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Surf music has its roots in instrumental rock music from the 50s and early 60s by groups like Link Wray and the Raymen, Duane Eddy, The Ventures, The Fireballs, Johnny And The Hurricanes, Santo and Johnny, The Shadows, The Spotniks, Los Jets, The Champs, The Fendermen, and The Fabulous Wailers. It incorporates a wide spectrum of additional elements such as rockabilly, R&B, cowboy, spy, country & western, jazz, flamenco, Mexican, Latin and Middle Eastern. Instrumental surf music is quite different from vocal surf music, performed by such groups as Jan and Dean or, with some exceptions, the Beach Boys, that sings about surfing. Where vocal surf bands sing about surfing, instrumental surf bands instrumentally create the sensation of actually surfing. Vocal surf music deals mainly with the lifestyle associated with the surf scene - while instrumental surf music is about the raw experience of confronting the elements.
Early pioneers of surf music include The Bel-Airs, whose song "Mr. Moto" was released in May 1961, and Dick Dale. With his band, The Del-Tones, Dick Dale's first instrumental "Let's go trippin'" was released in August 1961. Dick Dale was the first to use a prototype of the guitar reverb unit developed by The Fender Music Company. The reverb unit provides the wet echo that is a major component of the surf sound. Dick Dale also, through his work with Leo Fender, was instrumental in the development of the Fender Dual Showman amplifier. Many traditional surf bands used Fender Jaguar, Jazzmaster or Stratocaster guitars, Fender Showman amps, and the Fender outboard reverb unit; however, any guitar and amp with reverb can be used to play surf music.
Much classic surf is now available in a variety of formats. Excellent reviews, a history of surf music, and other information can be found on Reverb Central ("Surfmeister" Phil Dirt's home page). A very interesting discography of surf music is: The illustrated discography of surf music, 1961-1965, 3rd ed., by John Blair (Ann Arbor, MI : Popular Culture, 1995). Also essential is the 364 page dictionary with discographies: Surfin' guitars : instrumental surf bands of the sixties, 2nd ed., by Robert J. Dalley (Ann Arbor, MI : Popular Culture, Ink., 1996).
Some classic surf bands include:
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The Astronauts The Atlantics The Avantis Johnny Barakat and the Vestells The Bel-Airs (whose Paul Johnson later formed PJ and Artie and then PJ and the Galaxies and whose Eddie Bertrand later formed Eddie & the Showmen) Al Casey The Centurians The Challengers The Chantays The Cornells The Crossfires (later The Turtles) Dick Dale and the Del-Tones The Fender Four Johnny Fortune Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics The Impacts The Journeymen Jim Messina & his Jesters The Lively Ones The Marketts Dave Myers and the Surftones The New Dimensions The Nocturnes The Original Surfaris The Pyramids Los Relampagos The Revels The Rhythm Rockers The Sentinals The Superstocks The Surfaris Takeshi Terauchi The Tornadoes The Trashmen Bob Vaught and the Renegaids The Ventures Jim Waller and the Deltas |
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In addition to these, countless other bands issued great, reverb-drenched surf singles in the early sixties and can be found on many of the compilations that are available.
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Due to the prolific number of bands and also due to the sporadic nature of many bands, a comprehensive list of current or almost current surf/instrumental bands is very difficult to maintain. One of several collections of surf band links can be found at Surfmusic.com. I highly recommend the Surf Guitar 101 site for news, show announcements, show reports, reviews, web based discussion forums, a database of useful links, surf music FAQ's, photos, events calendar, etc. Also, excellent reviews can be found at Reverb Central. Finally, in addition to listening to my own Big Surf Radio show, Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00 p.m., on WOBC 91.5 FM, look at my playlists and listen to some of the other excellent surf shows listed below.
Here are some current or recent surf bands, all of which you can hear on my Big Surf Radio show. Feel free to Google any of these names to find out more (just copy and paste into the Google search box to the right; enclosing the names in quotation marks will help; also, non-distinctive band names might need words such as "surf" added):
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3 Balls of Fire 9th Wave 13 Tikis '63 Burnout Abisal Acapulco Riders Band Achtung Rakete! The Aftons Davie Allan and the Arrows Robbie Allen and the Outer Edge The Alohas The Alvarados Alwaro Negro Os Ambervisions The AmpFibians The Amino Acids The Anacondas Thee Andrews Surfers Angle 39 Antena Tres Ape The Apehangers The Apemen The Aqua Velvets Aqua Vista The Aqualads The Aquamarines The Aquamen The Aquanauts The Archers Os Argonautas Arno De Cea & The Clockwork Wizards Los Asskickers Enmascarados The Astroglides The Atlantics Atomic 7 The Atomic Mosquitos The Awkwards The Bahareebas The Balboas The Balls The Bambi Molestors The Bananas Bandit Los Banditos Banned from the Beach The Barbarellatones The Barbwires The Baronics The Bastard Sons of Neptune The Batesville Ghouls Bay of Pigs The Baywatchers Beach Coma The Beat Tornados Thom Beckman The Beloved Invaders The Berzerkers The Biarritz Boys Big Galoot Big Lazy Big Ray and the Futuras Big Surf The Bikini Bombers Bikini Men The Binge Birke Maier Trio Bitch Boys Kev Black and the Muffdivers The Black Widows Blacque Jacque Shellacque The Blanks The Blue Demons The Blue Hawaiians Los Blue Marinos The Bomboras The Bone Sharks Bongo King Bongo Surf The Boss Martians The Brainwashers Bradipos IV Branko Brazil 2001 The Break The Breakaways The Brimstones BroDaddy Mark Brodie & the Beaver Patrol Buckaroo Bandits Búfalos D´água Der Bunker Cadillac Angels The Cadillac Hitmen The Calrizians The Cannibals The Cavaliers Cave 4 Chachi, BobaFett and the Wookiee The Charades The Chewbaccas Chief Firewater Surf Band CHUM Martin Cilia The Civil Tones The Closet Surfers Los Cobras The Cocktail Preachers The Coffin Daggers Colonel Klink Commando The Concaves The Concussions Miles Corbin Los Coronas The Corsairs Cosmonauti The Creepers The Creepniks The Crimson Ghosts The Crimson Ghosts (Massachusetts) The Cuban Cowboys Los Cuchillos Cutback Daikaiju Dick Dale Ray Daytona and the Googoobombos The Daytonas Deadbolt Dead Man's Curve The Dead Rocks The Deadlies Laramie Dean Death Valley The Deep End The Defiant Ones The Del Mars Del Noah and the Mt. Ararat Finks Teisco Del Rey The Del Rio Bandits The Deoras Los Derrumbes Destination Earth The Detonators The Diamondheads The Dingos Dirk Doom and the Overdrive Orchestra Django Twango Docteur Legume et Les Surfwerks Don't Fear the Reverb Double Naught Spies Double Naught Spy Car Dr Frankenstein Dr. Reverb Dr. Surf Dr. Tasty Drifting Sand Buddy Dughi Dunlop Devils The Dynamic Subarashii The Dynotones East Coast Tremors Nokie Edwards The El Caminos The El Dorados El Ray The Eliminators Espectroplasma Estrume´n´tal The Evil Eyes The Exotics The Extremes The Fabulous Breaker Boys Fabulous Nomads The Fabulous Planktones The Falcons Merrell Fankhauser Los Fantasticos I Fantomatici The Fathoms The Fellows Fenomeno Fuzz FEZ Fifty Foot Combo The Fin-Dicators Finnbeat The Five Los Flamingos The Flaps Flying Ali Baba & The Radical New Waves Les Fradkin and Get Wet Frankie & the Poolboys The Frantic V The Gasolines Gein and the Grave Robbers The Ghastly Ones Ghostman & Sandman The Ghosttones Glamour Puss The Goldfingers Goggle A The Good, The Bad Gorgonzolas The Greaseballs Greenwich Alley The Gremmies GT Stringer The Halibuts Hang-Ten Hangmen Happy Times Hawaii Samurai The Hawaiian Astro Boys Hazze One Line Hell-O-Tiki Hella Vader The Hellbenders Herman the German The Hi-Frequencies The Hillbilly Soul Surfers HJ Da HoBras Brian Hoeflich and the All-Nighters Randy Holden (of The Fender IV) The Hollow Grinders The Honkeys The Howlin' Thurstons Huevos Rancheros Huge Hula Hoop The Human Tornadoes Huntington Bitches The Huntington Cads Husky & the Sandmen The Hydrotones The Hypnomen The Hypnotic IV The Illuminoids The Impacts Impala The Incredible Sucking Spongies The Infernos The Infoiatis The Infrareds The Insanitizers Insect Surfers The Interceptors The Invisible Surfers The Irradiates The Irreversible Slacks The Isotopes The Jacks Thee Jaguar Sharks The Jars Los Jets The Jim Lindseys Paul Johnson Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks Jon & the Nightriders Jonnie Dog & The Dingos Simon Jones Jonnie Dog & The Dingos Jonny and the Shamen Kahuna Kawentzmann Los Kahunas Kaiser Bill's Batmen KB and the Riptides Kelp The Kilaueas Kill, Baby...Kill! The Killer Bananazz Killer Wail King Charles Head The King Kongs King of Hawaii Kingsway Cowboy And The Hydraulics The Knights Knuckel Drager Koko Die Kosmonauten The Krontjong Devils Laika & the Cosmonauts Ronnie Lake Langhorns The Lava Rats Light Valley Shadows Michael Lindner The Lo-Fi Drifters Lobos Negros Locolism The Lombego Surfers The Long Boards Longboard Ranch The Longhorn Devils The Looney Tunes Lords of the Highway Lost Acapulco Lost Lake The Lo-Fi Drifters The Lowtides The Lunar Tiki's The Lunatics The Mach IV The Madeira Mal and the Longboarders Malibu (Surf Power Trio) The Maladroits The Man From RavCon Man or Astroman? The Manatees Maraca Five-O The Mariners Danny Marks The Matching Suits Zoe McCulloch Los Mel-Tones Men From S.P.E.C.T.R.E. The Mercury Four The Mermen Meshugga Beach Party The Metalunas The Meteors The Mighty Surf Lords The Migs Mister K Mister Neutron The Mobsmen The Modelos The Moe Greene Specials Mofos Molly Maguires The Moments The Mono-Tones Monokini Monster Pete and the Chiefs Monsters From Mars The Moon-Rays The Morlox The Mosquitos The Moto-Litas The MuerTones Los Muertos Vivientos Muffin Mates The Mulchmen The Mullet Monster Mafia The Murgatroyds Mustang Lightning The Mustangs The Mutants The Mysterons The Mystery Men Los Nachos The Nebula Five The Nebulas The Nelsonics The Nematoads The Neptunas The Neptunes New World Relampagos Nightdrivers No Smoking On Board The Nocturnes North Of Malibu Da North Shore Surf Band Nova Surfer The NovaRays The O'Haras The One Night Standards Orestes Prezza Les Orques The Outsiders The Papaya Kings El Patapsco Pavlov's Woody Os Pazuzus Pedrito Diablo & Los Cadáveras The Penetrators Perversos Cetaceos Thee Phantom 5ive The Phantom Four Phantom Frank The Phantom Riders The Phantom Surfers Phono-comb The Pipelines The Pistoleros Plan 9 The Planet Crashers Planet Creep Planet Seven Los Plantronics The Plungers Pollo Del Mar POZOR VLAK Primal Sky (Timothy B. Smith) The Prosthetics The Psycho Surfers Puppe & The Boys The Pyronauts The Quiets The Ramblin' Ambassadors The Rapiers Rat Holic The Rattlesnakes Los Rauncheros The Raybeats The Razorblades Ralph Rebel The Reckless Reefers The Recruders Red Elvises Red Guitars The Red Planets Reef Rider The Reigning Monarchs The Reluctant Aquanauts Rencontrez L'Amour Reno Retroactive Gamma Rays Retrofoguetes The Retroliners The Revelaires The Reventlos Reverb Galaxy The Reverburritos Robert and the Roboters Rock A Boom Rocket Motors Roger and the Wraybands Ben Rogers' Instrumental Asylum Jamie Rounds The Route 66 Killers The Royal Aces The Royal Batfangs The Royal Fingers RPS Surfers Rubens & The Barrichellos Rudy and the Surf Kings Salon Kingsadore The Sand Devils The Sandblasters Sandgarden Los Santisimos Snorkels El Santo Angelo Santoro Satan's Pilgrims Scathodick Surfers Martin Schmidt The Sea Lions The Sea Turtles Seamonkees Secret Asian Man The Secret Samurai Seks Bomba The Sellcancers Los Sfinters Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet The Shakin' Arrows The Shanons Sharkskins Shig & Buzz The Shockwave! Shoot The Pier The Sidemen Sidewalk Surfers The Silencers The Silhouettes Silver-Surfer Simon & the Bar Sinisters The Sin-Tones The Sir Finks The Skegs Skeletone Skylons The Slackmates Slacktone The Soda Pop Spys The Sonars Sonodrom Express The Sound Bytes Sound Waves Southern Culture on the Skids The Space Agency The Space Cossacks Die Space Hobos Space Party The Space Plan The Special Agents The Spectre Speed Chicken SPF 4 Splashback The Spoilers Spring Break Shark Attack! Spy-Fi The SpyTones The Squares Squid Pussy Squid Vicious Sr. Bikini Gary Sredzienski & The Serfs The Staggers Star and Key of the Indian Ocean Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited Stevie and his Sideburns The Stingrays Stinky Pete Los Stomias Los Straitjackets Strange But Surf Strato-Geezer Stronzo Gelantino & the Boo-Men The Sub-Mersians SumpPump Monkeys Los Super Avengers Super Stereo Surf El Supernaut The Supersonicos The Supertones Supertubos! The Surf A's Surf Beat Surf Cinema The Surf City Neptunes The Surf Coasters The Surf Dawgs The Surf Kings The Surf-Liners The Surf Lords Surf Me Up, Scotty Surf Nation Surf Raiders Surf Report The Surf Sluts The Surf Trio The Surf Zombies The Surfacers Surfadelica Surfadelics The Surfaholics Surfdusters Surferigno The Surfin' Gorillas Surfin' Lungs The Surfing Spacemen The Surfites The Surfmotherfuckers Da Surfones Surfoniani The Surfonics Surfpatrouille The Surfside IV The Surftones Susan & the Surftones Jerry Swallow The Swamis Swamp Donkeys Switch Trout The Swiv-O-Matics Tabernacos Surfers The Tail Gators The TakeOffs The TarantinosNYC The Tarantulas Telekrimen Los Temerarios Ten Penny Heroes Tequila Worms Threesome Los Thunder Surfers The Thunderchiefs The Thurston Lava Tube Pekka Tiilikainen & Beatmakers The Tijuana Bibles Los Tiki Phantoms Tiki Tiki Bamboooos The Tiki Tones The Tikiyaki Orchestra The TomorrowMen Toni OK The Tormentos Los Tornados The Torpedoes The Torquays The Toy Dolls Trabants The Trampolins The Trashwomen The Treble Spankers The Treblemakers The Tremolo Beer Gut The Tremelo Wankers The Tridents The Tritones TSMF Tsunami of Sound The Tube Sharks TubeStone Tumbleweeds Twang Los Twang! Marvels Los Twangers Twin Tones The Twinkle Arrows The Typhoons The Ultras Undertoe Urban Surf Kings The Vampires The Vanduras The Vara-Tones Vegas Beach Los Vengadores Los Venturas The Ventures The Verbtones Los Vibradores The Vibrants Vibrasonic The Vibratos The VibroCounts Les Vice Barons The Vickings The Vivisectors The Volcanos Von Rippers Voodoo Court Wadadli Riders Les Wangs Terry "Buffalo" Ware The Waterdogs Wave Invasion WaveSauce Way Out West The Weisstronauts The Wet-Tones The WHYs Webb Wilder Bert Wills James Wilsey The Windows The Wipeouters The Woggles The Woodies Didi Wray Link Wray The X-Rays Dr. Zaius and the Chimps Zorros Petardos Salvajes |
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Radio and Online Surf Music Shows:
Also check these out:
Send comments, questions and/or suggestions to:
Tom.Hinders@oberlin.edu.
Or just introduce yourself; I'd like to hear from you.
