Grapple: Where the Jobs Are

Guitarist Bill Nelson interviews one of his heroes, twang master Duane Eddy

Update: listening to an informative video about Surf Music, made by a guy in Southern California – aiming his efforts at students, and referring to the global phenomenon of Rock Instrumentals as inspired by Surf Music – only making an exception for The Shadows, I think it’s important to point out that the european, asian and australian groups singularly mention The Shadows as their influence. One can assume they were also listening to the other early Rock’n’Roll instrumentals by Duane Eddy or Bill Justis. The only major exception is Japan, where the Eleki bands were inspired by american Bands like The Ventures and The Astronauts.

In recent years I realized a growing confusion about what would be called Surf music, so this post is my attempt to help bring order to the chaos for the interested. To keep things simple I will stay with 1960s guitar led instrumental Rock’n’Roll. When I got into this music, my peers and I could hear the differences of the regional variants. These all developed from 50s Rock’n’Roll, but the local scenes had distinct musical styles and sounds. Of course there’s the ocassional band or release that is blurring the edges. I do like those in particular, but to make my point I will present genuine examples. I will mention some outstanding bands of each genre, post links to YouTube videos examplifying the genre in question and list gear-wise cornerstones.

Surf

Much has been written about Surf’s history and I would like to refer you to the writings of Domenic Priore (Los Angeles Pop Culture historian), Bob Dalley (collected articles and interviews with first wave, SoCal Surf bands in his book Surfin’ Guitars) and John Blair (author of The Illustrated Discographie of Surf Music 1961 – 1965). There’s also tons of worthwhile info on Phil Dirt’s website Reverb Central. Surf is the single musical genre to exploit the spring reverb unit to the extreme, sometimes with three reverbed guitars playing different parts of an arrangement, creating the trademark splashy, dripping wet sound. This kind of reverb effect is seldomly heard in other musical styles, but can be found on the drum tracks of 1970s dub reggae recordings. With the connection to mid century surfing culture came influences from abroad in the form of Flamenco melodies, Polynesian inspired Exotica tunes and jungle mood drumming.

Geography
USA with the center being in Southern California
also Australia (mixing American energy with Euro echos)

Time
strictly speaking the first wave was 1961 – 1965

Bands
Dick Dale & The Del-Tones
The Livey Ones
The Astronauts
The Chantays
The Bel-Airs
The Surfaris

Gear
Fender Jaguar
Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Stratocaster
Fender Basses
Fender amps (Showman, Dual-Showman, Bandmaster, Bassman, Tremolux)
Fender outboard reverb unit

YouTube
The Astronauts – Firewater
Meshugga Beach Party – Hava Nagila / Miserlou
The Illusions – Nite-Mare
The Pyramids – Bikini Drag
The Safaris – Lonely Surf Guitar
The Atlantics – Bombora

Indo Rock

The bands had 2-3 guitars, electric bass and drums. The guitar sound was usually dry, played directly into Fender piggy-back amps. The Tielman Brothers experimented with tunings and extra strings, and used two Fender Bass VI for a while, tuned as a baritone and a six-string bass. Despite their indonesian heritage these bands didn’t sound as exotic as one could expect. The major influence in repertoire and delivery is American Rock’n’Roll. However, part of the instro repertoire was european folk songs rocked-up. The Indo acts featured vocals as often as instrumentals. The unconventional handling of the guitars and the showmanship were their most unique assets.

Geography
home country the Netherlands
touring Western Europe during the 1960s

Time
mainly late 50s to mid 60s

Bands
The Tielman Brothers
The Javalins

Gear
Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Bass VI
Gibson Les Pauls (Tielmans) and various Euro brand guitars in the early years
Fender piggy-back amps (see Surf)

YouTube
Electric Johnny & The Sky Rockets – Gitarren spielt auf
Oety & his Real Rockers – Sway
The Revolts – Pelita
The Javalins – Al Capone
The Tielman Brothers – Schwarze Augen

Eleki

Like all asian countries Japan has a long history of stringed instruments. Rock’n’Roll took a while to establish itself in Japan, with Swing and various Latin styles being more popular during the 1950s. The Japanese passion in adopting new technolgies and in turn starting native production lead to a host of homegrown electric guitar brands such as Teisco, Yamaha, Ibanez and Aria. The term Eleki is apparently derived from the english word electric. When The Ventures visited Japan in the mid 1960s something clicked there. The four piece’s style and musicianship proved very inspiring to the local guitar-men and they in turn managed to record some of the most dramatic and powerful electric guitar pieces de resisténce in history.

Geography
Japan

Time
mid to late 60s

Bands
Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys
Terry & The Blues Jeans
The Sharp 5

Gear
Fender Jaguar
Fender Basses
Fender amps
Yamaha guitars
Mosrite Ventures model guitars
Guyatone amps and effects

YouTube
Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys
Takeshi Terauchi & The Blue Jeans
Growing up in post-war Japan

Asia Á Go-Go Instrumentals

For some reason Singapore and Hong-Kong stand out with their instrumental recordings. The other south east asian countries like Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Macao or the Philipines favored vocal recordings, but the odd instrumental can be found there as well. The bands often had electric organ, tape echo units, glockenspiel or vibraphon to enhance the exotic, guitar led melodies. Their melodies are more meandering than Rock’n’Roll ones and seem to be rooted more or less in traditional music. The beat is often popular local dance rhythms like the Hala-Hala, the Soul (also slow Soul), the A-Go-Go and the Off-Beat Cha-Cha. The last one is very similar to the Jamaican Ska or Blue-Beat.

Geography
Singapore
Hong-Kong

Time
mid 60s to mid 70s

Bands
The Stylers
The Quests
The Fabulous Falcons
White Cloud Orchestra
The Trailers
The Silver Stones
Maurice Patton & The Melodians

Gear
Höfner guitars and basses
Fender Jaguar
Fender Stratocaster
Fender Basses
Fender amps (Showman, Dual-Showman, Bandmaster, Bassman, Tremolux)
combo organs
tape echo units

YouTube
The Stylers
The Telstar Combo
White Cloud Orchestra
The Sparklers

European Rock Instrumentals

Cliff Richard’s band The Shadows started something big over here. They had Fender Stratocasters before anybody else and used the first Vox amps coupled with tube-tape echo units to create one incredibly beautiful sound. As could be expected, most countries or regions had their own variety of this RI recipe, but they still can be put into the same pot. Whether it’s Finnish Rautalanka, Norwegian Piggtrad or Czech Big Beat – in the end they are more similar than not. Just like Surf, this sound had a second wave in the early 80s, but it was only realized by a tight knit collectors scene. Some recordings, like The Scorpions from England, sound very American, while others, like The Rowdies from Belgium, sound rather Australian. Forces Networks and international AM radio stations did wonders for hopeful European Rock Instrumental composers. There were also waves of eastern, classical and folk-song themed records.

Geography
United Kingdom
European mainland

Time
late 50s to late 60s

Bands
The Shadows
The Spotnicks
The Tornadoes
The Sputniks
The Jokers
Ensemble Sincron
Les Fantomes
Los Electricks

Gear
Fender Stratocaster
Fender Jazzmaster
various Euro brands (Egmond, Höfner, Framus, Eko)
Vox, Selmer, Dynacord amps
echo tape units by Dynacord, Echolette, Meazzi and Vox among others

YouTube
Ellert Nordmark
The Moontrekkers
The Twangies
The Jumping Jewels
Cees & his Skyliners
Los Sonor
Atlantis
Sreburnite Grivni

Latin American Instros

This huge landmass is hard to pin down in regards to stylistic classification. What I have heard from there takes the toughness and dynamics of the American sound and mixes them with Euro qualities like flowing, sentimental melodies. The gear sounds very north American.

YouTube
Los Belkings playing Theme for Young Lovers

Biker Exploitation Movie Soundtracks

This can easily be summed with one name: Davie Allan. He left his earliest Surf stylings behind when he discovered the sound of the fuzz guitar and recorded loads of American International exploitation movie soundtracks until around 1970. He is still recording and playing live, and lost none of his bite and instinct for brooding, moody and exciting melodies.

Gear
Mosrite doubleneck “Joe Maphis Model”
modified Fender Jazzmaster
Mosrite Fuzzbox
modern distortion unit (maybe a Rat)

YouTube
Davie Allan & the Arrows

The Pioneers

These musicians played instrumental Rock’n’Roll before anybody else. They kept going through the 60s, in some cases until today and actually moved very close to the Surf sound with some recordings in the early 1960s. But after all these excursions made up one or two albums in their much bigger back catalogues.

The Ventures
Sandy Nelson
Duane Eddy
Link Wray
Johnny & the Hurricanes

Here’s a Grain of Sea-Salt

So why was it easier to learn details about these somewhat similar styles of music, identifying a sound with the correctly matching name, before the internet? Seems backwards, right? You have to keep in mind that on the internet everybody can put a label on everything. This is the main cause of mixing up historical, regional styles.

To us on the other hand it was easier to distinguish, because the sounds came from very different sources. Let me explain. In Germany you would see Ricky King on TV, hear The Shadows on the radio, read about Indo Rock in a hipster magazine but hardly ever saw any records. Surf was a genre you did find records of in shops, mostly second wave and compilations, and on record conventions with crates full of original, vintage vinyl. Eleki was only on the radar of jaded and wealthy collectors and the Hong-Kong/Singapore bands were practically unknown.

When somebody played a record to you he knew what it was. All these musical styles have been given names by people. These names made sense to them, for one reason or another. Trying to change names of historical styles in retrospect is laughable and unjustified.

I never understood what the movie King Kong had to do with 1930s’ New York. I always thought it had a strong Godzilla vibe to it.

– Tintin Quarantino

One Question Remains

Why of all the different styles is it Surf’s name that keeps being attached to the others? Eleki would make more sense for a generalization, after all they’re all being played on electric guitars. Or the the term Rock Instrumentals (or short RI) as used by such pioneering british zines like Pipeline and New Gandy Dancer.

The answer has two parts. The internet is US dominated and it was a Hollywood movie bringing instrumental Rock back into the general mainstream consciousness in the mid-nineties. The tracks chosen in Pulp Fiction happened to be Surf. Understandably people in the mainstream, not knowing the variety inside the field that is Rock Instrumentals, think the meanings of Surf and RI are interchangeable,.

Second, it’s a short word people love to say. People like to say different words at different times in their lives. Often these words have four letters: mama, baby, love or tiki.

Most Helpful Hint

Saying “surf” slowly sounds a bit like what it means. A peeling lip sizzling towards you. The slightly hollow rumble of the curl lifting you up and washing over you. And finally the F, which is the white water rolling to shore. If you can’t follow me here, then don’t continue reading that a stage filled with three 1963 Fender Showman amps, a drumset, dual saxes, heavily reverbed, loud and clean lead guitar over a thundering bass are the musical translation of a surf experience. I have never heard about anybody in attendance at such a surfers stomp in the early 60s in California denying this.

Viva Las Vegas – Rockabilly Weekend 15 – April 5th – 8th 2012

Guitar Geek Festival

Deke’s 5th Annual Guitar Geek Festival

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Jolly Roger Hotel Ballroom (amazing 1960s pirate-themed ballroom!)
640 W. Katella (at Harbor), Anaheim, California
Only one block from the NAMM show/Convention Center!
Doors at 3 p.m., show starts at 4 p.m. sharp!
All ages welcome (must be 21 to drink)
$35 advance / $40 at the door / $35 with NAMM pass
Advance Ticket $35

Featuring:

The Collins Kids: Larry and Lorrie!
Straight from the stage of ‘Town Hall Party’ we present Larry and Lorrie Collins in their first Southern California appearance in 15 years, and their first show in Anaheim in decades! Singing their big hits ‘Mercy,’ ‘Rock Boppin’ Baby,’ ‘Let’s Have A Party,’ ‘Whistle Bait,’ and others, the show also includes Larry Collins playing the snot out of his double- neck Mosrite on such tunes as ‘Rockin’ Gypsy’ and ‘Hurricane!’ Larry and Lorrie never fail to put on an amazing show, and this will be the most exciting Guitar Geek Festival headlining act yet!

Teisco Del Rey: King of the Guitorgan
Featuring Paul ‘Mr. Moto’ Johnson! Many remember Teisco Del Rey as the columnist for Guitar Player magazine for many years. Others remember him from his astounding instrumental albums, where he tackled everything from surf to soul, channeling the spirit of Duane Eddy. Yet others will remember him as the only man in the last 3 decades to seriously play the ‘Guitorgan’! All this and more will be revealed in Teisco Del Rey’s first-ever Southern California live appearance, with an all- star band featuring Paul Johnson of the Bel-Airs (who came and rocked his song ‘Mr. Moto’ at last year’s fest!), Steve Soest from The Torquays, and Pete Curry of the Halibuts and Los Straitjackets! A set not to be missed.

Deke Dickerson & Crazy Joe: Twin Guitar Special!
Your host teams up with the king of nerdabilly from Enon, Ohio, in a special set of guitar duets! This will NOT be two guys sitting down with a couple of acoustic guitars. This set promises to be extreme and dangerous!

Brian Lonbeck: the Barn Burner of Bakersfield!
In a dangerous attempt to see how many Mosrite doubleneck players we can fit onto the bill, we bring back perennial favorite Brian Lonbeck of Bakersfield to tear down the house with more Maphis-inspired mayhem!

Maestro Alex Gregory: Maestro of the Heavy Metal Mandolin!
If you haven’t heard of this guy, look up his name on the internet. What you see with your own eyes will still be hard to believe! The English-born Gregory was given the title ‘Maestro’ by Queen Elizabeth’s government in 1983. After years of studying classical music, he entered the field of rock, where he has mastered such inventions as the seven-string guitar (Gregory holds two patents on the seven- string guitar!) and the electric mandolin. His most recent CD shows him holding an electric mandolin while urinating on the graves of Steve Vai and Yngvie Malmsteen! This will without a doubt prove an interesting set!

Junior Watson: Southern California Blues King!
We’re excited to get ‘Junior’ Watson on the Guitar Geek Festival bill. Junior has been playing around Southern California for the last three decades, first as a founding member of the Mighty Flyers with Rod Piazza, then as a ten-year member of Canned Heat. Since then he’s played with just about everybody in the blues world and has amassed a cult following as the blues cat with THE TONE!!!!

The ‘All-Bigsby Band!’: Featuring Jeremy Wakefield & T.K. Smith!
It is rare to see an instrument made by Paul A. Bigsby, inventor of the Bigsby vibrato. Many people know that Bigsby was an important instrument maker who invented the first modern solidbody electric guitar for Merle Travis, but most have never seen one of these instruments in person! For one evening we will have a band on stage playing exclusively instruments made by Bigsby. The band will be led by festival stalwarts Jeremy ‘J.W.’ Wakefield on steel guitar and ‘T.K.’ Smith on electric guitar, along with a slew of other older and younger players–all living Bigsby owners have been invited to participate! This will be a photo opportunity never to be repeated again! Several vintage guitar dealers have already been rushed to the hospital!

Lester Peabody With Special Guest Marti Brom!
Hailing from Finland, Lester Peabody is a double threat to be reckoned with–not only as a great Chet-styled finger picker on the guitar, but also as a great steel guitar player! Bonus for all the lonely guitar fans will be an appearance by sultry-voiced Texas singer Marti Brom, who will sing a number or two with Lester on his great set!

James Calvin Wilsey: The Guitar Behind Chris Isaak!
Jimmy Wilsey has an impressive resume. Not only is he the guitarist who played on Chris Isaak’s breakout hit ‘Wicked Game,’ with its haunting atmospheric guitar parts, but he was also in the seminal punk band the Avengers, who can actually claim to have shared a bill with the Sex Pistols at their very last show at the Cow Palace in San Francisco in 1978! Jimmy Wilsey has a brand-new band called Wilsey and a new album out, and they will be showcasing their exciting brand of tunes at the Guitar Geek Festival!

Opening Set: Breakout Talent Showcase!
The most difficult thing about putting together the Guitar Geek Festival each year is that we have so much phenomenal talent and not enough time to get everybody involved. So this year, a bunch of great guitarists will get the evening rolling with one tune each! Guaranteed you’ll want to be there from the opening bell, as these guitarists are every bit as talented as our featured acts!

All ages (must be 21 to drink)!
Full bar available!
Booths from Hallmark, TNM Custom, and more!
Deke’s Amazing Guitar Museum with a special Bigsby exhibit!
DJ Dan Moses!
Guitar Raffle courtesy Fender/Gretsch guitars!
$35 advance / $40 at the door / $35 with NAMM pass
This is an Early Show! Doors open at 3 p.m., show starts at 4 p.m. sharp!

Jolly Roger Hotel Ballroom (amazing 1960s pirate-themed ballroom!)
640 W. Katella (at Harbor), Anaheim, California
Only one block from the NAMM show/Convention Center!

I would go there – if it was anywhere near. He should do a world tour, and fill up the line-up with local acts like Ladi Geisler in Hamburg, and Bert Weedon and Judd Proctor in England.