A Little Less Conversation

The Wrecking Crew: Part 4

Well, would you believe I started this post back in March? Where does the time go?! OK, so back to more great music recorded with the help of The Wrecking Crew studio musicians (if you missed the initial post explaining these guys, go here). Today's first selection is a tune actually co-written by Wrecking Crew guitarist Billy Strange with Mac Davis, written for and performed by Elvis Presley in the 1968 film Live a Little, Love a Little. Released as a single in September of '68, "A Little Less Conversation" was only a minor hit in the US at #69, and included Wrecking Crew musicians like Hal Blaine on drums, Al Casey on guitar, Larry Knechtel on bass, and Don Randi on piano. After its use in the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven, it was remixed by Junkie XL (the first artist to receive authorization from the Presley Estate to remix an Elvis song), and the electronic version of the song became a world-wide hit, reaching the top-10 in about 17 countries, 10 of which were #1 on the charts. Here's the original "A Little Less Conversation" featured in a typical Elvis movie of the era.

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In 1955, Alex North and lyricist Hey Zaret were contracted to write a song as the theme for the obsure prison movie Unchained, and their song eventually became known as the "Unchained Melody." Becoming one of the most recorded songs of the 20th Century with at least 500 different versions, it was the 1965 version by The Righteous Brothers that became a jukebox standard, even achieving a second round of great popularity after being featured in the 1990 film Ghost. Produced by Phil Spector (who regularly used Wrecking Crew musicians), it was performed as a solo by Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers, and peaked at #4 on the Billboard chart. Here's a great live performance of a classic.

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The T-Bones were a short-lived American pop group active in the mid-'60s. The group had a hit single in 1966 with their instrumental "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)," whose melody was from an Alka-Seltzer commercial. With Wrecking Crew session musician Hal Blaine on drums, this tune reached #3 on the Billboard chart. The group later became the AM soft rock trio Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds whose first hit was "Don't Pull Your Love" in 1971. Not the greatest video quality but a cute performance from Hullabaloo. 

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The Rip Chords were an American vocal duo with Phil Stewart and Ernie Bringas (Phil & Ernie) who eventually expanded into four primary voices, adding record producer Terry Melcher (produced The Byrds) and co-producer Bruce Johnston (who later joined The Beach Boys in 1965). Since they were not a band and needed to be backed instrumentally by studio musicians, Wrecking Crew musicians were used including singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, drummer Hal Blaine, bass guitarist Ray Pohlman, and other prominent members. With vocal layering by only the producers (Bruce and Terry), "Hey Little Cobra" was mega hit for The Rip Chords, reaching #4 in February of 1964. Since the two were "ghostsingers" for the recording, they didn't receive any credit for their vocal participation, and two other vocalists were brought in to perform strictly on tours as part of The Rip Chords. Here's one of the highest ranking hot rod songs of all time.

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Today's final group featuring musicians of the Wrecking Crew is Gary Lewis & The Playboys, fronted by the son of comedian Jerry Lewis. Wanting to ensure a hit, the group's producer, Snuff Garrett, insisted on using experienced studio musicians and did not allow the band to play their own instruments on the recordings. With the help of Tommy Allsup on guitar, Leon Russell on keyboards, Joe Osborn on bass, and Hal Blaine on drums, the group had an impressive string of hits including "Everybody Loves a Clown." Written by Gary Lewis with Leon Russell, Snuff Garrett, and Thomas Leslie, this pop tune from the album of the same name reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. Here's another cute performance from Hullabaloo (love that the drum kit is set up on the slide!).

Twistin' the Night Away

The Wrecking Crew: Part 3

Alright, it's about time I get back to writin' and continuing our fabulous series on the Wrecking Crew musicians (which is not even close to over)! First off, we're featuring American country music singer Glen Campbell, who was actually a regular guitarist amongst the first-call "Wrecking Crew" studio musicians before embarking on a highly successful solo career (something like releasing over 70 albums and selling over 45 million records, no biggie). In the mid-60s, he filled in for Brian Wilson as a touring musician on Beach Boys tours, and played guitar on the revolutionary Pet Sounds album. After the success of "Wichita Lineman" (featured here during the Country Crossovers series), Campbell scored a big hit with another Jimmy Webb song, "Galveston," which reached #4 on the Billboard charts and #1 on the country chart. Although it's widely considered an anti-Vietnam protest song, Campbell (a Republican) performed it up-tempo, conveying a more general message in a patriotic way, and it's considered the official anthem of Galveston, Texas. Other Wrecking Crew musicians included in this recording are Hal Blaine on drums (as usual), Al Casey on acoustic guitar, and Joe Osborn on bass. Here's a live performance of "Galveston" (with a studio backing track) on Campbell's own series The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.

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Joining the likes of The Beach Boys as vocal "surf music" pioneers, Los Angeles duo Jan & Dean used the Wrecking Crew musicians on their recordings too, and found peak success during the surf rock craze just prior to the British Invasion. Amongst their biggest songs like "Surf City" (featured way back here) and "Dead Man's Curve" was their #3 hit "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" released in June 1964. Based on a folk archetype of the widowed ladies in this East L.A. city, this comic song's twist was that not only did this little old lady drive a hot car, she was also a street racer. The top-notch WC musicians used on this recording are drummers Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer, pianist Leon Russell, guitarists Tommy Tedesco, Billy Strange, and Bill Pitman, and bassist Jimmy Bond, among a few others. The coolest part is that I found out this recording's personnel by looking at copies of actual contracts provided online by the Musician's Union (American Federation of Musicians; my husband was in that same union back in his professional musician days). You can check out some of these contracts for these legendary recording sessions on the official Wrecking Crew website here. Anyway, introduced by singer Lesley Gore, here's a live vocal performance by Jan & Dean.

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You've probably heard of the popular New York girl group The Crystals (pictured left) who released huge hits in the early 1960s like "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me." But you may not know that their most-enduring success, "He's a Rebel," was only credited to The Crystals but was actually recorded by singer Darlene Love and her backing group The Blossoms (pictured right). Legend has it that when the real Crystals were unable to travel fast enough to L.A. from New York to record "He's a Rebel" (written by singer Gene Pitney), record producer Phil Spector had Love and her L.A.-based group record the single under the banner of The Crystals. The real Crystals had to add the song to their live repertoire, even though lead singer Barbara Alston's soft voice could not mimic Love's hearty deliver. While The Crystals are considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the '60s, this recording is among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is considered one of the definitive examples of the Spector-produced girl group sound. Including all WC musicians on this song, here's a lip-synced performance by The Crystals of the original recording.

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While the Wrecking Crew may have its origins with studio musicians dating back to the late 1950s, the Crew was definitely at work with hits in the early '60s, playing for stars like the King of Soul himself, Sam Cooke. With his distinctive vocal abilities, Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away" is among his most popular songs, reaching #9 on the pop charts and #1 on the R&B chart after its release in January 1962. Written by Cooke, it was even successful overseas as well, reaching #6 in the UK. The recording includes WC members Tommy Tedesco and Clifton White on guitar, and Earl Palmer on drums, as well as a swingin' horn section. Haven't figured where this footage comes from, but here's a great performance by the extremely talented Sam Cooke with a live band in December 1963 (one year before his untimely death).

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The WC didn't just play rock 'n' roll of the '60s but were also used for traditional pop standard recordings as well, like Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen." First composed and recorded by Bert Kaempfert, the song was originally intended for singer Bobby Darin as a follow-up to "Mack the Knife." However, after seeing a 21-year-old Newton perform at the Copacabana, he decided to give it to Newton and transposed the key of the recording to fit Newton's high tenor voice (sometimes mistaken for a female!). Released in 1963, this recording reached #13 on the Billboard pop charts and #3 on the easy listening chart, becoming Newton's signature song. Before becoming one of the biggest (and longest-running) performers in Las Vegas, here's a very polished live performance by the young, self-assured Wayne Newton in 1968.

Surfin' the Tube

Surf Music: Part 3
The surf rock craze had an impact on the musical composition of several TV themes and movies in the 1960's, even shows that had nothing to do with the actual sport. Here are a few of these opening credits of classic TV shows influenced by surf music:

First up, it's the popular theme song from the original Hawaii Five-O, a CBS crime drama set in Hawaii that ran for 12 seasons from 1968 to 1980. This theme was written by Morton Stevens, an American film score composer who studied at Julliard Music Conservatory and went on to be an arranger/conductor for members of the Rat Pack. A part of the show's legacy, the theme has also been performed by The Ventures, and is particularly popular with college and high school marching bands, especially at the University of Hawaii where it has become their unofficial fight song.


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Another memorable TV theme comes from The Munsters, an American sitcom about a family of legendary monsters (and their normal niece!), which ran from 1964 to 1966 on CBS. This surf rock theme was written and arranged by American guitarist/conductor/composer Jack Marshall, one of Capitol Records' top producers in the 1950s and '60s. Nominated for a Grammy Award in 1965, this tune is definitely a popular classic.


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And who can forget the infamous "Na na na na na na na, Batman!," the title theme from the 1966 ABC show Batman? Based on crime-fighting heroes, Batman and Robin, the show only lasted for two and a half seasons, however, it aired twice a week, resulting in 120 episodes. Written by American jazz trumpeter/composer/arranger, Neal Hefti (who also wrote the theme to the film and TV series The Odd Couple), the theme song became a hit single in 1966, covered by several other groups including The Marketts, The Ventures, Link Wray, The Kinks, and The Who. A minimal tune based on a simple twelve-bar blues progression (three chords), it combines the sound of spy film scores and surf music, and remains a significant pop-culture tune to this day.


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Speaking of spy music (yep, an actual genre), another classic, surf rock-inspired theme is "Secret Agent Man," written by American songwriters/record producers Steve Barri and P. F. Sloan. The most famous recording of this song was performed by singer Johnny Rivers, which reached #3 on the Billboard charts in 1966. This version was the opening titles for American broadcast of the British spy series Danger Man, which aired in the U.S. as Secret Agent from 1964 to 1966. The memorable guitar riff was written by guitarist Chuck Day, and was inspired by the opening guitar sound of the James Bond films.


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And of course since I mentioned it, we'll finish this post with the main signature theme from those James Bond spy films, first introduced in the opening sequence of Dr. No in 1962. Released during the surf rock craze, this song also uses a surf rock sound with a memorable guitar riff, however, there is much debate over who is the actual composer. Both being film composers, Monty Norman is credited for writing the theme and John Barry was the arranger, however the latter went on to compose the score for a total of eleven Bond films. Lawsuits have even taken place as recent as 2001 to try to determine the official composer, but it appears that Norman will continue to collect the royalties. Although this theme has even briefly shown up in the most recent films, it's generally associated with the Bond era of actor Sean Connery. Here's the theme with film clips that pretty much sum up Dr. No.


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Well, that about wraps up Surf Music Week and its many forms. Thanks for reading, and "Hang Ten!"

Vocal Surf Pop

Surf Music: Part 2
Although surf music started out as a purely instrumental form, it was vocal music that found the greatest commercial success in the genre. Always and forever, the first band that comes to mind in this category are the Southern Californian group, The Beach Boys, who formed in 1961. Made up of three brothers (Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson), their cousin (Mike Love), and a friend (Al Jardine), these Hawthorne High boys combined the sounds of instrumental surf rock with rock 'n' roll and doo wop, topped off with their close vocal harmonies, making them major pop stars with sixteen hit singles from 1962 to 1965. However, with the arrival of the British Invasion in 1964, especially Beatlemania, the surf craze and its soundtrack was almost completely wiped out. On the other hand, The Beach Boys continued their success as they became more inventive in the recording studio, producing fantastic hit albums (Pet Sounds in 1966) and singles ("Good Vibrations," featured on my post here). In fact, they were probably the only rock or pop group in America that could revival The Beatles. As a good portion of my childhood was spend with my family down at the beach, The Beach Boys were pretty much the first band I adored and related to as a kid (I mean, at about age 7, I thought "Surfer Girl" was written for me). Anyway, here are The Beach Boys giving a live performance of "I Get Around" and "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)" (complete with false start) for the first time in the UK.


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The only other vocal surf pop act to achieve success was a rock 'n' roll singing duo from Los Angeles, Jan and Dean, who had a #1 hit with "Surf City" in 1963 (co-written with Beach Boy Brian Wilson, who was significant in their initial success). Unlike most rock 'n' roll acts of the time, Jan Berry and Dean Torrence did not give music their full attention as they were also serious college students. In 1964, the guys performed and hosted The T.A.M.I. Show, which was the first multi-act Rock 'n' Roll show edited into a motion picture, a groundbreaking feat as it was basically the first rock video. After this event, the duo became one of the major faces in 1960's music until Jan's serious car accident in 1966, from which he traveled a long but successful recovery from brain damage and partial paralysis. However, the team did return to the recording studios and Jan enjoyed the reputation as being one of the best record producers on the West Coast.

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And now for a total off-the-wall song from this era, it's the 1963 (odd) hit, "Surfin' Bird," by The Trashmen from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The song is a combination of two R&B hits by The Rivingtons: "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "The Bird's the Word," with a surf rock/garage rock sound. Although they did have a few other minor hits, The Trashmen are generally considered a one-hit wonder with "Surfin' Bird," which has had many covers, as well as appearances in many TV shows and movies over the decades. I did find a funny video of the group's drummer and vocalist, Steve Wahrer, performing this song live with an accurate introduction by a young Dick Clark, describing it as one of the strangest songs of that year, however, YouTube won't allowed me to post it (although if you're really curious, here's the YouTube link).

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And finally, I'll leave you with one of the last hit songs on the Billboard chart before the British Invasion hit. Considered a cross between surf rock and garage rock, The Rivieras, from South Bend, Indiana, are best known for their hit "California Sun" in 1964. Made up of teenagers from South Bend Central High, the group was originally named The Playmates, but because there was already a band with that name, they renamed themselves The Rivieras after the car, the Buick Riviera. Because of personnel changes (two members joined the Marines after this hit), personal reasons, and drastic changes in the pop music, the group split in 1966. However, this tune remains an enduring classic on "oldies" radio stations today.

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Well, looks like I need to call it a day, but if you're still interested in a few more vocal surf tunes, click on the links to hear other one-hit wonders like Ronny & the Daytonas' "G.T.O." and The Rip Chords' "Hey Little Cobra". Still to come this week will be a post about the surf rock sound in TV shows themes and movies of the 1960's!

Surf Rock

This post is dedicated to my favorite surfer, my dad, who introduced all this music to me as a kid.

Surf Music: Part 1
Associated with the surf culture of Southern California and particularly Orange County (my stomping grounds), surf music was another wonderful genre of the 1960's, most popular from 1961 to 1965. It has two major forms: one is instrumental surf rock with an electric guitar or saxophone playing the melody, and the other is vocal surf pop with strong vocal harmonies, including ballads and dance music. For now, we'll take a closer look at instrumental surf rock and will save the vocal tunes for the next post.
So a characteristic of the electric guitar surf rock sound was the extensive use of the "wet" spring reverb of Fender amplifiers, as it seemed to reproduce the sound of waves. Guitarists also used the whammy bar to bend the notes downward, as well as rapid tremolo picking. By the late 1950's, instrumental rock 'n' roll had been pioneered by successful groups like Duane Eddy with "Rebel Rouser" and Link Wray with "The Rumble", the first song to use distortion guitar, not to mention it was banned by the government in 1958 (click on the links to hear these great tunes)!

Continuing the trend of this instrumental rock 'n' roll in the early 1960's was American guitarist Dick Dale, 'The King of Surf Guitar" (in this Fender poster, and yes, he is wearing shorts!) and his group The Del-Tones. It was Dale who added the distinctive reverb and the rapid picking style to this genre, as well as incorporating Middle Eastern and Mexican influences. Dale was a left-handed guitarist who initially learned to play a right-handed model, and his outrageous styling on stage was an influence as another young, left-handed guitarist, Jimi Hendrix. From 1961, "Let's Go Trippin'" is often considered the first surf rock song, but it was "Misirlou" that became his signature song in 1962, originally a Greek folk song (a fact I learned from my Greek husband) that he learned from his Lebanese-American uncle. I actually had the opportunity to see Dick Dale perform live in 1997 (though I've lost his autograph!), and boy, he still has it, playing with so much energy! This clip was taken from a 1963 film called "A Swinging Affair," and the swaying Del-Tones crack me up.


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A group that actually predates surf rock, yet was a major building block of surf music, was the Seattle-based instrumental rock group, The Ventures. They served as the proto-type for all guitar-based groups to follow, and are known as "The Band that Launched a Thousand Bands," as many famous guitarists of the 1960's and 70's were heavily influenced by their style and technique. From 1960, The Ventures' version of the instrumental song "Walk, Don't Run" is considered one of the first surfing songs to make the Billboard Chart, peaking at #2.

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In 1961, a group of high school friends from Santa Ana, California, formed the band, The Chantays, and by late 1962, they had a huge hit with "Pipeline." Originally called "Liberty's Whip," the band renamed the surf rock tune to "Pipeline" after hearing the term from Bruce Brown's groundbreaking, surfing documentary called "The Endless Summer." Considered a landmark of the surf genre, The Chantays are seen here performing this song on The Lawrence Welk Show, and were the only rock 'n' roll band to ever perform on this show.


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Speaking of Bruce Brown's "The Endless Summer," next up is the music from this classic documentary film about two surfers traveling the world in search of the perfect wave. Based out of San Clemente, California (my hometown!), The Sandals (pronounced Sandells) were an influential surf rock band that scored the music for this film, and their opening theme has become the best known theme in the surf movie genre. Although many Southern California surfers and non-surfers were inspired after seeing the film in the early 1960's, it wasn't until 1966 that the film received its nationwide theatrical release and grossed over $20 million. Even if you have no interest in the sport of surfing, this movie is a must-see: the footage is impressive, the narration is so entertaining and fun, and the music by The Sandals is perfect! This clip is a trailer for the digitally re-mastered re-release that includes the wonderful, mellow "Theme to the Endless Summer."


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And finally, I'll finish off with one of the premier, land-locked Midwestern surf rock group of the 1960's, The Astronauts from Boulder, Colorado. Released in early 1963, the group had a minor hit with "Baja," a typical, instrumental surf rock song reverberation-heavy twangy guitar and driving drumbeat. The Astronauts appeared in several episodes of the Hullabaloo TV show, as well as number of teen movies (see a clip from "Surf Party" here), and toured Japan where they outsold The Beach Boys. This tune, "Baja," is definitely one of my favorites and I still have my dad's vinyl LP!


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Alright, so I know I didn't even talk about The Surfaris' "Wipe Out" and other groups like The Challengers and The Bel-Airs, but you get the idea. Later this week, check out my post about vocal surf pop of the 1960's!