Top 10 Songs By The Kingsmen 

The Kingsmen Songs

Feature Photo: Scandore/Shayne (personal management), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Songs By The Kingsmen list presents the best Kingsmen songs like ” Louie Louie,” “The Jolly Green Giant” and many more. The garage-style rock band known as The Kingsmen got their start in Portland, Oregon when Lynn Easton and Jack Ely played in a gig held at Portland Hotel. Easton was on drums while Ely was the singer and guitarist. These two teens grew up together as their parents were close friends with each other. When guitarist Mike Mitchell and bassist Bob Nordby teamed up with Easton and Ely, these men became The Kingsmen. This is not the same Kingsmen that disbanded previously.

The Kingsmen Debut

In 1962, after keyboardist Don Gallucci was recruited to join The Kingsmen, the band made an observation about how popular Rockin’ Robin Roberts’s “Louie Louie” was with the crowd. After learning the song and performing their own version of what was actually Richard Berry’s 1957-released original, the popularity of The Kingsmen soared. When Ken Chase, the host of a local radio station, formed his own club in Portland, The Kingsmen were assigned as its official house band. “Louie Louie” was a local favorite that would be recorded in a studio in April 1963, that was scheduled to serve as a demo tape for a summer cruise gig. At the time, The Kingsmen were annoyed with the rushed atmosphere as they had little time to prepare themselves for this recording.

It was just the night before they did a marathon of “Louie Louie” and had no recovery time to perform this song according to their own pace in the studio. Adding to the challenge was a suspended microphone that had Ely yell as a vocalist instead of singing. Despite Ely and the rest of The Kingsmen voicing their displeasure in the recording, Chase loved the vibe of the song so much that he played it on the show he hosted for KISN. As it turned out, this became a more popular version than the same song that was playing heavily on a competitor’s radio station by Paul Revere and the Raiders. This debut single officially catapulted The Kingsmen from local fan favorites to an international level.

Interestingly enough, “Louie Louie” was banned by Matthew E. Welsh, who was the governor of Indiana at the time. It also got the FBI’s attention due to what was deemed an inappropriate word shouted out at the song’s 0:54 mark. When Lynn Easton made an error while playing drums, he yelled out a certain word that was not edited out of the recording of the song before it was released. As critics and the FBI poured so much attention into this song’s recording, its popularity of it soared even more, especially among teenage fans. In 1966, it was recorded and released again as a cleaner version but it didn’t reach as high on the music charts as the first one did.

A Family Affair

Before The Kingsmen became an international sensation with “Louie Louie,” Lynn Easton and Jack Ely were only teenagers. Easton’s mother registered the band’s name and had ownership of it. She used her position to push Easton as the lead singer and keep Ely on drums. Because of this, Ely and fellow bandmate, Bob Nordby, opted to leave the group in 1963. The two were replaced by Gary Abbott on drums and Norm Sundholm on bass. As for Don Gallucci, because he was still too young to tour with the band, was forced out. He later formed a group of his own, Don and the Goodtimes. From 1964 until 1966, the lineup of The Kingsmen featured Lynn Easton, Mike Mitchell, Gary Abbott, Barry Curtis, and Norm Sundholm. It was this group that recorded the band’s first album and went on tour. Before the tour was over, Abbott was replaced by Dick Peterson.

In the meantime, another group also called The Kingsmen was headed by Jack Ely. This led to a court battle that awarded Easton and his bandmates the legal rights to use The Kingsmen’s name. Not only did this decision force Ely to stop using the band’s name, but it also forced Easton to stop lip-syncing to Ely’s vocals. Nevertheless, “Louie Louie” was still credited to Jack Ely as the lead vocalist and still earned a gold record as part of an agreed settlement between himself and the rest of the group.

In 1967, Lynn Easton left The Kingsmen. He took a job as host of a bandstand-style show for a Portland television station. At the same time, he was also part of an advertising company, opting to put his music career behind him. Even with Easton out of the lineup, The Kingsmen continued as a group, even though they no longer experienced any further chart success since 1967’s “Bo Diddley Bach.” The modest hit failed to crack into the top one hundred on any of the US Billboard charts.

Before 1968 was over, The Kingsmen took a break from their busy recording and touring schedule. A separate lineup was formed with a new band roster that featured Yank Barry as its lead singer from 1968 to 1969. The main band roster remained inactive until 1973. At that time, they signed up with Capitol Records. There was a single that was released but it failed to make a chart appearance. In the meantime, many of The Kingsmen’s talent pursued solo projects.

In 1983, The Kingsmen sued K-tel over the release of 1982’s 60’s Dance Party as it featured a 1976 Jack Ely recording of “Louie Louie” but credited it to The Kingsmen. On the back cover of this album, it stated the songs were rerecordings by the original artists. The courts agreed this was a false statement as Ely was no longer a member of The Kingsmen as of 1966, which is a full decade prior to his 1976 solo recording.

The Kingsmen Legacy

The Kingsmen recorded and released a total of six studio albums, starting with 1963’s The Kingsmen in Person. Although Jack Ely was credited for the band’s signature single, “Louie Louie,” he left before the album itself was recorded. It is the only song that has him recognized as a member of The Kingsmen. In addition to these, there are two live albums that were released much later. The first was 1995’s Plugged and the second was 2003’s Garage Sale. There are also twenty-five compilation albums to the band’s credit and twenty singles.

When Mike Mitchell died on April 16, 2021, on what was supposed to be his seventy-seventh birthday, he was the only member left from the Kingsmen’s original lineup that still performed with the band. His infamous guitar break in “Louie Louie” was regarded as one of the most influential and popular guitar solos of all time. Mitchell’s performance set the bar for garage rock and hard rock guitar performances.

Top 10 The Kingsmen Songs

#10 – Bo Diddley Bach

Although “Bo Diddley Bach” did appear on the music charts belonging to the US Billboard Hot 100 and the US Cashbox Top 100, it did make it into the top one hundred mark. Despite this, the appeal of this song was a fast and fun tune about a boy that was given the name “Bo Diddley Bach.” That boy later grew up to become a big star, at least according to the song’s narrative, which served as a reflection of the group’s own success as musicians. What makes this song so entertaining is the deliberate design to make it a boppy number that makes it too irresistible not to dance to.

 

#9 – Annie Fanny

Released in 1965, “Annie Franny” became a number forty-seven hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as a number forty-three hit on the US Cashbox Top 100. In Canada, it was even more popular as it peaked as high as number thirteen on its official music chart. In this catchy tune, The Kingsmen fondly sing about a woman that was the subject of their admiration. When listening to The Kingsmen, much of the material served as playful tunes that became a big favorite among dance clubs and music halls shortly after they were released.

 

#8 – The Climb

In 1965, “The Climb” became a single that peaked as high as number sixty-five on the US Billboard Hot 100 for The Kingsmen. This was a song that invited listeners to engage in a dance number they called “The Climb.” As a song styled similar to “Twist and Shout,” this clap-happy number served as one of those fun tunes that are still well-appreciated as a party favorite.

 

#7 – Haunted Castle

“Haunted Castle” was first released by The Kingsmen in 1963 as the B-sided song to “Louie Louie.” Unlike the festive-style hit that turned the group into an international sensation, “Haunted Castle” was an instrumental favorite that featured no vocals. It showed the musical ability of a band that could rock it just as easily without the need to put any words into a great tune. Although this song didn’t become a hit on any of the official music charts, it still remains one of the best materials this band has ever recorded.

 

#6 – Killer Joe

In 1966, The Kingsmen recorded and released the single, “Killer Joe” as a song revolving around Frank “Killer Joe” Piro. He was an instructor who popularized the disco era by teaching members of high society how to kick it up on the dance floor. He was an award-winning dancer that sparked the discotheque scene, first in Europe, then in North America. Although “Kille Joe” only peaked as high as number seventy-seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, this song served as a catchy history lesson about the man that became so famous for his dance moves.

In 1965, Smirnoff Vodka contracted Piro to create a dance move for a new product featured in their lineup, The Mule. Like so many musical artists, The Kingsmen were inspired enough to perform a song about the man who technically is the king of the discotheque as the world knows it.

 

#5 – Death of an Angel

On the US Billboard Hot 100, “Death of an Angel” became a number forty-two hit after it was released as a single in 1964. On the US Cashbox Top 100, it peaked as high as number thirty-three. This woeful song featured the lamentation of the narrator as he tried to cope with the reality his love interest has gone out of his life with no hope of return. Although not a bit hit for The Kingsmen, it earns its place as an all-time classic rock favorite of an era that saw rock and roll continue to evolve as one of the most popular music genres in history.

 

#3 – Little Latin Lupe Lu

In 1964, “Little Latin Lupe Lu” was a single released by The Kingsmen that became a modest hit at number forty-six on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 1963, this was the hit single that launched the career of The Righteous Brothers. Written by Bill Medley in 1962, the song was written as a playful number about a girl who loved to dance. “Little Latin Lupe Lu” has been covered many times over by a number of artists. Most versions have their own twist to the song but it always remained consistent with the United States Marines and the nearby El Toro Marine base.

 

#2 – Money (That’s What I Want)

“Money (That’s What I Want)” was a follow-up single released after “Louie Louie” in 1964. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it became a number sixteen hit. Originally written as an R&B song, it was first recorded as a single in 1959 by Barrett Strong. What was an R&B classic of bluesy piano riff leading into what became one of Motown’s edgier numbers also became a classic rock hit, first with The Beatles in 1963, then with The Kingsmen in 1964. On the US Cashbox Top 100, it became a number seventeen hit. In Canada, it peaked as high as number twenty-four. The Kingsmen’s version saw this single also peak as high as number six on what is now known as the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

 

#2 – The Jolly Green Giant

In 1965, “The Jolly Green Giant” put The Kingsmen back in the top ten music charts after it peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, it became a number one hit on its CHUM charts. This single also peaked as high as number twenty-five on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Performed as a novelty song, this was based on the infamous mascot that was used to promote Green Giant products. This song was later rewritten, using The Olympics’ song, “Big Boy Pete,” to do it. Since then, there have been several versions of this hit single that have been covered by several artists, including The Ravens, and Don and the Goodtimes.

 

#1 – Louie Louie

In 1962, The Kingsmen observed Rockin’ Robin Roberts’ version of “Louie Louie” was continuously played at a club in Oregon where they were performing a gig. Inspired, Ely convinced his bandmates to learn how to play the song. However, the beat was changed as the group’s frontman misheard some of it while hearing it on the jukebox. While recording this song on April 6, 1963, the lead singer found himself yelling into the suspended microphone in an attempt to be able to hear himself while the band played their instruments.

The band was not happy with this recording as it was a rushed performance in a less-than-ideal environment. However, this was the one that turned the group into a nationwide favorite. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it became a number two hit. On the US Cashbox Top 100 and Canada’s CHUM charts, “Louie Louie” topped their respective charts. It was also a number twenty-six hit on the Official UK Singles Chart. After selling over one million copies, this single became certified gold by the RIAA.

In 1966, a cleaner version of this single was reissued after receiving criticism from some authority figures who banned the 1963 version due to an unintentional shoutout of a four-letter word that was heard at the 0:54 mark. The reissue saw “Louie Louie” only peak as high as number sixty-five on the Cashbox chart and at number ninety-seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. 1963’s “Louie Louie” remains an all-time favorite and has since been recognized worldwide for its influential impact on rock and roll’s history.

In 1985, there was a push to replace Helen Davis’s “Washington, My Home” with “Louie Louie” as the state’s official theme song. What started out as a prankish effort became a movement to boost economic and tourist development. “Louie Louie” became most famous with The Kingsmen and remains the group’s signature song.

Top 10 Songs By The Kingsmen article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022

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