READING REVIEWS 1

This 1985 publication, in its large updated, hardback format, is without doubt THE definitive reference guide to the sudden wave of the surf music genre that came of an early 1960’s America. 166-pages of exhaustive research by noted surf/hot-rod enthusiast (and lead guitarist for the revivalist surf act Jon & The Nightriders) John Blair, this epic tome simply spills with wondrous detail, information, pictures and label scans.

The first 90-odd pages are dedicated to the 45rpm singles releases, ranging from Adrian & The Sunsets 1963 offering “Breakthrough” down to Johnny Z’s 1963 “Midnight Beach Party”, covering along the way the more familiar names of The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, The Chantays and The Surfaris – all gloriously combined with such obscurities as Lonnie & the Legends “Crazy Penguin”, Ned & Nelda’s “Surf

Along” (unbelievably a bizarre surf-pseudonym for Frank Zappa, no less …) and The Scallywags “The Big Wave”. Quite how John managed to uncover such detail on these obscure offerings boggles the mind, but thankfully his persistence has paid off tenfold … and the magnificent discovery of a rare Surf Bunnies promotional photograph makes it all the more worthwhile !

The second portion of the book concentrates on the various album releases, from both individual artists and label compilations, that fall into the surf-genre, and with full release dates, track listings and catalogue numbers this is the real essential for any researcher/interested party.

Sadly, the availability of this publication is somewhat limited these days, but any serious advice would simply state … you see it, you buy it !

The subsequent follow-up to John Blair’s impressive dictionary to all things surf-music related was naturally going to be a similar tome dedicated to the counter-culture of hot-rod music, after all, the two genres virtually went hand-in-hand, burning-up alongside each other like the proverbial 409 and little deuce coupe, with many artists and performers skipping over to the landlocked quarter-mile drag strip once the waves went down. For that Australian researcher and respected authority on such matters, Stephen J McParland, came aboard, and with a forward by Gary Usher, the creator behind many of the greatest auto-anthems ever committed to vinyl, this book is an equal and worthy partner to it’s illustrious predecessor.

Combining a similar layout to the “Illustrated Discography Of Surf Music 1961-1965”, this again starts off with a detailed guide to the 45rpm releases (and that’s record revolutions per minute in this case, and not auto-revs…) and the attention to detail is equally as stunning. The appallingly labelled Alexander & The Greats get the tires rollin’ with their 1964 release “Hot Dawg Mustang” on Limelight Records, and as the more familiar names flash by – The Astronauts, Bruce & Terry, The Four Speeds, The Rally Packs, The Superstocks – the more fascinating it becomes as the record labels for Cyclone III, The Good Guys, The Lancers and The Pace-Setters appear, ultimately reaching the checkered flag with Johnny Zorro’s “Road Hog”.

The following gathering of album releases (and I counted over 180 of them …), all neatly compiled with full track listings and many black & white cover scans, is also the kind of written work that hot-rod aficionados around the globe will find themselves poring over, just soaking up the detail … and as with the first book, whilst the current availability perhaps justifies the large fees these publications are likely to gather on the online auction sites, this is simply a must-find-must-get item. No questions asked …

A nice attempt by UK author Rob Burt (former member of the UK surf band The Surf Beats) to document the rise of the surf/hot-rod culture within the music industry, without going into too much depth as to the make-ups and break-ups of the many bands featured. Presented in large format, this 128-page history nicely covers the basic inception of the genre and goes on to present a number of important chapters in the development of surf /hot-rod music, and that of the relevant performers, before highlighting the progression made beyond the genre of a number of the acts, such as the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean and The Surfaris.

It’s one of the few books that really attempts to tell the full tale, in both words and pictures, but it distinctly lacks that detailed edge which would have made it so much more important to the serious collector. The black and white album sleeves and the many original photographs that are generously spread throughout, are particularly enjoyable, but overall one is left feeling that it could have been so much more if there had been that little bit of ‘insider’ insight and information. Nevertheless, a nice attempt and an enjoyable read for the ‘interested’ parties …

Of note, a companion album release was issued on Capitol Records at the same time, featuring sixteen prime examples of surf/hot-rod music, with the more familiar offerings from The Beach Boys “Surfin’ USA” and Jan & Dean’s “Surf City”, sitting alongside rarer gems such as The Knights “Hot-Rod USA”, The Honeys “Shoot The Curl” and the Fantastic Baggys “Summer Means Fun”.

Read it and listen … an ideal introduction for the inquisitive audiophile.

Cowabunga ! A heavyweight 350-page volume detailing the careers of forty nine top U.S. ‘surf instrumental’ bands from the 1960’s. They’re all in here from the top-line acts such as The Chantays, The Lively Ones, The Astronauts, The Belairs, The Surfaris, The Pyramids, The Crossfires, The Challengers and Dick Dale and his Del-Tones, alongside the slightly lesser known bands, although no less important, such as The Bountymen, The Deltas, The Malibooz, The Renegades and The Showmen. The author, himself no stranger to the thrills of playing the wild guitar sounds of surf music, has researched in fine detail, and had significant contributions from many who were actually there, and with the added bonus of numerous rare and previously unseen photographs and scans, has turned this project into a fascinating insight of the instrumental surf-scene.

You don’t simply have to be a follower of these acts to appreciate the depth that has been uncovered within the pages – indeed, even the most casual acquaintance to the vocal surf harmonies of the Beach Boys will find details of interest when reading through chapters on Dick Dale or The Surfaris – and if anything, the uneducated will simply wish to delve in deeper, and discover more of what these great bands had to offer. A highly recommended piece of research and writing …

Well, that clears that up then … although I’m not sure how Brian Wilson, Dick Dale, or maybe even Phil Spector would look upon that honorary title, but I guess no-one asked them before publication. Nevertheless, many would agree with the authors esteemed knowledge in matters Californian, despite himself hailing from the faraway surf-battered shores of Australia.

Stephen McParland has become recognised over the past decade or so as delivering some of the most informative documentation on the surf/hot-rod era of recorded music, and has many such publications to his name, and this two-volume project is no exception (apparently recognised by Dean Torrence himself as the most informative read to date on the career of the “Laurel & Hardy of the surf crowd …”). Yes, it goes beyond the realms of the surf and hot-rod timeframe, and yet it allows us plenty of time to consume the peak period of 1963 to 1965, before it continues on towards development and progression … and a visit with Deadman’s curve.

The trouble is, Mr.McParland is not a storyteller … he deals simply in facts, presented in chronological order, and without the immediate accessibility of a light read you need time to be able to digest all of the facts …and boy, does he supply these in grandiose quantity! Both volumes are truly fascinating gatherings of information, often in minute detail, but they have to be taken in small doses to avoid overload. We have reference numbers scattered lavishly about, leading you elsewhere to find the source of the information, we have cross-references, and detailed explanations. We have accutely researched session details, down to who played what, who lead what, who copied what … all finely tuned into 294 mind-expanding pages. You want to know about a Jan & Dean session, recording or event ? Who provided the wailing falsetto on which recording ?Then you’ll probably find it in here … somewhere … given the time.

However, the most frustrating part about the whole project comes when you hit page 238, before the cross referencing and index blinds you – and that’s when McParland chooses to end his version of events. 1968, and whilst Dean was building his graphics empire, Jan was simply rebuilding his body and his life … but you still want to find out more – and there is no more !

As to whether we will ever see the author finish off the story as an extended publication, who knows. Maybe he has now passed the baton over to American author Mark Moore who is currently researching Jan’s life story in considerable detail, thus allowing himself to diversify with his wider passion for Californian music … we shall just have to wait and see, but one thing is clear ...

You like Jan & Dean ?

You’ll get a real bang out of these h-o-n-e-y …