#Surf rider pfp full#

It’s a great example of what made this period so exciting. 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 this 1962 single were a South Bay car club. 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. 34: “Cheater Stomp” – The Fabulous Playboys Their success may have ultimately been fleeting, but this remains a vintage piece of West Coast sunshine pop. 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. 35: “I Live For The Sun” – The Sunraysīeach Boy Carl Wilson introduced The Sunrays to his father and erstwhile Beach Boys manager, Murry Wilson. This Gary Usher-produced 1963 single bridges both camps. Hot Rod was surf music’s twin brother – stylistically almost identical, but with titles or lyrics about cars rather than boards. 36: “My Little Surfin’ Woodie” – The SunsetsĪ 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. A ‘church key’ was a gadget used to open beer cans – you can hear one in action on this single, which was an early staple of many surf groups. 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. 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. This English quartet were largely responsible for bringing the surf rock sound to the UK, with this 1960 hit becoming their signature song. 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 many others.

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. 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 Slide, both from 1963), which have taken on cult status among collectors.Ĭlick to load video 39: “Moon Dawg!” – The Gamblers 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. The water’s fine! 40: “Surfer’s Slide” – Richie Allen & the Pacific Surfers One note before we begin: We’ve chosen one track per artist, just so that we could include as many different artists as possible! So, without further ado, dive into our list of the best surf rock of all-time. Once The Beatles landed in New York, the original wave of surf music that we’re focusing on here began to decline in popularity, but the classics that were created back then are still beloved today. It’s also a genre of music that you instantly know when you hear it, courtesy of spring reverb. Composed largely of California-based groups, the great surf music songs of this period came to cement an image of California in the world’s mind: Big surfboards, endless sun, and endless fun. With bright, lead guitars, big stomping rhythms, and (often) a healthy dose of stunning harmonies, surf music became a highly visible genre in the late 50s and early 60s.

#Surf rider pfp full#

The best surf music is high-octane rock ‘n’ roll, full of energy and invention.