♫America's Greatest Party Band♫

In the wake of Beatlemania and the British invasion, American teenagers from coast to coast strapped on guitars, cobbled together drum sets, and set up in the garages provided by the country’s newfound suburban sprawl. Garage bands lacked the sophistication of popular acts, such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. They were full of chaotic energy and verve with knowledge of the guitar being a matter of a few simple chords. Yet, garage rock emerged unscathed from the gutter to become a touchstone for 21st century rockers.

Today in Music History: January 11

Welcome into the Spotlight...

The Kingsmen
Portland, Oregon
1957 ~ Present 

America's Greatest Party Band

Bet those five guys from Portland, Oregon never imagined that one $36.00 song would have over 40 years (now over 50 years) of staying power (and going strong) when they recorded it. Read MORE...

The Kingsmen: 60s rock & roll band who defined the garage-band style and became one of the all-time music classics

The Kingsmen formed in Portland, Oregon in 1959. As young teenagers, they played high school parties, teen dances, supermarket openings, and fashion shows. Like many fledgling bands of the day, they copied what they heard on the radio: Elvis, The Ventures, country music, R&B, and the burgeoning Northwest Sound. The Kingsmen became one of the most popular bands in the Portland area. 

 Original line-up in 1963.
L-R Don Gallucci, Jack Ely, Lynn Easton, Mike Mitchell, and Bob Nordby

 

1964 'Louie Louie' by The Kingsmen was the number one song on the US Cash Box music chart. For a while, the record was banned by a handful of US radio stations because of its indecipherable lyrics, which were rumored to contain some naughty words. Even the F.B.I. investigated the song, but finally concluded that they could find nothing wrong. The single has become an enduring classic.

Songfacts: This was written by an R&B singer named Richard Berry in 1955. With his group The Pharaohs, he was also the first to record it, and it got some airplay in some cities in the Western US when it was released in 1957. Various garage bands heard1962, Cliff Richard was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Young Ones'. It stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks and made Cliff the first UK artist to enter the chart at No.1. ngsmen's 1964 version. While much of the song's notoriety comes from the indecipherable lyrics, in Berry's original version words are quite clear: the song is about a sailor who spends three days traveling to Jamaica to see his girl.

No. 1 singles on this day...

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  1962 Cliff Richard was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Young Ones'. It stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks and made Cliff the first UK artist to enter the chart at No.1.

• 1986 The Pet Shop Boys scored their first UK No.1 single with 'West End Girls'. The first version of the song was released in April 1984, becoming a club hit in the United States, after the duo signed with EMI, the song was re-recorded with producer Stephen Hague. 

• 2009 Lady Gaga & Colby O'Donis went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Just Dance', taken from her album The Fame.

 

No. 1 album on this day...

1964 'Ring Of Fire The Best of Johnny Cash' became the first No.1 album when Billboard debuted their Country Album Chart. It was his sixteenth album in total and the first compilations album by Johnny Cash. 

1963 The Beatles recorded their first national TV show 'Thank Your Lucky Stars'. They mimed to their new single 'Please Please Me' which was released on this day.

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...