When recorded the band members were Jack Ely (vocalist/rhythm guitar; d. April 28, 2015), Lynn Easton (drummer), Mike Mitchell (lead guitar), Don Gallucci (electric piano) and Bob Nordby (bass guitar). Ken Chase (Kingsmen manager and Portland radio station KISN music director) produced the recording session. Robert Lindahl (Northwestern Inc. recording studio owner) was the audio engineer.
"Louie Louie" was kept from the top spot on the charts in late 1963 and early 1964 by the Singing Nun and Bobby Vinton, who monopolized the #1 slot for four weeks apiece. The Kingsmen single reached #1 on the Cashbox chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally in the UK it reached #26 on the Record Retailer chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The B-side of the single was an instrumental, "Haunted Castle".
The band attracted nationwide attention when "Louie Louie" was banned by the governor of Indiana, Matthew E. Welsh, also attracting the attention of the FBI because of alleged indecent lyrics 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. 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 #65 on the Cashbox chart and #97 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
After 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, forcing Ely to play the drums. This led Jack Ely and Bob Nordby to quit the group.
Ely would later form his own group Jack Eely And The Courtmen (with the reason for the extra "e" in his surname not clear). Don Gallucci was forced out because he wasn't old enough to tour and later formed Don and the Goodtimes, which morphed into the short-lived Touch. Later, Gallucci would become a record producer with Elektra Records, with his most famous production being The Stooges' seminal second album Fun House. ("Louie Louie" was frequently performed at Stooges concerts; the song appears on their live album as well as an Iggy Pop solo record.) The two remaining original Kingsmen, Lynn Easton and Mike Mitchell, toured as the official band.
Following legal action on both sides, Easton established his right to the "Kingsmen" name. Thus Ely was forced to stop using it, and Easton was forced to stop lip syncing to Ely's vocals. This initially hurt the Easton Kingsmen's popularity, after audiences realized that this was no longer the band they had come to see. Eventually, though, the official band (with Easton on vocals) charted several more singles in the 1960s.
The Kingsmen's 1964 follow up to "Louie Louie" was a party version of "Money (That's What I Want)" which hit the Billboard Hot 100 at #16 and on Cashbox at #17. Then came "Little Latin Lupe Lu" peaking on Billboard at #46 and Cashbox at #49. After that it was "Death of An Angel" #33 on Cashbox and #42 on Billboard.
1965 saw the Kingsmen return to the Top 10 nationally with "The Jolly Green Giant" reaching #4 on Billboard and #8 on Cashbox. The follow-up song was "The Climb" #45 on Cashbox and #65 on Billboard. "Annie Fanny" was released next reaching #43 on Cashbox & #47 on Billboard. Next came "(You Got) The Gamma Goochee" #98 on Cashbox & #122 on Billboard.
In 1966 the Kingsmen continued to hit the charts, with "Killer Joe" reaching #77 on Billboard & #81 on Cashbox. In 1967 they made the chart for the last time with "Bo Diddley Bach" reaching #128 on Billboard.
On November 9, 1998, The Kingsmen were awarded ownership of all their early recordings released on Wand Records from Gusto Records, including "Louie Louie." They had not been paid royalties on the songs since the 1960s.
Original vocalist Jack Ely passed away in 2015, and original guitarist Mike Mitchell in 2021. A reformed Kingsmen performed at the "24 Hour Louie Louie Marathon" in Portland in October 2023, a testament to the enduring fascination with this song.
--Other Groups--
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 who were moonlighting from their regular work with Haley. This group scored a hit record (#35) on Billboard with the instrumental entitled "Week End", written by Rudy Pompilli, 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 in 1958.
Various other groups have used the name "The Kingsmen", including a gospel vocal group formed in 1956 (also referred to as The Kingsmen Quartet) and bands that were later re-named as Flamin' Groovies, The Gants and The Statler Brothers. An a cappella group at Columbia University is traditionally known as The Kingsmen; one incarnation of that group became Sha Na Na; also circa 1962-63, Bruza / Magnoli / Nofz / Tomczyk adopted that name in SE MI until dis-banding during the late-1970s.
Fever
The Kingsmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You’ll never know how much I love you
Never know how much I care
And when you put your arms around me, child
Fever is so hard to bear.
When you kiss me
Fever, yeah yeah, in the morning
Fever all through the night.
Romeo loved her Juliet
Juliet, she felt just the same
And when her daddy tried to …………..
She said : ‘Daddy, I love him just the same’.
When you kiss me
Fever, when you hold me so tight
Fever, yeah yeah yeah, in the morning
Fever all through the night.
You give me fever.
When you kiss me
Fever, when you hold me so tight
Fever, yeah yeah, in the morning
Fever all through the night.
Everybody has the fever
And everybody knows it just for sure
Yes, everybody knows, they
And nobody wants to know but you.
Yeah yeah, she’s got fever
Yeah yeah, she’s got fever
Fever, yeah yeah, in the morning
The Kingsmen's song "Fever" is an intense love song that talks about the strong emotional and physical reaction the singer has when their lover is around. The opening lines "You’ll never know how much I love you, Never know how much I care" sets the tone for the rest of the song, expressing a deep level of attachment to the subject of the lyrics. The singer then goes on to describe the feeling they get when their lover is near, and how overwhelming it can be, stating that "Fever is so hard to bear." It is clear that this love affair is all-consuming and has taken over the singer's thoughts and feelings.
The chorus repeats the word "fever" over and over, emphasizing the physical reaction that the singer has when their lover is near. The second verse references the classic story of Romeo and Juliet, using it as an analogy for the strength of their love. The line "And when her daddy tried to ………….." is left unfinished, but it is clear that the unnamed action didn't deter the strong emotions between the two people. The repetition of the chorus after this verse underlines the point that everyone experiences this kind of feverish love at some point in their lives.
Overall, "Fever" by The Kingsmen is a passionate love song that speaks to the intense physical and emotional reaction one can have when they are truly in love with someone. It's a classic example of how music can evoke powerful feelings and connect with listeners on a deep level.
Line by Line Meaning
You’ll never know how much I love you
The intensity of love that I have for you will never be fully understood.
Never know how much I care
I tend to hide my emotions, but my care for you is immeasurable.
And when you put your arms around me, child
The embrace you give makes me feel more loved than ever.
Fever is so hard to bear.
The passion between us is so strong that it can be painful to endure.
When you kiss me
Your touch and affection ignite a fire within me.
Fever, when you hold me so tight
The intensity of our embrace electrifies me with desire.
Fever, yeah yeah, in the morning
My passion for you is not limited to specific times of the day.
Fever all through the night.
My love for you simmers at all hours of the day and night.
Romeo loved her Juliet
This is a reference to the classic love story between Romeo and Juliet.
Juliet, she felt just the same
Juliet had equal passion for Romeo.
And when her daddy tried to …………..
This line is incomplete and requires additional context to interpret.
She said : ‘Daddy, I love him just the same’.
Juliet's love for Romeo was unwavering, even when met with opposition.
You give me fever.
Your love for me ignites a heat within me that consumes me entirely.
Everybody has the fever
The passion and desire that comes with love is a universal experience.
And everybody knows it just for sure
This is a common and well-known phenomenon.
Yes, everybody knows, they
This line is incomplete and requires additional context to interpret.
And nobody wants to know but you.
Despite its commonality, my passion and love is something that only you can fulfill and satisfy.
Yeah yeah, she’s got fever
This line suggests that someone else is experiencing fever-like passion and desire.
Fever, yeah yeah, in the morning
This line repeats the idea that passion is not confined to specific times of day.
Contributed by Reagan M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.