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.
I Like It Like That
The Kingsmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on, yeah (come on, let me show you where it's at)
The name of the place is I like it like that.
Now come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
The name of the place is I like it like that.
A little place across the track
The name of the place is I like it like that
You take Sally and I'll take Sue
And we're gonna rock away all of our blues.
Come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
I wanna show you (come on, let me show you where it's at)
The name of the place is I like it like that.
Now come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on now (come on, let me show you where it's at)
The name of the place is I like it like that.
The last time I was down there, I lost my shoes
They had some cat shoutin' the blues
The people was yellin' and howlin’ for more
And all you can hear was : ‘Go, go, go’.
Come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on, yeah (come on, let me show you where it's at)
I wanna show you (come on, let me show you where it's at)
The name of the place is I like it like that.
Now come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Yeah, come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on, yeah (come on, let me show you where it's at)
You know the name of the place is I like it like that.
The Kingsmen's "I Like It Like That" is a fun, upbeat song that invites listeners to join in on a good time. The lyrics tell of a little place across the tracks where people come together to forget their troubles and dance away their blues. The singer urges the listener to come along and experience the lively atmosphere of the place that he likes so much.
The verses alternate between inviting the listener to "come on" and showing them "where it's at," constantly building the excitement for what's to come. The chorus reinforces the name of the place, "I like it like that," which becomes almost a chant as the song progresses. The bridge adds to the chaos of the scene, with the singer recounting how he lost his shoes amidst the shouting and howling of the crowd.
Overall, the lyrics to "I Like It Like That" are simple yet effective in painting a vivid picture of a lively and joyous gathering. The repetitive phrases and catchy melody make it easy for listeners to join in on the fun and fully immerse themselves in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Encouraging someone to follow and lead them to this special place
Come on, yeah (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Reiterating the invitation to show them where the place is
The name of the place is I like it like that.
Giving the name of the place that they want to show to the other person
Now come on (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Urging the other person to follow them again to the special place
A little place across the track
Describing the location of the special place
You take Sally and I'll take Sue
Suggesting to bring two other people to rock away all of their blues
And we're gonna rock away all of our blues.
Explaining that the purpose of the special place is to forget all their troubles and have fun
I wanna show you (come on, let me show you where it's at)
Expressing the desire to lead the other person to the special place
The last time I was down there, I lost my shoes
Recounting a past experience of losing shoes while at the special place that was so happening
They had some cat shoutin' the blues
Referring to a musician who was playing music with a sad and mournful tone
The people was yellin' and howlin’ for more
Describing a lively and enthusiastic crowd who wanted more of the music and fun
And all you can hear was ‘Go, go, go’.
Recounting the sounds of the crowd cheering and chanting for more music and fun
You know the name of the place is I like it like that.
Reminding the other person of the name of the special place that they were invited to
Contributed by Olivia W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.