Let's Go Surfin' - Instrumentals of the 1960s Quiz

Answer: The Astronauts

"Baja" by The Astronauts was a much played surfing theme. The record by The Astronauts from Colorado where surfing beaches are quite rare barely made the charts. The Billboard Hot 100 only had the record on for one week peaking at 96 and it did not chart elsewhere. The record captured so well the mood of the surfing culture of the time and was used in a number of surfing documentaries.

Answer: The Atlantics

The Atlantics, a local Sydney instrumental band, like many other groups of the time played covers of tunes by The Shadows and to a lesser level The Ventures and the Spotniks. In late 1962 The Atlantics started to stand out with the addition of another guitarist making them unique by having two lead guitarists.

This led to the band writing their own music which led to their smash hit and number one single "Bombora". They followed this late in 1963 with "The Crusher" another surfing instrumental which was a top ten hit for the group. "Bombora" was not a national hit in the USA but was a favourite on DJ playlists and made the California and Oregon charts. Until Fleetwood Mac made number one in the UK for one week in 1969 with "Albatross", "Bombora" was the last instrumental number one of the 1960s in Australia UK and the USA as the beat groups took over the charts.

Answer: The Ventures

Recorded by The Ventures in 1963 from their album "Surfing with the Ventures", "The Ninth Wave" did not chart well in the USA but was a minor hit in Australia. The record fared well in Australia as it did fit right in with the surf music craze which was happening in Australia at the time. Like many of the songs in this quiz "The Ninth Wave" captured the sound and mood of the surfing genre.

The Ventures had reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 with "Walk, Don't Run" and again in 1969 with the theme from "Hawaii Five-0".

They did reach the top ten in 1964 with a reworked version of the 1960 hit and called it "Walk, Don't Run '64".

Answer: The Surfaris

The Surfaris released "Wipe Out" in 1963 as the B side of their single, "Surfer Joe" being the A Side. "Wipe Out" reached the top ten in the UK, Canada, Australia and the USA. Indeed it reached number one in Australia. On the US Billboard charts "Wipe Out" was prevented from reaching the top spot by Stevie Wonder and his breakthrough hit "Fingertips - Part 1".

The Surfaris released another single "Point Panic" which also epitomised the surf sound.

Answer: The Dakotas

"The Cruel Sea" by the Dakotas, a Liverpool group who were the backup band for Billy J Kramer. The tune became a staple in the repertoires of surfing instrumental bands.
The tune was a top twenty hit in the UK and Australia. The song was written by the then lead guitarist Mike Maxfield.

Answer: The Chantays

The Chantays, from Santa Ana California. They hit the big time with their arpeggio driven instrumental hit, "Pipeline" in 1963. They never troubled the charts again but the success of "Pipeline" ensured their place in Rock 'n' Roll history. The Chantays have a street named after them in Santa Ana. "Pipeline" has been recorded by many acts ranging from Lawrence Welk to Dick Dale and Stevie Ray Vaughan. "Pipeline" featured in the repertoire of many aspiring pop bands of the early 1960s.

Answer: Dick Dale and the Del-Tones

"Misirlou" also known as "Miserlou" originally hit in the 1940s by Harry James and pianist Jan August. According to the book "Pop Memories 1890-1954" by Joel Whitburn the song had its origins in the Middle East. The memorable recording of "Miserlou" was in 1962 by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones. The record made the charts in a small way but the tune captured the sound and mood of the surf.

The record and Dick Dale gained more recognition when included on the soundtrack of "Pulp Fiction" in 1994.

Answer: Jack Nitzsche

"The Lonely Surfer" written and arranged by Jack Nitzsche, also credited as the artist on the record label. The musicians on this record are the famous Wrecking Crew studio musicians who played so many hits of the 1960s. Included on this record are David Gates, Leon Russell, Hal Blaine, Bill Pitman and Tommy Tedesco and many others.

The song like many others in this quiz captured the time and the mood of the surfing scene of the early 1960s.

Answer: The Denvermen

Written by guitarist Les Green, "Avalon Stomp" was a hit for Australia's Denvermen. The Denvermen were the band associated with local rock singer Digger Revell, who had a surfing hit with "My Little Rocker's Turned Surfie" in 1964.
"Avalon Stomp" was a top five for the band in Australia and complimented their earlier number one hit "Surfside".
Both "Avalon Stomp" and "Surfside" made the local radio charts and sold respectably in Southern California but made no impression on the national charts.

Answer: The Sandals

Written as the theme for the documentary movie "The Endless Summer" by the group the San Dells, (their name changed to The Sandals to fit the surf culture), the record made the top ten in Australia and lingered in the charts for fifteen weeks. The soundtrack album by the Sandals for "The Endless Summer" was a good seller and stayed on the Billboard Album Charts for thirteen weeks.

The movie "The Endless Summer" cost very little to produce but grossed over twenty million dollars worldwide, a very respectable outcome in the early sixties.