Louie and the Lovers

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Louie and the Lovers were a rock band from Salinas, California. The group included Louie Ortega, Frank Paredes, Steve Vargas, and Albert Parra. While they were in high school, they were discovered by Doug Sahm and his wife Violet. Sahm produced their debut album Rise, which Epic Records released in 1970, but it didn’t sell well. Critics noted their straightforward, danceable rock with simple lyrics and some late-60s influences.

They recorded a second album for Epic, which was later re-recorded for Atlantic, but it was never released. The band broke up soon after. Louie Ortega continued to perform with Sahm and later played with the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Texas Tornados.

Rise was reissued on CD by Acadia Records in 2003, and in 2009 Bear Family Records released the shelved second album as part of a complete recordings collection.