The Surfaris - Fun City, U.S.A. (1964)

The Surfaris - Fun City, U.S.A. (1964)

Decca DL 74560

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Tracklist:
alt.
A1.Dune Buggy (Jim Fuller)
A2.Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)
A3.Hot Rod Graveyard (Charles Dant, The Surfaris)
A4.I'm Leaving Town (Ron Wilson)
A5.Murphy The Surfie (Norman Day)
A6.Apache (Jerry Lordan, Johnny Flamingo)
B1.Hot Rod High (Gary Usher, Roger Christian)
B2.Moon Dawg (Derry Weaver)
B3.Go Go Go For Louie's Place (Charles Dant, The Surfaris)
B4.Big Surge (Jim Fuller)
B5.Burnin' Rubber (Jim Fuller)
B6.Shazam (Eddy, Hazlewood)

A Glendora, CA, surf group remembered for "Wipe Out," the number two 1963 hit that ranks as one of the great rock instrumentals, featuring a classic up-and-down guitar riff and a classic solo drum roll break, both of which were emulated by millions (the number is no exaggeration) of beginning rock & rollers. They recorded an astonishing number of albums (about half a dozen) and singles in the mid-'60s; the "Wipe Out" follow-up, "Point Panic," was the only one to struggle up to the middle of the charts. The Surfaris were not extraordinary, but they were more talented than the typical one-shot surf group; drummer Ron Wilson was praised by session stickman extraordinaire Hal Blaine, and his uninhibited splashing style sounds like a direct ancestor to Keith Moon. He also took the lead vocals on the group's occasional Beach Boys imitations.