LOUIE LOUIE (Rockin’ Robin Roberts with the Wailers)
“Louie Louie” is an American rhythm and blues song written by Richard Berry in 1955 and best known for the 1963 hit version by The Kingsmen. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists. In 1959, Rockin’ Robin Roberts began singing with another local band, the Wailers. Known for his dynamic onstage performances, Roberts added “Louie Louie” to the band’s set and, in 1960 recorded the track with the Wailers as his backing band. The arrangement, devised by Roberts with the band, included Roberts’ ad-lib “Let’s give it to ’em, RIGHT NOW!!” Released on the band’s own label, Etiquette, in early 1961, it became a hit locally and was then reissued and promoted by Liberty Records in Los Angeles, but it failed to chart. (More from Wikipedia)
A lesser known version of “Louie Louie” was released in 1960 by Rockin’ Robin Roberts backed by the Wailers, a rock band from Tacoma, Washington that is often cited as being the first garage rock band in history. It was in this recording that the famous call was introduced: “Let’s give it to ’em, right now!” Neither of these recordings made the charts though.
(June 2016)
