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.
Mustang Sally
The Kingsmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mustang Sally, I think you better slow your Mustang down
Mustang Sally, babe, I think you better slow your Mustang down
You keep on runnin’ around, baby, I had to put your big feet on the ground
That’s alright.
Well, all you wanna do is just ride around, baby now (ride Sally ride)
Now all you wanna do is ride around, babe, sayin’ (ride Sally ride)
Yeah, all you wanna do is just ride around, baby, sayin’ (ride Sally ride)
One of these early mornings, baby, you gonna be wipin' your weepin' eyes
Well, it’s alright.
I bought you a brand new Mustang, talk about nineteen sixty-six
You come around here, …………………
Come on and let me ride.
The Kingsmen's Mustang Sally is a song that appears on their 1966 album The Kingsmen Volume II. The lyrics are addressed to a woman named Sally, who is in possession of a Mustang. However, the song is not really about the car but about Sally herself, who is asked to slow down and stop running around. The singer acknowledges that he recently bought Sally a brand new Mustang, which he implies she drives around recklessly. He warns her to slow down and her behavior has to change, especially since she is his woman. He finishes by saying that she can continue doing what she does best, as long as she keeps her feet on the ground, indicating that he is not opposed to Sally having fun, but she should be responsible and accountable for her actions. The chorus "ride Sally, ride" is an encouragement to Sally to continue doing what she loves, i.e. riding her Mustang, but to also do it safely.
Line by Line Meaning
Mustang Sally, I think you better slow your Mustang down
My dear Mustang Sally, I believe it would be prudent for you to decrease your Mustang's speed
Mustang Sally, babe, I think you better slow your Mustang down
My beloved Mustang Sally, I think it would be wise for you to decrease the velocity of your beloved car
You keep on runnin’ around, baby, I had to put your big feet on the ground
You continue to behave recklessly, my dear, so I had to intervene and make you see reason
That’s alright.
It is acceptable, everything is fine
Well, all you wanna do is just ride around, baby now (ride Sally ride)
All you desire is to cruise leisurely around, my dear Sally (so let's enjoy this ride)
Saidl, all you wanna do is just ride around, baby (ride Sally ride)
I repeat, all you seek is to leisurely cruise around, my dear Sally (so let's ride)
Now all you wanna do is ride around, babe, sayin’ (ride Sally ride)
Currently, all you wish is to drive around, my beloved, while chanting the phrase 'ride Sally ride'
Yeah, all you wanna do is just ride around, baby, sayin’ (ride Sally ride)
Yes, all you crave is leisurely driving, my beloved, while repeating the words 'ride Sally ride'
One of these early mornings, baby, you gonna be wipin' your weepin' eyes
One of these days, my dear, you will regret your actions and be in tears
Well, it’s alright.
It's okay, don't worry about it
I bought you a brand new Mustang, talk about nineteen sixty-six
I purchased for you a shiny new car, specifically a 1966 Mustang
You come around here, …………………
You arrived at this location, but the lyrics intentionally leave out what the singer did next
Come on and let me ride.
Join me in a drive, let's enjoy the Mustang together
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.