No recording exists of Bruce Springsteen’s first known performance of “Louie Louie” on September 9, 1978. (Update 3/21/20: I’m wrong, as readers Mark and Suzanne point out below. I have the bootleg from that show but thought it was missing “Louie Louie.” Thanks for the correction, guys!)
That’s okay, though, because it beggars belief to think that an aspiring rock star like Bruce wouldn’t have played it long, long before the end of his 29th year on the planet.
Still, regardless of how many times he’d played it before, our first recording of Bruce covering “Louie Louie” is from just a little later along the Darkness Tour, in St. Bonaventure, New York.
What’s that? Can’t make out the lyrics? Well, that’s wholly appropriate, isn’t it, since the most famous version of the song (The Kingsmen’s 1963 cover) is notoriously indecipherable–so much so that it sparked an FBI investigation over its rumored lyrical obscenity.
The 1955 original version by Richard Berry, however, was much easier to understand.
…as was Bruce’s cover during a surprise appearance with Midnight Thunder at The Headliner in Neptune, New Jersey (just outside Asbury Park) during the summer of 1983.
Hm. Maybe that performance was too clear and understandable.
Luckily, we’ve got the one performance where Bruce absolutely nailed the balance–his vocals in this version are perfect. Enjoy this terrific clip from Charlotte, North Carolina, on the High Hopes Tour–the last time Bruce has performed the frat rock classic to date.
Louie Louie
First performed: September 9, 1978 (South Bend, IN)
Last performed: April 19, 2014 (Charlotte, NC)
Ken, Absolutely great inclusions. Love the Charlotte Youtube footage. Easy to tell how much these songs (“Louie, Louie” and “Mustang Sally”) meant to Bruce from his past. His body language and vocal delivery tell the story of his love for these classics. This 2014 progression of the band (w/ Morello) is on fire, hitting on all cylinders. There is an audience recording of “Louie, Louie” from The University of Notre Dame (9.9.78). The second set opens with “Paradise By the C”, “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love”, “Louie, Louie”, “Fire”, etc. MS
Yes, there is a recording from 9/9/78 of “Louie, Louie” like Mark said. That was my first Bruce show, so I snagged any songs I could get from that show over the years. It’s not a great recording by any means, but it means a lot to me. That’s the show where the crowd would absolutely not leave and were pounding on the stage (me included) chanting “We want more”. It worked! Half the band came out in bathrobes from the shower, Bruce included! I got to interview Bruce after the show for my college newspaper (The Purdue Exponent). An amazing night!
Thanks, Suzanne and Mark—you both are right, I even have that bootleg. For some reason I thought “Louie Louie” was missing from it, though. Thanks for setting me straight!