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Back To The Beach: How Sun, Sand And Surf Inspired Beach Music

The Beach Boys created the “California Dream” but beach music has its roots all over the US – or anywhere where there’s sand and restless spirits.

Interesting article some some of not quite accurate but still entertaining. Some good history.

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How The Surfaris Wrote Wipe Out

The interview was recorded at the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN. Visit us at : https://www.musicianshalloffame.com/ View the whole interview here: ...

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'Rumble' Celebrates Rock 'N' Roll's Native American Roots

The documentary discusses Link Wray, Jimi Hendrix and other Native American artists who helped shape rock's sound. Guitarist and executive producer Stevie Salas says it's "a film about heroes."

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Waves of Transformation

This isn't about surf music per se but it's a college paper written about the evolution of surf culture which inspired the creation of "surf music".

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Straight Outta Lawndale

Punky surf rockers represent for the ‘burbs at Liquid Kitty’s Punk Rock BBQ By Michael Aushenker After Black Flag members Greg Ginn and Chuck Dukowski took punk’s DIY ethos further than other bands...

Former members of Black Flag formed a surf band in 1986 and recorded for SST.

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How Musicians Rode the Surf Rock Wave

Despite a brief period of popularity, surf rock deeply influenced generations of rock guitarists and can still be felt in some of today’s most popular genres.

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Brian Carman dies at 69; guitarist co-wrote surf classic 'Pipeline'

Maybe he should have been studying — or even surfing.

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Waikiki Beach Boys

Short Documentary by Brian Chidester about Duke Kahanamoku and the infamous Waikiki Beach Boys that influenced the surf culture in Hawaii in the early 20th C...

While this link isn't about surf music per se, I draw a connection because the whole modern surf culture thing evolved from these guys. Without surf culture there would be no surf music, or at least we wouldn't refer to it as surf music.

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Architects Of Electric Guitar Sounds: Gary Usher, Link Wray

Mark Smotroff explores the music of two pioneers who helped architect the sound of early guitar rock...

Here's a bit more on LInk Wray and also Gary Usher.

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Guitar Legend: Link Wray

Link Wray, Rumble, guitar, games, downloads. mp3, cd, dvd

Link Wray WAS NOT a surf musician and his instrumental rock and roll pre-dated the scene by at least a decade. That being said, if it wasn't for him there would be no "surf" music, at least not in the sense that we think about it today. Like The Ventures or The Shadows (who were also not "surf" musicians) he did for a brief period get marketed as a surf guitarist. Regardless, without him there would be none of the reverb drenched instrumental rock we now know and love. In the 70's and 80'a he even dabbled in heavy metal and punk rock. The RnR Hall Of Fame needs to go fuck itself for not inducting him.

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Pyramid Power : Pop music: Anaheim resident Will Glover, whose band had a hit with 'Penetration,' has tales to tell of surf music's heyday, though now his heart's in country.

By day, Will Glover runs his own construction/demolition business, tearing out kitchens and the like. By night, he's spending his day money recording an album of country songs. A couple of times a...

This is an interesting piece about guitarist Will Glover. He was the rhythm guitarist for The Pyramids whose big hit (though they had many good songs) was Penetration. Their big gimmick was their shaved heads which was intended as a middle finger antithesis to The Beatles (their drummer detested The Beatles). Also Mr. Glover was African American (well he still is) and left handed (move over Jimi). Probably the only black surf musician ever. He is now the owner of a construction/destruction business but still plays music at night at as a country musician with his band the Will Glover Experience.

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Encyclopedia of Surfing by Matt Warshaw

Total A-to-Z Digital Surfability

Surf's Up was an hour long TV show in LA on channel 9 from 64 to 65 that featured popular California surf bands. The Challengers were the house band.

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Ah, the sound of surf guitar: a Fender Jaguar or Jazzmaster through the metallic sproing of a spring reverb unit set to full depth. After all, we call reverb “wet,” and surfing is certainly a wet sport, right? For many years this has defined the tone of surf and ’60s-era instrumental guitar music, but it was not always thus. As a matter of fact, the most notable name in all of surf guitar, Dick Dale, founded the sound using entirely different components, and he will tell you that the classic surf tone is something very different.

Ah, the sound of surf guitar: a Fender Jaguar or Jazzmaster through the metallic sproing of a spring reverb unit set to full depth. After all, we call reverb “wet,” and surfing is certainly a wet sport, right? For many years this has defined the tone

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Randy's Wave Watch interview 1985

In the 1960's The Challengers Band (my band) was the house band for

Randy Nauert (bass player for The Challengers) being interviewed by 1985 world champion Pete Townend in 1985.

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The Origins of Surf Music — a first-hand account by Paul Johnson

In this article, entitled

While this is Paul Johnson's perspective, some of what he says here simply isn't true. Kids very much hung out at the beach prior to 1961, at least according to my 84 year old mother who was born and raised in Santa Monica. And yes there WAS surf culture prior to 1961, but it was much smaller and more of an under the radar sub culture. Still this is an interesting perspective from someone who was there and kind of debunks the myth that Dick Dale "invented" surf music.