Surf

Surf music (or surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in  Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is instrumental surf, distinguished by reverb-heavy electric guitars played to evoke the sound of crashing waves, largely pioneered by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones. The second is vocal surf, which took elements of the original surf sound and added vocal harmonies, a movement led by the Beach Boys.
Dick Dale developed the surf sound from instrumental rock, where he added Middle Eastern and Mexican influences, a spring reverb, and rapid alternate picking characteristics. His regional hit "Let's Go Trippin'", in 1961, launched the surf music craze, inspiring many others to take up the approach.
The genre reached national exposure when it was represented by vocal groups such as the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. Dale is quoted on such groups: "They were surfing sounds [with] surfing lyrics. In other words, the music wasn't surfing music. The words made them surfing songs. ... That was the difference ... the real surfing music is instrumental."
At the height of its popularity, surf music rivaled girl groups and Motown for the top American popular music trend. It is sometimes referred to interchangeably with the "California sound". During the later stages of the surf music craze, many of its groups started to write songs about cars and girls; this was later known as "hot rod rock"
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==Links to Peel==
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Surf music predominately became popular in America during the early 60's at a time when Peel was doing stints as a radio presenter through various American radio stations. One of the surf music artists, Dick Dale, who later gained the title by the press of King Of Surf Guitar, was initially not counted by Peel as among his favourites, despite living in America when the guitarist was enjoying his greatest chart success. However, the passage of time obviously painted him in a rosier hue:
He was almost the only person that existed in California when I lived there in 1960: the man who single-handedly virtually invented a genre." (01 April 1995 (BFBS))
Peel continued his interest in Dick Dale and played many of his records well past the 60's, when surf music was at its decline in popularity. In terms of vocal surf music, Peel saw in America during the 60's, the Beach Boys, who he saw performed in a gymnasium at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, saying it was the only time he ever saw them live - seemingly as part of a package show organised by radio station KLIF in May 1964 . However, in later years, their music orientation changed to more of an experimental pop format, but nonetheless through the decades, Peel still kept his interest in the surf genre through playing old and new groups on his radio programmes, including young session bands such as Man Or Astro-Man? and Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet.
Peel also used the surf instrumental tune, Dragster, by Johnny Fortune, for his signature tune to his BFBS shows from 1989 until the end of their run.
In 1988 and later, Peel played early recordings of Misunderstood guitarist Glenn Ross Campbell with teenage surf band Goldtones (see Compilations section below). Over the decades, the DJ was also happy to play soundtrack songs from the 1960s "beach party" movies of Annette Funicello.
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In 1997, as a fan of surf music, Peel narrated the BBC Radio 2 documentary, Surf's Up!, which told the biography of Dick Dale and the origin of surf music. 
After Peel's death, a copy of the Al Casey single 'Surfin' Hootenanny' was found among the DJ's favourite 45s in John Peel's Record Box.
== Sessions ==
(Surf artists who did John Peel sessions.)
* Dick Dale (5 sessions, 1995-2004)
* Huevos Rancheros (1 session, 1995)
* Leopards (2 sessions, 1998)
* Man Or Astro-Man? (6 sessions, 1993-2000)
* Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet (1 session, 1993)
== Compilations ==
(Tracks played by Peel from various artist (v/a) compilations featuring only surf music. Please add more information if known.)
(LP - The History Of Surf Music Volume One: Original Instrumental Hits 1961-1963) Rhino
* 15 September 1982 (BFBS): Dick Dale: Miserlou 
* 06 October 1982 (BFBS): Eddie & The Showmen: Mr. Rebel
* 09 December 1987: Crossfires: Out Of Control
* 16 June 1991: Dick Dale: Miserlou 
* 28 June 1991 (BFBS): Belairs: Mr. Moto 
* 06 July 1991: Dick Dale: Miserlou
* Peel 004 (Radio Bremen): Dick Dale: Miserlou
(LP - Hang 11 (Mutant Surf Punks)) Anagram
* 08 September 1986: Jon & The Nightriders: Depth Charge
(LP - New Wave Surf Party!) Ostrich
* 06 October 1987: Surf-Teens: The Moment Of Truth
(LP - Diggin' Out) Mr. Manicotti
*11 April 1988: Goldtones: Strike
*31 October 1988: Goldtones: Gutterball
*07 November 1988: Nation Rocking Shadows: Anesthesia
*16 November 1988: Gestics: Rockin' Fury 
*22 November 1988: Phantoms: XL-3 
*06 December 1988 (Radio Bremen): Goldtones: Strike
*13 December 1988: Goldtones: Gutterball
*07 November 1992: Goldtones: Gutterball 
*08 November 1992 (BFBS): Goldtones Gutterball
(CD - Big Surf) Ace
* 08 September 1991: Lively Ones: Pipeline
* 15 December 1991: Lively Ones: Pipeline
* 11 January 1992: Dave Myers & The Surftones: Church Key
* 23 January 2001: Sentinals: The Pipe 
(LP - The Surf Creature) Romulan
* 13 March 1992: Biscaynes: Church Key
* 14 March 1992: Gigolo's: Night Creature
* 21 March 1992: Velaires: Brazil
* 28 March 1992: Jim Douval & The Gauchos: Pink Elephants 
* 29 March 1992 (BFBS): Velaires: Brazil 
* 10 April 1992: Neil Nissinson: Intoxica 
* 17 April 1992: Losers: Balboa Party
* 01 May 1992: Storms: Tarantula
* 08 May 1992: Frogmen: Seahorse Flats 
(LP - Surfer's Mood Volume 2) Romulan
* 29 January 1993: Breakers: Surf Breaker 
* 14 February 1993 (BFBS): Breakers: Surf Breaker 
(LP - Pulp Surfin') Donna
* 02 February 1996: Andy Paley And Brian Wilson: In My Moondreams
(CD - Toes On The Nose (32 Surf Age Instrumentals)) Ace
* 06 October 1996: Eddie & The Showmen: Movin' 
* 12 October 1996: Eddie & The Showmen: Squad Car
* 27 October 1996 (BBC World Service): Eddie & The Showmen: Movin'
* 10 November 1996: Vulcanes: Moon Probe
(CD - Attack Of The New Killer Surf Guitars) Shanachie 
* 04 February 1999 (Radio Eins): Davie Allan & The Arrows With Dick Dale: Surf Trek 
* 11 February 1999: Ultras: The Ultra Factor 
* 11 February 1999 (Radio Mafia): Davie Allan & The Arrows With Dick Dale: Surf Trek 
* 14 February 1999 (BFBS): Ultras: The Ultra Factor 
* 18 February 1999 (Radio Eins): Davie Allan & The Arrows With Dick Dale: Surf Trek
(CD - Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar Vol. I - Big Noise from Waimea!) Sundazed Music
* July 2003 (FSK): Chandelles: El Gato
* 22 July 2003: Original Surfaris: Failsafe
* 24 July 2003 (Radio Eins): Steve & The Emperors: The Breeze and I
* 30 July 2003: Jesters: The Jester
* 20 August 2003: Dave Myers: Gear
* 02 September 2003: Original Surfaris: Failsafe
* 04 September 2003 (Radio Eins): Jesters: The Jester 
(CD - Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar Vol. II - Point Panic!) Sundazed Music
*25 September 2003: Jerry Cole And His Spacemen: Point Panic
*09 September 2004: Trashmen: Stick Shift
*29 September 2004: Gene Moles: Burning Rubber
*October 2004 (FSK): Gene Moles: Burning Rubber
*05 October 2004: Del-Vetts: Ram Charger
== See Also ==
* 5.6.7.8's ‎
* Aqua Vista
* Astronauts(3)
* Beach Boys
* Dick Dale
* Huevos Rancheros
* Johnny Fortune
* Paul Johnson(3)
* Laika & The Cosmonauts
* Leopards
* Los Straitjackets 
* Man Or Astro-Man? 
* Numbers(3)
* Phantom Surfers 
* Phono-Comb
* Satan's Pilgrims
* Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet 
* Showman & The Thunderous Staccatos
* Trashmen
* Trashwomen 
* TV21(2)
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
Category:Genres
Category:Compilations
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