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.
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)
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