Richard Berry (born in Extension, Louisiana on 11 April 1935; died 23 Janua… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Berry (born in Extension, Louisiana on 11 April 1935; died 23 January 1997) was an American singer and songwriter, best known as the composer and original performer of the rock standard "Louie Louie" (released in 1957 by Richard Berry & The Pharaohs).
Berry moved with his family to Los Angeles as a baby. He began singing and playing in local doo-wop groups, recording with several of them including The Penguins, The Cadets and The Chimes, before joining The Flairs (who also recorded as The Debonaires and The Flamingoes) in 1953.
The Flairs’ record "She Wants To Rock", on Modern Records, featured Berry’s bass vocals, and was an early production by Leiber and Stoller. When, a few months later, that pair needed a bass voice for their production of The Robins’ "Riot In Cell Block #9" on Spark Records, they recruited Berry to provide the menacing introduction to the song – uncredited, as he was contracted to Modern. Berry’s voice was also used at Modern, again uncredited, as the counterpoint to Etta James on her first record and big hit, "The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)", and several of its less successful follow-ups. Berry also recorded with several other groups on the Modern and Flair labels, including The Crowns, and girl group The Dreamers (who later became The Blossoms).
By the end of 1954, he left the Flairs to form his own group, the Pharaohs (see Richard Berry & The Pharaohs), while also continuing to work with other groups as a singer and songwriter. One of these was a Latin and R&B group, Rick Rillera and The Rhythm Rockers. In 1955, Berry was inspired to write a new calypso-style song, "Louie Louie", based on The Rhythm Rockers version of René Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha", and also influenced by Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon". Richard Berry & the Pharaohs recorded and released the song on Flip Records in 1957, originally as a B-side. It became a minor regional hit, and, when the group toured the Pacific Northwest, several local R&B bands began to adopt the song and established its popularity. "Louie Louie" finally became a major hit when The Kingsmen's raucous version – with little trace of its calypso-like origins other than in its lyrics - became a national and international hit in 1963. The nearly unintelligible (and innocuous) lyrics were widely misinterpreted as obscene, and the song was banned by radio stations and even investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The song has been recorded over 1,000 times, but, because Berry sold its copyright cheaply in 1959, he received little financial reward for its success for many years.
Berry continued to record in the late 1950s, but with little commercial success, and also continued as a performer. His other songs included "Crazy Lover", recorded on their 1987 debut album by the Rollins Band.
During the 1980s, "Louie Louie" received a number of unprecedented accolades, with hundreds of cover versions being issued on CD compilations and played on radio marathons. In 1986 and again in 1993, Berry finally received substantial financial benefits for writing the song. In February 1996, he performed for the final time, reuniting with The Pharaohs and The Dreamers for a benefit concert in Long Beach. However, his health declined, and he died of heart failure in 1997. He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
Berry moved with his family to Los Angeles as a baby. He began singing and playing in local doo-wop groups, recording with several of them including The Penguins, The Cadets and The Chimes, before joining The Flairs (who also recorded as The Debonaires and The Flamingoes) in 1953.
The Flairs’ record "She Wants To Rock", on Modern Records, featured Berry’s bass vocals, and was an early production by Leiber and Stoller. When, a few months later, that pair needed a bass voice for their production of The Robins’ "Riot In Cell Block #9" on Spark Records, they recruited Berry to provide the menacing introduction to the song – uncredited, as he was contracted to Modern. Berry’s voice was also used at Modern, again uncredited, as the counterpoint to Etta James on her first record and big hit, "The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)", and several of its less successful follow-ups. Berry also recorded with several other groups on the Modern and Flair labels, including The Crowns, and girl group The Dreamers (who later became The Blossoms).
By the end of 1954, he left the Flairs to form his own group, the Pharaohs (see Richard Berry & The Pharaohs), while also continuing to work with other groups as a singer and songwriter. One of these was a Latin and R&B group, Rick Rillera and The Rhythm Rockers. In 1955, Berry was inspired to write a new calypso-style song, "Louie Louie", based on The Rhythm Rockers version of René Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha", and also influenced by Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon". Richard Berry & the Pharaohs recorded and released the song on Flip Records in 1957, originally as a B-side. It became a minor regional hit, and, when the group toured the Pacific Northwest, several local R&B bands began to adopt the song and established its popularity. "Louie Louie" finally became a major hit when The Kingsmen's raucous version – with little trace of its calypso-like origins other than in its lyrics - became a national and international hit in 1963. The nearly unintelligible (and innocuous) lyrics were widely misinterpreted as obscene, and the song was banned by radio stations and even investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The song has been recorded over 1,000 times, but, because Berry sold its copyright cheaply in 1959, he received little financial reward for its success for many years.
Berry continued to record in the late 1950s, but with little commercial success, and also continued as a performer. His other songs included "Crazy Lover", recorded on their 1987 debut album by the Rollins Band.
During the 1980s, "Louie Louie" received a number of unprecedented accolades, with hundreds of cover versions being issued on CD compilations and played on radio marathons. In 1986 and again in 1993, Berry finally received substantial financial benefits for writing the song. In February 1996, he performed for the final time, reuniting with The Pharaohs and The Dreamers for a benefit concert in Long Beach. However, his health declined, and he died of heart failure in 1997. He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
Richard Berry Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' by these artists:
Big Maybelle When there one drum I'm an old bass hun An' someone beatin'…
Big Star Come over baby, whole lot of shakin' goin' on Come over…
Bill Haley Come on over, baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on Come on…
Bill Haley And The Comets Come on over, baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Bruce Springsteen Come on over, baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on Yes I…
Carl Perkins Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Chubby Checker Oh, come on over baby Whole lotta twistin' goin' on Ooo, c…
Cliff Richard Come over baby whole lot of shakin' goin' on Yes I…
Cliff Richard & The Shadows Come over baby whole lot of shakin' goin' on Yes…
Conway Twitty (Shake it, shake it) (shake it, shake it) Well, I said…
David Kemper Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Elvis Presley I said come on over baby, A-whole lotta shakin' goin' on Y…
Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps The Lost Dallas Sessions Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Jerry Lee Lewis Come on over, baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on Yes I…
Jerry Lee Lewis/Keith Richards/Kid Rock/Merle Haggard/Willie Nelson Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on Come on…
Jimi Hendrix Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Johnny Cash / Jerry Lee Lewis / Carl Perkins Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on Yes I…
Johnny Cash Jerry Lee Lewis & Carl Perkins Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Johnny Hallyday Alright shake, baby, yeah Come on over, baby Whole lotta sh…
Johnny Rivers David Williams Come on over, baby A-whole lotta shakin' goi…
Keith Richards Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on Come on…
Lewis Jerry Lee Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Little Richard (Dave Williams - Sunny David) I said come on over baby,…
Little Richard & Jimi Hendrix Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on (yeah,…
Little Richard / Jerry Lee Lewis Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on Yes I…
Little Richard and His Band Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on (yeah,…
Mountain Come along baby Whole lotta shakin' goin' on Come along baby…
Perkins Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Rick Nelson Well come along my baby whole lotta shakin' goin' on Well…
The Beatles Come on over baby Whole lotta shakin' goin' on Yes I said…
The Rock-a-Billys Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on Come on…
Vincent Gene Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Wanda Jackson Come on over baby whole lotta shakin' goin' on Yeah come…
Williams SHcKE RcTTLE cND ROLL & WHOLc SHcKING GOING ON Get out…
Willie Nelson Feat. Jerry Lee Lewis Kid Rock Keith Richards & Merle Haggard Come on over baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, come…
Браво Come over baby whole lot of shakin' goin' on Yes I…
Cliff Richard Come over baby whole lot of shakin' goin' on Yes I…
Jerry Lee Lewis Come on over, baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on Yes I…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Richard Berry:
A Love People making lists, buying special gifts Taking time to be …
At Last At last, my love has come along my lonely days are…
Have Love Will Travel Wow, Have love Whoa baby will travel Uh huh, uh huh, have…
Hey Henry You couldn't dance at all But now you're over ball The way…
Louie Louie Louie, Louie, oh, oh, me gotta go Louie, Louie, me gotta…
Louie, Louie Louie, Louie, oh, oh, me gotta go Louie, Louie, oh, oh,…
The Wallflower (Hey Baby, What do I have to do,) (To make you…
Visiteur La première fois d'sa vie qu'un homme a le bonheur D'entrer…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Bryan Palmer
This footage is incredible-Little Richards energy,singing,working the audience,the great backing band,Little Richard is one of the great characters of Rock n Roll
David Race
The backing group, "Sounds incorporated " backed all of the big names touring the UK in the early sixties
Bryan Palmer
@David Race yes,not only were they a good backing band for live acts but they were also a notable session group which led to them being signed by Brian Epstein and being the support act for The Beatles on one of their major stadium concerts in the USA
Ian Hope
Yep, all in England with English backing band . Sounds Incorporated.
Paola Giorgi
👍
Thomas Bell
This has to be the best version of this song. So much energy. R.I.P. Little Richard. What a backing band!!!
Ron Wade
Still one of the best live performances of all time.
Paul Kersey
My son is 15 and had been listening to Little Richard's music since he was 5. He started taking piano lessons because of Little Richard. The day he passed, my son couldn't stop crying. Thanks Little Richard for possessing the power to move people and helping me bond with my son.
adonai yah
What a story i was 18 when he died hes the unreachable star
Darryl Pringle
That's really really really nice to hear. The kid knows music now. Sorry for the kids that don't