NW MUSIC: THE SAGA OF "LOUIE, LOUIE."

BELOW ARE LINKS to essays detailing the long history of the Northwest's signature rock 'n' roll song: "Louie, Louie." From 1957, when Richard Berry brought his song here from California; to Seattle's Dave Lewis Combo rockin' it at the Birdland; to its adoption by the Playboys, Little Bill & the Bluenotes, and the Viceroys; to radio hit versions by Rockin' Robin & the Wailers, the Kingsmen, and Paul Revere & the Raiders; then the Sonics booming it for all eternity; a humorous 1980s campaign to get the ditty named Washington State's "official rock song," and ever onwards...

• "The 'Black Roots' of the Original Northwest Sound"
• "Richard Berry (1935—1997): Part I"
• "'Louie Louie' makes Seattle Debut at September 21, 1957 Eagles Hall Dance"
• "'Louie Louie': The Saga of a Northwest Hit Song"
• "Evergreen Ballroom: Olympia's Lost Landmark (1931—2000)"
• "Dave Lewis: Seattle's 1950s R&B Pioneer" (1983) 
• "Dave Lewis: The Father of Northwest Rock" 
• "Dave Lewis (1938—1998): A Tribute" (1998)
• "Barney Hilliard: Seattle's First Teenage R&B Sax Star"
• "Birdland: Seattle's Fabled '50s R&B Hotspot"
• "Little Bill and the Bluenotes: Tacoma's Teen-R&B Pioneers (1958-1960)"
• "Etiquette Rules! The Northwest's Reigning '60s Garage-Rock Record Company"
• "Rockin' Robin Roberts (1940—1967): Tacoma's Legendary Rock 'n' Roller" 
• "Rockin' Robin Roberts: R.I.P."
• "Joe Boles: Seattle's First Hit-Making Audio Engineer"
• "The History of Northwest Rock, Vol. 2: The Garage Years"
• "The Kingsmen: Best of, featuring 'Louie, Louie'" (LP liner notes, 1988)
• "Jerden Records: When the Seattle Music Biz Got Serious" 
• "The Viceroys: Seattle Rock Royalty (1958—1966)"
• "The Sonics: Tacoma's '60s Garage-Rock Teen Titans"
• "'Louie Louie' Through the Ages"
• "Garage Rock Anthem ‘Louie Louie’ Turns 50"