Paul Revere And The Raiders - Louie, Louie
Paul Revere And The Raiders - Night Train
Today I bring you one of the great early versions of the iconic, if not definitive, garage rock fave, Louie Louie. Paul Revere and the Raiders recorded their version in the same Portland studio as The Kingsmen; in the same month too, April of 1963. Which group cut it first doesn't really matter since, on the Pacific Northwest rock'n'roll scene, Louie Louie had been a popular cover choice for a couple of years already. What matters is that the Paul Revere and the Raiders version is more rough'n'ready and starts with a superb sax intro. Incidentally, my all-time favourite version is by Don and The Goodtimes but unfortunately I don't think it was ever released as a single. On the flip we get Night Train, which is about as good a b-side as you could ask for -- rockin' sax-driven instrumental bliss.
Labels: cover version, garage rock, instrumental