Today is Christmas, and we are celebrating this special day.
Mojo Nixon provided a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas with a LOUIE LOUIE theme, which we’re sharing once again….
On these LouieLouie.net pages, there was an attempt to merge LOUIE LOUIE celebrations with the 12 Days of Christmas theme, which changed into a “12 Days ’til Christmas” theme after we realized it wasn’t following the proper structure of traditional “12 Days of Christmas” concept… which led to the numbering system getting a bit messed up.
We also looked for likewise-minded celebrations that someone else might have attempted, but the closest thing we could find was a NASTY but funny clip called “The 12 Days of Uncle Louie.”
We were also thinking of creating a big ambitious video clip that would consist of stock film footage of partridges, turtle doves, French hens, calling birds, assorted people wearing golden rings, lots of geese a-laying, many swans a-swimming, more maids a-milking, lots of ladies dancing, some lords leaping, various pipers piping and a whole bunch of drummers making assorted sounds that would all be combined into a massive mashup of LOUIE LOUIE and the song “The 12 Days of Christmas.”
Unfortunately, as we ran out of time and resources, that little project never happened.
BUT.. we did find a cool video clip of various animals singing “12 Days of Christmas!”
In the meantime, we leave you with this clip of a performance that does combine LOUIE LOUIE with another song. This medley-mashup combines LOUIE LOUIE with the Vince Guaraldi song “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” as performed by Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin.
That being said, the concept of “casting your find to the wind” during this weird moment in history when airborne particles are potentially more dangerous than ever before, is not necessarily a wise move.
We’d like to encourage our fellow citizens to act responsibly, and wear face masks when in the presence of other humans. (Airborne particles CAN travel 20 feet)
As long as people refuse the call to act responsibly, the longer we’ll have to deal with this damned pandemic.
We wish all of our friends the best of health during these extremely challenging times.
It’s the 11th day of the 12 days ’til LOUIE LOUIE 2020 Christmas celebration, and we’ve thinking about …
Frank Zappa
A diverse composer/performer/producer that was able to blend rock, pop, jazz fusion, doo-wop vocals and orchestral sounds into some beautifully unique music.
A brilliant cynical mind with a wicked sense of humor.
On Monday, December 21st, we celebrated his 80th birthday, wishing he didn’t have to leave the party 27 years ago.
This year, we also celebrated the release of “Zappa” – the authorized documentary of Frank Zappa, directed by Alex Winter, the “Bill” of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures.
I really enjoyed this one – I found it to be one of the highlights of an otherwise difficult year.
As we near the blessed end of 2020, let’s revisit the time Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention inspired some fans to combine the group’s experimental music with a fragment of America’s decaying pop-culture symbolism: Santa Claus. Gather ‘round the computer and burn some incense—it’s time to experience “Twas The Night Before Christmas” through the twisted mindset of Zappa’s avant-garde song “Absolutely Free,” thanks to one fan, his brother Bob, and a little help from the Yippies.
First, a little background: “Absolutely Free,” from the Mothers album We’re Only In It For the Money, just so happens to sync up nearly perfectly with a black-and-white short from 1946—a visual narration of the traditional Clement Clarke Moore poem “Twas The Night Before Christmas.” The nine-minute short blends live action with animation, and features an uncharacteristically giddy moon, humanized eggs dancing over sleeping children’s heads, and a mouse who looks more like a rat. The mashup itself—discovered nearly five decades ago—is the work of Zappa fan and Oakland, California resident Richard McQuillan (plus his brother, Bob). See it for yourself:
It’s the 10th day of the 12 days ’til LOUIE LOUIE 2020 Christmas celebration, and we’ve got …
“Pharaoh Pharaoh”
“Pharaoh Pharaoh” is an interesting variation of LOUIE LOUIE. It’s the revised version of LOUIE LOUIE that uses completely different lyrics to tell the biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. It’s been adopted by various Christian and Jewish groups as a playful song that can be easily sung at Sunday schools, summer camps, youth ministries, and assorted church gatherings.
The song was something of a fluke. Tony Sbrana was a high school senior when he created “Pharaoh Pharaoh” in 1971. In an era when “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Godspell” were mainstream theatrical successes, Tony and two of his fellow students created a rock opera for their “Bible As Literature” class project. “Pharaoh Pharaoh” was written as a parody of LOUIE LOUIE.
The fact that the very first version of LOUIE LOUIE ever recorded was by Richard Berry and the Pharaohs was completely coincidental.
For about year or so, Tony Sbrana and his collaborators would perform their rock opera at various church groups, before stopping it altogether.
Unbeknownst to Tony, this little “Pharaoh Pharaoh” song of his took on a life of it’s own. 1n 1987, Tony found out this parody song of his had become a popular song on the church circuit. Apparently someone must have heard Tony’s performance of this song, and shared it with others, not knowing who wrote this song.
Since then, Tony has rectified the situation, taking credit for creating this inspired reinvention of Richard Berry‘s iconic song, which is, of course, taking on a whole new life on YouTube.
Merry Christmas time!
Happy Hannukah celebrations!
Festive Winter Solstice!
…. and a Happy Birthday to Richard D’Juan Berry, grandson of the Richard Berry that wrote LOUIE LOUIE!
It’s the 9th day of the 12 days ’til LOUIE LOUIE 2020 Christmas, and we’re thinking about…
Rockin’ Robin Roberts
For many people, especially in the Pacific Northwest, Rockin’ Robin Roberts provided the definitive version of LOUIE LOUIE in 1961. Backed by the (Fabulous) Wailers of Tacoma, Washington, this was THE version that transformed Richard Berry‘s composition into an extremely popular regional hit record that created the prototype for the Kingsmen and Paul Revere & the Raiders to follow.
Today is the 53rd anniversary of the tragic death of Rockin’ Robin Roberts. He died in a terrible auto accident on December 22, 1967 in San Mateo, California three days before Christmas.
There’s certainly been no shortage of tragedy in 2020, as so many of us have lost loved ones, and this truly has been a very challenging year.
Please remember that you are not alone in your sadness…. especially now… more than ever.
Thank you for reading this.
– E.P. of LouieLouie.net
P.S. I was reminded by my friend Stretch Riedle about our little road trip to Tacoma in August 1998. It was a day or two after our LOUIE panel at the NXNW Festival in Portland. We needed to pay a visit Robin’s gravesite. It was quite a feeling to be standing in the presence of the man who helped put LOUIE LOUIE on the map forever. We honored his memory with a bottle of LOUIE LOUIE Wine Cooler, and raised a toast with our own impromptu, unrecorded rendition.
It’s the 8th day of the 12 days ’til LOUIE LOUIE 2020 Christmas, and the first day of Winter, which makes it a perfect day for…
Johnny Winter
Johnny’s version of LOUIE LOUIE, unlike most of his other recordings, was not a standard blues-oriented performance. Instead, it had more of a Louisiana Zydeco type of groove. There’s not many details about Johnny’s recording of this song, but this was one of his early audio recordings when working with Roy E. Ames, a prominent music producer in Houston, Texas. As Johnny (and many other Texas-based musicians) discovered, Mr. Ames turned out to be a less-than-ethic businessman, and leaving Houston area turned out to be one of the best things he ever did for his career.
While Mr. Ames released a lot of Johnny Winter music (without ever paying any royalties to Mr. Winter), either on his own record labels or licensed out to other record companies, it appears that the first release of Johnny’s version of LOUIE LOUIE occurred as the first track on “A Lone Star Kind of Day,” a 1990 CD from the Relix label. This version was also on the 3-CD box set entitled “Blues In A Box,” which was released in 1998 on the M.I.L. Multimedia label, followed by a re-release of “A Lone Star Kind of Day” CD as 4-CD box set entitled “A Winters Tale,” which was sold by Past & Present Records in 2000, repeated again as “Dust Bowl Blues” -a 3CD set from Alchemy Entertainment in 2004.
I’m not even sure that Johnny actually sang on this version, as it’s been noted that it might have been bass player I.P. “Ike” Sweat or Jerry “Count” Jackson singing lead vocal on these early recordings with Mr. Ames.
As Mr. Ames passed away in 2003, leaving behind a lot of unresolved lawsuits from a multitude of other unpaid musicians, it’s anybody’s guess if or when this music may ever be re-issued.
Of course, Johnny also left us in 2014.
As fate would have it, I just found out about a newly-discovered live recording of that song by Johnny Winter. It’s on a limited edition, numbered, marbled translucent blue vinyl LP from Germany entitled “Also In Summer.”
I just ordered a couple of copies, and with any luck, I hope to get ’em within a week and hear what this newer version sounds like…
A HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE to ALL!!
(Still haven’t found any partridges, turtle doves, French hens, calling birds golden rings, geese a-laying, swans a-swimming…. or even any maids a-milking…. sigh….)
This is what you call a “Sunday Morning Coming Down” type version… just like when Kris Kristofferson wrote about “no way to hold my head that didn’t hurt.”
On the 6th day of the 12 days ’til LOUIE LOUIE 2020 Christmas, and someone gave to me…
Los Rebeldes
Los Rebeldes is another great rock band from Spain that I recently found out about. This band was formed in Barcelona in 1979 by Carlos Segarra on vocals+ guitar, Aurelio Morata on bass and Moisés Sorolla on drums. They’ve been playing for over 40 years and are considered to be one of the most important rockabilly bands to emerge from the Spanish music scene.
Their version of LOUIE LOUIE is a very powerful live rendition that seems to borrow some signature elements from versions by Paul Revere & the Raiders, Richard Berry & the Pharaohs, the Fabulous Wailers, the Kingsmen, and the Sonics.
From what I can tell, this version is only available on Corazón de Rock And Roll – a commemorative 8-CD compilation released by Sony Music in 2019 to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary.
I do like this one a lot!
Still haven’t found evidence of partridges, pear trees, turtle doves, or French hens involved with any LOUIE recordings…but still looking…
It’s the 4th day of the 12 days ’til LOUIE LOUIE 2020 Christmas, and someone gave to me…
STUTTERBOX!!
Stutterbox provides one of those quirky instrumental versions of the song where one might not know how to categorize it into one of the proper music genres. Is it jazz? Is it blues? It it rock ‘n’ roll? …. or maybe it’s DIRGE*? … “somber song or lament expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral?”
I have no idea, but today we’ll use this “Stutterbox” concept to honor those that have stuttered, yet persisted in spite of occasional speech impediments… and somehow became highly influential beings?
Stutter on this – a catchy version of the song that doesn’t sound anything at all like the familiar hit records… and you can absolutely make up your words!!
…. and if you DO come up with some beautifully inspirational words.. PLEASE record and share it, OK?
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The term “stutter box” is actually used to define two very different devices.
First and foremost, a “stutterbox” can refer to a device used to alter the sound of amplified music. I saw a great product description on reverb.com:
“The Stutterbox is a pure analog tremolo that uses a light source and a photocell to create its pulsating effect, reminiscent of our favorite vintage tube amps, combined with a powerful tap tempo control.”
Second, I’ve also seen the term “stutter box” refer to devices used to enhance engine performance on race cars and motorcycles. A post on nightrider.com provided a solid demonstration on how one could be installed on a 1994 Harley-Davidson FXDL:
“A two-step rev-limiter or stutter box is a common addition to drag race bikes as a way to improve the launch and 60 foot times. Here are some instructions for installing a clutch position switch required to operate a stutter box on the motorcycle.”
This Luton based band played lots of gigs between 1964 & 1966 covering the northern Home Counties, London and East Anglia.
The prize for winning a News of the World ‘Beat Contest’ was a session at Abbey Road where they recorded Jaqueline c/w Louie Louie.
“If you want to get ahead, get a hatter’, for Albert Burke, manager at one of the largest hat factories in the world at the time, became manager of his son’s group, initially named Bryan And The Hangmen before settling on Bryan And The Brunelles.
After a few months, Mr. Burke decided to reorganise the instrumentation of the group – out went the rhythm guitar, in came the organ. In late 1964, Mr. Burke saw an advert in ‘The News Of The World’ for a beat group contest. Bryan and the boys had already made a taped demo disc, so Mr. Burke sent it off to the newspaper without telling anyone he had done it. By return post came an invitation to a recording test at E.M.I’s St. John’s Wood, London, studios. . .” ~ Mikey Dread
Here’s a YouTube clip for their recording of LOUIE LOUIE..
… and here’s a contemporary music video that was created for their flipside, “Jacqueline.”
A big thanks once again goes out to my friend Zachary F. Lively, who’s been posting some remarkable LOUIE LOUIEs on his Facebook page… which included this fine band!
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