It's one of the most covered songs of all time, so it was inevitable that we would get round to featuring it in Single Song Sunday eventually. It is, of course, "Louie Louie".
We start off with the song that inspired the man who wrote the song that inspired them all, Cuban band leader Rene Touzet's arrangement of "El Loco Cha Cha". You will probably all be familiar with Richard Berry's 1955 "original". You'll certainly all know The Kingsmen's hit version from 1963 which really kickstarted the whole craze. And those of you from the UK and of a certain vintage may recall the mellower than you would expect version by Motorhead.
After that, we're all over the place. Toots & The Maytals provide the Mandatory Reggae Version. The Neighb'rhoods freak out. Mario Allison reclaims it for the Latin world with some late 60s Peruvian boogaloo, while Simba convert it into a slab of early 70s Afrorock. I can't find the words to describe what Barry White does.
Then we finish off with a song inspired by the FBI investigation into the version of the song that inspired them all.
Then we finish off with a song inspired by the FBI investigation into the version of the song that inspired them all.
"El Loco Cha Cha" - Rene Touzet
"Louie Louie" - Richard Berry
"Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen
"Louie Louie" - Motorhead
"Louie Louie" - Toots & The Maytals
"Louie Louie" - Honey Ltd
"Louie Louie" - Mario Allison y Su Combo
"Louie Louie" - Wilbert Harrison
"Louie Louie" - Simba
"Louie Louie" - Neighb'rhood Childr'n
This selection is better than the Ac compilation of covers. That Barry White version is much better than you imply!
ReplyDeleteI expressed myself unclearly. I didn't mean that it was indescribably awful, just that I couldn't think of a way to describe it succinctly.
Delete..and there's a Louie Louie record shop in Lisbon. Where I will be going on tuesday!
ReplyDeleteThere's one in Porto too
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