SEPTEMBER 2001-
PART ONE
by Eric Predoehl
first posted September 17, 2001 (all
rights reserved)
Greetings, and welcome to another edition
of the LOUIE REPORT online, the newsletter that tracks
information about the song "LOUIE LOUIE" and
the upcoming documentary about the song, THE MEANING
OF LOUIE. It's been awhile since I wrote the last newsletter,
and this edition is significantly larger. There's much
to report, as I discuss the status of the film, our
production company, new musical releases, and share
comments from our readers. As current events in America
unfold, I can't help but share my feelings on what's
happening right now. Please bear with me as I share
my comments on this unbelievable situation.
 BEYOND SADNESS
It's been a sad week for America. The
recent events in New York and Washington have put a
dark shadow over the face of this great country.
Suicidal fanatics have committed a series
of atrocious acts that go beyond the depths of human
depravity.
In the face of disaster, we as Americans
have united in a great show of patriotism and compassion.
Blood banks are overwhelmed by able donors, eager to
donate blood for those in need. Volunteers have worked
around the clock to move the rubble, tend to the needy,
and investigate all possible leads connected to this
great mystery. We should be very proud of the spirit
of the American people.
We must remember to look at this situation,
not merely as Americans, but as civilized, intelligent
beings. We must act only on that which we are absolutely
certain. We cannot afford to exercise weapons of further
mass destruction on mere hunches. We cannot lash out
at probable enemies without absolute evidence. We cannot
afford to kill innocent civilians as we seek out the
villains that caused this reign of murder. We cannot
become that which we hate.
Hate is a terrible cancer, and we as Americans
cannot afford that type of sickness. America is a land
of equal opportunity, filled with immigrants from many
different lands. Countless men and women came to this
country, seeking freedom from the religious persecution
that emanated from their homelands. Pilgrims, Jews,
Buddhists, Moslems, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians of
various denominations all came to this country to pursue
the dreams of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
America is a land of great diversity, providing a cultural
mix like no other country on this planet.
During the early-1980s, as tension mounted
in the Middle East, Richard Berry, author of
the song "Louie Louie," got together with
his ex-wife, Dorothy Berry to release a very
special song titled "The
World Needs Peace." Now, almost twenty
years after its release, and three years after Richard's
death, this song is just as relevant today as the day
it was written. In light of current events, Dorothy
Berry has agreed to allow this song to be shared with
others as an MP3 file on the LouieLouie.Net website.
We would like to invite you to download this song and
share it with your friends.
Check out the
new Dorothy Berry webpage to hear this special song.
PRODUCTIONS FROM
THE LOUIE TEAM
Production on the documentary "THE
MEANING OF LOUIE" continues, albeit at a slower
rate than we'd prefer. Certain clearances have made
completion a major challenge, but thanks to the great
work by Cathy Carapella of DiamondTime,
the end is in sight. When not actively researching the
obscure histories behind LOUIE LOUIE, re-photographing
some incredible archives from some resourceful archivists,
revising the massive database of known recordings of
the song, or chasing down completion funding for this
ever-ambitious epic, the producers behind this upcoming
documentary have remained busy with other projects.
This year, producers Eric Predoehl
and Jesse Block have created a new corporation
with the unveiling of Octalouie LLC, a company
designed strictly for the production of the various
documentaries that we'll be producing.
In August, producers Eric Predoehl and
Jesse Block shot a lot of footage with Chocolate
Watchband, Syndicate of Sound, Cyril Jordan
of the Flamin' Groovies, and Mike Wilhelm
at the BayPop music festival in San Francisco.
All of this footage will be used for as-yet untitled
television project.
A few months before that event, Block
& Predoehl were hired to produce a mutli-camera
production of a Red Elvises performance at the
Justice League, also in San Francisco.
 The long-awaited John Cipollina documentary
"Electric Guitar Slinger," co-directed by
Louie co-producer Jesse Block, finally came out on home
video this year. This documentary is a comprehensive
look at the life of the late guitarist of Quicksilver
Messenger Service, and features interviews with
band members David Freiberg, Dino Valenti,
Greg Elmore, and Nicky Hopkins, as well
as peers in neighborhood San Francisco bands the Grateful
Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Electric Flag,
Big Brother & the Holding Company, The
Dinosaurs, and Country Joe and the Fish.
You can order this videotape by accessing the official
John Cipollina website at
http://www.JohnCipollina.com.
 Speaking of San Francisco music, a film
about Jerry Garcia and David Grissman
was recently completed, and the folks behind THE MEANING
OF LOUIE had a role in providing some footage for this
production. The film, entitled "Grateful Dawg,"
directed by Gillian Grisman, will be released
by Sony Pictures Classics to the general public
on October 5th, 2001. In 1989, when Jerry Garcia and
David Grissman decided to perform together again in
as a little bluegrass duo, one of their earliest performances
was at a special show at Sweetwater in Mill Valley,
California. The occasion was a special party held by
John Goddard, owner of Village Music,
who hired Jesse Block and Eric Predoehl to capture the
event on videotape. In a crowded little nightclub with
barely enough room to sneeze, much less dance, producers
Block and Predoehl documented the event with a 3-camera
production package, as E.P. provided the hand-held close-up
camerawork under the watchful eye of J.B., who directed
all three cameras with ease. When John Goddard allowed
this material to be used in this documentary of this
unique friendship, we were honored to see our work utilized
in this production. Those that were only familiar with
Jerry's work with the Grateful Dead will be pleasantly
surprised to see a whole other side of this late great
musician. For more information about this film, please
check out the official website at http://www.gratefuldawg.com.
There will be more news about productions
from the OctaLouie
team, but we'll save that for another time.
Continue
on with more LOUIE NEWS. Check it out.....
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