Artist: Richard Berry
Author: Richard Berry
Label: Flip
Year: 1957

Inspired by the intro of El Loco Cha Cha, literally a crazy cha cha cha by Filippino brothers Bobby & Barry Rillera and their group The Rhythm Rockers. Richard Berry actually sang with Ricky Rillera & The Rhythm Rockers. El Loco Cha Cha was cut by Cuban Perez Prado lookalike René Touzet for his lp From Broadway To Havana (GNP 22), re-issued on the Crescendo cd The Best Of René Touzet. Not Touzet, but Rosendo Ruiz Jr. is credited as composer there. That's another Cuban, who wrote and recorded it earlier as Amarren El Loco, but minus this particular riff (so we can just as well forget that one). Many Louie Louie versions feature that dominant latin sound rather than garage rock. Furthermore, Richard Berry admitted lyrical influence from One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (see there), Havana Moon by Chuck Berry ('56) and Run Joe by Louis Jordan ('46), while rhythm and lingo were influenced by Nat King Cole's Calypso Blues ('49).

Along with Summertime, Rock Around The Clock, The House Of The Rising Sun, Yesterday, Heartbreak Hotel, Lili Marleen, The Battle Hymn Of The Republic, Daar Bij Die Molen and Beethoven's Ninth one of the only songs that generated a whole book. Covering this rock 'n roll classic became a sport. The list is endless and exotic. Rhino Records released multiple Best Of Louie Louie compilations, but don't rely on them for the original: their Richard Berry version is not the real thing. The original, once the B-side of You Are My Sunshine, was re-issued on Born Bad #4. Ace released a Louie Louie Files cd featuring El Loco Cha Cha. Berry who sold his copyright in '58-'59 to finance a wedding, missed out on the Kingsmen cover revenues completely. That first Best Of Louie Louie on Rhino was part of a campaign to regain his full copyright, finalized in '92.