Unit 3 Surf Rock and Sixties Pop

Surf and Instrumental Rock

Pop music from the West Coast

NOT influenced by the music industry

Grew out of surf culture

Southern California

Carefree, laid-back lifestyle

Hot rods, wood-paneled station wagons

Hawaiian shirts and sandals

Unique vernacular (phrases, speaking)

Surf and Instrumental Rock

Driving, high energy, primarily instrumental

Dominated by electric guitar

Raw, garage-band edge

Not overly produced

Dick Dale and the Del-Tones

Dale, “King of Surf Guitar”

Used downward glissandos on guitar to imitate the sound of the waves

Tremolos – heard in traditional oud (Lebanese music)

Dick Dale and the Del-Tones

1961 - First surf hit – Let’s Go Trippin’

1962 – Miserlou based on a Middle Eastern folk

song

Group didn’t like to travel – remained popular only in CA

Other Surf Music Groups

The Marketts, Surfer's Stomp, (#31, 1962)

The Chantays, Pipeline, (#4, 1963)

The Surfaris, Wipeout, (#2, 1963)

Related to Surf Rock....

Louie, Louie (#2, 1963) The Kingsmen – Seattle-

based group

Recording of a calypso tune

Lyrics were thought to be obscene

Prompts an FBI investigation (which concluded that the lyrics were unintelligible)

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys

Known for beautiful vocal harmonies

3 brothers, 1 cousin, 1 friend

Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine

Murray Wilson (father), emotionally and physically abusive

Brian – most talented of the brothers

Combined driving rock and guitar sounds of Chuck Berry with lush vocal harmonies.

The Beach Boys

Over four years, 7 albums, 17 Top 40 singles Girls, cars, hanging-out, surfing

Brian, primary song writer & producer

Surfin’ Safari (#14, 1962)

I Get Around (#1, 1964)

Help Me Rhonda (#1, 1965)

Pet Sounds

Released 1966

Inspired by the Beatles’ Rubber Soul

Idea was to record an album that contained only good songs, no fillers

Wanted to make “the greatest rock and roll album ever”

Writing, arranging, and producing skills

Pet Sounds

Spent over $70,000 at 3 different studios

Used to famed band, “The Wrecking Crew”

Unconventional instruments

Tympani, Japanese percussion, harpsichord, glockenspiel, bass harmonica, barking dogs

Short songs with intricate and difficult vocal arrangements and melodies

Lyrics about a young man’s difficult coming of age

Pet Sounds

Sloop John B (#3)

Wouldn’t It Be Nice (#8)

Sold roughly ½ a million copies – disappointing

Beatles respond with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

A Teenage Symphony to God

Good Vibrations (1966)

Mini-symphony

Took 6 months to finish

Cost $50,000 to make

Smile

“a teenage symphony to god”

Never completed

Beach Boys Break Up

Couldn’t escape the clean-cut, whole-some image

Popularity waned in the psychedelic era

Succumbed to a rough, partying lifestyle

Other Sixties Pop Burt Bacharach and Hall David

Bacharach – the most prolific pop composer of the last half of the 20th century

Worked with Dionne Warwick Recorded over 60 of their songs

23 hit the Top 40

66 Top 40 Hits What the World Needs Now Is Love, What’s New Pussycat?, The Look of

Love, This Guy’s in Love with you, I Say a Little Prayer, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, (They Long to Be) Close to You

28 Top 10

6 #1 hits

Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman

Pomus – began career as a white blues singer

Team up, set up shop in the Brill Building

Teenager in Love (#5, 1959), This Magic Moment (#16, 1960), Save the Last Dance for Me (#1, 1960), Can’t Get Used to Losing You (#2, 1963), Viva Las Vagas (#29, 1964)

The Monkees

Industry-manufactured pop

Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork

TV show (1966-1968)

11 Top 40

Two #3

One #2

Three #1

Bubblegum pop