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.
Twist And Shout
The Kingsmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
C'mon c'mon c'mon, c'mon baby, now, (c'mon baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out oooooh!)
Well, work it on out (work it on out)
You know you look so good (look so good)
You know you got me going now, (got me going)
Just like I knew you would (like I knew you would oooooh!)
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
C'mon c'mon c'mon, c'mon, baby, now (c'mon baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out oooooh!)
You know you twist your little girl, (twist your little girl)
You know you twist so fine (twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer now, (twist a little closer)
And let me know that you're mine (let me know you're mine ooooh!)
The Kingsmen's song Twist And Shout is an upbeat track that encourages listeners to let loose and dance. Starting with the opening line "shake it up, baby, now," the song sets a fun and energetic tone. The lyrics then transition to the main refrain of "twist and shout," which urges the listener to move their body to the beat of the song. The repetition of "c'mon" also adds to the hype of the song and invites the listener to join in on the dance floor.
The second verse emphasizes how good the person the singer is addressing looks and how they have them "going now," which further adds to the excitement of the song. The final lines ask the person they are addressing to "twist a little closer" and to let the singer know that they are theirs. This suggests that the song is asking the person to share a moment of intimacy with the singer, possibly through the dance. Overall, the song is a fun, upbeat song that invites the listener to join in on a dance and let loose.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, shake it up, baby, now, (shake it up, baby)
Encouragement to the partner to put in extra energy into the dance moves to make it more exciting.
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
Suggested dance move to perform during the music.
C'mon c'mon c'mon, c'mon baby, now, (c'mon baby)
Request for the partner to intensify the dance and enjoy the music together.
Come on and work it on out (work it on out oooooh!)
Encouragement to dance and groove to the music while enjoying the moment.
Well, work it on out (work it on out)
Encouragement to the partner to loosen up and feel the music.
You know you look so good (look so good)
Compliment to the partner that they are attractive and desirable.
You know you got me going now, (got me going)
The partner is charming and exciting; their dance moves are making the singer feel passionate.
Just like I knew you would (like I knew you would oooooh!)
The partner's performance is not surprising, as they are known for their exceptional dance skills.
You know you twist your little girl, (twist your little girl)
Reference to the partner being affectionate and endearing in their dance moves.
You know you twist so fine (twist so fine)
The partner's dance moves are exceptional and elegant, and the singer appreciates it.
Come on and twist a little closer now, (twist a little closer)
Request for the partner to heighten the intimacy level by getting closer to the singer while dancing.
And let me know that you're mine (let me know you're mine ooooh!)
Request for the partner to express their love and commitment to the singer through their dance moves.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bert Russell, Phil Medley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind