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 become an enduring classic.
In total, the Kingsmen charted 13 singles from 1963 to 1968 and five consecutive albums from 1963 to 1966. Their first album, The Kingsmen in Person, remained on the Billboard Top LPs chart for 131 weeks from January 1964 to August 1966. Their early albums were released internationally in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, and Taiwan.
Early years Lynn Easton and Jack Ely started performing at an early age in local newspaper-sponsored revues with the Journal Juniors and the Young Oregonians, respectively. In 1957, they started performing together, with Ely singing and playing guitar and Easton on the drum kit. The two teenagers had grown up together, as their parents were close friends. Easton and Ely performed at local parties and events, and soon added Mike Mitchell on guitar and Bob NordbyAccording to the YouTube Description of KPTV FOX 12 Oregon while meeting Bob Nordby, it was confirmed he was born on March 16, 1944 on bass to round out the band. They called themselves the Kingsmen, taking the name from a recently disbanded group. The band began playing at fashion shows, Red Cross events, and supermarket promotions, generally avoiding rock songs on their setlist. In 1962, Don Gallucci, a high school freshman at the time, was recruited from another local group, the Royal Notes, to play keyboards. Their first recording effort was an unreleased acetate of an instrumental titled "Peter Gunn Rock".
"Louie Louie"
In 1962, while playing a gig at the Pypo Club in Seaside, Oregon, the band noticed the entire club dancing for hours on end to Rockin' Robin Roberts's version of "Louie Louie" being played on the jukebox. Ely convinced his fellow band members to learn the song, which they played at dances to a great crowd response. Unknown to him, he had changed the beat because he'd misheard it on a jukebox. Ken Chase, host of radio station KISN, opened his own club, "The Chase", to capitalize on these dance crazes. The Kingsmen became the club's house band, and he became the band's manager. On Friday, April 5, 1963, Chase booked the band an hour-long session at the local Northwestern Inc., studio for 10 a.m. the following day to record a demo tape for a summer cruise ship gig. Adding to the hurried atmosphere, the band had just played a 90-minute "Louie Louie" marathon the night before.
Despite the band's annoyance at having so little time to prepare, the Kingsmen walked into the three-microphone recording studio on time. "Jamaica Farewell", one partial and one full take of "Louie Louie", and "Haunted Castle" were recorded. For "Louie Louie", the only vocal number, Ely was forced to lean back and sing to a microphone suspended from the ceiling. "It was more yelling than singing", Ely said, cause I was trying to be heard over all the instruments." In addition, he was wearing braces at the time of the performance, further compounding his slurred words. Ely sang the beginning of the third verse two bars too early, but realized his mistake and waited for the rest of the band to catch up. The Kingsmen were not proud of the recording and wanted to fix their mistakes, but Chase liked the energy and rawness and assured them that the demo version could be redone before a record was released. The one hour session cost either $36, $50, or somewhere in between, and the band split the cost.
With a competing "Louie Louie" version from Paul Revere and the Raiders getting heavy play on a competing station, Chase began playing the Kingsmen's demo version on his show at KISN. He then contracted with Jerry Dennon's Jerden Records to press a single. The B-side was "Haunted Castle", composed by Ely and Don Gallucci, the new keyboardist; however, Lynn Easton was credited on both the Jerden and Wand releases.
"Louie Louie" reached No. 1 on the Cashbox and Music Vendor charts and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally, it reached No. 1 on the CHUM Canada chart, and in the UK it reached No. 26 on the Record Retailer chart. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.
The band attracted nationwide attention when "Louie Louie" was banned by the governor of Indiana, Matthew E. Welsh, also attracting the attention of the FBI and FCC because of alleged indecent lyrics in their version of the song. The lyrics were, in fact, innocent, but Ely's baffling enunciation permitted teenage fans and concerned parents alike to imagine the most scandalous obscenities. (Ironically, the FBI totally missed Lynn Easton yelling "Fuck!" at 0:54 after fumbling a drum fill.) All of this attention only made the song more popular. In April 1966 "Louie Louie" was reissued and once again hit the music charts, reaching No. 65 on the Cashbox chart and No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 1985, Ross Shafer, host and a writer-performer of the late-night comedy series Almost Live! on the Seattle TV station KING, spearheaded an effort to have "Louie Louie" replace "Washington, My Home" by Helen Davis as Washington's official state song.Seattle Weekly (October 27, 1999) Music: "The State I'm In" , by Kurt B. Reighley Picking up on this initially prankish effort, Whatcom County Councilman Craig Cole introduced Resolution No. 85–12 in the state legislature, citing the need for a "contemporary 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 House did not pass it, the Senate's Resolution 1985-37 declared April 12, 1985, "Louie Louie Day". A crowd of 4,000, estimated by press reports, convened at the state capitol that day for speeches, singalongs, and performances by the Wailers, the Kingsmen, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Two days later, a Seattle event commemorated the occasion with the premiere performance of a new, Washington-centric version of the song written by composer Berry.Liner notes, The Best Of Louie Louie Volume 2 (Rhino R1 70515), by Doc Pelzell
Other 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). Peterson also released a solo version on the 1999 Circle of Friends, Volume 1 CD.
Over the years the Kingsmen's version of "Louie Louie" has been recognized by organizations and publications worldwide for its influence on the history of rock and roll. Rankings and recognition in major publications and surveys are shown in the table below.
SourcePoll/SurveyYearRankRock & Roll Hall of FameHall of Fame Singles2018NoneRock & Roll Hall of FameSongs That Shaped Rock and Roll1995NoneNational Academy of Recording Arts and SciencesGrammy Hall of Fame1999NoneNational Public RadioThe 300 Most Important American Records of the 20th Century1999NoneSmash Hits, James E. PeroneThe 100 Songs That Defined America2016NoneThe WireThe 100 Most Important Records Ever Made1992NoneMojoUltimate Jukebox: The 100 Singles You Must Own2003No. 1The Ultimate Playlist, Robert WebbThe 100 Greatest Cover Versions2012No. 1PasteThe 50 Best Garage Rock Songs of All Time2014No. 3Rolling Stone40 Songs That Changed The World2007No. 5All Time Top 1000 Albums, Colin LarkinThe All-Time Top 100 Singles2000No. 6VH1100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll2000No. 11The Heart of Rock and Soul, Dave MarshThe 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made1989No. 11Rolling StoneThe 100 Best Singles of the Last 25 Years1989No. 18Los AngelesLA's Top 1002001No. 19Rock and Roll, Paul WilliamsThe 100 Best Singles1993No. 22VH1100 Greatest Dance Songs2000No. 27Mojo100 Greatest Singles of All Time1997No. 51Rolling StoneThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time2010No. 54Rolling StoneThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time2004No. 55NEA and RIAASongs of the Century1999No. 57MojoBig Bangs: 100 Records That Changed The World2007No. 70PitchforkThe 200 Best Songs of the 1960s2006No. 154Rolling StoneThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time2021No. 156NMEThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time2014No. 157WCBS-FMTop 1001 Songs of the Century2005No. 184
History
Before the success of "Louie Louie", the members of the Kingsmen had taken varied paths. Easton, whose mother had registered the name of the group and therefore owned it, declared that from this point on he intended to be the singer asserting, "It's my band because I own the name", and forcing Ely to play the drums. This led Ely and Nordby to quit the group in 1963, and Gary Abbott and Norm Sundholm were added to play drums and bass, respectively. (The liner notes for the first album, The Kingsmen In Person, presented an abridged history with no mention of Ely or Nordby and with Easton as the group’s sole founder and creative force.)
Don Gallucci was forced out because he was not old enough to tour and later formed Don and the Goodtimes, which morphed into the short-lived Touch. Later, Gallucci became a record producer with Elektra Records, with his most famous production being the Stooges' seminal second album Fun House.
The two remaining original Kingsmen, Lynn Easton and Mike Mitchell, were joined by Gary Abbott, Barry Curtis and Norm Sundholm to record their first album and tour as the official band. Dick Peterson (not Dickie Peterson) replaced Gary Abbott shortly thereafter. This line-up stayed intact from 1964 into 1966 and charted multiple singles and albums with Easton as the principal vocalist.
After Ely's departure and considerable chart success by the new line-up, the group learned that he was performing with another group as The Kingsmen.Peterson 2005, p. 325. Following legal action, a settlement was reached and Easton, Mitchell, Peterson, Curtis and Sundholm established their rights to the "Kingsmen" name. Thus, Ely was forced to stop using the name, Easton could no longer lip sync to Ely's vocals, and subsequent releases of "Louie Louie" were required to have the text "Lead vocal by Jack Ely" below the title. Unable to perform using the Kingsmen name, Ely continued with his groups the Squires and the Courtmen. He also received a gold record for "Louie Louie" as part of the settlement.Peterson 2005, p. 327.
The Kingsmen's 1964 follow up to "Louie Louie" was a party version of "Money (That's What I Want)" which hit the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 16 and on Cashbox at No. 17. Then came "Little Latin Lupe Lu" peaking on Billboard at No. 46 and Cashbox at No. 49. After that it was "Death of An Angel" No. 33 on Cashbox and No. 42 on Billboard.
After starting 1965 with their own float in the Rose Bowl Parade, the Kingsmen returned to the Top 10 nationally with "The Jolly Green Giant" reaching No. 4 on Billboard and No. 8 on Cashbox. The novelty number also made No. 25 on the Billboard R&B chart and hit No. 1 on the RPM Canada chart. The follow-up song was "The Climb", No. 45 on Cashbox and No. 65 on Billboard. "Annie Fanny" was released next reaching No. 43 on Cashbox and No. 47 on Billboard. Next came "(You Got) The Gamma Goochee", No. 98 on Cashbox and No. 122 on Billboard. The group also appeared in the beach party movie How to Stuff a Wild Bikini singing "Give Her Lovin'" (released as a B-side to "Annie Fanny") which appeared on the soundtrack album along with their recording of the title song.