The Roots Of Boogaloo Part 1-4 Luis Chaluisan Salsa Magazine-WEPAwebTV SPECIAL REPORT
The Roots Of Boogaloo Part 1-3 Luis Chaluisan Salsa Magazine-WEPAwebTV
1955 "Louie Louie" The American Rock Classic arrangement launched by Rene Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha". "Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955 and best known for the 1963 hit version by The Kingsmen. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists. The song was originally written and performed in the style of a Jamaican ballad. It tells, in simple verse–chorus form, the first-person story of a Jamaican sailor returning to the island to see his lady love. Richard Berry was inspired to write the song in 1955 after listening to and performing the song "El Loco Cha Cha" with Ricky Rillera and the Rhythm Rockers. The tune was written originally as "Amarren Al Loco" ("Tie up the crazy guy") by Cuban bandleader Rosendo Ruiz Jr. – also known as Rosendo Ruiz Quevedo – but became best known in the "El Loco Cha Cha" arrangement by René Touzet which included a rhythmic ten-note "1-2-3 1–2 1-2-3 1–2" riff.) "Louie Louie" ten note riff Touzet performed the tune regularly in Los Angeles clubs in the 1950s. In Berry's mind, the words "Louie Louie" superimposed themselves over the bass riff. Lyrically, the first person perspective of the song was influenced by "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)", which is sung from the perspective of a customer talking to a bartender (Berry's bartender's name is Louie). Berry cited Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon" and his exposure to Latin American music for the song's speech pattern and references to Jamaica. Richard Berry released his version in April 1957 (Flip Records 321), originally as a B-side, with his backing band the Pharaohs, and scored a regional hit on the west coast, particularly in San Francisco. When the group toured the Pacific Northwest, local R&B bands began to play the song, increasing its popularity. The track was then re-released as an A-side. However, the single never charted on Billboard's national rhythm and blues or pop charts. Berry's label reported that the single had sold 40,000 copies. After a series of unsuccessful follow-ups, Berry sold his portion of publishing and songwriting rights for $750 to the head of Flip Records in 1959. While the title of the song is often rendered with a comma ("Louie, Louie"), in 1988 Berry told Esquire magazine that the correct title of the song was "Louie Louie", with no comma. Although similar to the original, the version on Rhino's 1983 The Best of Louie, Louie compilation is actually a note-for-note re-recording created because licensing could not be obtained for Berry's 1957 version.
The Roots Of Boogaloo Part 4 Luis Chaluisan Salsa Magazine-WEPAwebTV
In the 1960s young Nuyoricans (Puerto Ricans born in New York) expressed their mixed cultural experience in the style of the Latin boogaloo, which combined the rhythms of the cha cha cha, son montuno and pachanga with an R&B back beat. Early precedents for this kind of mix included Ray Barretto’s 1961 hit El Watusi which utilized the basic elements of "El Loco Cha Cha" arrangement by René Touzet that included a rhythmic ten-note "1-2-3 1–2 1-2-3 1–2" riff.) Touzets arrangement became the basis of the american rock standard Louie Louie a according to Richard Berry composer of Louie Louie in 1955. The song's influence reached deep into the Latino and American music scene culminating in the launch of Boogaloo. How so? Check out these examples of crossover efforts using the Latin Booglaoo/R&B Tinge.
I. Do The See Saw - Contours - '63 - Motown Producer – Andre Williams (2) Written By – Sylvester Potts, Billy GordonWritten-By – Billy Gordon, Sylvester Potts
II. Tom & Jerrio/BOO-GA-LOO (1965). FROM CHICAGO - BY WAY OF MOTOWN? Reportedly the 1st tune to cash in on the boogaloo craze; and here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGr8vnbp65A (1) Tom & Jerrio were a singing/comedy duo from Chicago; (2) The song hit #11 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1965; (3) It was written by Jerrio; and
III. Hector Rivera made a splash on the burgeoning New York Latin soul scene with this hit, 1966's "At the Party", which was actually something of a crossover success on the R&B top 40.
IV. Also in 1966 the term “boogaloo” first appeared in song and album titles of Nuyorican musicians such as Richie Ray and Joe Cuba (inspired by Detroit R&B duo Tom and Jerrio’s 1965 album, Boo-Ga-Loo). Boogaloo songs mixed Spanish and English lyrics and often included the shouts and exclamations of a raucous house party, reflecting the social environment in which the music was enjoyed. A few boogaloo songs, such as Joe Cuba’s 1966 hit, Bang Bang also made it onto Top 40 radio.
Some Thoughts on the Documentary "We Like It Like That - The Story of Latin Boogaloot" . There is a moment in the documentary about boogaloo "We Like It Like That - The Story of Latin Boogaloo" where it's stated that the Promoters of the era got together and squashed the movement (at the behest of Jose Curbelo and Tito Puente according to Mr Salsa Izzy Sanabria.) The fact is Boogaloo was permanently doomed when Eddie Palmieri tried and came up dry with the style in his album Champagne. Think about it. Our greatest living Music Legend couldn't advance the form. "With Champagne, Eddie Palmieri attempted to chart the changing waters of popular music circa 1968, and the results are as widely varying as the material. He veers from Latin soul to real champagne music to straight-ahead salsa, tries to jump-start a new crossover dance craze, but also looks back to adult-pop standards. And from the first few moments of the LP, it's clear a change-up is in order; over an elastic, funky bass line, a male voice asks incredulously: "Como?/Palmieri? Boogaloo?" The man leaps right into his response to the nascent boogaloo craze with "Ay Que Rico," an irresistibly swinging number with great playing from all involved, from a sprightly upright bass to the raucous brass section re-introduced periodically. Unfortunately, the rest of the crossover material doesn't sound quite this inspired; the very next track is a the chestnut "Here's That Rainy Day," taken at a snail's pace. "Cinturita" and "Palo de Mango" are solid straight-ahead salsa numbers, but "The African Twist" is another obvious commercial tester, a female-led popcorn anthem with a good groove and solid playing but not much else to recommend it. ".Richie Ray personally told me back in 1977 that Boogaloo was just a temporary idea for him which he picked up and let go quickly. The Boogaloo fad now underway is a DJ world of remixes inserting disco bass lines and drum machine beats. It's unnatural and the product of a DJ out of Spain which was going through a severe fascist tyranny under Francisco Franco. The country is still recovering from his tyranny and I see the boogaloo craze developed in that country as a post-mortem movement in reaction to Franco's social destruction. It's now in the United States and acting like any other DJ led imposition that displaces live musicians who have maintained and developed our culture. Will it last? Maybe two or three more years particularly with the Tropical music scene in Puerto Rico, more musical acts arriving from Cuba to play Timba in the United States and our own Latin Jazz vanguard who are daily coming up with new ideas. Luis Chaluisan editor Salsa Magazine (Former music editor of Latin NY Magazine)
