The Best of the Kingsmen

the best of the kingsmen

Track Listings
1. Louie, Louie
2. Money (That's What I Want)
3. Little Latin Lupe Lu
4. Death of an Angel
5. Jolly Green Giant
6. Climb
7. Rosalie [*]
8. Haunted Castle [*]
9. Long Green
10. That's Cool, That's Trash
11. J.A.J. [*]
12. Genevieve
13. Annie Fanny
14. Little Green Thing [*]
15. Killer Joe
16. Give Her Lovin'
17. Little Sally Tease [*]
18. Trouble [*]

The Best of the Kingsmen,The Kingsmen,Rhino / Wea,Frat Rock,Garage Rock,Rock & Roll,V/a Compilations

The Best of the Kingsmen
Louie Louie: The Very Best of The Kingsmen
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Mostly mediocre tunes from a true one-hit wonder.
  • blast from the past
  • That's All They Want
  • LOUIE, LOUIE FOREVER !
  • Kingsmen - 'The Very Best Of The... ' (Collectables)
 Louie Louie: The Very Best of The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
Manufacturer: Collectables
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00001ZT1N
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Tracks:

  1. Louie Louie
  2. Money (Thats All I Want)
  3. Jolly Green Giant
  4. Little Latin Lupe Lu
  5. Death Of An Angel
  6. Annie Fannie
  7. The Climb
  8. Killer Joe
  9. Little Sally Tease
  10. Don't You Just Know It
  11. That's Cool, That's Trash
  12. Long Green
  13. Shout
  14. Mashed Potatoes
  15. Little Green Thing
  16. Shake A Tail Feather
  17. Mustang Sally
  18. I Like It Like That
  19. Twist And Shout
  20. Do You Love Me
  21. New Orleans
  22. Fever
  23. Gimme Some Lovin'
  24. Tall Cool One
  25. Long Tall Texan
  26. Night Train

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Mostly mediocre tunes from a true one-hit wonder........2007-07-02

I'm assuming you already know "Louie Louie" (and if you don't, you've got a lot to learn). It's one of rock n roll's greatest performances, an explosion of overwhelming, inarticulate energy that'll probably have humanity dancing well into the 30th century. And... that's about it.

"Louie Louie" aside, the Kingsmen were little more than a standard issue, R&B-influenced frat-rock cover band. They played music for teenagers who wanted to get in a couple of dances before convincing their date to come with them to Lover's Lane and- I'll tell you when you're older. Which is, of course, a noble effort, just not one whose fruits age particularly well. The songs are, for the most part, dull and unoriginal covers of the rock standards of the day- there's a stiff, plodding rendition of "Mustang Sally" that doesn't capture an ounce of the smoldering sexuality found in Wilson Picket's version, while their take on "Death of an Angel" is an unbearably annoying bit of melodrama. The group also murders "Fever," stripping the song of its eerie subtlty and atospheric tension. They reduce the Isley Brothers' breathless "Shout" into a boring mood-killer that sits somewhere between high-speed polka and the worst of high school garage band music. They attack instrumentals with the same ham-fisted unoriginality, cranking out an incredibly tedious version of "Night Train." And then there's the incredibly annoying "Little Sally Tease" and "Killer Joe," a transparent "Louie Louie" rehash that drains the song of its unique magic.

Now, don't get me wrong- there are a few good songs here other than "Louie Louie." "Jolly Green Giant" is a rockin' novelty song, and "The Climb" is a rousing, catchy, pounding number that should have you clibing that dancefloor for a few minutes. "Don't You Just Know It" has a certain, ultra-sloppy, appeal, and "Gimme Some Lovin'" is a great ruccus-raining party anthem. Ditto for "Long Green."

Still, this disc is the demonstration of a mediocre rock band who only managed to record one truly great song. This is an album full of filler, and probably not one that you'll play all that often. Still, if you absolutely insist on having a Kingsmen disc in your collection (or if you want a good exapmle of what a typical 60s teen hop or frat party would've sounded like), this isn't a bad purchase. Although, you might want to buy Rhino's The Best of the Kingsmen instead. It's the more concise disc, and it has the way-cool b-side to "Louie Louie," a stormin' surf instrumental entitled "The Haunted Castle." In either case, happy listening!

4 out of 5 stars blast from the past.......2006-08-27

This has all the big songs and a few I had forgotten about. It is a good selection with few duds. It has a good range from the classic Louie Louie to their more humorous songs like Long Tall Texan. I recommend it for a trip down memory lane.

5 out of 5 stars That's All They Want.......2006-04-01

It says VERY BEST OF, but it's more of a singles collection, really, including some B-sides (The Kingsmen managed to have B-sides that really were among their best stuff). In that case, it loses on both counts: what, no "Haunted Castle"? No "Bent Scepter" (their tribute to Wand Records)? And what about later gems like "Daytime Shadows" and "Childrens's Caretaker"? "Grass Is Green"? Singles or B-sides, all. And some of the very best of, indeed. Ah well. "Louie Louie" is, for better or worse, their signature after all. And it's great. But so was all that other stuff that isn't to be found here. Seek it out.

5 out of 5 stars LOUIE, LOUIE FOREVER !.......2004-12-27

No rock collection is complete without this, the ABSOLUTE BEST Kingsmen hits package ever assembled! The remaining original members of the band personally chose these TWENTY-SIX TRACKS from their five Scepter LPs, and every great tune is here: "Jolly Green Giant", "Annie Fannie", "Long Green", "The Climb", "Little Sally Tease", their definitive honking covers of "Money", "Mustang Sally", "Shout", "Shake A Tail Feather" and so much more, every track proving why these guys were the Mount Olympus of the frat sound! And best of all, as of the discharge of their 1993 lawsuit, the Kingsmen now OWN all their recordings! Way to go, guys! LOUIE, LOUIE FOREVER!

5 out of 5 stars Kingsmen - 'The Very Best Of The... ' (Collectables).......2004-12-24

Essential for any and all true Kingsmen fans,and I know you're out there.Well-assembled compilation CD of Portland's premier band of frat rock.Okay,you win,it's garage rock.Same thing,isn't it?All the songs you remember are here,like "Louie Louie","Jolly Green Giant","Annie Fanny","Killer Joe",their Isley Brothers cover "Shout",the instrumental "Night Train" and twenty others.Better,of course than their 'Since We've Been Gone' CD(see my review).Will appeal to fans of the Troggs,Chocolate Watchband,Standells,Paul Revere&The Raiders,the list goes on.
1964: The Rock 'N' Roll Era (Time-Life Music)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		1964: The Rock 'N' Roll Era (Time-Life Music)

    Manufacturer: Time Life Music
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD
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    ASIN: B000FCDBKY

    Product Description

    Part of Time-Life Music's Rock 'N' Roll Era series with 22 of 1964's greatest hits. Tracks: 1 Where Did Our Love Go The Supremes 02:34 2 Rag Doll Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 02:58 3 Under The Boardwalk The Drifters 02:42 4 It Hurts To Be In Love Gene Pitney 02:34 5 The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena) Jan and Dean 02:45 6 You Don't Own Me Lesley Gore 02:32 7 Oh, Pretty Woman Roy Orbison 02:58 8 My Guy Mary Wells 02:51 9 Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow The Sun) Del Shannon 02:13 10 C'mon And Swim Bobby Freeman 02:45 11 Last Kiss J. Frank Wilson and The Cavaliers 02:27 12 Dancing In The Street Martha and The Vandellas 02:43 13 G.T.O. Ronny and The Daytonas 02:29 14 Suspicion Terry Stafford 02:31 15 No Particular Place To Go Chuck Berry 02:44 16 Leader Of The Pack The Shangri-Las 02:55 17 Hi-Heel Sneakers Tommy Tucker 02:51 18 Chapel Of Love The Dixie Cups 02:49 19 Louie Louie The Kingsmen 02:46 20 Goin' Out Of My Head Little Anthony and The Imperials 02:30 21 The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) Betty Everett 02:17 22 Surfin' Bird The Trashmen 02:20
    1964 Classic Rock: The Beat Goes On
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      		1964 Classic Rock: The Beat Goes On
      The Honeycombs , The Dixie Cups , Don Covay , The Reflections , The Murmaids , Roy Orbison , The Pyramids , The Rip Chords , The Searchers , and The Jelly Beans
      Manufacturer: Time-Life Music
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD
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      ASIN: B000FPHK62

      Product Description

      Song listing: 1 Honeycombs, The Have I The Right (2:59) 2 Supremes, The Where Did Our Love Go (2:35) 3 Dixie Cups, The People Say (2:36) 4 Don Covay Mercy, Mercy (2:28) 5 Murmaids, The Popsicles And Icicles (2:35) 6 Roy Orbison It's Over (2:51) 7 Kingsmen, The Louie Louie (2:48) 8 Shangri-Las, The Give Him A Great Big Kiss (2:09) 9 Impressions, The Keep On Pushing (2:34) 10 Maxine Brown Oh No, Not My Baby (2:38) 11 Beach Boys, The When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) (2:04) 12 Searchers, The Love Potion Number Nine (2:08) 13 Reflections, The (2) (Just Like) Romeo And Juliet (2:23) 14 Marvin Gaye How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (3:01) 15 Jelly Beans, The I Wanna Love Him So Bad (2:45) 16 Four Tops Baby, I Need Your Loving (2:48) 17 Gene Pitney I'm Gonna Be Strong (2:16) 18 Rip Chords, The Hey, Little Cobra (2:04) 19 Pyramids, The Penetration (2:01) 20 Shirley Ellis The Name Game (3:03) 21 Marvin Gaye You're A Wonderful One (2:49) 22 Impressions, The Amen (3:28)
      The Very Best of the Kingsmen
      Average customer rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
      • Great CD
      • Stereo versions of most of their songs
      • DON'T BOTHER LOUIE LOUIE IS THE ONLY CUT WORTH ANYTHING.
      		 The Very Best of the Kingsmen
      The Kingsmen
      Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B000007OAI
      Release Date: 1998-06-02

      Tracks:

      1. Louie, Louie
      2. Haunted Castle
      3. Twist And Shout
      4. Shout
      5. Money, That's What I Want
      6. Little Latin Lupe Lu
      7. New Orleans
      8. Death Of An Angel
      9. Long Green
      10. Do You Love Me?
      11. That's Cool, That's Trash
      12. I Like It Like That
      13. Annie Fanny
      14. Killer Joe
      15. Shake A Tail Feather
      16. The Climb
      17. Little Sally Tease
      18. The Jolly Green Giant

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Great CD.......2007-04-26

      I'll tell you why......The blurry words ARE SUPPOSED to sound like this.

      The Kingsmen didn't achieve their success by slow and clear vocalization.

      The subject of President Hoover's investigation and a book on the studies of lyrical content, the legendary song Louie,Louie is still fresh and exciting as well as the other songs.

      For Kingmen fan, I highly recommend this CD.

      2 out of 5 stars Stereo versions of most of their songs.......2005-12-23

      Your better off getting the Rhino collection as it is in mono. This CD is in stereo and is more of a curio. The songs have no power in stereo and sound like different mixes. By the way, no comp by the Kingsmen includes the single mix of "Little Latin Lupe Lu". That version has dubbed in percussion and guitars and the vocals are higher in the mix. Unless your a stereo fanatic, don't buy this one.

      1 out of 5 stars DON'T BOTHER LOUIE LOUIE IS THE ONLY CUT WORTH ANYTHING........1998-11-05

      I'D HAVE GIVEN 1/2 A STAR IF I COULD HAVE. THE SOUND QUALITY IS NOT GOOD EVEN ON CD.THE KINGSMEN MUST HAVE A RULE:NEVER PRONOUNCE MORE THAN 2 WORDS PER SONG.NOT WORTH ANOTHER WORD!
      The Best of the Kingsmen
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • The Holy Grail of Garage Band Rock II
      		 The Best of the Kingsmen
      The Kingsmen
      Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B0000032MO
      Release Date: 1991-05-21

      Tracks:

      1. Louie Louie
      2. Money
      3. Little Latin Lupe Lu
      4. Death Of An Angel
      5. The Jolly Green Giant
      6. The Climb
      7. Rosalie
      8. Haunted Castle
      9. Long Green
      10. That's Cool, That's Trash
      11. J.A.J.
      12. Genevieve
      13. Annie Fanny
      14. Little Green Thing
      15. Killer Joe
      16. Give Her Lovin'
      17. Little Sally Tease
      18. Trouble

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars The Holy Grail of Garage Band Rock II.......2000-03-16

      [Yikes! The Amazon.com computer gremlins really botched my review. Let's try it again, okay?]

      In March of 1963, the Kingsmen entered a downtown Portland studio and (according to the liner notes) for $38 recorded "Louie Louie" and achieved rock 'n' roll immortality. "Louie Louie" is two minutes and 43 seconds of primal (albeit sloppy) garage band bliss. [Bizarre footnote: The song was kept out of the No. 1 spot by the Singing Nun's "Dominique"! ]

      The song has been the center of attention since its first release. There were early attempts to have the song banned for its alleged off-color lyrics. In 1964, an FCC investigation concluded "the record to be unintelligible at any speed we played it." In the late-Eighties Rhino Records released two volumes of its "Best of Louie Louie" series showcasing the wide diversity of treatments the song has been given over the years--including a competing version by the Kingsmen's in-state rivals Paul Revere & the Raiders. [According to the liner notes, nearly a thousand versions of "Louie Louie" have been recorded over the years. A few of these can be found on Volume 2, which is still available from Rhino.] In the Nineties, rock critic Dave Marsh devoted an entire book to the subject--"Louie Louie: The History and Mythology of the World's Most Famous Rock 'n' Roll Song." Also, two states--Oregon and Washington--unsuccessfully tried to pass legislation making "Louie Louie" the official state song.

      To the uninitiated (and where have YOU been hiding all your life?), this may seem like a lot of fuss over a song written and first recorded in the Fifties by a minor R&B artist, Richard Berry, as a harmless sea chantey. But the song has taken on a life all of its own. The Kingsmen demonstrated to millions of teenagers (myself included) that an abundance of talent wasn't necessarily required to achieve rock stardom. And what self-respecting garage band didn't have "Louie Louie" in its repertoire?

      While the Kingsmen escaped the label of one-hit wonders, they would return to the Top Ten only one more time with the silly but rollicking "Jolly Green Giant." Other hits include a rousing version of Barrett Strong's "Money," a rather pedestrian cover of Bill Medley's "Little Latin Lupe Lu," the soulful "Death of an Angel," the dance-craze-of-the-month entry "The Climb," another novelty number "Annie Fannie" (about the buxom Playboy magazine cartoon character), and their final chart entry from 1966, a cover of the Rocky Fellers' "Killer Joe."

      Other tracks include "Haunted Caste," the instrumental B-side to "Louie Louie"; "Give Her Lovin'," from the beach movie "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" starring Annette Funicello; and "Trouble," released in early 1967. By the end of that year, further personnel changes and the advent of psychedelia speeded up the demise of the band, but not before leaving a permanent mark and lasting influence on rock 'n' roll. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
      The Best of Four Decades with the Kingsmen
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		The Best of Four Decades with the Kingsmen
        The Kingsmen
        Manufacturer: Horizon Records
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

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        ASIN: B000EHHLEW
        The Best of the Kingsmen
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • BIG HITS!!! Means more bang for your buck...
        • LOUIE LOUIE IS WHAT MAKES IT WORTH WHILE
        		 The Best of the Kingsmen
        The Kingsmen
        Manufacturer: Delta
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

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        ASIN: B000001V79
        Release Date: 1995-11-21

        Tracks:

        1. Annie Fannie
        2. Death Of An Angel
        3. Killer Joe
        4. Little Latin Lupe Lu
        5. Louie, Louie
        6. Money
        7. The Climb
        8. The Jolly Green Giant
        9. Mustang Sally
        10. Shout

        Customer Reviews:

        4 out of 5 stars BIG HITS!!! Means more bang for your buck..........2001-01-21


        If you've ever considered purchasing a Kingsmen 'Best Of' collection, this is the one to get. All the major hits are here, from 'Little Latin Lupe Lu' to 'Money' (said to be the first live song ever to make a hit on the 'top 40' charts) to 'The Jolly Green Giant' to their biggest hit 'Louie, Louie'.

        The compilation only has ten tracks, but they're basically the only ones you'll ever need. Also, these songs are not in stereo (at the time this CD was pressed, it was before the band was able to regain control of their original studio masters). But, nonetheless, the quality is decent (except for some horrible hiss on the track 'Death Of An Angel') and worth taking a listen to.

        So, if you want a CD where you won't feel cheated because there aren't enough hits, this collection won't let you down. It's got more bang for your buck.

        4 out of 5 stars LOUIE LOUIE IS WHAT MAKES IT WORTH WHILE.......1999-04-08

        The other songs are of okay quality, but Louie Louie is so...great. And no, the song features no bad words. Buy the CD, and see that the complaints of obsenity are simply and urban legend.

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