Louie, Louie

Louie, Louie was originally written by Richard Berry in 1955. He released his version in April 1957 with his backing band, the Pharaohs, and scored a regional hit on the west coast. Even though his recording sold more than 40,000 copies of the single, it never charted on any of the Billboard charts.

On April, 6, 1963, The Kingsmen, recorded Louie, Louie. It was only the second song they had recorded and did it in one take. The Kingsmen's version spent sixteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, half of those weeks were in the top 10.

Also in April of 1963, Paul Revere & The Raiders also recorded a version of "Louie Louie" in the same Portland studio as The Kingsmen. At first Paul Revere & The Raiders version was a bigger hit, although short lived and so much of a hit that The Kingmen though about breaking up. Their version was short lived because Mitch Miller, Columbia Records A&R man did not like rock-n-roll.

However, by October of 1963, The Kingmen's version started to chart. After The Kingsmen's version hit the Top 10, many other bands started to record "Louie, Louie" with their own personal flair including The Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Who, The Sandpipers, The Troggs, Frank Zappa and Friar Tuck.

It is almost impossible to say how many bands have recorded (or at least performed) their own version of "Louie, Louie", but some experts estimate that it there have been at least 2,000 versions professionally recorded and released since the days of Richard Berry.

CHORUS:
Louie Louie,
Me gotta go
Louie Louie,
Me gotta go

Fine little girl waits for me
Catch a ship across the sea
Sail that ship about, all alone
Never know if I make it home

CHORUS

Three nights and days I sail the sea
Think of girl, constantly
On that ship, I dream she's there
I smell the rose in her hair.

CHORUS

See Jamaica, the moon above
It won't be long, me see me love
Take her in my arms again
Tell her I'll never leave again

CHORUS