THE LOUIE REPORT #5 & 1/2, updated January 1995 all information copyright 1994 Eric Predoehl What kind of person could work on a documentary about a song that defies all normal categorizations? Yours truly, that's who.... I continue to work on my documentary "THE MEANING OF LOUIE," which will document all things connected to the legendary song "LOUIE LOUIE." I've gathered much information, and am in the process of assembling yet another demo reel to convince all concerned parties that it will be an absolutely amazing example of pop culture entertainment. I still print the LOUIE REPORT, although the last printed issue came (#5) out in the summer of 1993 to coincide with the Oregon celebration, and the Dave Marsh book. You can get back issues if you pester me nicely with a buck or two (with the exception of issue #3- currently out of print). In the meantime, this little e-mail newsletter will hold some folks over until I finish the documentary or another newsletter. When will this documentary be released, you may ask? At this point, there is no easy answer. Needless to say, it is moving as fast as it can, considering the complicated financing spent, and still needed for complication. "Sometime next year" is my standard answer, at least until certain things get resolved. In July 1993, I traveled to Portland, Oregon for the 30th Anniversary celebration of the original recording by The Kingsmen at a small studio owned by Bob Lindahl. While I was up there, I had an opportunity to meet and conduct interviews with Mr. Lindahl, Roger Hart (original manager of Paul Revere & Raiders), Ken Chase (legendary producer, nightclub owner, and chef extraordinaire), Buck Munger (publisher of TWO LOUIES music newspaper), Pat Mason (booking agent), Charlie & Adeline Ceciliani (owners of D-Street Coral, a famous dance hall), and Claudia Beverly (Oregon Historical Society), as well as various members of the Kingsmen past and present: Mike Mitchell, Barry Curtis, Norm Sunholm, Bob Nordby, and Jack Ely, whom I first met in 1983 at KFJC's Maximum LOUIE LOUIE radio marathon. Richard Berry, the man who wrote the song, was there as well to celebrate the moment and perform at Portland's July 4th Blues Festival. While I was up in the Northwest area, I made a journey to Seattle, where I met and interviewed Buck Ormsby (of the original Wailers), Jerry Dennon (of Jerden Records), and Neal Skok (garage rock music historian). A thousand thanks go out to Colm Brennan and Denise Lamkin for their kind hospitality. Had I been on a more flexible schedule, I would have interviewed Lynn Easton and Dick Peterson, both of the Kingsmen, who each have integral roles in this important saga. Hopefully, I shall return in the near future to capture their side of the often-misquoted story. A few weeks later, and I was in the Los Angeles area, where I had a chance to meet and interview John Landis (director of the film Animal House), Rick Rillera (of the band The Rhythm Rockers, whom Richard Berry was a part of when he wrote that famous song), and Bob Dobbs (or at least, one of them- political & religious humorist, musician...). A few weeks after that, I was able to conduct an interview with Mr. Paul Revere himself, who played an amazing show near my own home base at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Speaking of Jerry Dennon (paragraph before last, actually), his reborn Jerden label, also known as The Great Northwest Music Company, has just released The Louie Louie Collection by the Best of the Northwest, featuring recordings by such artists as: Little Bill & the Bluenotes, Jr. Cadillac, Charlie & the Tunas, Ian Whitcomb, as well as the more popular versions by The Kingsmen, Paul Revere & the Raiders, as well as many others. You get 11 versions (what a great number!), with most of them recorded at Seattle, one of the great hotbeds of rock music. Anyways, this album and the Kingsmen: Live & Unreleased will be distributed by Columbia Record House, as well as your friendly neighborhood record store. The new address for Jerden is now: PO Box 4608, Rolling Bay, Washington 98061. You can also order it by phoning their toll-free number: (800) 422-HITS. They recently released a compilation of Don & The Goodtimes, a great Northwest band that has been long out-of-print. Their version of LOUIE is on both this compilation and the Northwest LOUIE compilation. Richard Berry came back from a very successful tour in England in late 1993, where he was treated with very open arms. This was the first time he has ever played in Europe and will probably return sometime in 1995 for additional shows. An English rhythm & blues magazine, Now Dig This, published a great interview with him in their October 1993 issue. Be sure to check out the domestic edition of the Get Out of The Car CD, now available through Virgin/ Flair Records. As usual, the news of LOUIE LOUIE never sleeps. Besides the release of the book by Dave Marsh, one of the most significant bits of news in 1993 was that of the new version recorded by Mr. Iggy Pop, on his new album, American Caesar on Virgin Records. While Iggy was known for doing one of the most explicit versions of the song on his quasi-classic of punk-dom, Metallic KO, his latest version takes a complete 360 degree turn, tying politics, communism, Dostoevsky, and communicable diseases into a very literary, yet catchy variation of the song. Apparently, there are also European CD-singles of the song as well, which are also worth hunting for. Either way, it's one of the new, yet essential versions for all serious LOUIE aficionados. If you don't have the Dave Marsh book yet, it's put out on the Hyperion label, and is titled: "LOUIE LOUIE: The History of and Mythology of the World's Most Famous Rock and Roll Song, Including the Full Details of Its Torture and Persecution at the Hands of the Kingsmen, J. Edgar Hoover's F.B.I. and a Cast of Millions; and Introducing for the First Time Anywhere, the Actual Dirty Lyrics," can ordered by calling the toll-free Hyperion phone number at (800) 759-0190. Actually, the real lyrics aren't in there, but it does feature the F.B.I. lyrics uncovered by yours truly via the Freedom of Information Act. "LOUIE LOUIE" is sung by Robert Plant on the soundtrack of Wayne's World 2, available on Reprise Records. If you watch the movie, it's very easy to miss, as it is played softly in the background during a restaurant scene with Wayne, Garth, and some burnt-out English rock promoter. When I interviewed Don Gallucci, formerly of the Kingsmen, and Don & the Goodtimes, he mentioned that one of the proudest moments in his music career was the creation of the band Touch, which released one album of the same name. The album was recorded amongst a party-like atmosphere in Hollywood in 1968, observed from the lobby by such distinguished guests as Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, and Grace Slick, all of whom gave the music high marks. Recognized by collectors as one of the great "progressive rock albums," this long-out-of-print recording was recently reissued on CD by Renaissance Records of Pasadena, CA. Thirteen additional minutes of previously-unreleased music was added to this gem, making it more of a bargain than it already was. Get yours by mailing $15.00 plus $3.50 for postage in the United States to their distributor: The Wild Places, 621-A Hanover Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95062. One of the funniest versions of "LOUIE LOUIE" can be found on the album Methods of Male Bounding and Stress Relief by The Coalition of Unified Men. It is one of the few new releases available on CD, audio cassette, VHS video, AND one of my favorite formats, 12" vinyl! Never before has flatulence been so well incorporated in a 3-chord exercise of musical humor. I, for one, am relieved they did not include any "scratch-n-sniff" cards to accompany this recording. Get a copy of this humorous opus in the format of your choice by writing to: Hot Productions Inc., 7360 SW 48th Street, Miami, FL 33155. Anyone interested in hiring this group for comedy bookings can call 1-800-352-8152. Appreciators of classical music will appreciate the self-titled album by The Really Eclectic String Quartet. In an album described by the Boston Globe as "Bartok meets the Sex Pistols," RESQ performs an amazing version of "LOUIE LOUIE," as well as great interpretations of songs by Thelonious Monk, Mongo Santamaria, and Duke Ellington, among others. You can get a copy of this creation by contacting: Northeastern Records, PO Box 3589, Saxonville, MA 01701-0605. Those terribly anxious can call: (508) 820-4440. Quite a few motion pictures, and TV shows have utilized the song in very creative manners. Much of this has been documented in previous LOUIE REPORTs. Feel free to contact me if you notice the song in a TV show, movie, video game, comic strip, or new album by some band that deserves attention. Then again, maybe you have a copy of that legendary bootleg recording of Led Zeppelin performing LOUIE LOUIE during one of their Seattle shows (which I still don't have yet). Either way, I'd love to hear some stories about the song if you have any. Just because your local tv station is playing the dickens out of commercial that features some guy selling used cars, don't assume I've already seen it. When in doubt, make a copy of ANYTHING LOUIE LOUIE, and get it to me. I'd be very grateful. As always, please mention ERIC PREDOEHL and THE LOUIE REPORT when contacting any of these companies. Any information connected to "LOUIE LOUIE" is always appreciated, and rewarded occasionally, as promotional items are available. Feel free to write or call with any related information. but to quote a guy named Richard, "me gotta go now..." ERIC PREDOEHL PO Box 2430 Santa Clara, CA 95055-2430 Telephone number: (408) 749-9757 email: Eric_Predoehl@livewire.com