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appeared on Keith Moon’s album, Two Sides of the Moon (Wikipedia, 2003 and Bettenville). After incurring a mild injury to his leg in 1979, he almost had to amputate because of a pollution-related infection (Wikipedia, 2003). This incident influenced him to become an environmental activist (Wikipedia, 2003). Still, he continued playing, and attempted to launch a comeback in 1986. His song “Miserlou” was featured in Quentin Tarantino’s film, Pulp Fiction, and was nominated for a Grammy (Wikipedia, 2003 and Bettenville). He has released several albums since, and still plays today. His guitar playing technique (double picking, playing left handed, and playing the guitar upside down) has also lived on through other rock guitarist, such as Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen, who have stated that they were influenced by Dick Dale’s guitar style (Nostalgia, 2002 and Bettenville). Within months of releasing his first single, “Let’s Go Trippin’,” dozens of other surf bands, mainly in Southern California, began appearing, including The Ventures, The Chantays, and The Surfaris (Nostalgia, 2002).
The Ventures were an instrumental cover band that was formed in 1959 by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle (but was actually called The Versatones at first), who later teamed up with Nokie Edwards and Mel Taylor in 1962 (Holm, 1998 and The Ventures, www.theventures.com, 2003). Nokie Edwards was then replaced by Gerry McGee in 1968 (Holm, 1998 and The Ventures, www.theventures.com, 2003). They played more than just surf music, and that is why they prefer not to be called a “surf band.” Before the surf band craze began, they recorded “Walk Don’t Run,” which almost instantly became their first world-wide hit record (The Ventures, www.theventures.com, 2003). It reached
number two on the charts, and sold about 2 million copies world-wide (The Ventures,
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www.theventures.com, 2003). The band recorded over 3000 songs in their career, and they never took any time off from recording (Holm, 1998 and The Ventures, www.theventures.com, 2003). Their best known song is probably the theme to Hawaii Five-O (Holm, 1998 and The Ventures, www.theventures.com, 2003). Some other well known songs of theirs are “Pipeline,” and “The Lonely Surfer” (Holm, 1998 and The Ventures, www.theventures.com, 2003). Artists who have publicly acknowledged their musical debt to The Ventures include John Fogarty, Jimmy Page, Stanley Clarke, Steve Miller, George Harrison, The Ramones, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Larry Carleton, and Dire Straits (The Ventures, www.theventures.com, 2003). The Ventures still play today, and they are a huge success in Japan (Holm, 1998 and The Ventures, www.theventures.com, 2003).
The Chantays formed out of Santa Ana, California in 1962 (Holm, 1998 and Wikipedia, 2003). The group was formed by five high school students when one of the members, drummer Ron Wilson, had a dream about a song based on the adventures of a surfer (Holm, 1998). While playing for a local club, they were discovered by agent Dale Smallins (Wikipedia, 2003). They released their first album, Pipeline, in 1963 (Holm, 1998 and Wikipedia, 2003). This record only produced one hit, “Pipeline,” which is one of the most well-known and covered surf songs of all time (Holm, 1998 and Wikipedia, 2003). As seen above, The Ventures were one of the many bands to cover “Pipeline.” “Pipeline” has been used in numerous movies and television shows over time, including Twelve Monkeys, Quantum Leap, and Picket Fences (Wikipedia, 2003). They released a second album, Two Sides of the Chantays, in 1964 in which they experimented with
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vocal surf music, but ultimately failed and it did not generate any hits (Holm, 1998 and Wikipedia, 2003).
The Surfaris formed in Glendora, California in 1962 after the group saw Dick Dale play at Harmony Park (Holm, 1998 and The Surfaris History, www.jimfacey.com, 2002). The original group included Jim Pash, Jim Fuller, Pat Connolly, Bob Berryhill, and Ron Wilson (Holm, 1998 and The Surfaris History, www.jimfacey.com, 2002). At first, they didn’t have enough money to buy the needed equipment, so they sold a few 45’s with a song they dreamed up called, “Surfer Joe,” and sold them around their high school (Holm, 1998 and The Surfaris History, www.jimfacey.com, 2002). They needed another song to put on the ‘B’ side of the 45, so they wrote “Wipeout” in about fifteen minutes to fill in that space, and ironically, “Wipeout” became an instant hit (reaching number two on the charts by 1963) (Holm, 1998). “Wipeout” has been used in numerous commercials over the years, including Nissan, Pepsi, Kodak, Pringles, and Wendy’s Restaurant, and in movies, such as Dirty Dancing, The Vanishing, and The Sandlot (The Surfaris History, www.jimfacey.com, 2002). The band broke up in 1966 after their recording contract expired, but every few years they perform at reunion concerts. Jim Fuller and Jim Pash continued with the band (Holm, 1998 and The Surfaris History, www.jimfacey.com, 2002). Many lineup changes have occurred over the years. Some of the many replacement band members included: Paul Johnson, David Raven, Jay Traux, and Rob Watson (Holm, 1998 and The Surfaris History, www.jimfacey.com, 2002). Ron Wilson died of a brain hemorrhage in 1989, Pat Connolly quit playing music, and Bob Berryhill plays for another surf rock/Christian band (Holm, 1998 and The Surfaris
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History, www.jimfacey.com, 2002). Like The Chantays song “Pipeline,” “Wipeout” has also been widely covered, and it was covered by The Ventures (Holm, 1998). In the band’s history, “Wipeout” has been their only hit song (Holm, 1998).
The Beach Boys was a vocal surf group formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961 (Surf Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/beach_boys.htm). The group included brothers, Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin, Mike Love, and neighbor, Al Jardine (Nostalgia, 2002 and Wikipedia, 2003 and Holm, 1998). Murray Wilson, the brother’s father, managed the group, wrote songs, and helped get the group their contract with Capitol Records (Wikipedia, 2003). Before deciding on the name The Beach Boys, the group had numerous other possible names, including Kenny and the Cadets, Carl and the Passions, and The Pendletons (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/beach_boys.htm). In 1961, they released their first single, “Surfin’,” which turned out to be only a minor hit; however, many major hits would certainly follow (Nostalgia, 2002). Some of these major hits included “Surfin’ Safari” in 1962, “Little Deuce Coupe” in 1963, “Be True to You School” in 1963, “In My Room” in 1964, “Help Me Rhonda” in 1965, “California Girls” in 1965, “God Only Knows” in 1966, “Good Vibrations” in 1966, and “Kokomo” in 1988 (Surf Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/beach_boys.htm). In the late 1960’s, Brian began withdrawing from touring to concentrate on producing studio recordings (Wikipedia, 2003). Bruce Johnson joined the group as a touring replacement for Brian (Wikipedia, 2003). Brian Wilson was an obsessive perfectionist with many mental and drug problems, and it is rumored that he
locked himself in his room and wouldn’t come out for almost a year and a half (Surf
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Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/beach_boys.htm and Nostalgia,
2002). After emerging from this solitary living, he surfaced with the album, Pet Sounds, in 1966, which would become their most inventive, and influential record (Nostalgia, 2002 and Wikipedia, 2003). Pet Sounds marked a change in The Beach Boys career.
Brian Wilson was experimenting with Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” technique, and the music was moving away from songs about surfing towards songs with deeper meaning (Nostalgia, 2002). It has been said that Pet Sounds inspired John Lennon to write Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Wikipedia, 2003 and Holm, 1998). After Pet Sounds, Brian began working on their next album, Smile, which would never actually be released because Brian collapsed under the pressures of trying to improve upon the record, Pet Sounds, a task which seemed nearly impossible (Nostalgia, 2002 and Wikipedia, 2003). Certain tracks that are thought to have been meant for Smiles have appeared in some of their later work, and an assemblage of the sessions for Smile was later released on an album entitled, Smiley Smile in later 1967 (Nostalgia, 2002). Despite Brian’s failing health, the other group members continued to play without him. They have released numerous albums throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s (Nostalgia, 2002 and Wikipedia, 2003). Tragically in December 1983, Dennis Wilson drowned while diving off of his boat drunk (Nostalgia, 2002 and Holm, 1998). The group continued to play without him. Then, Carl Wilson died of lung cancer in February 1998 (Nostalgia, 2002 and Wikipedia, 2003). The remaining members of the group still tour today.
Jan and Dean was another popular vocal group during the early 1960’s. They met at University High School, where they both played football, and where them and
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their football friends formed a singing group called The Barons (Surf Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). After The Barons, Jan Berry, Dean Torrence, and their friend, Arnie Ginsberg, wrote a song called “Jennie Lee,” which was about a stripper they watched in Los Angeles (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). Dean had to leave for the Army Reserve, so Jan and Arnie released “Jennie Lee” under just their names, and the song became a number one hit in 1958 (Surf Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). After “Jennie Lee,” Arnie left for the Army Reserve, and Dean returned (Surf Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). Jan and Dean were reunited, and with the help from their friends, Herb Alpert and Lou Adler, they write “Baby Talk,” which would become their first big hit together when it hit the top ten in October of 1959 (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). During that same month, Jan and Dean appeared on American Bandstand (Surf Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). After “Baby Talk,” they wrote numerous other singles, including “Heart and Soul,” “A Sunday Kind of Love,” “There’s a Girl,” and “We Go Together” (Surf Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). There first record, Jan and Dean, was under their first label Dore Records (Surf Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). Then they signed with Challenge Records in 1961 where they recorded their second record, Heart and Soul, which reached number 25 on the charts (Surf Vocal Groups , www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). After their contract with Challenge ended, they signed with Liberty Records (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). In 1962, they converted to surf
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music after performing with the Beach Boys at Hermosa Beach High School, where Jan and Dean and The Beach Boys became instant life-long friends (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). They released their first surf album called Jan and Dean Take Linda Surfing, which included such hits as “Surf City,” “Ride the Wild Surf,” “Sidewalk Surfin’,” “Little Old Lady From Pasadena,” and “Dead Man’s Curve” (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm and Wikipedia, 2003). In between making records and touring, both Jan and Dean went to college just in case their music careers didn’t work out (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). Dean majored in arts, and Jan went pre-med (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). Their music careers were put on hold after Jan was in a catastrophic car crash in April, 1966 (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm and Wikipedia, 2003). Jan was in a coma for months, and awoke unable to walk or speak (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). Jan and Dean did not play together again for ten years. During this time, a made-for-T.V. movie about Jan and Dean’s career called Dead Man’s Curve aired on C.B.S. in 1978 (Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm). In 1978, Jan and Dean reunited to tour with the Beach Boys(Surf Vocal Groups, www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_dean.htm and Wikipedia, 2003). Currently, they still tour on occasion.
The influence that surf music has had on rock and roll music is absolutely remarkable. Dick Dale’s guitar style influenced guitarist such as Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. The Ventures influenced such artists as George Harrison, and such groups as
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The Ramones and Dire Straits. The Chantays and The Surfaris both influenced The Ventures. And finally, The Beach Boys influenced The Beatles recording of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It is apparent that surf music is an important part of music history.
