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Surf rock
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Surf rock is a style of music that originated in the USA that mixes elements of surf music and rock music, and partially due to the number of Mexican immigrants in southern California, added elements of Spanish rooted melodies, as well as popular titles like "Mexico", "Baja", and "Esperanza". The most influential styles on surf rock were general rock 'n' roll, pop rock and surf music. While in the 1960s surf music and rock 'n' roll were distinct styles, associated with competing dance styles and representing distinct and competing youth cultures, the development of rock music since then has built upon both styles.
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Encyclopedia
Surf rock is a style of music that originated in the USA that mixes elements of surf music and rock music, and partially due to the number of Mexican immigrants in southern California, added elements of Spanish rooted melodies, as well as popular titles like "Mexico", "Baja", and "Esperanza". The most influential styles on surf rock were general rock 'n' roll, pop rock and surf music. While in the 1960s surf music and rock 'n' roll were distinct styles, associated with competing dance styles and representing distinct and competing youth cultures, the development of rock music since then has built upon both styles. Many authorities now retrospectively classify all surf bands as rock bands, and surf music therefore as a subgenre of rock music.
Dick Dale has stated in an interview that he first performed surf music somewhere between 1955-57 (he claimed to be unsure): given the nature of his pre-"Let's Go Trippin'" recordings and his propensity (intentional or otherwise) for making incorrect, self-aggrandizing statements, this seems doubtful. Duane Eddy's instrumental "Movin' and Groovin'" is thought by many to be the first popular surf rock record, while others claim the first was Dick Dale's "Let's Go Trippin'". He was a surfer himself and sought to transfer the excitement and adrenaline of the sport through his guitar playing. He often drew on his Lebanese heritage, incorporating modal tonalities and instruments such as finger cymbals and reeds. Many surf bands that followed him incorporated Eastern & Spanish/Latin influences, as well as Dale's generous use of reverb. His rapid double picking and staccato playing was also very influential and an important part of the early surf sound, perhaps even more so than the reverb, which was only introduced years after Dale had already released his first singles. In Australia, which has always had a strong beach culture, the genre was strongly embraced in the 1960s, although Australian surf rock bands such as The Atlantics took their influences more from the famed British instrumental band The Shadows.
The Chantays recorded a top national single with "Pipeline", though much of the scene was highly localized in Southern California. The single most famous surf tune hit was 1963's "Wipe Out", by the Surfaris, which hit # 2 and # 10 on Billboard charts in 1965. The group had two other global hits "Surfer Joe" and "Point Panic". The Surfaris are known for their cutting edge avant garde lead guitar Jim Fuller and Ron Wilson drum songs.
During the mid- to late 1990s, surf rock experienced a revival both of the music of older surf bands and in the formation of new ones. The popularity of the movie Pulp Fiction, which featured surf music, fueled the revival well into the 21st century.
Equipment
The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has been at the forefront of surf music in both conception and present day. A typical surf setup consists of a "Fender Reverb unit" and a Fender amp as large as possible. For a guitar, models by Fender, Mosrite, Teisco, or Danelectro are popular choices. Single coil pickup (high treble in contrast to double coil humbucker pickups) designed guitars like the Fender Mustang, Fender Jazzmaster, Fender Jaguar and Fender Stratocaster are common to the genre. Fender Precision Bass, Danelectro, and Mosrite bass guitars are commonly used as well. Classic Surf drum kits tended to be Rogers, Ludwig, Gretsch or Slingerland. Some popular songs also incorporated a "whiney" sax, like famous surf songs "Surf Rider" and "Comanche". Seldom used but important in surf music was an organ or an electric piano.
Subgenres
Spy Rock is a subgenre of surf rock featuring similarly complex melodies, usually set in minor keys, evocative of spy films. Examples include the bands Double Naught Spy Car and the Twenty-Twos. An easily recognizable example of this subgenre is the James Bond Theme, from the popular series of spy movies, originally performed by guitarist Vic Flick with the John Barry Seven for the soundtrack of "Dr. No."
Surfabilly is a subgenre often featuring traditional surf melodies played over rockabilly chord structures. Examples include the bands Snowman, The Red Elvises, Southern Culture on the Skids, and The Young Werewolves.
Horror Surf is a subgenre with surf melodies, chord structures, and a surf beat played alongside unique B-Movie instrumentation, including theremin and sometimes Farfisa keyboards. This genre was made famous in the 60s by Frankie Stein and His Ghouls, and others. It has resurfaced in the late 90's and 2000s and grown in popularity. Examples of later Horror Surf bands include The Mummies, The Ghastly Ones, Gein and the Graverobbers, Thee Spectors, Satan's Pilgrims, The Mission Creeps, and The Horrors.
Hot Rod Rock (also called Drag Rock) is also a subgenre of surf rock. Traditional surf rock sounds are applied to lyrics about the also rising hot rod culture. For a few years it gained mass popularity. The Rip-Chords, Ronny and the Daytonas, and The Hondells are good examples of this subgenre. The Beach Boys, Dick Dale, and The Trashmen produced songs in this subgenre such as "Little Deuce Coupe", "Mag Wheels", "A-Bone", "Sleeper", and "My Woodie"
Space Surf is a subgenre of surf rock. It contains many of the characteristics of the "true" surf rock sound, but it also contains many elements from pop and rockabilly. Rather than surfing, the titles of the songs are associated with outer space travel and technology, and feature more other-worldly sounds. The single Telstar and album The Ventures in Space are good examples, and modern groups such as Man or Astroman perform surf-derived music with strong 1950s Science-Fiction overtones.
Surf punk is a highly inclusive subgenre of surf rock that incorporates many of the styles and attitudes of punk music with traditional vocal and instrumental surf. Many modern pop punk bands are popular among today's Southern Californian surfers. The Ramones experimented with surf music and numerous small bands of the midwest currently perform this style. The Amino Acids of Detroit, Michigan and The Deformities of Omaha, Nebraska, and others like Estrume'n'tal and Agent Orange build on this genre, while bringing in other influences such as heavy metal and/or psychobilly. The Dead Kennedys also had a very surf-influenced sound, largely due to guitarist East Bay Ray's guitar playing.
Eleki could be considered a catch-all phrase for the style of guitar-based music developed in Japan following the Ventures' 1962 tour. Important Japanese surf guitar players include Yuzo Kayama and Takeshi Terauchi. The 'Eleki boom' guitar craze sparked by The Ventures' tour had a profound and long lasting effect on Japanese rock music; when The Ventures returned to Japan in 1965 they were greeted with Beatlemania-like crowds. The Ventures are still very popular in Japan and continue to tour the country annually. The Surf Coasters are probably the most popular contemporary Japanese surf rock band.
Influences on contemporary rock music
A number of contemporary (post 1990) pop rock bands have incorporated themes from surf rock into their music. Smash Mouth ("When the Morning Comes") and Weezer ("Island In the Sun") are two examples. Another fine dutch example are (were) the Treble Spankers (1993-1998) with hits like "Red Hot Navigator" and "Popcorn".
See also
Notable surf rock artists
Notable surf rock songs
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