From Russia, the Cafe Blues Band win LOUIE of the Week Award!

Thanks to my pal Mike Hintze, I just discovered one of the coolest new versions of LOUIE LOUIE!

The Cafe Blues Band is a musical group from Russia. Their website has this description:

Группа ‘Кафе-blues’ образовалась в ноябре 1998 года. Идея создания группы возникла спонтанно, после очередного распития крепких горячительных напитков. Стиль творчества и жизни: ритм-энд-блюз. Основные музыкальные ориентиры: John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Ten Years After, The Animals, Canned Heat, Manfred Mann, Muddy Waters, Майк Науменко.

For those of you that don’t read Russian, or know someone that can translate, here’s what all those funny looking words mean…

The group was formed in November 1998. The idea of setting up the group emerged spontaneously after yet another drinking bout (“raspitiya”) with rather powerful alcoholic drinks. Their style of music is rhythm and blues inspired by the likes of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Ten Years After, The Animals, Canned Heat, Manfred Mann, Muddy Waters, and Mike Naumenko.

Their latest CD is called “Idlers, Toilers and a Jew“(or Ладрыги, работяги и жид), and you can download most, if not all of it by clicking here.

Their version of LOUIE LOUIE is quite inspired. It’s a rendition that uses the Iggy Pop “American Caesar” lyrics, and features Veronika Nikiforova providing what I believe is the first female vocals that use the Iggy-style interpretation of the Richard Berry classic. I love this version, and I especially love the album cover!

Congratulations to the Cafe Blues Band for this excellent new version. I am happy to award them with a “LOUIE of the Week” award, which is something I just made up.

Now, if you excuse me, I think I may to do more research on this term called “raspitiya.”