Louie Louie: The History and Mythology of the World's Most Famous Rock 'n Roll Song; Including the Full Details of Its Torture and Persecution at the ... Introducing for the First Time Anywhere, the [Paperback]

Dave Marsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2004

A new edition of Dave Marsh's classic work on the three-chord song that rocked the world

"A tale as compelling as any John Grisham thriller."
-Rolling Stone

"Dave Marsh's Louie Louie is part rant, part rock criticism and part cultural analysis, with a good dose of Ripley's Believe It or Not! thrown in."
-The New York Times Book Review

"Marsh keeps the story of one trashy song interesting by revealing how 'three chords and a cloud of dust' contains within it the history and future of rock 'n' roll."
-Booklist

"What you don't know about 'Louie Louie' probably won't hurt you. But everything you need to know is in Marsh's book, including the lyrics-the real ones and the ones people thought they heard. If there is a better measure of your pop-cultural IQ, I don't know where to find it."
-USA Today

 

Since his days as the original editor of Creem, Dave Marsh has been revered as one of rock's greatest critics. During the 70s he was record editor at Rolling Stone, and in 1983 he founded Rock & Roll Confidential. His other books include Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s (1987), and Before I Get Old: The Story of the Who (1983).

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a vigorous discourse combining shrewd criticism and a conversational tone, Marsh ( Glory Days ) traces the evolution of one durable song from '50s cha-cha to '90s frat anthem. "Louie, Louie," in his estimation, is an archetype whose infectious "duh duh duh, duh duh" chorus bewitches teenage garage bands and major-label rockers alike. Inspired by a riff from Rene Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha," "Louie" was written in 1956 by Richard Berry, who imagined a Jamaican sailor telling Louie, a bartender, that he's leaving to meet his girl ("Louie, Louie/Me gotta go"). "Louie" later achieved a cult following in the Pacific Northwest, and in 1963 a version by the Kingsmen became a national hit. Its slurred, indecipherable lyrics (the singer wore braces at the time) led to individual interpetations and an FBI obscenity investigation. Marsh closes the book on "Louie"--for now, anyway--with a lengthy discography listing "Louie" performers from Ike and Tina Turner to Frank Zappa to grunge band Nirvana. Crammed with trivia and wit, this text convincingly argues in mock-profound terms its thesis that "Louie" is a melodic phenomenon far bigger than the mere mortals who perform it.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Here, rock critic Marsh (Born to Run, Glory Days, etc.) ventures beyond mere celeb biography or fan-boy appreciation. This cultural history of a single rock tune is an exercise in modern legend-making that also tells ``the story of rock 'n' roll in a nutshell.'' For Marsh, the official investigation of the allegedly obscene lyrics in ``Louie, Louie'' prefigures current efforts to censor pop music. The lesson in this case is skewed in Marsh's favor, since ``Louie, Louie,'' despite years of rumor and myth-making, is really a harmless sea chantey composed by a small-time performer in the mid-50's as ``an R&B dance tune with a hint of cha-cha.'' When Richard Berry sold the publication rights to the tune for $750, he had no idea it would reemerge in the early 60's as a monster hit. Although numerous West Coast artists cut versions, it wasn't until the Kingsmen recorded their slurred, one-track interpretation that the rumors began concerning the ``true'' lyrics. In Marsh's view, the ``protopunk'' sloppy recording of the song ``is the most profound and sublime expression of rock 'n' roll's ability to create something from nothing.'' Down and dirty, the Kingsmen's version frightened parents and inspired a thorough FBI investigation based on the underground circulation of spurious vulgar lyrics. Meanwhile, the ``stop-time cluster-chord'' song spawned offshoots by the Kinks, the Who, and Jimi Hendrix. The song was remade by the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Otis Redding, and disco king Barry White. There are instrumental remakes, jazz-fusion versions, punk homages, and a rap rendition. Despite references to Camille Paglia and Theodor Adorno, Marsh is no Greil Marcus. Though he tells the story of ``Louie, Louie'' well, his cultural analysis is shallow and dependent on all sorts of p.c. insights. A full discography attests to his central point: ``Louie, Louie'' lives! (Eight pages of b&w photographs) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press; 2nd edition (November 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047203023X
• ISBN-13: 978-0472030231
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,129,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Intrigue, high drama, and twists and turns May 12, 2005

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Paperback

A new preface by the author graces the pages of Louie Louie: The History & Mythology Of The World's Most Famous Rock N Roll Song. While it's hard to see how any song, however famous, could earn an entire book discussion, once you delve into Dave Marsh's Louie Louie, with its intrigue, high drama, and twists and turns, it's hard to see what took so long for the full tale to come to light - and yes, it earns its own book. This new edition provides a new preface by Marsh as it covers the complexities of a song which involved even the FBI.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Monomania: A sign of sickness December 16, 2008

By Wesley Clark

Format:Hardcover

I read this book one winter when I was suffering from an extended case of bronchitis. In some odd, mystical way it seemed to contribute to or reinforce my sickness. I mean, after all, who wants to read a book about a banality like "Louie, Louie," right? You must be sick - the confirmation is that you checked this out of the library to read.

(I distinctly recall the moment I got better: I was watching "It's a Wonderful Life" from my bed. It was at the part at the end where everyone contributes money to Jimmy Stewart. All of a sudden my fever passed, my sinuses drained and I became enthusiastic about things again.)

The book? Oh, it's quite good. A fascinating history of a song. Recommended. (Unless you feel unwell.)

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Louie,louie:the whole truth! February 11, 2011

By A. Biesenkamp

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Ever wondered what the true story was about the "dirty" lyrics in Louie louie? Wonder no more. After reading this book, you'll know the whole shocking truth (and don't say I didn't warn you).