Richard Berry - Revision history

Spider of Destiny at 15:25, 4 July 2026

2026-07-04T15:25:57Z

Spider of Destiny at 18:58, 26 June 2026

2026-06-26T18:58:18Z

Spider of Destiny at 20:22, 11 June 2026

2026-06-11T20:22:23Z

Spider of Destiny at 18:34, 11 June 2026

2026-06-11T18:34:19Z

Spider of Destiny: /* Zappa and Richard Berry */

2026-06-05T19:07:01Z

Zappa and Richard Berry

Spider of Destiny: Clean-up.

2020-09-07T10:38:40Z

Clean-up.

Spider of Destiny: /* References */

2011-05-06T18:05:54Z

References

Spider of Destiny: /* References */

2011-01-07T13:55:23Z

References

Spider of Destiny at 23:44, 4 December 2010

2010-12-04T23:44:51Z

Spider of Destiny at 19:30, 28 November 2010

2010-11-28T19:30:13Z

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 ==Zappa about Richard Berry==
-'''"Well, I was also in bands when "Louie, Louie", before The Kingsmen made it into the joke that everybody recognizes now. "Louie, Louie" used to be a really cool tune, the [[Richard Berry]] version of it. It had, y'know, a nice arrangement to it, and a whole different feel to it. It wasn't until The Kingsmen version that it became the, y'know, the Animal House joke that it is right now."'' - Frank Zappa in ''[[They're Doing the Interview of the Century, Part 1]]'', [[Den Simms]], [[Eric Buxton]], Rob Samler, [[Society Pages]], April 1990.
+'''"Well, I was also in bands when "Louie, Louie", before The Kingsmen made it into the joke that everybody recognizes now. "Louie, Louie" used to be a really cool tune, the [[Richard Berry]] version of it. It had, y'know, a nice arrangement to it, and a whole different feel to it. It wasn't until The Kingsmen version that it became the, y'know, the Animal House joke that it is right now."'' - Frank Zappa in ''[[They're Doing the Interview of the Century, Part 1]]'', [[Den Simms]], [[Eric Buxton]], [[Rob Samler]], ''[[Society Pages]]'', April 1990.
 ==See Also==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Richard Berry.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Richard Berry.]]
+[[File:Richard Berry.jpg|500px|thumb|right|Richard Berry.]]
 '''Richard Berry''' (April 11, 1935 - January 23, 1997) was an American R&B and doo-wop singer. He was the original writer and performer of ''[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]] (1956)'' (itself based on ''"El Loca Cha Cha"'' by Rene Touzet)
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 [[Category:Freak Out! (The List)|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Doo-wop and R&B Artists|Berry, Richard]]

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 *[[Wikipedia:Richard Berry]]
-[[Category:Favorite Musicians|Berry, Richard]]
+[[Category:Favorite Doo-wop and R&B Artists|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Influences|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Freak Out! (The List)|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Doo-wop and R&B Artists|Berry, Richard]]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 ==Biography==
-As a teenager, with The Flairs and as a solo act, Berry recorded quite a few singles that demonstrated his versatility with ballads, novelty songs, and even [[Little Richard]]-styled numbers. His facility with deep-voiced, comic material was a clear forerunner of [[The Coasters]], and in fact he was the uncredited lead singer on Leiber & Stoller's ''Riot in Cell Block No. 9'', recorded by [[The Robins]] (1954, Spark 103), later to mutate into [[The Coasters]]. He took another uncredited vocal as Etta James' deep-voiced sparring partner on "Roll with Me, Henry", one of the biggest R&B hits of the mid-'50s. Berry originally recorded "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" in 1956; the record was a regional hit in several West Coast cities, but no more than that.
+As a teenager, with The Flairs and as a solo act, Berry recorded quite a few singles that demonstrated his versatility with ballads, novelty songs, and even [[Little Richard]]-styled numbers. His facility with deep-voiced, comic material was a clear forerunner of [[The Coasters]], and in fact he was the uncredited lead singer on [[Leiber and Stoller]]'s ''Riot in Cell Block No. 9'', recorded by [[The Robins]] (1954, Spark 103), later to mutate into [[The Coasters]]. He took another uncredited vocal as Etta James' deep-voiced sparring partner on "Roll with Me, Henry", one of the biggest R&B hits of the mid-'50s. Berry originally recorded "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" in 1956; the record was a regional hit in several West Coast cities, but no more than that.
 Berry's recording career petered out in the late 1950s, though he remained an active performer. In the early 1960s, several Northwest bands seized upon "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" as cover material, scoring sizable regional hits; finally, in 1963, The Kingsmen broke the song nationally, reaching number two. In the decades since then, "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" became one of the frequently covered rock standards of all time; there are probably well over 1000 versions by now. The song was investigated by the FBI, and inspired parades and campaigns to adopt it as the official song of the State of Washington. The original version, ironically, remains extremely difficult to find, appearing only on obscure compilations (the Berry version on [[Rhino Records]]'s "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" anthology is a re-recording). For Berry, there was a happy ending; in the late 1980s, he regained the rights to his song that he had lost many years ago.
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 *[[Wikipedia:Richard Berry]]
-[[Category:Favorite Artists|Berry, Richard]]
+[[Category:Favorite Musicians|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Influences|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Freak Out! (The List)|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Doo-wop and R&B Artists|Berry, Richard]]

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 Zappa named Berry's entire work as an honorable mention in his favorite records' list in ''[[Faves, Raves And Composers In Their Graves]]''.
 Zappa played Berry's song ''"Daddy, Daddy"'' on [[KSAN, San Francisco]] (10 November 1968). (Not to be confused with Zappa's own song of the same name: ''[[Daddy, Daddy, Daddy]]''). He played Berry's ''Louie Louie'' on [[KPPC, Pasadena]] on 27 November 1968. As a guest DJ on ''[[Dr. Demento]], KMET'', December 1973, he played Berry's songs ''Next Time'' and ''The Big Break''.
 ==See Also==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Born: April 11, 1935  (Extension, Louisiana)
+[[File:Richard Berry.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Richard Berry.]]
-Died: January 23, 1997 (at home, Los Angeles)
+'''Richard Berry''' (April 11, 1935 - January 23, 1997) was an American R&B and doo-wop singer. He was the original writer and performer of ''[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]] (1956)'' (itself based on ''"El Loca Cha Cha"'' by Rene Touzet)
-Richard Berry, name-checked on the cover of "[[Freak Out!]]" (1966) under the heading "These People Have Contributed Materially In Many Ways To Make Our Music What It Is. Please Do Not Hold It Against Them" was the original writer and performer of "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" (itself based on "[[El Loca Cha Cha]]", by [[Rene Touzet]]); for this reason, Berry holds a permanent place of honor in the history of rock & roll. Beyond that, though, Berry was an important if secondary figure of the early - and mid -'50s [[Los Angeles]] R&B scene.
+As a teenager, with The Flairs and as a solo act, Berry recorded quite a few singles that demonstrated his versatility with ballads, novelty songs, and even [[Little Richard]]-styled numbers. His facility with deep-voiced, comic material was a clear forerunner of [[The Coasters]], and in fact he was the uncredited lead singer on Leiber & Stoller's ''Riot in Cell Block No. 9'', recorded by [[The Robins]] (1954, Spark 103), later to mutate into [[The Coasters]]. He took another uncredited vocal as Etta James' deep-voiced sparring partner on "Roll with Me, Henry", one of the biggest R&B hits of the mid-'50s. Berry originally recorded "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" in 1956; the record was a regional hit in several West Coast cities, but no more than that.
-Soon after his birth the family moved to Los Angeles.
+Berry's recording career petered out in the late 1950s, though he remained an active performer. In the early 1960s, several Northwest bands seized upon "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" as cover material, scoring sizable regional hits; finally, in 1963, The Kingsmen broke the song nationally, reaching number two. In the decades since then, "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" became one of the frequently covered rock standards of all time; there are probably well over 1000 versions by now. The song was investigated by the FBI, and inspired parades and campaigns to adopt it as the official song of the State of Washington. The original version, ironically, remains extremely difficult to find, appearing only on obscure compilations (the Berry version on [[Rhino Records]]'s "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" anthology is a re-recording). For Berry, there was a happy ending; in the late 1980s, he regained the rights to his song that he had lost many years ago.
-As a teenager, with [[The Flairs]] and as a solo act, Berry recorded quite a few singles that demonstrated his versatilty with ballads, novelty songs, and even [[Little Richard]]-styled numbers. His facility with deep-voiced, comic material was a clear forerunner of [[The Coasters]], and in fact he was the uncredited lead singer on [[Leiber & Stoller]]'s "[[Riot in Cell Block No9|Riot in Cell Block No. 9]]", recorded by [[The Robins]] (1954, Spark 103), later to mutate into [[The Coasters]]. He took another uncredited vocal as [[Etta James]]' deep-voiced sparring partner on "Roll with Me, Henry", one of the biggest R&B hits of the mid-'50s. Berry originally recorded "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" in 1956; the record was a regional hit in several West Coast cities, but no more than that.
+==Zappa and Richard Berry==
-Berry's recording career petered out in the late '50s, though he remained an active performer. In the early '60s, several Northwest bands seized upon "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" as cover material, scoring sizable regional hits; finally, in 1963, [[The Kingsmen]] broke the song nationally, reaching number two. In the decades since then, "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" became one of the most oft-covered rock standards of all time; there are probably well over 1000 versions by now. The song was investigated by the [[FBI]], and inspired parades and campaigns to adopt it as the official song of the [[State of Washington]]. The original version, ironically, remains extremely difficult to find, appearing only on obscure compilations (the Berry version on [[Rhino]]'s "[[Louie Louie (CC)|Louie Louie]]" anthology is a re-recording). For Berry, there was a happy ending; in the late '80s, he regained the rights to his song that he had lost many years ago.
+Zappa quoted Berry's ''[[Louie Louie]]'' numerous times in his work. In ''[[Data For Sensitive or Critical-sensitive Position]]'' Zappa named the song his ''"favorite predecessor."''
-==References==
+Richard Berry is named in the list of influences in the sleeve of his album ''[[Freak Out!]]'', under the heading: ''"These People Have Contributed Materially In Many Ways To Make Our Music What It Is. Please Do Not Hold It Against Them"''.
-Zappa quoted Berry's ''[[Louie Louie]]'' numerous times in his work.
+Zappa named Berry's entire work as an honorable mention in his favorite records' list in ''[[Faves, Raves And Composers In Their Graves]]''.
-Berry is listed as an influence in the [[:Category:Freak Out! (The List)|list of names printed in the liner notes of '' "Freak Out!"'' (1966)]]. He named Berry's entire work as an honorable mention in his favorite records' list in [[Faves, Raves And Composers In Their Graves]].
+Zappa played Berry's song ''"Daddy, Daddy"'' on [[KSAN, San Francisco]] (10 November 1968). (Not to be confused with Zappa's own song of the same name: ''[[Daddy, Daddy, Daddy]]''). He played Berry's ''Louie Louie'' on [[KPPC, Pasadena]] on 27 November 1968. As a guest DJ on ''[[Dr. Demento]], KMET'', December 1973, he played Berry's songs ''Next Time'' and ''The Big Break''.
 ==See Also==
-*[[wikipedia:Richard Berry|Wikipedia Richard Berry article]]
+*[[Wikipedia:Richard Berry]]
-[[Category:Supporting Cast|Berry, Richard]]
+[[Category:Favorite Artists|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Influences|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Freak Out! (The List)|Berry, Richard]]
 [[Category:Doo-wop and R&B Artists|Berry, Richard]]

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 ==References==
-Zappa quoted Berry's [[Louie Louie]] numerous times in his work.
+Zappa quoted Berry's ''[[Louie Louie]]'' numerous times in his work.
-Berry is listed as an influence in the [[Freak Out! (The List)]].
+Berry is listed as an influence in the [[:Category:Freak Out! (The List)|list of names printed in the liner notes of '' "Freak Out!"'' (1966)]].
-Zappa played Berry's song "Daddy, Daddy" on [[KSAN, San Francisco]].
+Zappa played Berry's song ''"Daddy, Daddy"'' on [[KSAN, San Francisco]]. (Not to be confused with Zappa's own song of the same name: ''[[Daddy, Daddy, Daddy]]'')
 ==See Also==

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:30, 28 November 2010
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	Berry's recording career petered out in the late '50s, though he remained an active performer. In the early '60s, several Northwest bands seized upon "[[Louie Louie (CC)\|Louie Louie]]" as cover material, scoring sizable regional hits; finally, in 1963, [[The Kingsmen]] broke the song nationally, reaching number two. In the decades since then, "[[Louie Louie (CC)\|Louie Louie]]" became one of the most oft-covered rock standards of all time; there are probably well over 1000 versions by now. The song was investigated by the [[FBI]], and inspired parades and campaigns to adopt it as the official song of the [[State of Washington]]. The original version, ironically, remains extremely difficult to find, appearing only on obscure compilations (the Berry version on [[Rhino]]'s "[[Louie Louie (CC)\|Louie Louie]]" anthology is a re-recording). For Berry, there was a happy ending; in the late '80s, he regained the rights to his song that he had lost many years ago.		Berry's recording career petered out in the late '50s, though he remained an active performer. In the early '60s, several Northwest bands seized upon "[[Louie Louie (CC)\|Louie Louie]]" as cover material, scoring sizable regional hits; finally, in 1963, [[The Kingsmen]] broke the song nationally, reaching number two. In the decades since then, "[[Louie Louie (CC)\|Louie Louie]]" became one of the most oft-covered rock standards of all time; there are probably well over 1000 versions by now. The song was investigated by the [[FBI]], and inspired parades and campaigns to adopt it as the official song of the [[State of Washington]]. The original version, ironically, remains extremely difficult to find, appearing only on obscure compilations (the Berry version on [[Rhino]]'s "[[Louie Louie (CC)\|Louie Louie]]" anthology is a re-recording). For Berry, there was a happy ending; in the late '80s, he regained the rights to his song that he had lost many years ago.
		+
		+	==References==
		+
		+	Zappa quoted Berry's [[Louie Louie]] numerous times in his work.
		+
		+	Berry is listed as an influence in the [[Freak Out! (The List)]].
		+
		+	Zappa played Berry's song "Daddy, Daddy" on [[KSAN, San Francisco]].

	==See Also==		==See Also==