Hang Ten, Man! Let's Talk Surf Rock...

Fenders, electric organ, and a whole lotta spring ‘verb. These are just a few things that come to mind when describing the California surf sound of the early 60s. But what made its short-lived reign so poignant in music as well as pop culture? Surf’s up, dude. Time to ride the big, gnarly wave of schoolin’.

To many hardcore surf rock enthusiasts, there are two main waves, if you will. Matt Warshaw, author of The Encyclopedia of Surfing, explains: "Surf music is divided into two categories: the pulsating, reverb-heavy, 'wet'- sounding instrumental form exemplified by guitarist Dick Dale, and the smooth-voiced, multitracked harmonized vocal style invented by the Beach Boys. Purists argue that surf music is by definition instrumental."

In terms of instrumental surf, Dick Dale helped to pioneer the sound, incorporating Middle Eastern and Traditional Mexican influences. Dale’s Let's Go Trippin' is often considered to be the first surf rock song. This was followed by Misirlou, which was a surf-rock rendition of a folk song, often considered Dale's signature single. Even if you haven’t been musically enlightened, you’ve probably heard it at some point. Both tracks were featured on Dick Dale and his Del-Tones’ 1962 album, Surfers’ Choice.

Another uber-famous instrumental surf tune was the Surfaris’ Wipe Out. The track featured a dramatic intro, emulating a breaking surf board, followed by the infamous “ha ha ha ha ha, wipe out!” Written pretty much on the spot, the second-thought song spent four months on the national Billboard chart in 1963, reaching #2, kept out of the #1 spot by Stevie Wonder's Fingertips. The group, known for their innovative guitar and drum solos, also had two other global hits, Surfer Joe and Point Panic.

The second wave of surf music came in the form of The Beach Boys...though, ironically, Dennis Wilson was the only brother to truly endorse the surfer lifestyle. In 1963, Murry Wilson, Beach Boys’ manager and patriarch commented on the surf sound, explaining that “the basis of surfing music is a rock and roll bass beat figuration, coupled with raunch-type weird-sounding lead guitar, an electric guitar, plus wailing saxes. Surfing music has to sound untrained with a certain rough flavor in order to appeal to teenagers. ... when the music gets too good, and too polished, it isn't considered the real thing."

In the midst of surf rock’s popularity, many surf-centric singles were produced with the help of session artists. In 1963, Surf City was released by California duo, Jan & Dean. The track, written by Brian Wilson and Jan Berry was ultimately used by Jan & Dean, as Wilson had lost interest in it. Surf City topped U.S. charts in 1963, making Jan & Dean the first group to achieve sustained success.

By 1964, surf rock had been almost completely washed out in the wake of the British Invasion. Only the Beach Boys remained, which they credited to creative growth. Brian explained to Teen Beat: "We needed to grow. Up to this point ,we had milked every idea dry. We milked it fucking dry. We had done every possible angle about surfing. But we needed to grow artistically."

While surf music has not since been revived in the mainstream, the beloved surf culture lives on where the waves meet the shore.

Until next time, stay groovy.

-A