SONICS' KILLER FILLER

If you're like me, you can't get enough of the Sonics. You know 'em, the baddass early stuff. "Psycho", "The Witch", "Cinderella", "Boss Hoss", "Strychnine", "He's Waitin'", "Shot Down". Aaargh! Fuck, just thinking about them raises the hair. It's some-of-you-may-never-get-it type essential stuff. Whenever some would-be chin-rubbing egghead starts spouting off about "proto-punk", if the Sonics aren't near the top of the list, just walk away. There are those who may never get it. What would be the point of trying to convert them? The early Sonics records came with stale beer, cigarette ashes and sweat pressed into their grooves. If that's not your thing, why are we standing here talking?

Here's three covers by them. Sonics people will know these. If you profess to love the Sonics but don't know these, you should stop the cherry picking. Take your sorry ass on down to the record store and buy yourself a twelve inch LP.

To fully appreciate what the Sonics can do with a cover, check Richard Berry's original version of "Have Love, Will Travel", and then listen to the Sonics' version. Now go back to what you were doing.

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Listen:

The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Wish I Were There
The Sonics -Do You Love Me mp3 at ATumblr (?)
The Sonics - Walkin' the Dog mp3 at ATumblr (?)
The originals:
Richard Berry - Have Love Will Travel (streaming) at YouTube
The Contours - Do You Love Me (streaming) at YouTube
Rufus Thomas - Walkin' the Dog (streaming) at YouTube
Visit:
More Sonics here Scroll down for older posts.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

Richard Berry

It may not be the go-to song that it once was, but there was a time when nearly every every band played "Louie Louie" at one time or another. Need to break in a new member that's not quite ready? Need one more song to pad your set? Need to give a nod to all the garage bands that came before you? "Louie Louie" is your song. As simple as a song gets.

There's a zillion covers. Here's two from opposite ends of the spectrum. The pallid and lethargic vocal stylings of the Sandpipers vs Black Flag's louder than necessary but it sure hits the spot version, plus Richard Berry's original. And just because I ran across it, a link to a copy of the FBI investigation of the song, its misinterpreted lyrics wrongly thought to be pornographic. Fake news.

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Listen:
The Sandpipers - Louie Louie mp3 at De Discos y Monstrous
Black Flag - Louie Louie mp3 at Secret Comics (?)
Richard Berry - Louie Louie mp3 at  Beware of the Blog
Visit:
The 1964 FBI Report on "Louie Louie" at FBI  119 pages
Louie Louie at Wikipedia

HE SOLD "LOUIE LOUIE" FOR $750

You do know Richard Berry right? The guy who wrote "Louie Louie"? Oh jeez, it just occurred to me, there's a possibility that some of you don't even know that song. That thought sort of creeps me out. Anyway, he also wrote "Have Love Will Travel", a song that's been covered by everybody and their mother. I've posted the song before, but I just ran into the version by the Imperialites, who are from San Diego, which is where my ass is planted. So, really, this is for my homies, particularly the one that recommended it to me a year or so ago. To AEC, whoever the hell you are.

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Listen:
Richard Berry - Louie Louie mp3 at Art Decade
Richard Berry - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Club Cortez 
The Imperialites - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at De Discos y Monstrous
The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Black Keys - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at The Adios Lounge
Big Sandy - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Radio George
Louie Louie source, via the Rhythm Rockers:
Rebe Touzet - El Loco Cha Cha Cha (streaming) at YouTube

RICHARD BERRY'S OTHER SONG

Richard Berry's "Have Love, Will Travel" is one song with legs, I'll tell you. That song just keeps on giving. You know how to tell that it's a good song? Because there's a bunch of good covers of it, in varying styles. And everyone's got their favorite. Club Cortez just posted Berry's original version. Here's some other good ones.

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Listen:
Richard Berry - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Club Cortez Get it there
The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Black Keys - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at The Adios Lounge
Big Sandy - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Radio George
Lefties Soul Connection - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at AllMuz (?)

RICHARD BERRY HAS A POSSE

Diddy Wah just posted Richard "Louie Louie" Berry's original version of "Have Love Will Travel," which, of course, I took as my cue (or excuse) to post the Sonics' version. And, as if I don't have enough shit rattling around in my head, I began thinking about the Kingsmen's hit version of "Louie Louie." Most of you will know that another Northwest band, the Wailers recorded it before them; and that Paul Revere and the Raiders recorded their version of "Louie Louie" in the same studio as the Kingsmen, in Oregon, right about the same time. (I've always thought it poetic justice that the Kingsmen, despite being the non-gimmick underdogs, ended up with the hit.) What do you think the chances are that the Sonics heard Berry's "Have Love Will Travel," (released a couple years after "Louie Louie") and decided that they had better snag it before the Wailers, Raiders or Kingsmen did?

Moment of silence interlude: I just found out that Wailers' Kent Morrill died yesterday. According to LouieLouie.net, Morrill's wife Toni said that he was singing "Louie Louie" in his sleep the night before he died. Pay your respects: The Wailers' "Out of Our Tree" and "Louie Louie" are posted below.

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Richard Berry - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Diddy Wah
The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Black Keys - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at The Adios Lounge (For you youngsters in need of a point of reference.)
RIP Kent Morrill:
The Wailers - Out of Our Tree mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Wailers - Louie Louie mp3 (via Mediafire)