Lost Notes Louie Louie (KCRW) Photo: KCRW, Supplied
The Kingsmen's 1963 anthem 'Louie Louie' has become a soundtrack to raucous parties and good times; you might even remember John Belushi beerily belting it out with the other frat boys in the 1978 film Animal House.
You can try to tell what the lyrics say- like the FBI did when it investigated the song for obscenity- but you'll probably fail! And don't assume that The Kingsmen actually wrote the track.
It was written by Los Angeles-based musician and songwriter Richard Berry in 1955 and he released his version of the song in 1957. It was regional hit on the West Cost of the US and he did well from the song, but by the end of the fifties Berry was broke and needed money to get married, and so he sold his publishing, including 'Louie Louie', for $750 to a record label boss.
'Louie Louie' went on to become one of the most recorded songs in history earning millions in royalties.
From KCRW's series 'Lost Notes', David Weinberg tells the true story of 'Louie Louie: The Strange Journey of the Dirtiest Song Never Written'.
