SurfCat
Joined: Oct 04, 2006
Posts: 64
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Posted on May 13 2007 06:43 AM
I recently downloaded an MP3 by the Surfonics entitled "Pyramid Rock" from
http://music.download.com/3615-8738-100633202.html .
"Pyramid Rock" seems to have much of the flavor of "Malaguena" and "Miserlou".
It seems to me that if "Pyramid Rock" were to be rerecorded with an addtional high powered guitar and with the same sonic intensity and perfection of Dick Dales's and Stevie Ray Vaughan's version of "Pipeline" that it could possibly become a regional or national hit with proper promotion. Promotion, of course, is key.
So, what do you guys and gals think?
FYI, the Surfonics home page is at http://www.thesurfonics.com
SurfCat
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MikeG
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 309
Springfield, Oregon
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Posted on May 15 2007 12:05 PM
LOL!
The infamous "backhanded compliment"
Thanks, and umm... OUCH!
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SurfCat
Joined: Oct 04, 2006
Posts: 64
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Posted on May 15 2007 02:50 PM
Hi, MikeG, 
Please be assured that no back hand compliment was intended. In fact I had to look up the term in Wikipedia to see what it meant.
I like 4 piece surf groups, loud and heavy psychedelic rock as well as LOTS of reverb and echo and just thought that "Pyramid Rock" could be a hit if it had a some extra sonic horsepower to appeal to all the "wall of amplifiers" types out there.
Anyway, I think your version of "Pyramid Rock" is just fine. I am listening to it right now for about the sixth or seventh time today. It is really good for keeping a cool tight mind when on the computer.
The original post was just my free and unsolicited opinion, nothing else.
  
Respectfully,
SurfCat
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Anonymous
Joined: Nov 10, 2000
Posts: -180
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Posted on May 19 2007 12:30 AM
Dont mean to sound mean but the two words "surf" and "hit" dont really mix. If it didnt happen back in the late 90's when the time was again ripe with the advent of Pulp Fiction and surf bands were getting signed to major labels, well... lets just say the chances are pretty slim.
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MikeG
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 309
Springfield, Oregon
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Posted on May 21 2007 02:17 PM
That's a good point, I think if you sell a couple thousand surf CDs you're actually pretty successful.
In any case, I don't have any false notions of surf music returning to it's glory days, although advertisers sure seem to like surfy sounding stuff for TV ads. There's the market right there. That, and TV show theme music. Who ever heard of They Might Be Giants or The Refreshments or Phantom Planet before their music was picked up for TV show themes?
I know I hadn't, but to be fair I'm culturally deprived.
A little history about Pyramid Rock:
The song was named for a surfing spot on the Kaneohe Marine Corps base where my Navy buddies and I used to like to bodysurf in the '70s. I recorded Pyramid Rock about 12 years ago, and it was not mixed very well at the time as it was produced very quickly for inclusion in a NW surf comp that ended up never being released. I haven't seen the master tapes in years so I can't re-mix it, all I have is a digital two-track master. There were actually some additional tracks recorded with tambourine and finger-cymbals that never really got brought out in the mix. I went all over town looking for finger-cymbals with just the right tone to match my mental ideal, I even hit up a local belly-dancing troupe, but all their finger-cymbals kind of sucked tonally. Explaining that to a belly-dancer who is about to poke you in the eye with her boob is a daunting task!
Finally, I found the perfect pair of finger-cymbals at a little buy-sell shop in Eugene, ZILDJIAN finger-cymbals no less, but they were kind of expensive, so I asked if I could just RENT them for the session.
So the guy rented them to me for 5 bucks and off to the studio I went.
I figure each "ding!" ended up costing me about 50 cents.
If you listen to the CD on a decent hi-fi you can just make out a couple of 'em before the main melody repeats and at the end of the breaks in the middle part. 
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pineapple_geoff
Joined: Apr 24, 2006
Posts: 119
MV Mi Amigo
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Posted on May 21 2007 11:17 PM
Not bad, but I thought 4 minutes was stretching it. If you get Dick Dale (or, by an act of god, Stevie Ray Vaughan) get them to do something in the middle (or thereabouts).
(I liked "Boogie Board" too...............)
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SurfCat
Joined: Oct 04, 2006
Posts: 64
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Posted on Jun 04 2007 03:26 AM
pineapplegeoff_
(I liked "Boogie Board" too...............)
Yeah, I like "Boogie Board", too.
Cool bass, clean guitar, steady drums.
SurfCat
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MikeG
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 309
Springfield, Oregon
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Posted on Jun 04 2007 01:13 PM
Thanks! Boogie Board has been our most "successful" song.
People seem to like it as a background soundtrack.
It's been featured in a bunch of videos about surfing, skateboarding, hot rods, shooting, fishing, career development, and illicit drug use.
I actually made pretty good money off the fishing vid.
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tenderfoot
Joined: Feb 01, 2007
Posts: 308
Ellicott City, Maryland
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Posted on Jun 04 2007 02:27 PM
My favorite is Longboard Cowboy!!!
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MikeG
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 309
Springfield, Oregon
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Posted on Jun 05 2007 12:14 PM
Longboard Cowboy is one of my favorites, too.
It's real simple and easy to play, and the melody has a pretty good drive to it.
I wrote it in '93, I think it was like the second song I wrote after Beach of Death.
I'm about to raise the price of our CD a buck to cover the increase in postage cost, so if you want one, get it now before I change the price on the paypal thingy on our website. 
http://thesurfonics.com/music.html
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Chopper
Joined: Jul 13, 2006
Posts: 271
Pennsylvania
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Posted on Jun 11 2007 05:11 PM
Absolutely love the CD!
Thanks Mike!!!!
Surfonics 
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Mrgreen
Joined: Jun 20, 2007
Posts: 351
Toronto, ON
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Posted on Jul 02 2007 05:49 PM
I have stored "Boogie Board" and "Longboard Cowboy" in my computer, the Surfonics rock !!!
— Augusto Vite
www.facebook.com/carne.y.cosas
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jul 02 2007 06:06 PM
Mrgreen
I have stored "Boogie Board" and "Longboard Cowboy" in my computer, the Surfonics rock !!!
And they have tons of class.
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MikeG
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 309
Springfield, Oregon
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Posted on Jul 02 2007 08:40 PM
Thanks! 
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websurfer
Joined: May 14, 2007
Posts: 1753
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Posted on Jul 02 2007 09:12 PM
Hey Mike,
Those are both really great. I'm here over in Reedsport, OR.
Do you have plans for upcoming shows on the coast, or the Eugene/Springfield area? I'd like a CD, and better yet to buy it from you at a show.
Also, who is the drummer on those two tracks?
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MikeG
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 309
Springfield, Oregon
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Posted on Jul 03 2007 12:15 AM
websurfer
Hey Mike,
Those are both really great. I'm here over in Reedsport, OR.
Do you have plans for upcoming shows on the coast, or the Eugene/Springfield area? I'd like a CD, and better yet to buy it from you at a show.
Also, who is the drummer on those two tracks?
Thanks for the kind comments about our music. The drummer on Longboard Cowboy is Steve Fain, (aka drummer #2) and the drummer on Boogie Board is Pete Burger (drummer #5). Bob Becker (drummer #3) plays on Pyramid Rock. Our current drummer is Kenny Sokolov (drummer #6) and he's been doing a great job (whew!)
Our next show is at the Springfield/Glenwood car cruise at Brooks Auto Parts on Franklin Blvd. in the beautiful Glenwood strip on Friday, July 27th 7-9 pm. We'll probably sing quite a bit at that one, the hot-rod bunch expects to hear vocal tunes so we've got to at least do 409, Little Deuce Coupe, and Little Old Lady from Pasadena or things could get ugly.
The only show we've got on the coast is at the Landmark in Yachats on Saturday, August 11th at 9 p.m. but I'm going to try to book a show at the Beachcomber in Florence. Hope you can make it to a show!
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websurfer
Joined: May 14, 2007
Posts: 1753
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Posted on Jul 03 2007 04:27 PM
Thanks for the rundown and mini history. Boy, you have been through more drummers than Spinal Tap! (Did one of them sponateously combust?) Just a little movie reference there . . . They all sound great, as I said, as do you all.
Really good to know that there is a band like you in the area. Looking forward to catching The Surfonics somewhere soon! 
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Clint
Joined: Jul 16, 2006
Posts: 1500
San Diego
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Posted on Jul 04 2007 06:55 PM
Any more gigs at the billard hall??? Those pool players were just diggin' those surf tunes (not...).
My vote is for Mexican Sunset... very nice song!
CB
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MikeG
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 309
Springfield, Oregon
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Posted on Jul 05 2007 12:44 PM
Ah yes, the infamous Eldorado Club gig.
Hard to dig the surf music when:
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You've just lost your rent money playing poker in the incredibly smoky back room.
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The band is kind of sucking that night anyway, probably due to being overwhelmed by the presence of such surf luminaries as Clint Beachwood and his lovely wife.
Sometimes it's hard to get the guys to settle down and play my tempos, especially on Mexican Sunset, which I like to play almost painfully slow, but that's where I'm feeling it.
I played the little 7-note intro at a rehearsal and the song practically wrote itself from there. Those are the best!
Thanking you muchly for all you do for us underexposed surf bands 
-Mike
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