The Kingsmen formed in Portland, Oregon in 1959 with six members: Lynn Easton on drums, Jack Ely on vocals, Bob Nordby on lead guitar, Mike Mitchell on rhythm guitar, Don Gallucci on bass, and Gary Abbott on saxophone. They were a working band playing local dances when they recorded their version of Richard Berry's rhythm and blues song "Louie Louie" in 1963.
That recording of "Louie Louie" became something else entirely. Ely's vocals were mostly unintelligible over the band's raucous performance, which led to widespread speculation about what the lyrics actually said. The FBI even investigated the song for supposedly obscene content, though they never reached a conclusion.
Beyond that single, the Kingsmen released albums like "Haunted Castle" in 1964 and put out other songs including "Annie Fanny" and "Death of an Angel." Jack Ely left the band in 1966, and they faced legal battles over the rights to "Louie Louie" that were eventually settled in their favor.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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