The Kingsmen - Louie Louie (The Song the FBI Tried to Ban)

What happens when a garage rock anthem is accused of being obscene without anyone actually knowing the lyrics? In the premiere episode of Don’t Play That Song, we dig into the wild true story of “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen. From its sloppy brilliance and slurred vocals to the full-blown FBI investigation, this episode unpacks how a three-chord party song from 1963 became one of the most banned, misunderstood, and investigated songs in American radio history.

Want to hear all the songs we couldn’t play on the show? Head to dontplaythatsong.com for the official companion playlist.

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Sources For This Episode:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/jack-ely-louie-louie-the-dirtiest-song-of-the-sixties

https://www.originals.be/en/originals/3837

https://www.goldradio.com/news/music/louie-louie-fbi-richard-berry-kingsmen

https://blog.mcmenamins.com/the-story-of-louie-louie-part-i

https://www.openculture.com/2020/12/how-the-garage-rock-anthem-louie-louie-became-the-subject-of-a-lengthy-fbi-investigation-1964.html

https://www.whbc.com/the-day-louie-louie-was-deemed-pornographic

https://vault.fbi.gov/louie-louie-the-song

https://pitchfork.com/news/59444-the-kingsmens-jack-ely-singer-behind-louie-louie-has-died