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Category Archives: music
“Unintelligible at any speed”
A Flashback Friday Edition:
The Kingsmen’s raucous version of “Louie Louie” entered the Billboard Top 40 on November 30, 1963. Originally written by Richard Berry, The Kingsmen recorded their version in a small studio in Portland, Oregon in one take. The cost of the studio recording was $50, and it was produced by Ken Chase, who was looking for a live, bar room sound. Chase had the microphone installed on a boom, and Jack Ely the lead singer was forced to shout the words as he looked directly up at the boom.
Rumor quickly spread, that the record was laced with profanity, and it could be heard clearly at 33 rpm speed. Eventually, due to the hard to understand lyrics, several radio stations refused to play the song, and the Governor of Indiana, Matthew Welsh, banned the song from radio stations state wide. All of which was done over an unsubstantiated rumor. Both the FCC and the FBI investigated the song’s lyrics on the profanity charge. The FBI’s investigation lasted 31 months, at which time the FCC was forced to admit that “We found the record to be unintelligible at any speed…”
“Louie Louie” has gone on to be one of the most covered rock songs in history. Jack Ely died this past week. Ely was 71.
“Okay, let’s give it to ’em right now!”
Spinning Riverside
I walked out of the post office the other day, with a package that was obviously a vinyl record. For some reason, I simply could not remember placing an order for one recently. I knew that I had a couple of upcoming remastered albums in the pipe, but none were due to be released yet.
I went back to work, and did my thing. Eventually an evening or so later, my mind wandered back to the flat, brown cardboard. Opening the package, I saw “Full House” by Wes Montgomery. Now, I knew that this was something that I had not ordered. There were no markings on the box, or note inside.
I sliced the plastic wrap down the open end of the album cover, and pulled out the LP. I couldn’t suppress the “Oooohhh” that escaped.
Riverside.
Damn, I love the old Riverside label.
I gently placed the vinyl on the turntable, and just as I knew it would be, this is one damn fine album.
Montgomery was in San Francisco in June of 1962. Also in SF was The Miles Davis Sextet. On a Monday, when The Sextet was not playing, Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) of the Davis Sextet, joined guitarist Wes Montgomery and tenor man Johnny Griffin across the Bay in Berkeley at the “Tsubo Coffee House” for the live recording.
Pure Jazz Magic
Sometimes, it is just the little things…
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