(C - F - G) vs. (C - F - G minor), battle of the Louie Louie chord progressions

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full question stated by thread title. please do not include discussion of crappy sonics (E - G - A) louie louie chord progression.

― ddd, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The major version is pop; the minor creates pop with a garage sneer.

― Jez, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

G-minor is, therefore, rockist.

― briania, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually, as I hear it, "Louie Louie" is actually this: "C - F - C7". The organ is playing this riff, and it sounds as if he is leaving out the third in the final chord, but is nevertheless outlining notes in C7 (which coincidentally is 2/3 of G-minor). Another song that uses this kind of structure is Miles Davis' "All Blues".

― dleone, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i highly doubt the 'C7, 2nd inversion, neglecting the tonic' theory. Not only is it a huge stretch but listen to the bass. If your hypothesis was true the bass would necessarily cover the supposed root C seeing as it is neglicted by the organ/guitar. However, the bass clearly plays the fifth G and, since the progression is continuous, this cannot be considered as some sort of pedal note in a cadence. Perhaps the warm distortion of the organ/recording quality fools your ear between the D and the C.

― ddd, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bass doesn't have to play the tonic. I wish I had this on my comp at work, but in order to settle one way or the other, you have to find a B-natural in that last chord.

― dleone, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

...if you're arguing for G-major. For G-minor, I have to find a D! Oh the fun of music theory, and the cool people who speak of it.

― dleone, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

bass doesn't have to play the tonic but my point is that someone has to play the tonic (to at least make the C7 a more likely hypothesis than a G minor) and it is surely not the organ/guitar!

― ddd, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah. Unless nobody is, and it's just G and Bb, which would suck. However, I'm certainly willing to download this tonight and report my findings tomorrow. Well maybe not tomorrow, because I have to drive my wife around town. But at a later date!

I do remember that the vocalist lands squarely on 4 straight C's for that chord ("Fine little girl, SHE WAITS FOR ME") during the first line of verse. Not that vocalists are limited to the chord for their note choices.

― dleone, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Indeed. Starting your melody or basing a melodic trill around the second or sixth notes in the scale is pretty much the key to "catchy". Using a limited number of notes (4 or less) helps too.

― Lynskey, Tuesday, 11 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

C-F-G-F with complete ignorance of the terms and meaning of "major" and "minor" is the best way to go with this song. C-F-C7? nigga please ^_^! if it had been that rock history would have gone a completely different path (like if you went back in time and smashed a butterfly). and here here to the E-G-A dismissal. that's no way to treat a louie.

― gilgamesh, Wednesday, 12 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

After watching "Animal House" this weekend, I regret to inform, well myself, that "Louie Louie" does appear to follow the C-F-Gm format of progression. Let it never be said I cannot wallow in my own nerdly comeuppance.

― dleone, Monday, 17 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

three years pass...

to set the record straight...concerning THE CHORDS to
LOUIE,LOUIE..... IVE PERSONALLY KNOWN THE KINGSMEN FOR FORTY YEARS,, AND BACK IN THE 60"S I ASKED THEM ABOUT THE CHORDS....
I WAS INFORMED BY A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE BAND
THAT THEY ARE INDEED...A D Em.....
there you go..KEEP ROCKIN'

― geoff bell, Saturday, 23 July 2005 02:26 (twenty years ago)

I never thought about this before, but that minor chord -- whether you call it Gm or Em -- is the key to the song. It gives a longing lack of resolution, which is what makes it sound horny and dirty. If you play it all major chords it's just a guy hanging out by the keg cheesing on some girl. The minor chord is also why it invented grunge.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 23 July 2005 03:09 (twenty years ago)

Is there some precedent for having a minor v chord like this? It's a rad note - the blue third of the scale. Was it just a stroke of genius?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 23 July 2005 03:22 (twenty years ago)

I was trying to think of other I-IV-Vm songs. I'm sure there are plenty, but none spring to mind.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 23 July 2005 04:49 (twenty years ago)

"slip kid" by the who, almost. the verses are G-C-Dm-F. and they could have done the same melody over G-C-Dm-C.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Saturday, 23 July 2005 05:12 (twenty years ago)

fifteen years pass...

RIP, player of THAT guitar solo

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/mike-mitchell-guitarist-kingsmen-louie-130407646.html

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 19 April 2021 01:34 (four years ago)

He hadda go now, RIP

― Bewlay Brothers & Sister Rrose (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 19 April 2021 01:51 (four years ago)

Musical competence of the various members of the Kingsmen as demonstrated in their performance of "Louie Louie", from most to least:

Bassist
Keyboardist
Guitarist
Drummer
Singer

― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 19 April 2021 02:06 (four years ago)

I like how the drummer came up with a nice fill to cover for the singer after his false start before the last verse

― Lee626, Monday, 19 April 2021 06:12 (four years ago)

Some of my favourite drumming ever on this record. RIP Louie Louie guitar guy.

― Authoritarian Steaks (Tom D.), Monday, 19 April 2021 09:04 (four years ago)

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