"California Kicks" The Challengers (1966)

When this album came out back in 1966, I was six months old and I don't remember it making much of an impression on me. I must admit, I wasn't very open minded back then and I was a bit fixated on things like patty cake, keeping my pacifier in my mouth and playing with my father's car keys. But through the years, this album has grown on me and I am quite fond of it now.

The Challengers never broke out nationally, like The Ventures, but they were superstars in southern California. Their first album, Surfbeat, is still one of the best selling surf instrumental albums of all-time and they even hosted their own local television show.

"California Kicks" has some great instrumental rock n roll tunes including, "Balboa", "One Track Mind" and "North Shore" and includes some cool cover versions of "Louie, Louie", The Raiders' "Kicks" and "Shakin All Over".

The album also has one of the grooviest album covers of the mid-sixties. Every time I look at the smiling young people in their pre-hippie mod clothes standing in front of the painted sunset under the banner, "California Kicks", I am ready to hop the first plane to So-Cal and hang out in a malt shop near the beach. The only problem:
the young people are probably Grandparents now, the Challengers' television show was cancelled a long long time ago and nobody hangs out in malt shops anymore.
 Take a listen below.
         

     --Casey Redmond
        Shangri-La, Ohio

Casey's Musical Dustbin Podcast: "Louie, Louie Marathon"

Richard Berry:  The man who started a phenomenon

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Today is International Louie, Louie Day in honor of the greatest song in rock n roll history. Richard Berry, the composer of the song, was born on this day in 1935. He recorded Louie, Louie in 1957 and it became a minor hit on the r&b charts selling 130,000 copies.

In the early sixties, it became a garage band standard (especially in the northwestern U.S) and became a #2 hit for The Kingsmen in 1963. Since then it has become one of the most covered tunes in rock n roll history with over 1600 recorded versions and climbing.

To commemorate International Louie Day, we will be bringing you our "Louie, Louie Marathon". I will cram as many versions of the song as I can in our sixty minute time frame. Plus, I will also bring you some sixties tunes that pretty much stole the Louie, Louie guitar riff and became hits of their own. Music on the way from The Zeniths, Motorhead, The Troggs, The University Of Washington Marching Band, Blondie, The Sonics and more...

You can listen to the show HERE

Casey's Musical Dustbin Website

"Louie, Louie" Rock N Roll Casey

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In honor of International Louie, Louie Day, here is my version. I apologize about my appearance, but I was feeling a little under the weather.