Surf music is rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1962 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.
David Lee Marks is an American guitarist who is best known for being an early member of the Beach Boys. While growing up in Hawthorne, California, Marks was a neighborhood friend of the original band members and was a frequent participant at their family get-togethers. Following his initial departure from the group, Marks fronted the Marksmen and performed and recorded as a session musician.
Surfin' U.S.A. is the second album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 25, 1963 on Capitol Records. It reached number two in the US, lasting 78 weeks on the Billboard album chart, eventually being certified gold by the RIAA, and brought the group newfound national success. At the end of the year it was listed by Billboard as the biggest-selling rock'n'roll album of 1963, and went on to sell an estimated two million-plus worldwide at a time when it was rare for l.p.s to sell even a million. It was led by one single, its title track with the B-side "Shut Down". In the United Kingdom, the album was belatedly released in late 1965, reaching number 17.
Boardshorts are a type of swimwear and casual wear in the form of relatively long loose-fitting shorts that are designed to be quick-drying and are generally made from strong and smooth polyester or nylon material. Originally known as surf trunks, later as Jams, and occasionally in British English as swim shorts, boardshorts are a style of men's and, more recently, women's summerwear.
Sea of Tunes was a music publishing company, founded in 1962 by Murry and Brian Wilson. Murry was the first manager of the Beach Boys; father of Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson; and uncle of Mike Love. The intention of Sea of Tunes was to publish and promote the songs written primarily by Brian.
Surf movies fall into three distinct genres:
The Honeys were an American girl group formed in Los Angeles in 1961. Their line-up consisted of Marilyn Rovell, her sister Diane Rovell, and their cousin Ginger Blake. The group were a kind of female counterpart to the Beach Boys, described as "the world's first female surfing vocal combo" by Music Vendor in April 1963. Bandleader Brian Wilson served as the Honeys' record producer and chief songwriter, and later married Marilyn in late 1964. After 1969, they remained mostly inactive. In the 1970s, Marilyn and Diane formed another short-lived group, American Spring, also with participation from Wilson.
Pocket Rockers was a brand of personal stereo produced by Fisher-Price in the late 1980s, aimed at elementary school-age children. It played a proprietary variety of miniature cassette which was released only by Fisher-Price themselves. Each tape had two songs in mono. Tapes were available from several pop stars, including Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Tiffany, or Debbie Gibson and even rock stars like Bon Jovi or The Bangles. They were designed to be as much of a fashion accessory as a music player, and for a brief period they were enough of a youth craze to be banned in some schools.
"Surfer Girl" is a song written, produced and sung by Brian Wilson for American surf band the Beach Boys. It was released as a single and it then appeared on the 1963 album of the same name, Surfer Girl. The B-side of the single was "Little Deuce Coupe". The single was the first Beach Boys record to have Wilson officially credited as the producer.
Good Vibrations is a Broadway jukebox musical conceived and directed by John Carrafa featuring the music of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. It opened February 2, 2005, at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and ran for 94 performances before closing on April 24, 2005. The musical follows the tale of three high school friends who want to escape their small New England town and drive to California. However, none of them own a car, so they invite the unpopular valedictorian girl who has a crush on one of the guys to use her for her car, and drama and romance ensue. The cast on opening night starred Kate Reinders as Caroline, David Larsen as Bobby, Tituss Burgess as Eddie, Brandon Wardell as Dave, Jessica-Snow Wilson as Marcella, David Reiser as Dean and Sebastian Arcelus as Jan. Janet Dacal, Sarah Glendening and Krysta Rodriguez made their Broadway debuts in the show.
The Capitol Years is a 1999 4-CD box set which documents The Beach Boys' career with the Capitol Records label. It was originally released in 1980 through Readers Digest as a 6-LP boxed set, which included an LP of Brian Wilson's non-Beach Boys productions for Capitol. In 1988 EMI Records Australia released a 6 audio cassette version in a plastic case with booklet.
The Original US Singles Collection The Capitol Years 1962–1965 is a boxset released in 2008 from Capitol, which features the original singles from The Beach Boys from 1962–1965.
Surf Party is a 1964 beach party film directed by Maury Dexter and starring Bobby Vinton, Patricia Morrow, Jackie DeShannon, and Ken Miller. It is notable for the musical acts showcased onscreen, as well as for being the first direct imitation of AIP's hit Beach Party, which was released six months earlier. It also notable for being one of the few movies in the genre shot in black and white.
The Surfin' Lungs are an English surf music band originally from Bracknell, Berkshire, who were formed in 1981 by Chris Pearce and Geoffo Knipe. The original line-up consisted of: Chris Pearce, Geoffo Knipe, Steve Dean and Lee Money (drums).
The Beach Will Never Die is the third album released by surf music band The Surfin' Lungs, released in 1990 on the Swiss label Lux-Noise. This was the first album by the new-look Lungs, with keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Clive Gilling and drummer Graeme Block in the ranks and marked a change in style, with Gilling's organ playing a prominent role in proceedings, while the production had a much crisper feel to it. Of the 13 tracks, 11 were written by the group, while one, "Oh Oh I Love Her So" was a cover of a song by The Ramones, which featured a different arrangement, while the other, "Anywhere The Girls Are", stayed true to the original effort by The Fantastic Baggys.
Fifty Big Ones, also referred to as 50 Big Ones, is a two-disc compilation album released by Capitol Records consisting of material from the American rock and roll band the Beach Boys. The album was released in 2012 to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary, and features some remastered mixes and stereo debuts. The track listing is similar to the setlist the band played on the 50th anniversary tour.
The California sound is a popular music aesthetic that originates with American pop and rock recording artists from Southern California in the early 1960s. At first, it was conflated with the California myth, an idyllic setting inspired by the state's beach culture that commonly appeared in the lyrics of commercial pop songs. Later, the sound was expanded outside its initial geography and subject matter and was developed to be more sophisticated, often featuring studio experimentation.
Live in Sacramento 1964 is a live album by The Beach Boys, released on December 2, 2014, exclusively through the iTunes Store. It was recorded in 1964, with some performances appearing on the band's first live album, Beach Boys Concert, in 1964.
Live in Chicago 1965 is a live album by The Beach Boys, released on December 6, 2015. It was originally recorded in 1965.
The Avantis were a surf group from Los Angeles, California that was active from around 1963 to 1964. They recorded some singles on a couple of labels. They are known for their 1963 surf rock instrumental, "Wax 'Em Down".
