I've gone easy on the followers of this feature for the last few weeks. That stops now. The King has a lot of Men...
THE KING'S MEN #1
We start today in 1939 - although these guys from LA had already been doing their thing for a decade by the time this particular tune was recorded...
THE KINGSMEN #2
To Chicago next, where these Kingsmen got together while still in high school in 1954. A couple of years later, they recorded this...
THE KING'S MEN #3
Today's most famous King is BB... and here he is at the start of his career in 1954, with his short-lived backing band The King's Men.
THE KINGSMEN #4
New York City was home to these Kingsmen back in 1956...
THE KINGSMEN #5
To 1958 California next, with some Kingsmen led by Lord Luther
THE KINGSMEN #6
Rockabilly Kingsmen from 1958 - actually helping a bloke called King.
THE KINGSMEN #7
One year before their more famous Namesakes (below) were formed, Bill Haley's Comets (minus Buill himself) were calling themselves The Kingsmen, and enjoying a US Top 40 hit with the tune below...
THE KINGSMEN #8
The Kingsmen came together in a garage
They could hardly even play
But they practiced night and day
And pretty soon they got to where they could really play that song "Louie, Louie"
So, they saved up all the money from their shows
Went in to one of them studios
And gave their version of the song "Louie Louie" a try
Now, I don't know the words to that song "Louie, Louie"
I'm pretty sure the singer for the Kingsmen didn't know 'em either
If he did know 'em, he didn't get 'em right on the record
'Cause on the record they sound completely jumbled in his jaw
He says, "Me think of me girl oh so constantly
"Ahmayaaah makaaaah aahh ooohoooh aaaaah"
Well, that last part scared everybody from the PTA to the FBI
You see, the kids had been goin' kind of crazy lately
And it seemed like nobody could figure out why
So they decided to form a coalition
Launch an investigation
You know, for the children, they figured they at least had to try
To figure out the words to "Louie, Louie"
THE KINGSMEN #9
Questionable use of punctuation from these Ohio Kingsmen, led by George Brady in 1961...
THE KINGSMEN #10
Philly Kingsmen doing a short instrumental in 1961... I dig it.
THE KINGSMEN #11
Over to Ohio in 1962 next, where a bloke called Fred is taking the Mick...
THE KINGSMEN #12
Lots of Kingsmen around in the early 60s. Here's some more from Pennsylvania in 1962...
THE KINGSMEN #13
And here are some honky tonk Kingsmen, supporting an Ernie!
THE KINGSMEN #14
San Diego surf rock Kingsmen, monkeying about in 1963...
THE KINGSMEN #15
Gospel Kingsmen from North Carolina who appear to have been releasing records from the 1950s through to the present day. Either they have had an ever-changing line-up, or God has shined his light upon them. Here they are in 1976...
THE KINGSMEN #16
Stretching the rules for this one, but it's a good tune. These guys were all former members of James Brown's backing band until they'd had enough of him in 1970 and went off to do their own thing...
THE KINGS MEN #17
Soulful Gospel Kings Men from Maryland in 1984...
KINGS MEN #18
"Tribal house" from some New York dance dude, sampling stuff that he probably didn't pay for... although I could be completely wrong about that and don't want to cast any aspersions... in 1995.
THE KING' S MEN #19
Choral scholars of King's College, Cambridge, singing the Beach Boys in a cathedral in 2014.
KINGSMEN #20
"Metalcore" Kingsmen from 2017. I have sent the leader singer a packet of lozenges.
THE KINGSMEN #21
Also in 2017, these Kings Men were spending a lot of time Down At The Liquor Store, helping country singer Steve Azar.
THE KINGSMEN #22
New Zealand Kingsmen from 2020, helping a bloke called Chris - he's just a regular Joe.
THE KINGSMEN #24
And finally - thank God and the King - some soulful Kingsmen hanging round the Camp of Bands just last year...
Which Kingsmen might actually be capable of putting Humpy back together again?
