While it’s unlikely the history books will ever elevate LOUIE & THE LOVERS to the elite pantheon of Cosmic Country trailblazers such as The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers et al, there’s no doubt their one and only album ‘Rise’ (initially released by Epic in 1970) was a fiery and accomplished Roots-Rock affair which is deserving of a long-overdue re-issue.
So who exactly were Louie & The Lovers when they were at home? Well, unlikely as it may sound, they were a Chicano outfit from the Salinas area of California, a place more likely to be referenced in John Steinbeck’s novels than Rock’n’Roll’s urban tableaux. They began life under the name Country Fresh and comprised Louie Ortega (vocals/ guitar), Frank Parades (lead guitar/ vocals), Steve Vargas (bass/ vocals) and drummer Albert Parra. In Ortega, they had a song-writer with a surprisingly mature head on his shoulders and – thanks to the Cajun and Tex-Mex elements of their make-up – they got themselves signed by Epic Records to make their debut album with no less than the legendary Doug Sahm roped in to produce.
The resulting ‘Rise’ album makes one thing clear. Louie Ortega may never have become a household name, but he was no fool where song-writing was concerned. He cited heavyweight Country names like Web Pierce and Lefty Frizzell among his influences, but his band’s potent melding of Byrds-ian harmonies and Creedence Clearwater-style Roots-pop efficiency made for a highly accessible listen.
With the weight of 40 years hindsight helping my argument, it’s hard to fathom why ‘Rise”s accessibility didn’t translate into commercial success. Its’ 11 tracks clock in at an economic 34 minutes, while the hooks and harmonies are in the right place and weak links are happily few and far between. One can only surmise the band’s Chicano heritage was too hard to swallow for a predominantly white audience at the turn of the 70s. By the time Los Lobos broke through over a decade later, such stigmas were thankfully falling by the wayside.
Anyway, regardless of all that, ‘Rise’ is a highly enjoyable album. The title track throws impressive, four-way harmonies over a taut, spangly guitar framework and allows a faint whiff of San Fran-style incense to drift across your headspace, while elegant folk-pop numbers like ‘I’ve Always Got You on My Mind’ and ‘I Don’t Want to be Seen With You’ are the ideal showcases for Ortega’s slightly world-weary, Tim Hardin-inflected vocals.
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Admittedly, it almost IS Creedence Clearwater Revival at times. Rattling, plaid-shirted rockers like ‘Royal Oakie’ and (especially) the swampy and hard-hitting ‘Sittin’ By Your River’ could almost be refugees from CCR’S ‘Green River’ album, with the latter sounding like they’ve roped Neil Young in for some of his trademark jagged lead guitar. Despite the familiarity, though, both still sound frighteningly fresh and when The Lovers really let loose – like on the menacingly becalmed murder ballad ‘Driver Go Slow’, these (then) young men showed just how unlikely they were to remain in anyone’s shadow for long.
Where it all went wrong is unclear. A second album with hard-hitting sidemen like Dr. John and members of The Memphis Horns was apparently definitely recorded, but rumours of its’ demise in storage still persist. Unlike the usual tales Rock’n’Roll misadventure and premature death, Louie & The Lovers instead quietly returned to playing locally, with Ortega later hooking up with Doug Sahm once again, this time as a member of Sahm’s Texas Tornadoes. He these days resides in San Luis Obispo and plays what he refers to as “wild jalapeno music.”
Based primarily around this album and a couple of attendant singles, Louie & The Lovers’ slim, but enticing back catalogue is the stuff of lasting cult status. ‘Rise’ has long since been targeted by collectors, but its’ CD re-issue gives a whole new generation to dig ‘em at a reasonable price. With the season of goodwill around the corner, Discerning Roots-Rock heads might want to earmark this one for the Christmas stocking.
T-Bird Records online
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