ...

. *

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...

's first vocal performance on stage was "Louie Louie" in 1965 with Rick and the Ravens (with

Ray Manzarek Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. ( Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the rock band the Doors, co-founding the group in 1965 with fellow UCLA School of Theater, Film and Te ...

) at the Turkey Joint West in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, and the newly formed

Doors A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide secu ...

initially used it as their opening number. *

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...

, in 1965 with his first group, Money. He described "Louie Louie" as "a song that changed my life" and said, "You hear it for the first time, you don't understand the words or what the song is about, but you never forget it." *

Don and the Goodtimes Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, Gu ...

, backing Jim "Harpo" Valley on the 1966 album ''Harpo: Jim Valley with Don and the Goodtimes''. The "extended raunch fest" that combined "elements of both the Raiders' and Kingsmen's arrangements" was also included on the various artists albums ''The Hitmakers'' (1966), ''Northwest Battle of the Bands, Volume 2'' (2001), and ''Love That Louie'' (2002). * Jack Ely and the Courtmen, on a 1966 single (Bang B-520) as "Louie Louie '66"; a version that "ploughs the same basic furrow as the original" with "a slightly harsher edge." *

The Troggs The Troggs (originally called the Troglodytes) are an English beat music band formed in Andover, Hampshire, in May 1964. Their most famous songs include the US chart-topper " Wild Thing", " With a Girl Like You" and " Love Is All Around", al ...

, on their 1966 UK album '' From Nowhere''. Their 1966 hit single " Wild Thing" used the same chord progression as "fundamentally a 'Louie Louie' rewrite". James Marshall of

Spin Magazine ''Spin'' (stylized in all caps as ''SPIN'') is an American music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr. Now owned by Next Management Partners, the magazine is an online publication since it stopped issuing a print edition in 2012. ...

said of the Troggs, "All you need to make a great rock 'n' roll record are the chords to 'Louie Louie' and a bad attitude." A rerecorded version was released on the 2013 album ''This Is The Troggs''. * The Challengers, on their 1966 album ''California Kicks''. *

Psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...

versions by

the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (WCPAEB) was an American psychedelic rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. The group created music that possessed an eerie, and at times sinister atmosphere, and contained material that ...

in 1966 on their debut album ''

Volume One Volume One, Volume 1, Volume I or Vol. 1 may refer to: Albums * ''Volume One'' (The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band album), 1966 * ''Volume One'' (Sleep album) * ''Volume One'' (Fluff album) * ''Volume One'' (She & Him album), 2008 * ''Volum ...

'',

Friar Tuck Friar Tuck is one of the Merry Men, the band of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood. History The figure of the jovial friar was common in the May Games festivals of England and Scotland during the 15th to 17th centuries. He appears ...

on his 1967 album ''Friar Tuck and His Psychedelic Guitar'',

Neighb'rhood Childr'n The Neighb'rhood Childr'n were an American psychedelic pop/ rock band from San Francisco, California. The band was primarily active during the late 1960s. History The band started in 1963 in Phoenix, Oregon (a small city outside of Medford) a ...

on their 1997 album (recorded 1967) ''Long Years in Space'', and the Underground All-Stars on their 1968 album ''Extremely Heavy!''. *

The Beau Brummels The Beau Brummels were an American rock band. Formed in San Francisco in 1964, the band's original lineup included Sal Valentino (lead vocals), Ron Elliott (lead guitar), Ron Meagher (bass guitar), Declan Mulligan (rhythm guitar, bass, harm ...

, on a 1966 album

Beau Brummels '66 ''Beau Brummels '66'' is the third studio album by the American rock group the Beau Brummels, and their first on Warner Bros. Records. The album consists of twelve cover songs and no originals. Autumn Records, the band's previous label, had sold ...

and a second version on the 1968 compilation ''The Best of the Beau Brummels, Vol. 44''. *

, an instrumental saxophone version on his 1966 album ''Sweet & Tough''. *

, an instrumental clarinet version on his 1966 album ''I've Got You Under My Skin''; also included on the 1983 compilation ''The Best of Louie Louie, Volume 2''. *

The Swingin' Medallions The Swingin' Medallions are an American beach music group from Greenwood, South Carolina, best known for their 1966 hit single " Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)", which reached #17 in the Billboard charts. History Early years The band was forme ...

, on their 1966 album ''Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)''. *The Syndicate of Sound, a live version from 1966 released in 1991 by ''Cream Puff War'' magazine. *

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

, in an earlier incarnation as The Pink Floyd Sound, regularly performed psychedelic versions with "wild improvised interludes" and "echo-laced discordant jams" in the mid-1960s. However, after an October 1966 ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'' concert review criticized their "dated R&B things" and said "Psychedelic versions of 'Louie Louie' won't come off", the song was dropped from future setlists. *

and his Quintet, on his 1967 ''Brought Back Live from P.J.'s'' album. *

, an instrumental piano version on his 1967 album ''Here's What's Happening!'' *

, on his 1967 ''It's Happening Now!'' album; described by

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

as "exceptional as it builds slowly". *

The Robbs The Robbs were an American 1960s pop and rock band from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. They are best known for being the house band on Dick Clark's mid-1960s show '' Where The Action Is''. They are also known for placing the most singles on ''Billbo ...

, on a 1968 EP ''W'R-IT In Milwaukee Radio!'' *

The Tams The Tams are an United States, American list of vocal groups, vocal group from Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, who enjoyed their greatest record chart, chart success in the 1960s, but continued to chart in the 1970s, and the 1980s. Two ...

, on their 1968 album ''A Little More Soul''. *The Dick Crest Orchestra, on a 1968 album ''Would You Believe''. *

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, in a medley with "

Ode to Billie Joe "Ode to Billie Joe" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry released by Capitol Records in July 1967, and later used as the title track of her debut album. Five weeks after its release, the song topped '' Billboard's'' Pop sing ...

" on their 1968 album ''Music From "Lil Brown"''; described as "surprisingly ripe for lysergic interpretation." *

Ike and Tina Turner Ike or IKE may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ike (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Ike (surname), a list of people * Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of ...

recorded "a sultry, little known rendition" in 1968 sung from "his avaricious girlfriend's point of view" with "the forlorn sailor owning a yacht". Their "soul romp" version was released on ''Ike and Tina Turner's Greatest Hits, Volume 2'' in 1988 and also on ''The Best of Louie Louie, Volume Two'' in 1989. * Honey Ltd., on their eponymous 1968 album and as a single (LHI 1216). A "slow-tempo, brass and funk rendition ... replete with cries of "Sock it to me, Louie!", it was produced by

Jack Nitzsche Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche ( '; April 22, 1937 – August 25, 2000) was an American musician, arranger, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He came to prominence in the early 1960s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, a ...

and featured

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, and h ...

on guitar. One writer characterized it as "slow, vague, and really drawn out" and group member Joan Sliwin said, "I never understood ... why 'Louie, Louie'?" *

, on his 1969 album ''Let's Work Together'' and as a single (Juggernaut 70SUG405). Noted for "imparting his own personal stamp" and "unique vocal delivery" on his version. * Willie Mitchell, an instrumental trumpet version on his 1969 album ''On Top''. *

Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1965. One of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the San Francisco Bay Area, ...

and

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

(

Joey Covington Joseph Edward Covington (born Joseph Edward Michno; June 27, 1945 – June 4, 2013) was an American drummer, best known for his involvements with Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship. Early life Though best known for his work w ...

(vocals),

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician who was the lead guitarist and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 196 ...

Jorma Kaukonen Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen Jr. (; ; born December 23, 1940) is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist. Kaukonen performed with Jefferson Airplane, and still performs regularly on tour with Hot Tuna, which started as a side project with bassist ...

Gary Duncan Gary Duncan (born Eugene Duncan, Jr., adopted at birth and named Gary Ray Grubb, September 4, 1946 – June 29, 2019) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was guitarist with The Brogues, then most notably with Quicksilver M ...

Jack Casady John William Casady (born April 13, 1944) is an American bass guitarist, best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. Jefferson Airplane became the first successful exponent of the San Francisco Sound. Singles including " Som ...

Mike Shrieve Michael Shrieve (born July 6, 1949) is an American drummer, percussionist, and composer. He is best known as the drummer of the rock band Santana, playing on the band's first seven albums from 1969 to 1974. At age 20, Shrieve was the second youn ...

, others), live at the Family Dog at Great Highway, San Francisco on September 7, 1969. *

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

, from the The Beatles' recording sessions#Get Back album sessions, ''Get Back/Let It Be'' sessions in 1969; released on the 1995 ''Jamming With Heather'' bootleg CD. * A "sexiest-of-all version by smokey-voiced diva

" released as a 1969 single (Liberty Records, Liberty 56085) and included on her final album ''Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (album), Yummy, Yummy, Yummy'', which also featured other contemporary rock songs. *George Strait, in the late 1960s with his high school group, The Stoics. *Michael and the Messengers, The Messengers, on their eponymous 1969 album and a 1970 single, both on the Rare Earth Records, Rare Earth label.

1970s

Iggy Pop (1972)

Iggy Pop (then known as Jim Osterberg) began performing "Louie Louie", "a song nearly as old and unkillable as Iggy himself", "with his own version of the dirty lyrics" in 1965 as a member of the Iguanas (Michigan band), the Iguanas. Later with the Stooges and as a solo performer, he recorded multiple versions of the song, "turn[ing] the source material into something suitable for the modern age". As the "godfather of punk", he inspired a host of punk rock successors, including many with their own versions as the song became a "live staple for many punk-rock bands of the 1970s". A 1964 instrumental demo cut with Osterberg/Pop on drums was released on ''Jumpin' with the Iguanas'' (1995) and a London rehearsal version from 1972 was released on ''Heavy Liquid'' (2005) and again on ''Born in a Trailer'' (2016). A 1973 live version was released on ''The Detroit Tapes'' (2009). ''Metallic KO'' (1976) featured a provocative version with impromptu obscene lyrics from the last performance of Iggy and the Stooges in 1974 at the Michigan Palace in Detroit where, according to Lester Bangs, "you can actually hear hurled beer bottles breaking on guitar strings". ("55 Minute Louie-Louie", released in 2017 by Shave on their ''High Alert'' digital album, commemorated the occasion.) ''Consequence (publication), Consequence'' called this version "a rock standard blown up from the inside out" and said, "The band's cover of 'Louie Louie' somehow both honors their rock ‘n’ roll forebears and spits on their legacy. In other words, it's punk at its best." Pop later wrote a new version with political and satirical verses instead of obscenities that was released on ''American Caesar (album), American Caesar'' in 1993. 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." ''Far Out Magazine'' called it "the best version of the song out there". 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 video game Just Dance (video game)#Soundtrack, ''Just Dance'' also featured this version performed by a dancing Iggy Pop avatar (computing), avatar. Multiple live versions were released on ''Nuggets'' (recorded 1980, released 1999), ''Where The Faces Shine - Volume 2'' (recorded 1982, released 2008), ''The Legendary Breaking Point Tour'' (recorded 1983, released 1993), ''Kiss My Blood'' (1991, VHS), ''Beside You'' (1993), and ''Roadkill Rising'' (1994).

Toots and the Maytals (1972)

"Louie Louie" journeyed to its lyrical Jamaican destination with a "slow skanking" reggae version "as soulful as it gets" by Toots and the Maytals. A shorter version was released as a 1972 single in Jamaica (Jaguar J.49) and the U.K. (Trojan TR-7865) with a longer version included on the 1973 ''Funky Kingston'' album, described by rock critic Lester Bangs writing in ''Stereo Review'' as "Perfection, the most exciting and diversified set of reggae tunes by a single artist yet released". A BBC reviewer said, "The goofy garage anthem becomes both fiery sermon and dance-til-you-drop marathon. And, thanks to Toots’ soulman's disregard for verbal meaning, the words are, if anything, even harder to discern than in the Kingsmen's version." Rolling Stone wrote, "And it passes the toughest test of any 'Louie Louie' remake — it rocks hard" while ''Hi-Fi News & Record Review'' cited its "incomprehensible majesty" and "crazy vigour" that made it "the best version ever". 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] Shane Meadows, Meadows seeks to evoke ...." The group performed the "infectiously danceable rocksteady rendering" frequently in concert and a live version appeared on the 1998 various artists album ''Reggae Live Sessions Volume 2''. Toots Hibbert also performed it solo and with other acts until his death in 2020, most notably the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Dave Matthews Band.

"Brother Louie" (1973)

Although musically not a true cover version, "Brother Louie (Hot Chocolate song), Brother Louie", Errol Brown and Tony Wilson (musician), Tony Wilson's song about an interracial romance, was "strongly inspired by the Kingsmen's classic" and described by Dave Marsh as "one of the truest heirs Richard Berry's 'Louie Louie' ever had" based on its theme of separated lovers and its minor key reprise of the chorus. The original release by Hot Chocolate reached No. 7 on the UK singles chart. A cover version by Stories (band), Stories was a No. 1 hit in the U.S. later the same year. In 1993, the Quireboys' version reached No. 31 in the UK.

Patti Smith (1975)

Multiple live versions by Patti Smith, the "punk poet laureate", were released in the mid-1970s on bootleg albums ''Let's Deodorize The Night'', ''Teenage Perversity & Ships In The Night'', ''In Heat'', and ''Bicentenary Blues'', usually as a medley in which Lou Reed's "Pale Blue Eyes" would "sacrilegiously segue" into "Louie Louie". A 1975 live version at The Bottom Line (venue), The Bottom Line was described as "uptight" with her "raw voice barking out the chorus". Her version has also been described as tapping "directly into the primal, urchin-like spirit of rock's renaissance".

Jon the Postman (1977)

Described as "a committed and omnipresent figure on the punk and post-punk scene in Manchester", Jon the Postman became known for waiting until headline bands like the Buzzcocks, the Fall (band), the Fall, and Warsaw (band), Warsaw (later Joy Division) had finished their sets (sometimes before they had finished), then mounting the stage in a drunken state, grabbing the microphone, and performing his own versions of "Louie Louie".Ogg, Alex (2006) ''No More Heroes: A Complete History of UK Punk from 1976 to 1980'', Cherry Red Books, , pp. 310–311 The first occurrence was at a Buzzcocks concert at the Band on the Wall venue on May 2, 1977, which he described:

''I think the Buzzcocks left the stage and the microphone was there and a little voice must have been calling, 'This is your moment, Jon.' I've no idea to this day why I sang 'Louie Louie,' the ultimate garage anthem from the 60s. And why I did it ''a cappella'' and changed all the lyrics apart from the actual chorus, I have no idea. I suppose it was my bid for immortality, one of those great bolts of inspiration.''

''For some reason it appeared to go down rather well. I suppose it was taking the punk ethos to the extreme – anyone can have a go. Before punk it was like you had to have a double degree in music. It was a liberation for someone like me who was totally unmusical but wanted to have a go.''

A version of the song by The Fall with Jon on vocals appeared on the ''Live 1977'' album which was described by Stewart Home as taking "the amateurism of the Kingsmen to its logical conclusion with grossly incompetent musicianship and a drummer who seems to be experiencing extreme difficulty simply keeping time". A version with his group Puerile was included on the 1978 album ''John the Postman's Puerile''.

Motörhead (1978)

Motörhead's "charming, laid-back rendition of an old rock chestnut" originated as a "cheap one-take demo" produced by Alvin Lee. With support from manager Doug Smith, the track was rerecorded and shopped to Bronze Records. Founder Gerry Bron disliked the "incendiary, almost sullen rendition", labeling it "about the worst record I'd ever heard". Nevertheless, it was released as the group's second single, "purely as a favour" to promoter Neil Warnock, to coincide with an upcoming tour. A "rough-edged cover of the garage rock warhorse" with Eddie Clarke (musician), Clarke's guitar emulating the opening Hohner Pianet, electric piano riff, it was paired with "Tear Ya Down" on a 7" vinyl single. Supported by a "back-breaking" touring schedule, the "high-octane" version reached No. 68 on the UK Singles Chart. The track also appeared on the CD re-issues of ''Overkill (Motörhead album), Overkill'' (1996) and ''The Best Of (Motörhead album), The Best of Motörhead'' (2000). Lead singer Lemmy Kilmister said,

''I think we did a really good version of it – people tell me that it's one of the few times it's been recorded where the lyrics can be understood! Actually, I only got the first two verses and then the last verse was largely improvised.''

On 25 October 1978, a pre-recording of the band playing the song was broadcast on the BBC show ''Top of the Pops'', and was subsequently released on the 2005 album ''BBC Live & In-Session''. Another live 1978 version was released on ''Lock Up Your Daughters'' (1990) and a 1978 alternate studio track appeared on ''Over the Top: The Rarities'' (2000). The 2005 "deluxe edition" of ''Overkill'' included the original version, the BBC version, and two alternate versions.

''National Lampoon's Animal House'' (1978)

Bluto Blutarsky (John Belushi) performing "Louie Louie" in ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' forever cemented the song's status as a "frat rock" classic and a staple of Toga party, toga parties. Belushi may have insisted on singing "Louie Louie" because he associated it with losing his virginity, but, according to director John Landis, it was included in the screenplay by soundtrack producer Kenny Vance long before Belushi was involved with the project because "... it would be the song the Deltas would sing". In the film, the Deltas were clearly aping the Kingsmen version complete with slurred dirty lyrics, but the setting was 1962, a year before the Kingsmen recording. Although Richard Berry released his original version of the song in 1957, and the song had been popular with local bands in the Northwest following Rockin' Robin Roberts' 1961 single, the mythical Faber College was based on Dartmouth College in the Northeast U.S., so the use of "Louie Louie" was an anachronism. The Kingsmen version was heard during the film along with a brief live rendition by Belushi with Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst, Bruce McGill, and James Widdoes. A separate version by Belushi played during the credits and was included on the soundtrack album. The Belushi version was also released as a single (MCA 3046) and reached No. 89, No. 91, and No. 91 on the Billboard, Cashbox, and Record World charts, respectively. Another actor from the film, DeWayne Jessie as Otis Day of Otis Day and the Knights, included a version on the VHS release ''Otis My Man'' in 1987. 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.

Bruce Springsteen (1978)

Bruce Springsteen has had a long association with "Louie Louie", playing it at multiple concerts and guest appearances, and commenting often on its significance. From the 1979 ''No Nukes'' concert:

''Rock is primarily about longing. All the great rock songs are about longing. "Like A Rolling Stone" is about longing; 'How does it feel to be without a home?' — "Louie, Louie"! You're yearning for –'Where's that big party that I know is out there, but I can't find it'.''

From the 2018 soundtrack album for ''Springsteen on Broadway'' (spoken intro to "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"):

''There is no love without one plus one equaling three. It's the essential equation of art. It's the essential equation of rock 'n' roll. It's the reason the universe will never be fully comprehensible. It's the reason "Louie Louie" will never be fully comprehensible. And it's the reason true rock 'n' roll, and true rock 'n' roll bands, will never die.''

He has said that "Born in the U.S.A. (song), Born in the U.S.A." was "the most misunderstood song since 'Louie Louie'", and one critic characterized ''The River (Bruce Springsteen album), The River'' as "Less Kierkegaard, lots more Kingsmen". The first known recorded performance was on September 9, 1978, at the University of Notre Dame on the Darkness Tour, followed by other tour performances in 1978, 1981, 2009, and 2014. He also played the song in guest appearances with other groups in 1982 (at the Stone Pony with Cats on a Hot Surface) and 1983 (at The Headliner in Neptune, NJ with Midnight Thunder). Song "snippets" are frequently played within other songs: "High School Confidential (Jerry Lee Lewis song), High School Confidential", "Twist and Shout", "Glory Days (Bruce Springsteen song), Glory Days", and "Pay Me My Money Down". Multiple concert bootleg albums included a live "Louie Louie" version: ''Reggae 'N' Soul'' (1988), ''Notre Dame Game'' (1981), ''Rockin' Days'' (1983), ''Rock Through the Jungle'' (1983), ''Rock & Roll Is Here to Stay'' (1990), ''Clubs' Stories'' (1994), ''Songs for an Electric Mule'' (1994), ''Lost & Live'' (1995), ''The Boss Hits the Sixties'' (2009), ''Satisfaction'' (2014), ''Charlotte, NC 04/19/14'' (2014), ''Who's Been Covered by the Boss'' (2014), ''Saginaw 1978'' (2015), and ''High Hopes Tour 2014'' (2018). E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg played "Louie Louie" on his 2017 live ''Jukebox'' show, and guitarist Nils Lofgren credited some of his success to "I just happened to play 'Louie Louie' a little different than the other guys." Steven Van Zandt remembered it as the record that changed his life, saying, "That's where it all started." More recently, Springsteen included the Kingsmen's version in a curated "frat rock" playlist on the 25th episode of his ''From My Home to Yours'' Sirius XM radio show in July 2021 and again as an intro on the 30th episode in October 2023. In a 2024 interview on The Howard Stern Show, he described "Louie Louie" as "a great fucking song".

Other 1970s versions

, "by far the best of the numerous easy listening interpretations", in 1970 as a single (Janus Records, Janus 124) and on albums ''One More Time'' (US), ''Good Morning Starshine'' (UK), and ''Fantastic'' (France). *Allman Brothers Band, live at the 1970 Tulane University homecoming dance. *"John Lennon and Friends", at his 31st birthday party in 1971; released on the 1989 bootleg CD ''Let's Have A Party''. *MC5, included in early setlists and live in Helsinki in 1972; released on the ''Kick Copenhagen'' bootleg LP. *Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids as Herby and the Heartbeats in ''American Graffiti'' (1973 soundtrack album and 1984 home video release). *

, French singer, actress, and AIDS activist, as a 1973 single (MGM K14500); also included on the 2007 compilation ''100 Chansons''. *New York Dolls, live in the early 1970s; their song "Private World" has been termed a "Louie Louie" update. *Flamin' Groovies, on their 1971 album ''Teenage Head (Flamin' Groovies album), Teenage Head'' and included on their 1976 compilation ''Still Shakin. Live versions appeared on ''Bucketful of Brains'' (1983), ''Slow Death Live'' (France, 1983) and ''Studio '70'' (France, 1984). *Heavy Cruiser, a Canadian group led by Neil Merryweather and Lynn Carey, on a 1972 single and eponymous album. *Lyres (band), Lyres, recorded mid-1970s, released on their 1987 album ''Live at Cantones''. *Goddo, a "Kinks-styled version" on their initial 1975 single (A&M 398) that reached No. 75 on the Canadian RPM (magazine), RPM chart. *The Clash, on the 1977 ''Louie is a Punkrocker'' vinyl bootleg from the Sandinista! outtakes. One writer characterized it as "a raw and unusable jam". *The Dictators, live at Popeye's Spinach Factory in 1977. *Warsaw (later Joy Division), included in early setlists and live in Liverpool in 1977. *The Fall (band), The Fall, on the ''Live 1977'' album. *The Pop Group, in early 1977 setlists because it was "easy to play". *Spider Stacy and the New Bastards (later with The Pogues), live at Whitefields School in 1977. *The Studs, "punk-spoof supergroup" (Cabaret Voltaire (band), Cabaret Voltaire members Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk, and Chris Watson (musician), Chris Watson, plus Ian Craig Marsh, Adi Newton, Glenn Gregory, Martyn Ware, and Haydn Boyes Weston, Haydn Boyes-Weston), live in Sheffield, UK in June 1977. *Lou Reed, live at the Bottom Line (venue), the Bottom Line May 21, 1978. *Blondie (band), Blondie, live on the European Tour (December 1979-January 1980); released on the 1979 ''Wet Lips, Shapely Hips'' bootleg album.

1980s

Black Flag (1981)

The Hermosa Beach, California, hardcore punk band Black Flag (band), Black Flag released a "raw", "rubbished", "brilliant, demented" version of "Louie Louie" as a single in 1981 on Posh Boy Records. It was the band's first release with Dez Cadena as singer, replacing Ron Reyes. Cadena would go on to sing on the ''Six Pack (EP), Six Pack'' EP before switching to rhythm guitar and being replaced on vocals by Henry Rollins. Bryan Carroll of AllMusic gave the single four out of five stars, saying, "Of the more than 1,500 commitments of Richard Berry's 'Louie Louie' to wax ... Black Flag's volatile take on the song is incomparable. No strangers to controversy themselves, the band pummel the song with their trademark pre-Henry Rollins era guitar sludge, while singer Dez Cadena spits out his nihilistic rewording of the most misunderstood lyrics in rock history."

''You know the pain that's in my heart
It just shows I'm not very smart
Who needs love when you've got a gun?
Who needs love to have any fun?''

The single also included an early version of "Damaged I", which would be re-recorded with Rollins for the band's debut album, ''Damaged (Black Flag album), Damaged'', later that year. Demo versions of both tracks, recorded with Cadena, were included on the 1982 compilation album ''Everything Went Black''. 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. Both tracks from the single were included on the 1983 compilation album ''The First Four Years (album), The First Four Years'', and "Louie Louie" was also included on 1987's ''Wasted...Again''. A live version of "Louie Louie", recorded by the band's 1985 lineup, was released on ''Who's Got the 10½?'', with Rollins improvising his own lyrics. Continued touring, line-up changes, and occasional reunions resulted in multiple recorded live versions with List of Black Flag band members#Singers, various lead singers Keith Morris, Ron Reyes, Dez Cadena, Henry Rollins, and Mike Vallely.

Stanley Clarke and George Duke (1981)

A duo of "Jazz fusion, jazz rock fusioneers", bassist Stanley Clarke and keyboardist George Duke, included a "killer version" "funk cover" on ''The Clarke/Duke Project'', a 1981 album of eight original compositions and one cover. The song's combination of narration and singing within a storytelling structure elicited a variety of reactions ranging from "appealing" and "imaginative adaptation" to "probably the funkiest version of 'Louie Louie' ever recorded". One Allmusic reviewer called it "a truly bizarre rendition" while another lamented that the Clarke/Duke version "criminally, never made it onto any of the various artists collections that showcased the legendary Richard Berry tune" (but it was included on ''The Best of Louie Louie, Volume 2''). A single was also released in Europe (cut to 3:38 from the album's 5:05 length). The album was nominated for a 1982 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Barry White (1981)

Disco king

created Richard Berry's "all-time favorite" version as he "reworked and revamped" the original to create a "Latin-tinged" rendition that "took the song from pure rock 'n' roll to pure moan 'n' groan". Not all reaction was positive, however, as CD Review dismissed it as "blasphemy" and "disco-fied". White commented,

''I'm gonna sing just like Richard Berry. I'm gonna do this song that this black guy wrote. Everybody thinks that these white guys recorded it, but a black guy did this.''

Dave Marsh summarized Berry's reaction,

''In White's arrangement, "Louie Louie" emerges as an up-tempo Latin groove, driven by timbales and congas and punctuated by brilliant trumpet riffs, while White supplements the chorus with the plaintive interpolation "Comin' home, Jamaaaica!" Richard Berry loved it because White's version finally brought to life his original vision of "all the timbales and congas going, and me singing 'Louie Louie'." "Barry White did it exactly the way I wanted to do it," Berry enthused, "I loved it."''

In the ''Beware!'' liner notes, White wrote,

''I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize and give an acknowledgement of credit. The song "Louie Louie" was originally written and created by a man who, I feel, was one of the true pioneers of my time. All my respect, highest admiration and love goes to Mr. Richard Berry.''

The track was released on White's 1981 ''Beware! (Barry White album), Beware!'' album, and also as 12" and a 7" single (shortened from 7:14 to 3:35). White also performed it on ''Soul Train'' on September 19, 1981, and on ''American Bandstand'' on August 8, 1981.

The Fat Boys (1988)

The Fat Boys with producers Latin Rascals brought "Louie Louie" up to date in 1988 with a hip hop music, hip hop version which reached No. 89 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and No. 46 on the UK Singles Chart, UK Top 100. Their rap, with rewritten lyrics, "chronicled a pursuit of the song's real words". Dave Marsh in 1993 called their version "the last great 'Louie Louie' to date". The Fat Boys version was released on the ''Coming Back Hard Again'' album on the Tin Pan Apple label, and also on a 12" single (5:42 and 3:50 edits) and a 7" single (3:50 edit). The 2009 compilation album ''Fat Boys On Rewind'' included it as well. Notable live performances in 1988 included Club MTV and the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards#Performances, MTV Video Music Awards. The music video, directed by Scott Kalvert, was a parody of National Lampoon's Animal House, Animal House with food fights, dancing girls, and togas.

Other 1980s versions

*The

, multiple live versions in the 1980s with Brent Mydland on vocals. *Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, on the 1992 CD reissue of the 1981 album ''I Love Rock 'n Roll (album), I Love Rock 'n Roll''; one of multiple versions that deliberately repeated the Jack Ely early vocal entry mistake. Joan Jett said of producer Neil Bogart's insistence that she record "Louie Louie", "This was a song that I did not want to do .... All that stuff at the beginning of the song is me trying to ensure that the song would suck. Didn't work. I thought it came out well." *Half Japanese, on their 1981 album ''Our Solar System''. Described by Robert Christgau as "lots to laugh at". *Charlie Harper (singer), Charlie Harper, on his 1981 album ''Stolen Property''. *Magazine 60 (France), on their eponymous 1981 album. *:de:39 Clocks, 39 Clocks (Germany), recorded as "Psychotic Louie Louie", on their 1982 album ''Subnarcotic''. *Moe Tucker, on her 1982 album ''Playin' Possum''. *Yo La Tengo, on an unreleased 1982 studio recording. *Johnny Thunders, on his 1982 album ''In Cold Blood (Johnny Thunders album), In Cold Blood''. A second version was released on the 2008 ''Who's Been Talking?'' compilation. *Rory Gallagher, live at the Olympia (Paris), Olympia Hall Paris in 1982; released on the 2022 album ''A Burning Fever''. *The Last (band), The Last, on the 1983 various artists album ''The Best of Louie Louie'', also released on ''Painting Smiles on a Dead Man'' (France, 1983). *Flo & Eddie, on the 1983 album ''The History of Flo & Eddie & the Turtles''; also live in 1980s concerts as the Turtles. *Australian Crawl, on their 1983 album ''Phalanx (album), Phalanx'' and as a single; another version was included on the 1986 album ''The Final Wave'' as "(The Last) Louie Louie". *Pavlov's Dog (band), David Surkamp on a 1984 single (Butt Records MGLS003). *Television Personalities, live in Germany in 1984; included on the 1993 reissue of their 1985 album ''Television Personalities discography#Live, Chocolate-Art''. *Royal Crescent Mob, live in 1985 in Louisville, KY; a 45-minute version as "Louisville Louisville". *Howard Stern (vocals, piano) and

(guitar), live on The Howard Stern Show in 1985. The show was rebroadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006 and the track was included on the ''Under The Covers'' compilation album in 2019. *The Bangles, in 1985 on MTV's The Cutting Edge (TV series), The Cutting Edge with comment, "Does anybody know the words?" *Kevin Dunn (musician), Kevin Dunn, on his 1985 album ''Tanzfeld''. Described as "disjointed and slightly dissonant" and "wickedly satirical", his version was also released on the 2010 anthology ''No Great Lost: Songs, 1979–1985''. Robert Christgau's album review characterized his rewritten "Louie Louie" lyrics as "inspirational verse". *Bob Dylan and Tom Petty during rehearsals for Farm Aid 1985; released on the 2005 DVD ''So Many Directions Home Vol.2''. Live versions by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were released on ''Live in Edinburgh 1982, Live at the Fillmore 1997'', and other albums. *The Kingsmen, in an audience performance at the end of Bud Clark's Inaugural Ball beginning his term as Mayor of Portland, Oregon in 1985. *Girl Trouble (band), Girl Trouble, on the 1990 album ''Stomp And Shout And Work It On Out !!!!'' (recorded 1985). *R.E.M., in multiple 1985 concert encores on the List of R.E.M. concert tours#1985, Pre-Construction and Reconstruction tours. A 1984 concert version was released on a 1987 Italian promotional double LP, ''The Pop Dream''. *The Sisters of Mercy, on the 1985 bootleg ''Brimstone & Treacle'' EP. Various live versions appeared on bootleg albums ''Possession'', ''Half Moon Over Amsterdam'', ''The Lights Shine Clear Through The Sodium Haze'', ''A Fire In The Hull'', ''At The Blind Parade'', ''Cryptic Flowers'', ''Live In Maastricht'', ''Tune In... Turn Off... Burn Out...'', and ''The Quality Of Mercy''. *The Cult, on the 1986 ''The Cult discography#EPs, Lil' Devil'' EP as "Wild Thing/Louie Louie (Live)". *Hüsker Dü, Meat Puppets, Minutemen (band), Minutemen, Saccharine Trust, and SWA (band), SWA, on the 1986 VHS release ''The Tour''. *Meat Loaf, in multiple concerts in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK on the 20/20 World Tour in 1987. *Jimmy Buffett, live in 1987 at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. *ShowBiz Pizza debuted an animatronic version by Rock-afire Explosion in December 1987. *The Stranglers#Post-Cornwell era (1990s), The Purple Helmets (The Stranglers), on their 1988 album ''Ride Again'' and in multiple 1988 and 1989 live shows. *Tiger Moon (band), Tiger Moon, three mixes on a 1988 12" single (Vision Records VR 1205). *Paul Shaffer, on the 1989 album ''Coast to Coast''. *Deniz Tek, on his 1989 album ''Orphan Tracks''. *John Stamos with Scott Baio and cast members, on Full House S3E9 (November 24, 1989). *Young and Restless (hip hop band), Young & Restless, on their 1990 album ''Something to Get You Hyped''.

1990s

''Coupe de Ville'' (1990)

Written by Mike Binder and directed by Joe Roth, ''Coupe de Ville (film), Coupe de Ville'' featured an extended scene discussing possible interpretations of the "Louie Louie" lyrics and a closing credit montage of multiple "Louie Louie" versions. Hearing the Kingsmen version on a car radio sparks an extended debate among the three Libner brothers (Patrick Dempsey, Arye Gross, Daniel Stern (actor), Daniel Stern) about the lyrics and whether it is a "hump song", a "dance song", or a "sea chanty" with the eldest and most worldly brother arguing for the last interpretation. As the Los Angeles Times noted, "Joe Roth obviously knows the importance of the "Louie Louie" lyric controversy". Multiple versions played during the closing credits: Richard Berry, the Rice University Marching Owl Band,

, Les Dantz and his Orchestra, the Kingsmen, and Young MC's "Louie Louie House Mix" (a remix of the Kingsmen version with samples from Richard Berry and the Rice University MOB). The movie trailer also used the Richard Berry and Kingsmen versions. The soundtrack album, released by Cypress Records on vinyl, CD and cassette, included the Kingsmen and Young MC versions. A 12" EP (Cypress Records V-74500) was released with four tracks: "Louie Rap", "Louie Vocal Attack", "Louie Louie House Mix", and "Louie DePalma Mix" (all "featuring Maestro Fresh Wes" and "produced by Young MC"). A music video of "Louie Louie House Mix", credited to "Various Artists (featuring Young MC)", was concurrently released and included appearances by Robert Townsend (actor), Robert Townsend ("It's a hump song!"), Kareem Abdul Jabbar ("It's a dance song!"), Martin Short, Young MC, and others. The inclusion of the Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" is a bit of an anachronism in that the film takes place on a trip from Detroit to Florida during the summer of 1963. The initial release of the Kingsmen version on the regional Jerden label was in May 1963, but no significant national radio airplay and chart activity (or lyrics controversy) occurred until October and its national chart debut was not until early November.

The Three Amigos (1999)

The first release by The Three Amigos (band), the Three Amigos (Dylan Amlot, Milroy Nadarajah, and Marc Williams) was their multi-version cover of "Louie Louie". The 12" EP, titled ''Louie Louie'', included "Original Mix", "Da Digglar Mix", "The Wiseguys, Wiseguys Remix", and "Theo Keating, Touché's Bonus Beats". The CD tracks were different: "Louie Louie (Original Radio Mix)", "We Rock", and "Louie Louie Wiseguys Remix". Released in July 1999 as a CD single, "Original Mix" featured heavy sampling of the Kingsmen intro and chorus. It reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart (higher than the Kingsmen's No. 26 in 1964), leading to a February 7, 1999 appearance on Top of the Pops.

Other 1990s versions

*Johnny Winter, on the 1990 album ''A Lone Star Kind of Day''. *Guru Josh, on his 1990 acid house album ''Infinity (Guru Josh album), Infinity'' that reached No. 41 on the UK chart. But "when critics spotted a cover of "Louie Louie" on his debut album, the game was definitely up". *

, live in 1990 at a Village Music function with Richard Berry, Tim Drummond, Scott Mathews, Steve Douglas (musician), Steve Douglas, and Johnnie Johnson (musician), Johnnie Johnson. *Eric Burdon, live in 1990 at a Ventura Beach concert; Burdon also included the Kingsmen's version in his curated list of 13 tracks as host of Rolling Stone's ''Guest D. J.'' program #105 on March 26, 1984. * Dave Stewart and

, on their 1991 album ''Dave Stewart (musician, born 1950)#Albums with Barbara Gaskin, Spin'' as a medley with "Cast Your Fate to the Wind". * The Dave Matthews Band, in some of their early 1990s setlists. A version was included on the 2000 album ''The Best Of What's Around Vol. 1''. *John Stamos and David Coulier, on Full House S7E3 (September 28, 1993) with Dylan & Blake Tuomy-Wilhoit. *Queers (band), The Queers, on a bonus 7" record included with the 1994 ''Shout at the Queers'' album. *Neil Diamond, live at the 1995 NYU commencement ceremony. *At the 1997 opening of the Experience Music Project, an encore version was performed by the Kingsmen joined by Paul Allen, The Presidents of the United States of America (band), the Presidents of the United States of America, and Steve Turner (guitarist), Steve Turner of Mudhoney. The other members of Mudhoney declined to participate, calling it "kind of lame". *Warren Zevon, live with the Rock Bottom Remainders in Bangor, Maine in 1998. Horror author Stephen King sang lead, and music critic Joel Selvin performed an extended "scream solo".

2000s

*The Guess Who, at their 2000 reunion concert in Winnipeg. The early group was known for their "most wondrous" "Louie Louie" medley imitating the Kingsmen, Kinks, Beach Boys, and Raiders. Burton Cummings regularly performs live versions at his concerts. *Chuck E. Cheese featured a cartoon version by Munch's Make Believe Band in its pizza parlor shows in 2001. *Al Copley, a "fresh arrangement" on his 2003 album ''Jump On It''. *Steve Jordan (accordionist), Steve Jordan, released an innovative, "blatantly personal" Tejano music, Tejano conjunto version on his 2005 album ''25 Golden Hits''. *Mike Huckabee and Capitol Offense, live at HuckPAC 2008. *Lisa Simpson and the Springfield Children's Band, on the 2005 episode of ''The Simpsons'' (Episode 367: "We're on the Road to D'ohwhere"). *Joe McPhee, Cato Salsa Experience, and The Thing (jazz band), The Thing, on the 2007 album ''Two Bands And A Legend''. *Los Straitjackets, Eddie Angel and Johnny Rabb with The Trashmen, live at the Turf Club in St. Paul, MN on November 22, 2008. *The Hives, live with

November 27, 2009 at Debaser Medis, Stockholm, Sweden. *The Smashing Pumpkins, on their 2008 ''Live Smashing Pumpkins'' album series. *:ja:山口美代子, Detroit7 (Japan), on two 2009 albums, ''Detroit7'' and ''Black & White''. *James Williamson (musician), James Williamson with Careless Hearts, on their eponymous 2009 album.

2010s

, live on the 2011 Happy Together: 25th Anniversary Tour. *Baby It's You!, a 2011 Broadway jukebox musical, featured a production of "Louie Louie" by cast members as the Kingsmen, the Shirelles and Chuck Jackson (not included on original cast soundtrack album). *Shellie Morris and Ross Wilson, on the 2013 ''Rockwiz Duets Volume IV'' album; reviewed as "corny", "mid-tempo tripe". *Dick Dale, live at The Middle East (nightclub), The Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge in 2014. *The Most (Swedish band), The Most (Sweden), on their 2015 album ''Invasion Completed''; a "fabulously executed" cover. *Billy Joel, live at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, Portland on December 8, 2017.

2020s

*The September 2021 issue of ''

'' magazine published a revised list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time that ranked "Louie Louie" No. 156, down from No. 55 and No. 54 in the 2004 and 2010 rankings, respectively. *My Morning Jacket, with Karina Rykman at the 2024 Rose on the River festival in Chicago. *Bill Orcutt, on his 2024 album ''The Four Louies''; a synthesis of "Louie Louie" and Steve Reich's ''Four Organs'' that "seamlessly melds these audio landmarks" and "provides a whiff of what made them revolutionary in the first place". *Jack White, Patrick Keeler, Dominic Davis, and Bobby Emmett live at Boston's Roadrunner (venue), Roadrunner in February 2025. *The Limiñanas (France), a "chic reimagining" on their 2025 album ''Faded''. *The Lemonheads, a "barely recognizable version" live at The Gov in Adelaide in 2025.

Summary of charting versions

Singles

;Table notes

EPs

;Table notes

Albums

Not listed: *Motörhead — ''Overkill (Motörhead album), Overkill'' (UK #24); version included on the 1996 CD reissue but not on the original 1979 release. *Joan Jett & the Blackhearts — ''I Love Rock 'n Roll (album), I Love Rock 'n Roll'' (US #2, UK #25); version included on the 1992 CD reissue but not on the original 1981 release. ;Table notes

"Louie Louie" compilations

*In 1983 Rhino Entertainment, Rhino Records released ''The Best of Louie, Louie: The Greatest Renditions of Rock's #1 All Time Song'' in conjunction with KFJC's "Maximum Louie Louie" event. The album featured a re-recorded Richard Berry version, influential versions by Rockin' Robin Roberts, the The Sonics, Sonics and the The Kingsmen, Kingsmen, Black Flag (band), Black Flag's version, and several other versions, some bizarre. These included an "outlandish" performance by the Rice University Marching Owl Band, an a cappella "Hallalouie Chorus", in which the song's title was sung to the melody of George Frideric Handel, Handel's "Messiah (Handel), Hallelujah Chorus", and a David Bowie imitation by Les Dantz and his Orchestra. Reissued on CD in 1988 by Rhino. Re-released in 2023 in Japan by Oldays as ''The Best of Louie Louie & More'' with 15 additional tracks. *''The Best of Louie Louie, Volume 2'' followed in 1989 with versions by Paul Revere and the Raiders,

, the Kinks,

, the Shockwaves, and others. *In 1994 Jerden Records released ''The Louie Louie Collection by the Best of the Northwest'', a Pacific Northwest-oriented compilation featuring versions by the The Kingsmen, Kingsmen, Paul Revere and the Raiders,

, Little Bill & the Adventurers, the Feelies,

, the University of Washington Husky Marching Band, and others. (The UW Husky Marching Band has been playing "Louie Louie" for over 40 years.) *In 1997 ''The First Louie Louie Spanish Compilation'' was released by Louie Records featuring 11 versions by the The Flaming Sideburns, Flaming Sideburns, the Navahodads, :es:Los DelTonos, Luxury Liner, and others. *In 2002 Ace Records released ''Love That Louie: The Louie Louie Files'', a comprehensive overview of the origins, impact and legacy of "the cultural phenomenon known as 'Louie Louie'." Featuring detailed sleeve notes by

, the CD contained 24 tracks divided into eight sections titled "The Original Louie", "Inspirational Louie", "Northwest Louie", "Louie As A Way Of Life", "Transatlantic Louie", "Louie: The Rewrite", "Louie: The Sequel" and "Louie Goes Home". The first CD reissue of Richard Berry's original version was included along with multiple historically important versions. *A 2024 compilation, ''Hunger Is Violence'', featured 14 "diverse reinterpretations" of "Louie Louie" by some of Ireland's "most singular experimental and avant-garde talents" with proceeds benefiting the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. The liner notes by Kevin Barry (writer), Kevin Barry spotlighted "the song that invented viral" with its "single propulsive riff from deep in the vaults of time".

Foreign language versions

Shortly after the Kingsmen's version charted in late 1963, the first international covers appeared. Since the original lyrics were notoriously difficult to discern, the translations were often inaccurate or adapted to a different storyline. Early foreign language versions included: *Los Apson (Mexico), as "Ya No Lo Hagas", on a 1963 single (Peerless 1263) and a 1964 album ''Atrás De La Raya'' *Joske Harry's and the King Creoles (Belgium), on a 1963 single (Arsa 107) *Les Players (France), as "Si C'Etait Elle", on a 1964 single (Polydor 1879) and a 1964 EP (Polydor 27 129) *Los Supersónicos (El Salvador), on a 1965 single (DCA 1082) and eponymous album *Pedrito Ramirez con Los Yogis (US), on a 1965 single (Angelo 518) *I Trappers (Italy), as "Lui Lui Non Ha", on a 1965 single (CGD 9606) *Los Corbs (Spain), as "Loui Loui", on a 1966 EP (Marfer M.622) *Les Zèniths (Canada), on a 1966 single (Première 825) *Maddalena (Italy), as "Lui Lui" on a 1967 single (RCA Italiana 3413) *Los Yetis (Colombia), on a 1968 album ''Olvidate'' In 1966

, a US group, released a slower tempo Spanish language version that reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was covered that same year in German by :de:Rosy-Singers, Die Rosy-Singers. The 1983 compilation ''The Best of Louie, Louie'' featured a "goofy" Russian version by Red Square, and in 1997 an entire album of Spanish covers, ''The First Louie Louie Spanish Compilation'', was released with versions by the Flaming Sideburns, the Navahodads, :es:Los DelTonos, Los DelTonos, and eight others. Other Spanish versions were released by Los Hermanos Carrion (Mexico), as "Alu, Aluai" on a 1971 album ''Lagrimas de Cristal Que Manera de Perder'', :es:Los Elegantes, Los Elegantes (Spain), as "Luisa Se Va" on a 1985 album ''Paso A Paso'', and :es:Desperados, Desperados (Spain), on a 1997 album ''Por Un Puñado De Temas''. In 1988, Michael Doucet released a "great vocal treatment" of "Louie Louie" in Cajun French on the ''Michael Doucet and Cajun Brew'' album. ''CD Review'' characterized his version as "oddly appropriate". More recent non-English efforts included: *:sr:Електрични оргазам, Elektricni Orgazam (Serbia), as "Lui Lui", on a 1986 album '':sr:Дисторзија (албум), Distorzija'' *:it:Irha, Irha (Italy), as "Lui Luisa", on a 1989 EP ''Beati I Primi'' (Attack Punk Records - APR 12) *:fi:Eläkeläiset (yhtye), Eläkeläiset (Finland), as "Tilulilulei", on a 1994 album '':fi:Joulumanteli, Joulumanteli'' *:fr:The Dizzy Brains, The Dizzy Brains (Madagascar), as "Hiala Aho Zao", on a 2014 album ''Môla Kely'' *Dynasis (Greece), as "Loui Loui" on a 2019 digital single

Answer songs, sequels, and tributes

"Louie Louie" has spawned a number of answer songs, sequels, and tributes from the 1960s to the present: *" Louie Go Home", 1964,

(Columbia Records, Columbia 4-43008); also recorded in 1964 by Davie Jones & The King Bees (David Bowie) as "Louie Louie Go Home" and by The Who in 1965 as "Lubie (Come Back Home)". *"Love That Louie", 1964, Jack Ely, Jack E. Lee & The Squires (RCA Records, RCA 54-8452); a "brazen attempt to approximate the idiosyncrasies of its predecessor." *"Louie Come Home", 1965, The Epics (Zen 202) *"Louie Come Back", 1965, The Legends (''Shout! Northwest Killers Volume 2'', Norton Records, Norton NW 907) *"Louise Louise", 1966, H.B. & The Checkmates (Lavender R1936); "a raucous re-write." *"Louie Go Home", 1966, The Campus Kingsmen (Impalla V 1481); different song from the Raiders version *"Louie Louie's Comin' Back", 1967, The Pantels (Rich RR-120) *"Louie Louie Louie", 1989, Henry Lee Summer (''I've Got Everything'', CBS ZK 45124) *"Louie Louie Got Married", 1994, Carrie Brownstein#Other work, The Tentacles (K Records IPU XCIV) *"Louie", 1994, by Uzi (band), Phil Milstein on the RRRecords ''America The Beautiful'' experimental album; a "smog cloud" tribute collage of dozens of earlier versions. *"Louie Louie (Where Did She Roam)", 1996, Thee Headcoats (Sympathy for the Record Industry, SFTRI 335) *"The Louie Louie Variations", 1996, an "intriguingly titled", "alternative classical" composition by Phillip Bimstein, Phillip Kent Bimstein, performed by the Modern Mandolin Quartet, on his ''Garland Hirschi's Cows'' album. Bimstein described the work as "a lively fantasy based on the archetypical I-IV-V chord progression ...

sends a small fragment on a deconstructive mission through a contemporary classical landscape." *"The Ballad of the Kingsmen", 2004, Todd Snider (''East Nashville Skyline'', Oh Boy Records OBR-031); commentary on the tendency of the "religious right and the government ... to blame rock music for the moral decline of our youth." *"Louie Louie Music", 2012, Armitage Shanks (''Louie Louie Music'' EP, Little Teddy Recordings, Little Teddy LiTe765) *"I Love Louie Louie", 2014, The Rubinoos (''45'', Pynotic Productions 0045) *"55 Minute Louie-Louie", 2017, Shave (''High Alert'', Rockstars Anonymous Music) *"I Wanna Louie Louie (All Night Long)", 2018, Charles Albright (''Everything Went Charles Albright'', Sacramento Records 028)

Parodies and rewrites

Due to the song's distinctive rhythm and simple structure, it has been used often as a basis for parodies and rewrites. Examples include: *"Lilly Lilly" by Slim Jim. Satirized the mumbled vocals of the Kingsmen version. Released on a 1965 single (Laurie Records, Laurie 3226) produced and co-written by Ernie Maresca. *"Lewis Lewis" by the Rain Kings. Self-released on a 1966 EP with lyrics rewritten by group members Doug Dossett and Steve Lowry. *"

" by Frank Zappa (with Richard Berry co-writer credit). Included on ''Absolutely Free'' in 1967 and on ''

'' in 1988. *The Lumpen, a Black Panther Party musical group, rewrote "Louie Louie" as a protest song in 1967. *"Pharaoh Pharaoh". Written in 1971 by Tony Sbrana. Released on multiple religious music albums (often with added verses). *"Wal-ly Wal-ly" by Wally George. Political satire version released in 1984 on a 12" mini-LP (

RNEP 612). *"Ruthie-Ruthie" by Frank Zappa (with Richard Berry co-writer credit). Recorded in 1974 and released on ''

'' in 1988. *"Bernie Bernie" by The Bleacher Bums (with Richard Berry writer credit). Ode to Bernie Kosar released by Leaky Records on cassette and vinyl single in 1987. *"Christmas Christmas" by Mojo Nixon. Released on the ''Punk Rock Christmas'' compilation in 1995. *"Santa Santa" by The '60s Invasion. Released on the 2012 album ''Incense & Chia Pets: A 60's Christmas Celebration''. *"Buddy Buddy". Ode to University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma basketball star Buddy Hield written and recorded by Eric Kiper in 2015. *"Jedi Jedi". Star Wars parody released online by Royish Good Looks in 2018.

Lyrics controversy and investigations

As "Louie Louie" began to climb the national charts in late 1963, Jack Ely's "slurry snarl" and "mush-mouthed", "gloriously garbled", "infamously incomprehensible", "legendarily manic", "punk squawk" vocals gave rise to rumors about "dirty lyrics". 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". The song quickly became "something of a Rorschach test for dirty minds" who "thought they could detect obscene suggestions in the lyric". In January 1964, Indiana governor Matthew E. Welsh, acting on multiple complaint letters, determined the lyrics to be pornographic because his "ears tingled" when he listened to the record. He referred the matter to the FCC and also requested that the Indiana Broadcasters Association advise their member stations to pull the record from their playlists. An initial FCC investigation found the song "unintelligible at any speed". The National Association of Broadcasters also investigated and deemed it "unintelligible to the average listener", but that "[t]he phonetic qualities of this recording are such that a listener possessing the 'phony' lyrics could imagine them to be genuine." Neither the FCC nor the NAB took any further action. In response, Flip Records (1950s), Max Feirtag of publisher Limax Music offered $1,000 to "anyone finding anything suggestive in the lyrics", and ''Broadcasting (magazine), Broadcasting'' magazine published the actual lyrics as provided by Limax. Scepter/Wand Records commented, "Not in anyone's wildest imagination are the lyrics as presented on the Wand recording suggestive, let alone obscene." Producer Jerry Dennon thanked the governor, saying, "We really owe Governor Welsh a lot. The record already was going great, but since he's stepped in to give us a publicity boost, it's hard to keep up with orders." ''

'' noted, "It also seems likely that some shrewd press agentry may also be playing an important role in this teapot tempest." The following month an outraged parent wrote to Attorney General of the United States, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy alleging that the lyrics of "Louie Louie" were obscene, saying, "The lyrics are so filthy that I can-not ''[sic]'' enclose them in this letter." The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the complaint, and looked into the various rumors of "real lyrics" that were circulating among teenagers. In June 1965, the FBI laboratory obtained a copy of the Kingsmen recording and, after 31 months of investigation, concluded that it could not be interpreted and therefore the Bureau could not find that the recording was obscene. Over the course of the investigation, a "folk legend of modern times that has yet to be bettered for sheer inanity", the FBI interviewed Richard Berry, members of the Kingsmen, members of Paul Revere and the Raiders, and record company executives. The one person they never interviewed was the man who actually sang the words in question, Jack Ely, whose name apparently never came up because he was no longer with the Kingsmen. By contrast, in 1964 the Ohio State University student newspaper ''The Lantern'' initiated an investigation in response to a growing campus controversy. Working with local radio station WCOL-FM, WCOL, a letter was sent to Wand Records requesting a copy of the lyrics. The paper printed the lyrics in full, resolving the issue, and resulting in booking the Kingsmen for the fall homecoming entertainment. In a 1964 interview, Lynn Easton of the Kingsmen said, "We took the words from the original version and recorded them faithfully", and group member Barry Curtis later added, "Richard Berry never wrote dirty lyrics ... you listen and you hear what you want to hear." Richard Berry told ''

'' in 1988 that the Kingsmen had sung the song exactly as written and often deflected questions about the lyrics by saying, "If I told you the words, you wouldn't believe me anyway." In a 1991 Dave Marsh interview, Governor Welsh "emphatically denied being a censor", claiming he never banned the record and only suggested that it not be played. Marsh disagreed, saying, "If a record isn't played at the suggestion of the state's chief executive, it has been banned." A history of the song and its notoriety was published in 1993 by

, including an extensive recounting of the multiple lyrics investigations, but he was unable to obtain permission to publish the song's actual lyrics because the then current owner, Windswept Pacific, wanted people to "continue to fantasize what the words are". Marsh noted that the lyrics controversy "reflected the country's infantile sexuality" and "ensured the song's eternal perpetuation"; he also included multiple versions of the supposed "dirty lyrics". Other authors noted that the song "reap[ed] the benefits that accrue from being pursued by the guardians of public morals" and "[s]uch stupidity helped ensure 'Louie Louie' a long and prosperous life." 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.

Cultural impact

Book

Music critic

wrote a 245-page book about the song, ''Louie Louie: The History and Mythology of the World's Most Famous Rock 'n Roll Song, Including the Full Details of Its Torture and Persecution at the Hands of the Kingsmen, J.Edgar Hoover's F.B.I, and a Cast of Millions''.

The Who

The Who were impacted in their early recording career by the riff/rhythm of "Louie Louie", owing to the song's influence on the Kinks, who were also produced by Shel Talmy. Talmy wanted the successful sounds of the Kinks' 1964 hits "You Really Got Me", "

", and "Till the End of the Day" to be copied by the Who. As a result, Pete Townshend penned "I Can't Explain", "a desperate copy of The Kinks", released in March 1965. The Who also covered the 1964 Lindsay-Revere sequel " Louie Go Home" in 1965 as "Lubie (Come Back Home)". In 1979, "Louie Louie" (Kingsmen version) was included on the Quadrophenia (soundtrack album), ''Quadrophenia'' soundtrack album, and in 1980 the group performed a brief version in concert at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. In his 1993 book, Dave Marsh compared Keith Moon's drumming style to Lynn Easton of the Kingsmen.

"Psyché Rock" and ''Futurama''

In 1967 French composers Michel Colombier and Pierre Henry, collaborating as Les Yper-Sound, produced a synthesizer and musique concrète work based on the "Louie Louie" riff titled "Psyché Rock". They subsequently worked with choreographer Maurice Béjart on a "Psyché Rock"-based score for the ballet ''Messe pour le temps présent''. The full score with multiple mixes of "Psyché Rock" was released the same year on the album ''Métamorphose''. The album was reissued in 1997 with additional remixes including one by Ken Abyss titled "Psyché Rock (Metal Time Machine Mix)" which, along with the original, "... Christopher Tyng reworked into the theme song for the animated television comedy series ''Futurama''."

"Louie Louie" marathons

In the early 1980s, KPFK DJs Art Damage and Chuck Steak began hosting a weekly "Battle of the Louie Louie" contest featuring multiple renditions and listener voting. In 1981, KFJC DJ Jeff "Stretch" Riedle broadcast a full hour of various versions. Soon after, KALX in Berkeley responded and the two stations engaged in a "Louie Louie" marathon battle with each increasing the number of versions played. KFJC's Maximum Louie Louie Marathon topped the competition in August 1983 with 823 versions played over 63 hours, plus in studio performances by Richard Berry and Jack Ely. During a change in format from adult-contemporary to all-oldies in 1997, WIXO, WXMP in Peoria became "all Louie, all the time," playing nothing but covers of "Louie Louie" for six straight days. Other stations used the same idea to introduce format changes including WWSW-FM, WWSW (Pittsburgh), KROX-FM, KROX (Dallas), WNOR (Norfolk), and WRQN (Toledo). In 2011, KFJC celebrated International Louie Louie Day with a reprise of its 1983 event, featuring multiple "Louie Louie" versions, new music by Richard Berry and appearances by musicians, DJs, and celebrities with "Louie Louie" connections. In April 2015, Orme Radio broadcast the First Italian Louie Louie Marathon, playing 279 versions in 24 hours. In 2023, the city of Portland hosted a 24-hour live marathon to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Kingsmen version.

Use in films

Various versions of "Louie Louie" have appeared in the films listed below. The Kingsmen version was used in television commercials for ''Spaced Invaders'' (1990), but did not appear in the movie. The Kingsmen version also appeared on ''More American Graffiti#Soundtrack, More American Graffiti'' (1975) and ''Good Morning Vietnam'' (1987) compilations, but was not used in either film. ;Movie table notes

Use in video games

Early video games with chiptune versions of "Louie Louie" included ''California Games'' and ''Donkey Konga''. Since its introduction in 1987, ''California Games'' has been ported to more than a dozen gaming platforms, resulting in multiple unique "Louie Louie" versions based on different or improved programmable sound generator (PSG) chips. "Back 2 Back", composed by Hideki Naganuma for ''Sonic Rush'', borrows the "Louie Louie" riff for its main section. More recent rhythm action games featured individual artist versions including ''Rocksmith'' (Joan Jett), ''Just Dance (video game), Just Dance'' (Iggy Pop), and ''Rocksmith 2014'' (Motörhead).

Use in ringtones and apps

"Louie Louie" has long been a popular downloadable ringtone, starting with early MIDI versions, then audio track excerpts, and then full audio tracks. Tom Cruise in ''Knight and Day'' (2010) used the Kingsmen version as a ringtone/movement reminder. In 2015 Microsoft Messenger introduced the Zya Ditty app which allowed users to create short text-to-autotune music videos using a library of pre-licensed songs including "Louie Louie" and others.

Use in audio sampling

The earliest known sampling of "Louie Louie" (Kingsmen version) was "Flying Saucer" by Ed Solomon in 1964 (Diamond 160), one of many "break-in" records popular in the 1960s. Beginning in 1988, multiple rap and hip hop artists used audio samples of the keyboard intro and chorus of the Kingsmen version. *1988: Ultramagnetic MCs, "Travelling at the Speed of Thought" (12" single, initial release only); described by ''

'' columnist Simon Reynolds as "a sublimely teasing edit ... [of] the sixties punk tearaway reincarnated in the eighties B-boy motormouth!" *1988: JVC Force, "Doin' Damage" (from album ''Doin' Damage'') *1988: Fat Boys, "Louie Louie" (from album ''Coming Back Hard Again''; also released as a single) *1990: Young and Restless (hip hop band), Young and Restless, "Louie Louie" (from album ''Something To Get You Hyped'') *1990: Young MC and Maestro Fresh Wes, "Louie Louie" (from ''Coupe de Ville (film), Coupe de Ville'' soundtrack album; samples Richard Berry, Kingsmen and other versions) *1999: The Three Amigos (band), The Three Amigos, "Louie Louie (Original Mix)" and "The Wiseguys, Wiseguys Remix" (12" EP, UK release) *1999: Mutha Funkin, "Say It Again" (12" single, UK release) *2004: T.O.K. feat. Shaggy, "Déja Vu" (from album ''Unknown Language'')

Marching and concert band arrangements

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. The earliest known high school band albums with a song version were the Evanston Township High School's ''Hi-Lights 1965'' and the Franklin High School (Seattle), Franklin High School Choir, Orchestra, and Stage Band's ''1966 Bel Cantos Concert''. The first college band album with a version was the USC Trojan Marching Band's ''Let The Games Begin'' in 1984. Early orchestra and big band releases included Dick Crest (''Would You Believe - The Dick Crest Orchestra'') and Neil Chotem (''Neil Chotem and his Orchestra''), both in 1968. Although not commercially released, an example of the song's influence was the 2000 performance by the Dover High School (New Hampshire), Dover High School Band joined on saxophone by Bill Clinton (who played in a jazz trio named the Kingsmen at Hot Springs High School (Arkansas), Hot Springs High School, and at whose 1964 graduation dance the actual Kingsmen performed).

Washington State song

In 1985, Ross Shafer, host and a writer-performer of the late-night comedy series ''Almost Live!'' on the Seattle TV station KING-TV, KING, spearheaded an effort to have "Louie Louie" replace "Washington, My Home" by Helen Davis as

's official List of U.S. state songs, state song. 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

. Picking up on this initially prankish effort, Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County Councilman Craig Cole introduced Resolution No. 85-12 in March 1985 to endorse Louie Louie as the state song, citing the need for a "contemporary Theme music, theme song that can be used to engender a sense of pride and community, and in the enhancement of tourism and economic development". His resolution also called for the creation of a new "Louie Louie County". While the state legislature did not designate Louie Louie as the state song, it did declare "Louie Louie Day" for April 12. A crowd of 3,000, estimated by press reports, convened at the Washington State Capitol, state capitol in Olympia that day for speeches, singalongs, and performances by The Fabulous Wailers, the Wailers,

, and

. Two days later, a Seattle event commemorated the occasion with the premiere performance of a new, Washington-centric version of the song co-written by composer Berry. 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 List of Washington state symbols, official folk song. "Louie Louie" remains the "List of U.S. state songs, unofficial state rock song". 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''. 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 through 2021, then reinstated in 2025.

International Louie Louie Day

April 11 (Richard Berry (musician), Richard Berry's birthday) is celebrated as International Louie Louie Day and is listed by Chase's Calendar of Events, the National Special Events Registry, and other sources. Support for International Louie Louie Day and other "Louie Louie"–related observances is provided by the Louie Louie Advocacy and Music Appreciation Society (LLAMAS) and "Louie Louie" fans worldwide.

LouieFest

The City of

held a summer music and arts festival from 2003 to 2012 in July named

. The event began in 2003 as the "1000 Guitars Festival" and featured a group performance of "Louie Louie" open to anyone with a guitar. The event was renamed

in 2004. Members of the Wailers, Kingsmen, Raiders, Sonics and other groups with "Louie Louie" associations regularly made appearances. The grand finale each year was the "Celebration of 1000 Guitars" mass performance of "Louie Louie" on the main stage.

Louie Louie parades

The largest "Louie Louie" parade, organized by WMMR deejay John DeBella, was held in Philadelphia from 1985 to 1989 with proceeds going to leukemia victims. DeBella described it as "a parade for no reason ... and the no reason would be 'Louie Louie'." It regularly drew crowds in excess of 50,000, but was ultimately cancelled due to excessive rowdiness. Peoria, Illinois claims the longest running "Louie Louie" event, holding an annual "Louie Louie" street party, parade, and festival every year since 1988.

Louie Louie sculpture

A sculpture titled ''Louie Louie, 2013'' by Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas-based artist Tim Bavington was displayed on the lobby wall of the Edith Green - Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in

from 2013 to 2024. 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. In 2024, it was sold for $250,000 to a private party.

The Louie Awards

The ''Seattle Times'' bestows its Louie Awards upon "those who - through conscious act, rotten luck or slip of the tongue - stretch the limits of imagination or tolerance or taste in the Great Northwest."

Recognition and rankings

Summary of "Louie Louie" rankings and recognition in major publications and surveys.

References

Sources

* * * * *

Historical significance

Original version by Richard Berry and the Pharaohs

Cover versions

1950s

1960s

Rockin' Robin Roberts and the Wailers (1961)

The Kingsmen (1963)

=Certifications

Paul Revere & the Raiders (1963)

The Beach Boys (1964)

Otis Redding (1964)

The Angels (1964)

The Kinks (1964)

The Sandpipers (1966)

Travis Wammack (1966)

The Sonics (1966)

Mongo Santamaria (1966)

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention (1967)

Other 1960s versions

1970s

Iggy Pop (1972)

Toots and the Maytals (1972)

"Brother Louie" (1973)

Patti Smith (1975)

Jon the Postman (1977)

Motörhead (1978)

''National Lampoon's Animal House'' (1978)

Bruce Springsteen (1978)

Other 1970s versions

1980s

Black Flag (1981)

Stanley Clarke and George Duke (1981)

Barry White (1981)

The Fat Boys (1988)

Other 1980s versions

1990s

''Coupe de Ville'' (1990)

The Three Amigos (1999)

Other 1990s versions

2000s

2010s

2020s

Summary of charting versions

Singles

EPs

Albums

"Louie Louie" compilations

Foreign language versions

Answer songs, sequels, and tributes

Parodies and rewrites

Lyrics controversy and investigations

Cultural impact

Book

The Who

"Psyché Rock" and ''Futurama''

"Louie Louie" marathons

Use in films

Use in video games

Use in ringtones and apps

Use in audio sampling

Marching and concert band arrangements

Washington State song

International Louie Louie Day

LouieFest

Louie Louie parades

Louie Louie sculpture

The Louie Awards

Recognition and rankings

References

Sources

Further reading