... LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued album from Cali surf legends The Chantays – and a set that offers up a surprisingly nice twist at this late point in their career! The surf guitars of before are still very much in place, but the rhythms and production have changed in a nice way – reflecting that moment when surf records were becoming a strong pathway to Sunshine Pop – a mode that's echoed here especially on three surprising vocal numbers on the album too! The shift also makes for a subtle current of darkness that the group never had before – one echoed on the sun setting down on them in the cover, and which really deepens the feel of the record in a wonderful way. Titles include "A Dawning Sun", "Copenhagen", "Raylene", "Now That It's Over", "Take It Like A Man", "Sentimental Guitar", "Mr Moto", and "Outside's Inside Sad". LP, Vinyl record album

A range of raunchy surf and hot rod tunes – all pulled from the vaults of Dot Records, a surprisingly big source for this sort of music in the 60s! Although Dot's LP releases were often the stuff of softer pop fare, their singles division pressed plenty of hip platters – including a wide range of very groovy records that were right at the forefront of harder styles in the early 60s. A few tracks here are vocals, but most are instrumentals – and although you're bound to recognize a few of the bigger names, there's also a good array of more obscure material here too – all wrapped up with the usual loving care we've come to expect from Ace Records. 30 tracks in all – including "Showbiz" and "Chicago Green" by The Surfaris, "Boss" and "Boss Strikes Back" by The Rumblers, "Let's Go Trippin" by Milt Rogers, "Linda's Tune" by The Rangeros, "Milky Way" and "Three Surfer Boys" by Gary Usher & The Usherettes, "Beach Girl" by Pat Boone, "Samoa" by The Beachcombers, "Ballad Of Bonneville" by Don Brandon, "Beyond" and "Space Probe" by The Chantays, "Power Shift" by The Competitors, and "Surfer's Stomp" by Vaughn Monroe. CD

A searing set of surf tunes from the 60s – one that throws in plenty of surprises along the way, and which takes some nice steps to move far past the obvious hits and classics! Instead, the whole thing is a great deep dive into the genre – very much in the best Bear Family Records mode – with some cuts that we've never heard before, mixed with others that we'd never have expected to sound so good in this company – all packed into an overstuffed collection that even comes with detailed notes on all the music! The set's got 33 tracks in all – and titles include "Bullwinkle (part 2)" by The Centurions, "Midnight Run" by the Super Stocks, "Tragic Wind" by The Chantays, "Like Weird" by Tommy Falcone & The Centurions, "King's Surf" by Dave Myers & The Surftones, "Rumble Bee" by The New Dimensions, "Surfin Blues (part 2)" by Al Casey, "Go Go Dancer" by The Ventures, "Thunderbeat" by The Thundermen, "Redondo Beach" by The Super Stocks, and "Surf Beat" by Aki Aleong & The Nobles. CD

A dozen hits from The Surfaris, The Ventures, The Rumblers, The Chantays, Dick Dale & His Del-Tones, Milt Rogers, and The Rancheros. CD