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1963 studio album by The Kingsmen From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kingsmen in Person is the first album by the rock band The Kingsmen, released in 1963. The album featured "Louie Louie", the band's biggest success.
The Kingsmen in Person | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 1963 | |||
Recorded | April and November 1963 | |||
Genre | Garage rock | |||
Length | 41:53 | |||
Label | Wand 657 | |||
Producer | Jerry Dennon | |||
The Kingsmen chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Kingsmen In Person | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Record Mirror | [2] |
The Kingsmen recorded "Louie Louie" at Northwestern Inc. recording studio on April 6, 1963.[3] After being reissued by Wand, "Louie Louie" debuted in the Billboard Hot 100 at #83 on November 9 and quickly began ascending the charts.[4] Trying to capitalize on the success of the song, the Kingsmen decided to release an entire album, and gigs at the Chase nightclub were booked on November 15 and 16 to record what was to become The Kingsmen in Person.[5]
Jack Ely, the singer of "Louie Louie", and bassist Bob Nordby appeared on no other tracks on the album because they quit before it was recorded.[6] The album liner notes presented an abridged group history with no mention of Ely or Nordby, instead showcasing Lynn Easton as the group’s sole founder and creative force.[7]
After adding an announcer intro and "live audience" overdubbing, Wand quickly released the album to make a dent in the Christmas purchasing season,[8] and it first appeared on the Billboard Top LPs on January 18, 1964, eventually peaking at #20 and remaining on the chart for over two years (131 weeks total) until 1966. [9]
The January 18, 1964 issue of Cash Box magazine reviewed the album:[10]
Jack Rabid of AllMusic awarded the album 3.5 stars and said,[1]
Record Mirror's review described the Kingsmen as "... a group with a lot more imagination and blues orientation than most."[2]
Gold records for $1 million in sales were presented to group members in December 1965 at a "gold album party" hosted by Scepter-Wand Records. Attendees included Scepter-Wand president Florence Greenberg and guests Angie Dickinson, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, the Shirelles, George Maharis, Huntington Hartford, Gardner McKay, and Andy Warhol.[11]
The LP was released in both mono (WDM 657) and stereo (WDS 657) versions. International releases included Canada (Reo 667), Germany (Vogue LDV 17002, different cover, titled The Kingsmen), Mexico (Orfeon/Videovox DML-MI-95), New Zealand (Fontana TL 08763), and United Kingdom (Pye International NPL 28050, different cover). A 1964 French release, En Public - Dansez Le Surf avec The Kingsmen (Disques Vogue LD 655 30), included a mix of tracks from the first two albums.
In 1993 Sundazed and Bear Family reissued the album on CD with bonus tracks "Haunted Castle", "The Krunch", and "(You Got) The Gamma Goochee", and with crowd noise and announcer intro removed. In 2016 the album was reissued in Japan by Old Days Records with bonus tracks "Little Latin Lupe Lu", "Death of an Angel", and "The Jolly Green Giant".
† CD bonus tracks
The 8-track tape release (Wand WDX-5657) divided the track list into four programs and altered the track order to 1-10-12, 3-4-6, 8-7-2, 11-9-5. Reel-to-reel, 4-track, and cassette versions were also released.
Chart (1963) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard 200[19] | 20 |
U.S. Cashbox Top LPs | 16 |
U.S. Record World Top LPs | 33 |
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