RENE TOUZET – EL LOCA CHA CHA / CHUCK BERRY- HAVANA MOON – GENE NORMAN PRESENTS / CHESS ‘SPLIT ‘45

THE ROOTS OF ‘LOUIE LOUIE’….
So here’s the story of the supposed origins of the classic R’n’B song ‘Louie Louie’. Richard Berry had been working with a Latin band, Ricky Rillera and the Rhythm Rockers, every Saturday night in 1955. The Rhythm Rockers were a twelve-piece orchestra that did a tune called “El Loco Cha Cha,” a local hit by Rene Touzet. Richard Berry borrowed “El Loco”‘s “duh duh duh” opening riff. At around the same time, Chuck Berry, to whom Richard Berry is related only spiritually, had released “Havana Moon,” the story of a Cuban guy waiting for an American girl to arrive on a boat at the dock. So Richard Berry decided to mix the two up and tell the story of a guy yearning to get back to his home and his girl in Jamaica and called it ‘Louie, Louie’. It is suggested ‘Louie’ was in fact a barman that Berry is explaining his story to. Have a listen, see what you think.

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Format: Vinyl Single