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During the mid-to late 1990s, surf rock experienced a revival with surf acts, including Dick Dale recording once more, partly due to the popularity of the movie Pulp Fiction in 1994, which used Dale's "Misirlou" and other surf rock songs in the soundtrack.
Surf revival was a small indie-label phenomenon featuring chiefly instrumental bands who were dedicated to recreating the twangy, echo-drenched sound of '60s surf guitar.
Surf revival was a small indie-label phenomenon featuring chiefly instrumental bands who were dedicated to recreating the twangy, echo-drenched sound of '60s surf guitar.
Apr 28, 2022 · John Blair, founder of rowdy surf revival band Jon and the Nightriders — as well as author of "The Illustrated Discography of Surf Music, 1961-1965" — told HuffPost that the spirit of instrumental surf rock paired perfectly with punk.
- “Surfer’S Slide” – Richie Allen & The Pacific Surfers
- “Moon Dawg!” – The Gamblers
- “Apache” – The Shadows
- “Church Key” – The Revels
- “My Little Surfin’ Woodie” – The Sunsets
- “I Live For The Sun” – The Sunrays
- “Cheater Stomp” – The Fabulous Playboys
- “Little Honda” – The Hondells
- “Surf Sink Or Swim” – Bo Diddley
- “Midnight Surfer” – Jerry Cole and His Spacemen
Richie Polodor was the session guitarist on Sandy Nelson’s “Let There Be Drums,” and enjoyed a successful career as producer of Three Dog Night, The Monkees, Steppenwolf, and Alice Cooper. But in the early sixties, Richie dropped his surname, using his middle name Allen in its place, and recorded two surf-themed albums (The Rising Surf and Surfer’s...
There are many candidates that lay a claim to being the first surf rock record – and “Moon Dawg!” by California’s The Gamblers has as strong a claim as any. Featuring Bruce Johnston on guitar and Sandy Nelson on drums, the track soon became a staple of every surf band’s set, with cover version by The Ventures, Tornadoes, and The Beach Boys, among m...
This English quartet were largely responsible for bringing the surf rock sound to the UK, with this 1960 hit becoming their signature song. After hearing The Shadows’ single, drenched in atmospheric echo, Danish guitarist Jorgen Ingmann took it to #2 on the Hot 100 in the States, stealing the UK band’s thunder.
Hailing from San Luis Obispo, roughly equidistant from San Francisco and Los Angeles, The Revels scored a surf rock classic in 1960 with the instro “Church Key.” But there’s nothing religious about the inspiration for this number. A ‘church key’ was a gadget used to open beer cans – you can hear one in action on this single, which was an early stap...
A Woodie was a station wagon with wooden body work – and you could get a lot of surf boards in the back, as many surf and hot rod songs testify. Hot Rod was surf music’s twin brother – stylistically almost identical, but with titles or lyrics about cars rather than boards. This Gary Usher-produced 1963 single bridges both camps.
Beach Boy Carl Wilson introduced The Sunrays to his father and erstwhile Beach Boys manager, Murry Wilson. The sun-drenched ode to the California lifestyle “I Live For The Sun” suggested that Murry could fulfill his dream of repeating the success of his sons’ band, as it broke the Hot 100. Their success may have ultimately been fleeting, but this r...
With so many musicians, so many recordings and so many bands being formed and disbanded all the time, it’s impossible to keep track of all the great early surf rock records. A group of students at the University of Southern California, little is known about The Fabulous Playboys, although we do know that the Cheaters referred to in the title of thi...
While surf music unsurprisingly celebrated the sport popularized in southern California, it also reflected other characteristics of life for young Americans at the dawn of the 60s, which naturally included songs about cars and bikes – such as the latest offering from the Honda company. So enamored with the Honda was producer Gary Usher, who created...
By 1963, surf music’s popularity saw artists and labels far and wide looking to hitch a ride on its wave. Chicago’s Checker Records may have been a long way from the surf, but they saw legendary blues guitarist Bo Diddley’s influence on the style. In 1963, they sought to go full-circle with a brace of surf-theme albums, Bo Diddley’s Beach Party and...
An in-demand session guitar player and part of the Wrecking Crew, Jerry Cole played on some of the finest records of the sixties – including Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys and The Byrds’ Mr. Tambourine Man. But he also released a run of records on Capitol under his own name, including Surf Age (from which album this cut is taken) and Hot Rod Dance Pa...
Sep 14, 2023 · Notable surf rock events include the Surf Guitar 101 Convention and the International Surf Music Festival. Attendees can immerse themselves in surf rock’s unmistakable sound, enjoy beach parties, and even catch a few waves themselves.
ALL THE HITS. Popular Surf music and rockin' instrumentals of the 50s & 60s. Dick Dale, Link Wray, The Surfaris, Wipe Out, Tequila, Misirlou, Sleep Walk, Pipeline, The Lively Ones, The...
