Brother Louie (Hot Chocolate song)

Last updated

"Brother Louie"
Hot Chocolate Brother Louie RAK single label scan.jpg
Single by Hot Chocolate
B-side "I Want to Be Free"
Released1973
Length4:23
Label Rak
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Mickie Most
Hot Chocolate singles chronology
"You'll Always Be a Friend"
(1972)
"Brother Louie"
(1973)
"Rumours"
(1973)

"Brother Louie" is a song by British soul band Hot Chocolate. Written by members Errol Brown and Tony Wilson and produced by Mickie Most, the song discusses an interracial love affair between a white man and a black woman, and the subsequent rejection of both by their parents because of it. Upon its release as a single, "Brother Louie" peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart in 1973. [1] Alexis Korner has a spoken word part in this version of the song. [2] Phil Dennys arranged the string section.

Contents

Stories version

"Brother Louie"
Stories - Brother Louie single scan.jpg
Single by Stories
from the album About Us
B-side "What Comes After"
Released
  • 30 June 1973
  • 7 July 1990 (re-release)
Genre
Length3:55
Label Kama Sutra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kenny Kerner
  • Richie Wise
Stories singles chronology
"Love Is in Motion"
(1973)
"Brother Louie"
(1973)
"Mammy Blue"
(1973)
Official audio
"Brother Louie" on YouTube

"Brother Louie" was covered by the American band Stories (featuring singer Ian Lloyd) about six months after Hot Chocolate's UK hit. The Stories version reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and sold a million-plus copies to earn a gold disc. [6]

Charts

Hot Chocolate version

Chart (1973)Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA) [7] 19
UK Singles (OCC) [8] 7

Stories version

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [16] Gold1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Quireboys version

Chart (1993)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [17] 32

Other versions

Another cover was released in 1973 by Roy Ayers on his album Virgo Red, playing vibes instead of singing. The song has since been covered by many other artists, notably Vandenberg singer Bert Heerink who had a top 10 hit in 1995 in the Netherlands with a Dutch version titled "Julie July", and a version by English rock band the Quireboys in 1993 which reached number 32 in the UK.

Puerto Rican/American musician Louie Louie recorded a cover version of the song for his second studio album, Let's Get Started (1993). It was produced by George Michael. [18]

The recording by Stories was featured in the film A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006). The same version also appeared in an episode of the series Nip/Tuck . An alternative rendition of the Stories version of the song was included in the soundtrack of the 2007 film Zodiac . It was also on the soundtrack to the 1999 film Dick and in the 2005 French-Canadian film C.R.A.Z.Y. , but the song's first film appearance was in Wim Wenders' 1974 film Alice in the Cities (7:15 into the film).

The song, with slightly different wording, is used as the theme song to the television series Louie , a sitcom loosely based on the life of American comedian Louis C.K. The word "cry" was changed to "die" in the second repetition of the chorus. This version was produced by Reggie Watts, with the intro emulating the Hot Chocolate version, and with Stories singer Ian Lloyd reprising his vocals.

The Stories recording is used as walk-up music by New York Mets baseball player Luis Guillorme. [19]

Related Research Articles

Theme from <i>Mahogany</i> (Do You Know Where Youre Going To) 1975 single by Diana Ross

"Theme from Mahogany" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin and produced by Masser. It was initially recorded by American singer Thelma Houston in 1973, and then by Diana Ross as the theme to the 1975 Motown/Paramount film Mahogany that also starred Ross. The song was released on September 24, 1975 by Motown Records as the lead single for both the film's soundtrack and Ross' seventh studio album, Diana Ross. Masser and Goffin received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 48th Academy Awards. Also, the song was nominated for AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs list constructed by the American Film Institute in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Can Say Goodbye</span> 1971 song by Clifton Davis, first recorded by the Jackson 5

"Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by the Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first single released from the group's 1971 album Maybe Tomorrow, and was one of the group's most successful records. It has been covered numerous times, most notably in 1974 by Gloria Gaynor and in 1987 by British pop group the Communards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Times a Lady</span> 1978 single by Commodores

"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group Commodores for their album Natural High, written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and Commodores.

Stories was an American early 1970s rock and pop music band based in New York City. The band consisted of keyboardist Michael Brown, bassist/vocalist Ian Lloyd, guitarist Steve Love, and drummer Bryan Madey, and had a Number 1 hit with a cover of Hot Chocolate's "Brother Louie."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top of the World (The Carpenters song)</span> 1972 song written and composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis

"Top of the World" is a 1972 song written and composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis and first recorded by American pop duo Carpenters. It was a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit for the duo for two consecutive weeks in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Won't Last a Day Without You</span> 1972/1974 single by The Carpenters

"I Won't Last a Day Without You" is a song by The Carpenters with lyrics written by Paul Williams and music composed by Roger Nichols. It was released in the U.K. in September 1972, paired with "Goodbye to Love" as a double-A side. The single reached No. 9 and spent 14 weeks on the chart. It was later released in the U.S. and became a hit single for them in 1974, reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the easy listening chart. It was the Carpenters' ninth No. 1 on the easy listening chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shambala (song)</span> 1973 song performed by Three Dog Night

"Shambala" is a song written by Daniel Moore and made famous by two near-simultaneous releases in 1973: the better-known but slightly later recording by Three Dog Night, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and a version by B. W. Stevenson. Its title derives from a mythical place-name also spelled Shamballa or Shambhala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reunited (song)</span> 1979 single by Peaches & Herb

"Reunited" is a hit song for R&B vocal duo Peaches & Herb. As the second single release from their album, 2 Hot (1978), the song was a huge crossover smash, topping both the pop and soul charts. It spent four weeks at number one on both the R&B singles chart and the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1979 and sold over two million copies. Billboard ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1979. In Canada, "Reunited" likewise reached number one and was the No. 9 song for the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Masquerade</span> 1976 single by George Benson

"This Masquerade" is a song written by American singer and musician Leon Russell. It was originally recorded in 1972 by Russell for his album Carney and as a B-side for the album's hit single "Tight Rope". The song was then covered on Helen Reddy's 1972 album, I Am Woman. It was then recorded by American vocal duo, the Carpenters, for their 1973 album Now & Then and as the B-side of the Carpenters's single "Please Mr. Postman". Three years later, "This Masquerade" was recorded by American singer and guitarist George Benson, who released it on his 1976 album, Breezin'. Benson's version, featuring Jorge Dalto on piano, was released as a single and became the first big hit of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Show and Tell (song)</span> 1973 single by Al Wilson

"Show and Tell" is a popular song written by Jerry Fuller and first recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1972. This original version made it to #36 on the Easy Listening chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Most Beautiful Girl</span> 1973 single by Charlie Rich

"The Most Beautiful Girl" is a song recorded by Charlie Rich and written by Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson, and Rory Bourke. The countrypolitan ballad reached No. 1 in the United States in 1973 on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart, the country chart, and the adult contemporary chart, as well as in Canada on three RPM charts: the RPM 100 Top Singles chart, the Country Tracks chart, and the Adult Contemporary chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 23 song for 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)</span>

"Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)" is a song written by the premier Motown songwriting/production team of the 1960s Holland–Dozier–Holland. The first hit recording was sung by Kim Weston in 1965. It was most popular in 1975 when it was recorded by the Doobie Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Just Want to Be Your Everything</span> 1977 single by Andy Gibb

"I Just Want to Be Your Everything" is a song recorded by Andy Gibb, initially released in April 1977 by RSO Records as the first single from his debut album Flowing Rivers (1977). The song was written by Gibb's older brother Barry, and produced by Gibb-Galuten-Richardson. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, starting on the week ending 30 July 1977, and again for the week ending 17 September 1977. It was Gibb's first single released in the United Kingdom and United States. His previous single, "Words and Music" was only released in Australia. It is ranked number 26 on Billboard's 55th anniversary All Time Top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby</span> 1973 single by Barry White

"I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby" is a song written, produced and recorded by Barry White.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody Plays the Fool</span> 1972 single by the Main Ingredient

"Everybody Plays the Fool" is a 1972 song first recorded by American R&B group The Main Ingredient, and written by J. R. Bailey, Rudy Clark and Ken Williams. It was the first single released from the group's album Bitter Sweet, released with the B-side "Who Can I Turn To ". "Everybody Plays the Fool" was the group's highest charting hit single, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the fall of 1972. It also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart and at No. 25 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart. It was certified gold by the RIAA.

"Mamy Blue" is a 1970 song by French songwriter Hubert Giraud. Originally written with French lyrics, the song was rendered in English in 1971 to become an international hit for the Pop-Tops, Joël Daydé and Roger Whittaker. A hit in Italy with Italian lyrics for Dalida and in France in its original French for Nicoletta, "Mamy Blue" was also rendered in a number of other languages in cover versions recorded by a good number of local recording artists across continental Europe, while a "local cover" of the English-language version by Charisma reached #1 in South Africa. The song's title is sometimes spelled "Mammy Blue" in the English-speaking world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Revere & the Raiders discography</span>

Paul Revere & the Raiders are an American rock band from Boise, Idaho. Formed in 1958, the band released their first hit single three years later, "Like, Long Hair", which reached number 38 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Following a few minor charting singles, including a version of "Louie Louie", the band worked with producer Terry Melcher in updating their sound, combining fast-paced, guitar-and-vocal-dominated rock and roll with an intimidating R&B flavor. The result was a string of commercially successful singles, beginning with 1965's "Steppin' Out" and continuing with "Just Like Me", which reached number 11 on the Hot 100, as well as "Kicks", "Hungry", and "Good Thing", all of which peaked inside the top 10. In addition, the band's three 1966 studio albums—Just Like Us!, Midnight Ride, and The Spirit of '67—were each certified gold in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let Her In</span> 1976 single by John Travolta

"Let Her In" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Gary Benson, and released as a single in 1973. It was covered by John Travolta in 1976, and was released as the first single from Travolta's self-titled second album. Travolta's version was a hit, spending five months on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and peaking at number 10. It also reached number 16 on the Adult Contemporary chart. On the Cash Box chart, the song peaked at number five. In Canada, "Let Her In" reached number seven on the RPM Top Singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Just Wanna Stop</span> 1978 single by Gino Vannelli

"I Just Wanna Stop" is a song by Canadian singer/songwriter Gino Vannelli. Released as a single in August 1978, it remains his biggest hit single to date, reaching No. 1 in his native Canada and No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It appears on his sixth album, Brother to Brother. The recording was produced by Gino and his brothers, Joe and Ross Vannelli; the song was written by Ross. It received a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio</span> 1972 song performed by Joni Mitchell

"You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" is a 1972 song written and originally recorded by Canadian singer songwriter Joni Mitchell. It was released on her fifth studio album entitled For the Roses and was issued as a single as well.

References

  1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 259. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  2. "Brother Louie by Hot Chocolate". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  3. Smith, Troy L. (14 December 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com . Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  4. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (16 April 2019). "The Number Ones: Stories' "Brother Louie"". Stereogum . Retrieved 18 June 2023. In Stories' hands, it's a tense funk vamp, a satisfying rhythmic squelcher. Between those strings and Lloyd's histrionic delivery...it's basically a disco song.
  5. Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (15 October 1996). "Color Blind: Blue-eyed Soul". Precious and Few: Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 42. ISBN   031214704X.
  6. "US Top 100 Music Hits". Billboard . 25 August 1973. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  7. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Brother Louie". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  9. Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  10. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4887." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  11. "Top 100 1973-08-25". Cashbox Magazine . Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  12. "Top 100 Singles of '73". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  13. "Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  14. "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1973". Cashbox Magazine . Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  15. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard . Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  16. "American single certifications – Stories – Brother Louie". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  17. "Quireboys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  18. Boehm, Mike (27 November 1992). "Louie Louie's 2nd Album Gets 'Started'". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  19. "Mets Walk-Up Music Playlist". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved 7 October 2022.