The World's most recorded rock song

[Apex]

Wikipedia:

"By some accounts "Louie Louie" is the world's most recorded rock song with over 1,600 versions and counting (with more appearing regularly on YouTube and elsewhere)."

"According to Ely [Jack Ely, the lead singer] himself, "We set up all our own equipment in a circle facing each other underneath an overhead microphone up by the ceiling at which I sang/shouted the lyrics."

"It has also been reported that Ely had gotten braces on his teeth the day before, impeding vocalization."

We all know just how impeded that vocalization was.

The entire Wikipedia article is worthy reading.

The 1963 Kingsmen version, the one that really got everyone hopped on the tune, was recorded in one take.
(One take is usually not the way, maybe they were short on funds. The session cost $50.)

Da da da. . . da da. . da da da. . . da

[Bass]

Thanks Apex
Lets hear the original version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-2CKsaq5r8

[ftldave]

I remember the controversy about Louie Louie's lyrics, when everyone believed there was something obscene in the original version's near-impossible-to-understand words. Every garage band in Indiana was playing it, along with Mitch Ryder's Sock It To Me Baby, another song that sounded like it had dirty lyrics. Fact is, both songs were considered very special because of the controversies. Shortly after, we began to hear protest and anti-war songs about Viet Nam. Radio sure was great then, in the years before Clear Channel and the corporate dullards ruined it.

[Hagar]

I get a little tired of people trying to find hidden meanings in song lyrics. I was unaware of the controversy surrounding this record at the time. To me it has always been just another pop song - a not very good one at that.

[ftldave]

I've always thought it rather interesting when things may not be as they seem to be, even garage-band-class songs like Louie Louie.

From the Wiki:

[Louie Louie] Lyrics investigation

In February 1964, an outraged parent wrote to Robert Kennedy, then the Attorney General of the United States, alleging that the lyrics of "Louie Louie" were obscene. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the complaint. In June 1965, the FBI laboratory obtained a copy of the Kingsmen recording and, after four months of investigation, concluded that the recording could not be interpreted, that it was "unintelligible at any speed," and therefore the Bureau could not find that the recording was obscene. In September 1965, an FBI agent interviewed one member of the Kingsmen, who denied that there was any obscenity in the song.

The lyrics controversy resurfaced briefly in 2005 when the superintendent of the school system in Benton Harbor, Michigan, refused to let the marching band at one of the schools play the song in a parade. She later relented.

A history of the song and its notoriety was written by Dave Marsh.

[Hagar]

One parent complains leading to a 4 month investigation by the FBI.

That seems rather paranoid to me. So what was the supposed obscene word or phrase that this person found so offensive? Did anyone actually say what it was?

[Fozzer]

One parent complains leading to a 4 month investigation by the FBI.

That seems rather paranoid to me. So what was the supposed obscene word or phrase that this person found so offensive? Did anyone actually say what it was?

Probably the origin of the word; "Awesome" hidden in the lyrics.

Now overly used so many times that its use in everyday speech is no longer considered a criminal offence...

...unfortunately!... ...!

Paul... ...!

[Bass]

Here's the true lyrics, judge for yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx-8_GI4d2c

[ftldave]

I found the alleged lyrics at Snopes.Com, the awesome site that explains so many rumours and urban legends. Here's the link 'cause I'm not going to post the lyrics here.

Louie Louie

Seems there was a bit of mystery about the song, i.e. the status of the fired singer in the band, but not any off-color lyrics.

[Apex]

Recently on a PBS vintage music doc during their pledge drive, a full length clip of the Kingmen lip syncing and 'playing' along with their recording was run. I had the captions on, you could see the original, real lyrics running along with the vocals. It was impossible to distinguish any of the lyrics as sung on the recording even while reading the actual, original lyrics.

In my rock playing years I had occasion to decipher lyrics for various tunes so my singer could get them right. Sometimes I had to wing it and just guess. But the Kingsmens' Louie Louie, practically every word is unintelligible.

For me, very personally, my gut feeling about the Kingsmens' version is positive. It was the perfect tune at the perfect time, in the backwater of the pre-Beatles early 60's years when the rock scene was imbedded in surf tunes which would not have, could not have lasted much longer. And playing it at gigs, which I did in the first few months of my rock gigging years, was a real crowd pleaser. 3 chords, good to dance to, and that solo was a real blast to play live.

Our keyboardist was assigned to sing the tune. I do not know what lyrics he used or where he got them. Having enough to do with the group, I just never gave it a thought.

[Hagar]

I still think the Kingsmen's record is crap.

[G.K.]

Never heard of that song....the most recorded??? Surely not.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 52165.html

[Fozzer]

This is the "Louie, Louie" I remember from my dance floor time in the early 1970's...>>>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTELjv4_7f0

Paul....in Purple Flares.....scary, or what!... ...!

..another scary one I remember dancing to in the 1970's...>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQj9Gbr2hx8

(I need a "Memory Failure"!).... ...!

[expat]

One parent complains leading to a 4 month investigation by the FBI.

That seems rather paranoid to me. So what was the supposed obscene word or phrase that this person found so offensive? Did anyone actually say what it was?

4 months...........the song sheet and a sing a long would have answered the question in 4 minutes.......Yes there are extra words in the song not on the song sheet, or.........................no extra words in the song as the FBI were able to sing along at same pace as the song in sung at..........

Matt