California’s Wild Surf Sound Sweeping Across the Nation
HOLLYWOOD — A batch of West Coast labels — Liberty, Dolton, Capitol, Del-Fi and Dot — have helped turn the surfin’ fad into America’s latest musical craze, with the help of swinging records, astute promotion and a dash of showmanship.
Riding with the surfing wave when it was little more than a “shore break,” these firms and a few others, helped turn it into a “cruncher.” Right now one of these labels, Del-Fi, is devoting 50 per cent of its activity to the surfing market.
One of the first national surfing hits was originally issued on the Candix label. It featured the Marketts and was called “Surfer’s Stomp.” Liberty picked up the master and turned it into a national hit, which made the top 10 of Billboard’s “Hot 100.” The Marketts also had the first surfing LP, also called “Surfer’s Stomp,” which has sold more than 50,000 albums.
Another pioneering surfing hit, also originally issued on the Candix label, featured the Beach Boys, and was called simply “Surfin’.” The record was issued in December of 1961 and by January, 1962, had turned into a big West Coast hit. The Beach Boys were signed shortly after by Capitol.
National Noise
Since then, there have been a number of national surfing hits, both singles and LP’s. The Beach Boys, on Capitol, have had two big singles, “Surfin’ Safari” and “Surfin’ U.S.A.” The Chantays on Dot had a solid hit with “Pipeline.” The Marketts’ second big hit was “Balboa Blue.” And currently Jan and Jean, on Liberty, have a big, big smash with their recording of “Surf City,” a disk that jumped to No. 10 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” this week.
Del-Fi is not the only label to work hard on surfing disks. Liberty and its subsidiary label Dolton, have issued a surfing LP with the Ventures (on Dolton), and another with the Marketts called “The Surfing Scene” and the latest Jan and Dean “Jan and Dean Take Linda Surfin’.”
Capitol hasn’t been idle, either. In addition to the Beach Boys the label has one of the biggest West Coast surf names in Dick Dale. His sales of LP’s and singles on the Coast have been solid both on his own label Del-tone, and on Capitol. In order to try to break his disks nationally, especially his new single and LP “King Of The Surf Guitar,” the firm is sending him on a national tour under the aegis of GAC. And the Beach Boys have a tour being set by the William Morris office.
Hearse Contests
Del-Fi has “Win a Hearse” contest going in San Francisco, Portland, Washington, Seattle, St. Louis, Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo and Dallas, to help its record by the Lively Ones, and to cash in on the surf hearse nuttiness.
Dot has recently issued singles by the Surfaris, Gene Gray and the Sting Rays, and has a good selling LP in the Chantays’ “Pipeline” album.
As of now the surfing trend in the music world, born just a year and a half ago, appears to be on the verge of a national and possibly international breakthrough.
The big firms are getting on the band wagon, even those located in the East. Recently a Chicago label, Stacy Records, issued a surf record that had a touch of folk-country to it. It is called “Doin’ the Surfin’ Hootenanny,” with Al Casey, and it is reportedly getting attention from both markets. END
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Information credit and source: Billboard, June 29, 1963
