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The Kingsmen are a 1960s American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band from Portland, Oregon. They are best known for their 1963 recording of R&B singer Richard Berry's "
Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a Standard (music), stand ...
", which held the No. 2 spot on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' charts for six weeks and has become an enduring classic. In total, the Kingsmen charted 13 singles from 1963 to 1968 and five consecutive albums from 1963 to 1966. Their first album, '' The Kingsmen in Person'', remained on the ''Billboard'' Top LPs chart for 131 weeks from January 1964 to August 1966. Their early albums were released internationally in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, and Taiwan.


Early years

Lynn Easton and Jack Ely started performing at an early age in local newspaper-sponsored revues with the Journal Juniors and the Young Oregonians, respectively. In 1957, they started performing together, with Ely singing and playing guitar and Easton on the
drum kit A drum kit or drum set (also known as a trap set, or simply drums in popular music and jazz contexts) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and sometimes other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one p ...
. The two teenagers had grown up together, as their parents were close friends. Easton and Ely performed at local parties and events, and soon added Mike Mitchell on guitar and Bob Nordby on bass to round out the band. They called themselves the Kingsmen, taking the name from a recently disbanded group. The Kingsmen began their collective career playing at fashion shows,
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
events, and supermarket promotions, generally avoiding rock songs on their setlist. In 1962, Don Gallucci, a high school freshman at the time, was recruited from another local group, the Royal Notes, to play keyboards. Their first recording effort was an unreleased acetate of an instrumental titled "Peter Gunn Rock".


"Louie Louie"

In 1962, while playing a gig at the Pypo Club in
Seaside, Oregon Seaside is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The name Seaside is derived from ''Seaside House'', a historic summer resort built in the 1870s by railroad magnate Ben Holladay. The city's population ...
, the band noticed Rockin' Robin Roberts's version of "
Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a Standard (music), stand ...
" being played on the jukebox for hours on end with the entire club dancing. Ely convinced the Kingsmen to learn the song, which they played at dances to a great crowd response. Unknown to him, he changed the beat because he misheard it on a jukebox. Ken Chase, host of radio station KISN, opened his own club to capitalize on these dance crazes. Dubbed "The Chase", the Kingsmen became the club's
house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...
and he became the band's manager. On April 5, 1963, Chase booked the band an hour-long session at the local Northwestern Inc. studio for the following day to record a demo tape for a summer cruise ship gig. Adding to the hurried atmosphere, the band had just played a 90-minute "Louie Louie" marathon the night before. Despite the band's annoyance at having so little time to prepare, on April 6 at 10 a.m. the Kingsmen walked into the three-microphone recording studio. " Jamaica Farewell", one partial and one full take of "Louie Louie", and "Haunted Castle" were recorded. For "Louie Louie", the only vocal number, Ely was forced to lean back and sing to a microphone suspended from the ceiling. "It was more yelling than singing", Ely said, cause I was trying to be heard over all the instruments." In addition, he was wearing braces at the time of the performance, further compounding his infamously slurred words. Ely sang the beginning of the third verse two bars too early but realized his mistake and waited for the rest of the band to catch up. The Kingsmen were not proud of the recording and wanted to fix their mistakes, but Chase liked the energy and rawness and assured them that the demo version could be redone before a record was released. The one hour session cost either $36, $50, or somewhere in between and the band split the cost. With a competing "Louie Louie" version from Paul Revere and the Raiders getting heavy play on a competing station, Chase began playing the Kingsmen's demo version on his show at KISN. He then contracted with Jerry Dennon's Jerden Records to press a single. The B-side was "Haunted Castle", composed by Ely and Don Gallucci, the new keyboardist; however, Lynn Easton was credited on both the Jerden and
Wand A wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood, but may also be made of other materials, such as metal, bone or stone. Long versions of wands are often styled in forms of staves or sceptres, whi ...
releases. "Louie Louie" reached No. 1 on the '' Cashbox'' and ''
Music Vendor ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...
'' charts and No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Additionally, it reached No. 1 on the CHUM Canada chart and in the UK it reached No. 26 on the ''
Record Retailer ''Record Retailer'' was the only music trade newspaper for the UK record industry. It was founded in August 1959 as a monthly newspaper covering both labels and dealers. Its founding editor was Roy Parker (who died on 27 December 1964). The ti ...
'' chart. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a
gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
. The band attracted nationwide attention when "Louie Louie" was banned by the
governor of Indiana The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state gover ...
,
Matthew E. Welsh Matthew Empson Welsh (September 15, 1912 – May 28, 1995) was an American politician who was the Governor of Indiana, 41st governor of Indiana and a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, serving from 1961 to 1965. Hi ...
, also attracting the attention of the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
and FCC because of alleged indecent
lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...
in their version of the song. The lyrics were, in fact, innocent, but Ely's baffling enunciation permitted teenage fans and concerned parents alike to imagine the most scandalous obscenities. (Ironically, the FBI totally missed Lynn Easton yelling "Fuck!" at 0:54 after fumbling a drum fill.) All of this attention only made the song more popular. In April 1966 "Louie Louie" was reissued and once again hit the music charts, reaching No. 65 on the ''Cashbox'' chart and No. 97 on the ''Billboard Hot 100'' chart. In 1985, Ross Shafer, host and a writer-performer of the late-night comedy series '' Almost Live!'' on the
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TV station
KING King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
, spearheaded an effort to have "Louie Louie" replace "
Washington, My Home "Washington, My Home" (sometimes stylized "Washington My Home") is the List of U.S. state songs, state song of Washington (state), Washington, in the United States. It was composed in 1951 by Helen Davis and set to music by Stuart Churchill unde ...
" by Helen Davis as Washington's official
state song A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
. Picking up on this initially prankish effort,
Whatcom County Whatcom County (, ) is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts) of the Canadian province of British Columbia to t ...
Councilman Craig Cole introduced Resolution No. 85–12 in the state legislature, citing the need for a "contemporary
theme song Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
that can be used to engender a sense of pride and community, and in the enhancement of tourism and economic development". His resolution also called for the creation of a new "Louie Louie County". While the House did not pass it, the Senate's Resolution 1985-37 declared April 12, 1985, "Louie Louie Day". A crowd of 4,000, estimated by press reports, convened at the state capitol that day for speeches, singalongs, and performances by the Wailers, the Kingsmen, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Two days later, a Seattle event commemorated the occasion with the premiere performance of a new, Washington-centric version of the song written by composer Berry. Other Kingsmen "Louie Louie" versions with either Lynn Easton or Dick Peterson as lead vocalist appeared on ''Live & Unreleased'' (recorded 1963, released 1992), ''Live at the Castle'' (recorded 1964, released 2011), ''Shindig! Presents Frat Party'' (VHS, recorded 1965, released 1991), ''60s Dance Party'' (1982), ''California Cooler Presents Cooler Hits'' (recorded 1986, released 1987), ''The Louie Louie Collection'' (as the Mystery Band, 1994), ''Red, White & Rock'' (2002), ''Garage Sale'' (recorded 2002, released 2003), and ''My Music: '60s Pop, Rock & Soul'' (DVD, 2011). Peterson also released a solo version on the 1999 ''Circle of Friends, Volume 1'' CD. Over the years the Kingsmen's version of "Louie Louie" has been recognized by organizations and publications worldwide for its influence on the history of
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
. Rankings and recognition in major publications and surveys are shown in the table below.


Kingsmen history

Before the success of "Louie Louie", the members of the Kingsmen took varied paths. Easton, whose mother had registered the name of the group and therefore owned it, declared that from this point on he intended to be the singer asserting, "It's my band because I own the name", and forcing Ely to play the drums. This led Ely and Nordby to quit the group in 1963, and Gary Abbott and Norm Sundholm were added to play drums and bass, respectively. (The liner notes for the first album, '' The Kingsmen In Person'', presented an abridged history with no mention of Ely or Nordby and with Easton as the group’s sole founder and creative force.) Don Gallucci was forced out because he was not old enough to tour and later formed Don and the Goodtimes, which morphed into the short-lived
Touch The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...
. Later, Gallucci became a record producer with
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
, with his most famous production being
the Stooges The Stooges or Iggy and the Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexande ...
' seminal second album '' Fun House''. The two remaining original Kingsmen, Lynn Easton and Mike Mitchell, were joined by Gary Abbott, Barry Curtis and Norm Sundholm to record their first album and tour as the official band. Dick Peterson (not Dickie Peterson) replaced Gary Abbott shortly thereafter. This line-up stayed intact from 1964 into 1966 and charted multiple singles and albums with Easton as the principal vocalist. After Ely's departure and considerable chart success by the new line-up, the group learned that he was performing with another group as The Kingsmen. Following legal action, a settlement was reached and Easton, Mitchell, Peterson, Curtis and Sundholm established their rights to the "Kingsmen" name. Thus, Ely was forced to stop using the name, Easton could no longer
lip sync Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , like the word ''sink'', despite the Hard and soft C, spelling of the participial forms ''synced'' and ''syncing''), short for lip synchronization, is a technical term for matching a Speech, speaking or singin ...
to Ely's vocals, and subsequent releases of "Louie Louie" were required to have the text "Lead vocal by Jack Ely" below the title. Unable to perform using the Kingsmen name, Ely continued with his groups the Squires and the Courtmen. He also received a
gold record Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
for "Louie Louie" as part of the settlement. The Kingsmen's 1964 follow up to "Louie Louie" was a party version of "
Money (That's What I Want) "Money (That's What I Want)" is a rhythm and blues song written by Tamla founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford, which was the first hit record for Gordy's Motown enterprise. Barrett Strong recorded it in 1959 as a single for the Tamla label, ...
" which hit the ''Billboard Hot 100'' at No. 16 and on ''Cashbox'' at No. 17. Then came " Little Latin Lupe Lu" peaking on ''Billboard'' at No. 46 and ''Cashbox'' at No. 49. After that it was "Death of An Angel" No. 33 on ''Cashbox'' and No. 42 on ''Billboard''. After starting 1965 with their own float in the Rose Bowl Parade, the Kingsmen returned to the Top 10 nationally with " The Jolly Green Giant" reaching No. 4 on ''Billboard'' and No. 8 on ''Cashbox''. The novelty number also made No. 25 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and hit No. 1 on the ''RPM'' Canada chart. The follow-up song was "The Climb", No. 45 on ''Cashbox'' and No. 65 on ''Billboard''. "Annie Fanny" was released next reaching No. 43 on ''Cashbox'' and No. 47 on ''Billboard''. Next came " (You Got) The Gamma Goochee", No. 98 on ''Cashbox'' and No. 122 on ''Billboard''. The group also appeared in the beach party movie '' How to Stuff a Wild Bikini'' singing "Give Her Lovin'" (released as a B-side to "Annie Fanny") which appeared on the soundtrack album along with their recording of the title song. In 1966 the Kingsmen continued to hit the charts with "Killer Joe" reaching No. 77 on ''Billboard'' and No. 81 on ''Cashbox''. Their original recording of "Louie Louie" was re-released as "Louie Louie 64-65-66" and re-entered the ''Billboard'', ''Cash Box'', and ''Record World'' charts. They also released a promotional item, a "picture-sleeve-clad potato-chip ad jingle 45" titled "The Krunch", their only picture sleeve single, which did not chart. 1966 also saw two Kingsmen departures: Barry Curtis was drafted and Norm Sundholm opted to work full time for
Sunn Sunn (stylized in all lowercase as sunn) is a brand of musical instrument amplifiers based in Tualatin, Oregon, United States. History In early 1963, the Kingsmen, a band based in Portland, Oregon, became known for their hit version of th ...
amplifiers, a business he had started in 1964 with his brother. Replacements were J.C. Rieck on keyboards (until Curtis's return) and Kerry Magness on bass, with Magness soon giving way to Pete Borg and then Jeff Beals. In 1967 they made the charts for the last time with "Bo Diddley Bach" reaching No. 128 on ''Billboard'', and in July founding member Lynn Easton left the group. He worked for an advertising firm and hosted ''this is IT'', a "bandstand-type" show for Portland television station
KGW KGW (channel 8) is a television station in Portland, Oregon, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on Jefferson Street in southwestern Portland, and its transmitter is located in the city's ...
. Singer Turley Richards was brought in as Easton's replacement, but he departed later that same year. In 1968 with the original group on a recording and touring hiatus, the Kingsmen's management team worked with the Kasenetz- Katz production organization and studio musicians to release a single on the Earth label ("Feed Me"/"Just A 'B' Side"). A separate lineup was formed with new members (including lead singer Yank Barry) to tour for a time during 1968–1969 on the East Coast of the United States while the main lineup of the band was inactive. In 1973 the reactivated group signed with Capitol and released one single which did not chart. In addition to Jack Ely's groups and re-recordings, several of the Kingsmen pursued other solo projects. Dick Peterson and Barry Curtis as the Other Two released two singles in 1966, and Lynn Easton re-recorded "The Jolly Green Giant" in 1976. Peterson as Dick St. Nicklaus released two albums, ''Magic'' (1979) and ''Sweet and Dandy'' (1980), and multiple singles. In 2002, Barry Curtis and Steve Peterson joined the revived line-up of The Daily Flash. In 1983, the group successfully sued
K-tel K-tel International Ltd is a Canadian company which formerly specialized in selling consumer products through infomercials and live demonstration. Its products include compilation music albums, including ''The Super Hits'' series, ''The Dynamic ...
over the release of the 1982 ''60's Dance Party'' album because it featured a 1976 Jack Ely re-recording of "Louie Louie" billed as by "The Kingsmen" and displayed the text "These selections are rerecordings by the original artists" on the back cover. K-tel had also similarly marketed the Lynn Easton re-recording of "The Jolly Green Giant". Also in 1983, a music video, ''The Kingsmen – Live at Delta House'', aired on
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
. Directed by David Jester, the video recreated the raucous, toga party atmosphere popularized in '' National Lampoon's Animal House'' using the "Delta House" on the University of Oregon campus. Bassist Fred Dennis was featured as the lead vocalist. In 1993, members of the group brought legal action against
Gusto Records Gusto Records is a Nashville, Tennessee-based record company that specializes in reissuing and licensing recordings. The catalogues that Gusto owns include King Records (except for recordings by James Brown), Starday, Scepter (except for rec ...
to have all of their original recordings returned. Gusto had acquired the Kingsmen song rights from Springboard International Records, Inc., who had purchased the entire Scepter-Wand catalog in 1977 after Florence Greenberg's retirement, but the group had not been paid royalties since 1968. In 1998, the Kingsmen were awarded ownership of all their early recordings, including "Louie Louie". When Jack Ely died on April 28, 2015, obituaries were published by the
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, ''Time'', ''Washington Post'', ''New York Times'', ''The Times'', and others. Critic
Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born ) is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has published num ...
said that Ely's vocal made the Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" "...the classic that it is." Lynn Easton died on April 24, 2020. Mike Mitchell died on April 16, 2021, on his 77th birthday. At the time of his death, he was the only remaining member of the Kingsmen's original lineup who still performed with the band. His "Louie Louie" guitar break has been called "iconic", "blistering", and "one of the most famous guitar solos of all time". ''
Guitar Player ''Guitar Player'' was an American magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francis ...
'' magazine noted, "Raw, lightning-fast, and loud, the solo's unbridled energy helped make the song a No. 2 pop hit, but also helped set the template for garage-rock – and later hard-rock – guitar." As of 2025, Bob Nordby and Don Gallucci are the last surviving members of the "Louie Louie" line-up.


Members


Current

*Dick Peterson – drums, vocals (1963–present) *Steve Peterson – guitar, vocals (1988–present) *Kim Nicklaus – keyboards (1982–1984, 2000–present) *Todd McPherson – bass, guitar, vocals (1992–present) *Dennis Mitchell – guitar, vocals (2006–present) *Marc Willett – bass (1984–1992), (2021–present)


Former

*Mike Mitchell – vocals, guitar (1959–2021; died 2021) *Lynn Easton – vocals, drums, saxophone (1959–1967; died 2020) * Jack Ely – vocals, guitar (1959–1963; died 2015) *Bob Nordby – bass (1959–1963) *Don Gallucci – keyboards (1962–1963) *Gary Abbott – drums (1963; died 2015) *Norm Sundholm – bass (1963–1967) *Barry Curtis – keyboards, guitar (1963–2005) *Kerry Magness – bass (1966–1967; died 2004) *J.C. Rieck – keyboards, vocals (1966–1967; died 2019) * Turley Richards – vocals, guitar (1967) *Pete Borg – bass (1967; died 2010) *Jeff Beals – bass (1967–1968; died 2016) *Steve Friedson – keyboards (1967–1973) *Yank Barry – vocals (1968–1969) *Fred Dennis – bass (1972–1984) *Andy Parypa – bass (1982–1984)


Timeline

ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:80 top:0 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1959 till:01/12/2023 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1959 Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards id:Sax value:yellow legend:Saxophone id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album id:live value:gray(0.5) legend:Live_album LineData = layer:back color:studio at:28/12/1963 at:01/01/1964 at:20/02/1965 at:04/11/1965 at:20/08/1966 at:01/12/1966 layer:back color:live at:01/12/1992 at:29/08/1994 at:01/01/1995 at:01/01/2003 at:01/03/2011 BarData = bar:Mike text:Mike Mitchell bar:Jack text:Jack Ely bar:Turley text:Turley Richards bar:Steve text:Steve Peterson bar:Dennis text:Dennis Mitchell bar:Lynn text:Lynn Easton bar:Gary text:Gary Abbott bar:Dick text:Dick Peterson bar:Bob text:Bob Nordby bar:Norm text:Norm Sundholm bar:Kerry text:Kerry Magness bar:Pete text:Pete Borg bar:Jeff text:Jeff Beals bar:Fred text:Fred Dennis bar:Andy text:Andy Parypa bar:Marc text:Marc Willet bar:Todd text:Todd McPherson bar:Don text:Don Gallucci bar:Barry text:Barry Curtis bar:JC text:J.C. Reick bar:SteveF text:Steve Friedson bar:Kim text:Kim Nicklaus PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Mike from:start till:16/04/2021 color:vocals width:3 bar:Mike from:start till:16/04/2021 color:guitar bar:Lynn from:start till:01/01/1967 color:vocals width:3 bar:Lynn from:start till:01/01/1963 color:drums bar:Lynn from:01/01/1963 till:01/01/1967 color:sax bar:Jack from:start till:01/01/1963 color:vocals width:3 bar:Jack from:start till:01/01/1963 color:guitar bar:Bob from:start till:01/01/1963 color:bass bar:Don from:01/01/1962 till:01/01/1963 color:keyboards bar:Gary from:01/01/1963 till:01/06/1963 color:drums bar:Norm from:01/01/1963 till:01/01/1967 color:bass bar:Barry from:01/01/1963 till:01/01/1966 color:keyboards bar:Barry from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/2005 color:keyboards bar:Kerry from:01/01/1967 till:06/01/1967 color:bass bar:JC from:01/01/1966 till:01/01/1968 color:keyboards bar:JC from:01/01/1966 till:01/01/1968 color:vocals width:3 bar:Turley from:01/01/1967 till:01/06/1967 color:vocals width:3 bar:Turley from:01/01/1967 till:01/06/1967 color:guitar bar:Pete from:06/01/1967 till:06/01/1969 color:bass bar:Jeff from:06/01/1969 till:01/01/1972 color:bass bar:SteveF from:01/01/1967 till:01/01/1973 color:keyboards bar:Fred from:01/01/1972 till:01/01/1982 color:bass bar:Fred from:01/01/1972 till:01/01/1982 color:vocals width:3 bar:Andy from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1984 color:bass bar:Kim from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1984 color:keyboards bar:Kim from:01/01/2000 till:end color:keyboards bar:Marc from:01/01/1984 till:01/01/1992 color:bass bar:Marc from:01/01/2021 till:end color:bass bar:Dick from:01/06/1963 till:end color:vocals width:3 bar:Dick from:01/06/1963 till:end color:drums bar:Todd from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/2021 color:bass bar:Todd from:01/01/2021 till:end color:guitar bar:Todd from:01/01/1992 till:end color:vocals width:3 bar:Dennis from:01/01/2006 till:end color:guitar bar:Dennis from:01/01/2006 till:end color:vocals width:3 bar:Steve from:01/01/1988 till:end color:guitar bar:Steve from:01/01/1988 till:end color:vocals width:3


Discography

U.S. albums and singles, plus major compilation releases and appearances on 1960s various artist compilations.


Studio albums

Listed in chronological order with peak chart positions (''Billboard''/''Cashbox'') noted. *'' The Kingsmen in Person'' (Wand WDM/WDS-657) 1963 (#20/#16) *'' The Kingsmen Volume II'' (Wand WDM/WDS-659) 1964 (#15/#20) *'' The Kingsmen Volume 3'' (Wand WDM/WDS-662) 1965 (#22/#10) *'' The Kingsmen on Campus'' (Wand WDM/WDS-670) 1965 (#68/#53) *'' 15 Great Hits'' (Wand WDM/WDS-674) 1966 (#87/–) *'' Up and Away'' (Wand WDM/WDS-675) 1966


Live albums

* ''Plugged'' (Kingsmen CD 1) 1995 * ''Garage Sale'' (Louie Louie Records) 2003


Releases of earlier material

* ''Louie Louie – Live & Unreleased'' (Jerden 7004) recorded 1963, released 1992 *''Since We've Been Gone'' ( Sundazed 6027) recorded 1967, released 1994 *''Live At The Castle'' (digital only) recorded 1964, released 2011


Compilation albums

*'' The Kingsmen Greatest Hits'' (Wand WDM/WDS-681) 1967 *''The Best of the Kingsmen'' (Scepter/Citation Series CTN-18002) 1972 *''A Quarter to Three'' (Picc-A-Dilly PIC-3329) 1980 *''Ya Ya'' (Picc-A-Dilly PIC-3330) 1980 *''House Party'' (Picc-A-Dilly PIC-3346) 1980 *''The Kingsmen Greatest Hits'' (Picc-A-Dilly PIC-3348) 1981 *''The Best of the Kingsmen'' (Rhino RNLP 126) 1985 *''Rock & Roll – Kingsmen'' (Starday N5-2125) 1985 *''Louie Louie – The Kingsmen'' (Prime Cuts 1322) 1986 *''The Kingsmen – 12 Greatest'' (Golden Circle CS 57582) 198? *''The Kingsmen – Louie, Louie'' (Golden Circle GC57881) 1987 *''The Jolly Green Giant'' (Richmond 2125) 1988 *''The Kingsmen – Louie Louie'' (Highland Music/Richmond 2138) 1988 *''The Best of the Kingsmen'' (Rhino 70745) 1989 *''The Kingsmen – Louie Louie and More Golden Classics'' (Collectables 5073) 1991 *''The Kingsmen – 20 Greats'' (Highland Music/Festival FST FCD 4417) 1991 *''The World of the Kingsmen/Louie Louie'' (Trace 0400612) 1992 *''Louie Louie'' 1994 *''The Best of the Kingsmen'' (Laserlight/Delta 124 24) 1995 *''The Very Best of the Kingsmen'' (Varèse Sarabande/Varèse Vintage 5905) 1998 *''The Kingsmen's Greatest Hits'' (K-tel K4185-2) 1998 *''Louie Louie: The Very Best of the Kingsmen'' (Collectables 5628) 1999 *''The Kingsmen – America's Premier 60s Garage Band'' (Edel America 70172) 2000 *''The Kingsmen – Gold'' (N'Dagroove Records NDA5331) 2012 *''The Kingsmen – Louie Louie and Other Great Hits'' (Goodtime B093RPTKG2) 2021


EPs

International releases in Brazil, France, Spain, and U.K.


Singles


Appearances (1960s releases)

*''Original Great Northwest Hits, Volume 1'' ( Jerden JRL 7001, 1964) – "Louie Louie" *''Original Great Northwest Hits, Volume 2'' (Jerden JRL 7002, 1964) – "J.A.J." *''The Groups are the Greatest – The Greatest of the Groups'' (
Scepter A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia, signifying sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...
518, 1964) – "Louie Louie", "Money", "Bent Scepter" *''
Murray The K Murray Kaufman (February 14, 1922 – February 21, 1982), professionally known as Murray the K, was a New York City rock and roll impresario and disc jockey of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. During the early days of Beatlemania, he frequently referre ...
– The
Fifth Beatle The fifth Beatle is an informal title that has been applied to people who were at one point a member of the Beatles or who had a strong association with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The term originated in 196 ...
Gives You Their Golden Gassers'' (Scepter 524, 1964) – "Louie Louie", "Money" *''The Greatest on Stage'' (
Wand A wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood, but may also be made of other materials, such as metal, bone or stone. Long versions of wands are often styled in forms of staves or sceptres, whi ...
661, 1965) – "David's Mood", "Money", "Louie Louie" *'' How to Stuff a Wild Bikini'' soundtrack (Wand 671, 1965) – "Give Her Lovin'", "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" *''The Hitmakers'' (Jerden JRL 7005, 1965) – " Twist and Shout", "All the Little Animals" *'' KHJ Boss Goldens, Volume 1'' ( Original Sound KHJ 9365, 1965) – "The Jolly Green Giant" *'' Wolfman's Favorite Oldies'' (Scepter 564, 1967) – "Louie Louie", "Killer Joe" *''Battle of the Bands, Volume 2'' (Panorama 109, 1967) – " C.C. Rider" *''보칼 넘버원! 제1집'', (Daedo Records EU-138, 1968) – "Louie Louie" ;Discography notes


Other uses of the name

Prior to this group's formation, another group called The Kingsmen operated in 1958 and was made up of members of
Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band formed in 1947 and continuing until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...
who were moonlighting from their regular work with Haley. This group scored a
hit record A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...
(#35) on ''Billboard'' with the instrumental entitled "Week End", written by
Rudy Pompilli Rudolph Clement Pompilii (April 16, 1924 – February 5, 1976) was an American musician best known for playing tenor saxophone with Bill Haley and His Comets. He was usually credited under the alternate spelling Rudy Pompilli and occasionally as ...
, Franny Beecher, and Billy Williamson, backed with "Better Believe It" as the B side. They released a follow-up single on East West Records featuring "The Catwalk" backed with "Conga Rock". Although the Comets did the actual recordings, when the Kingsmen went on tour a different set of musicians performed instead of Haley's people. The band made at least one appearance on ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
'' in 1958. Many other groups have used the name "The Kingsmen", including a
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
vocal group A musical ensemble, also known as a music group, musical group, or a band is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrume ...
formed in 1956 (also referred to as The Kingsmen Quartet), and bands that were later renamed as Flamin' Groovies, The Gants and
The Statler Brothers The Statler Brothers (sometimes simply referred to as The Statlers) were an American country music, gospel, and vocal group from Staunton, Virginia. The quartet was formed in 1955 performing locally, and from 1964 to 1972, they sang as opening a ...
. An
a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
group at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
is traditionally known as the Kingsmen; former members include
Art Garfunkel Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, actor and poet who is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, Garfunkel became acquainte ...
and the original lineup of Sha Na Na.


Further reading

* * * *
Ace Records (UK) Ace Records Ltd. is a British record label founded in 1978. Initially the company only gained permission from the Ace Records (United States), similarly named label based in Mississippi to use the name in the UK, but eventually also acquired t ...
; ''Love that Louie'' CD sleevenotes. *
Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
; ''The Best of Louie Louie'' CD sleevenotes. * Renaissance Records; ''
Touch The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...
'' CD sleevenotes.


References


External links


Official Kingsmen webpage
* *
The Kingsmen at Northwest Music Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingsmen, The 1959 establishments in Oregon Musical groups established in 1959 Garage rock groups from Oregon Musical groups from Portland, Oregon American protopunk groups Wand Records artists Vogue Schallplatten artists