The Bel-Airs were one of the proto-surf groups that emerged in 1960-1961. House band at the Belair club in California's South Bay, the Bel-Airs had a strong influence on the emerging surf bands. This Southern Californian group recorded one of the first big regional surf hits, "Mr. Moto." Its heavily reverbed guitar lines, distinct Mexican melodic influence, and honking sax helped set the prototype for hundreds of songs that would be recorded in the next two or three years. Three members of the group went on to bigger things. Guitarist Paul Johnson became a surf music historian. Co-founder Eddie Bertrand later founded Eddie and the Showmen and drummer Delvy founded the Challengers and had a sucessful career as a record producer and manager.
The group's rise literally started with a dream by its drummer Ron Wilson. One day he woke up with lyrics in his head about a surfer and his travails, based on a real life brother of one of the band members.
The Chantays were five high school students ranging age from 13 to 17 from Santa Ana, CA. Playing school dances and local clubs they were seen by agent Dale Smallins. had one of the biggest and best instrumental surf hits, "Pipeline." Competent players who went heavy on the rumbling bass, ghostly reverb, and electric keyboards, they were very much a one - shot act; their repertoire was crowded with rock & roll covers and "Pipeline" sound alikes, and none of their follow - up singles charted.
One of the last surf bands to emerge, the Pyramids were one of the best marketed. When their initial single "The Pyramid Stomp" fizzled nationally, the group's bassist Steve Leonard decided to analyzed the Chantay's "Pipelin" and came up with a clever variation of that opening reverb riff. In early 1964, The Pyramids made the Top 20 with "Penetration, helped by the promotion of John Hodge, the group's manager. The Long Beach, California group achieved some notoriety after Hodge convinced them to shave their heads just as the British Invasion and became "America's answer to the Beatles." During their concerts they'd wear Beatle wigs which they would throw to the audience halfway through the show revealing their bald heads. Hired girls would then storm the stage. Other gimmicks were arriving at a job on elephants or in a helicopter. The gimmicks worked and they were soon appearing on Bandstand and Hullabaloo and in the beach movie Bikini Beach. Hodge wasn't as good at investing the money as he was at helping them earn it. After several bad investments they disbanded after recording one album and a few non - hit singles.
The group's rise literally started with a dream by its drummer Ron Wilson. One day he woke up with lyrics in his head about a surfer and his travails, based on a real life brother of one of the band members.
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 extraordinary 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 passable Beach Boy imitations.
