RASCOE: "Louie Louie," recorded by the Kingsmen. Almost everybody knows it, but almost nobody can understand the words. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LOUIE LOUIE") THE KINGSMEN: (Singing, inaudible). RASCOE: ...

Mike Mitchell, founding member and guitarist for the “Louie Louie” hitmakers the Kingsmen, died Friday on his 77th birthday. Kingsmen drummer Dick Peterson confirmed Mitchell’s death to Rolling Stone ...

SONG AT #1 THAT WEEK: The Singing Nun's "Dominique" This column is at the request of Stereogum donor Brett Gurewitz, the founder/owner of Epitaph Records and the guitarist for motherfucking Bad ...

In 1963, The Kingsmen made one of the greatest rock n’ roll recordings of all time in Portland, Oregon. The original “Louie Louie” was a calypso-style song, but today it transcends genre – a theory ...

One of the most influential records in rock-and-roll history is also among the simplest: Louie Louie by the Kingsmen. With the same three-chord progression as Twist and Shout, La Bamba, and Wild Thing ...

RASCOE: And even fewer people know the history of a West Coast dance hit that became a party anthem, with an FBI investigation and a Supreme Court case along the way. Here's Deena Prichep. DEENA ...

Mike Mitchell, co-founding guitarist of "Louie Louie" rockers the Kingsmen, died Friday at age 77. Dick Peterson, the band's drummer since 1963, confirmed Mitchell's death in a statement to Rolling ...

The Kingsmen guitarist Mike Mitchell, who rose to fame with his band's '60s hit "Louie Louie," has died at the age of 77. Kingsmen drummer Dick Peterson confirmed the news to Rolling Stone in a ...