Search

Research

"Beg, Borrow and Steal" vs "Louie Louie"

Oldiesmann

Managing Editor
Posts: 2733

Oldiesmann @ 2019-08-19 19:55:11 UTC

Not sure if this warrants noting on site, but the song Beg, Borrow and Steal shares a lot of similarities with The Kingsmen's version of "Louie, Louie" - especially the backing chords during the verse.



WhoSampled lists "Beg, Borrow and Steal" as using an "Interpolation (Replayed Sample) of Hook / Riff" of "Louie Louie" but I think the music is all original rather than a straight sample of the Kingsmen recording.

jojo

New Editor
Posts: 1755

jojo @ 2019-08-20 08:37:28 UTC

That riff of riffs on his turn is not that original too.


Richard Berry was inspired to write "Louie, Louie" in 1955 after listening to an R&B interpretation of "El Loco Cha Cha" performed by the Latin R&B group Ricky Rillera and the Rhythm Rockers. The tune was written originally as "Amarren Al Loco" ("Tie Up the Madman") by Cuban bandleader Rosendo Ruiz Jr., also known as Rosendo Ruiz Quevedo, but became best known in the "El Loco Cha Cha" arrangement by René Touzet which included a rhythmic ten-note "1-2-3 1–2 1-2-3 1–2" riff.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louie_Louie


There is even a website completely dedicated to this song, also mentioning earlier influences.


http://www.louielouie.net/blog/


That earlier influence is the song "La Bamba", which is built on the same chord pattern.




And a 1000+ songs use the same chord progression


https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/songs-with-a-louie-louie-riff.17274/


JoJo greets

microtherion

Managing Editor
Posts: 416

microtherion @ 2019-08-20 21:21:19 UTC

It's not the same chord progression anyway, to my ears. Louie Louie is I - IV - Vm, while Beg, Borrow & Steel is using the more common I - IV - V (major chord instead of minor).

If we argue along those lines, you could trace the riff of "Smoke on the Water" to latin jazz roots: