Who produced Miserlou for Dick Dale?

weird_oh84

Joined: May 24, 2023
Posts: 168

Posted on May 29 2024 07:15 PM

Who produced Miserlou for Dick Dale? I forgot his name but I know he’s the voice that yells in the song…

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Redfeather

Joined: Jul 30, 2016
Posts: 883
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Posted on May 29 2024 08:17 PM

I believe Jan Davis was one of them.

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bigtikidude

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25541
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on May 29 2024 10:46 PM

John Blair might know
I know it was recorded live at the Rendevous.
Then there was overdubs added later.

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Jeff(bigtikidude)

Last edited: May 29, 2024 22:46:58

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weird_oh84

Joined: May 24, 2023
Posts: 168

Posted on May 30 2024 01:16 AM

Redfeather wrote:

I believe Jan Davis was one of them.

That’s it! Thanks!

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John

Joined: Aug 23, 2007
Posts: 594
Monterey County, California
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Posted on May 30 2024 12:35 PM

Those early Deltone tracks were produced, as far as I know, by Jim Monsour, not Jan Davis (who only, apparently, provided the vocal shouts on the studio track).

I know it was recorded live at the Rendevous.
Then there was overdubs added later.

I think you're confusing the single version of "Misirlou" with the version on the "Surfer's Choice" LP. That LP was not recorded at the Rendezvous Ballroom, but some of the tracks were recorded at the Harmony Park Ballroom. LP also produced by Jim Monsour.

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Last edited: May 30, 2024 12:36:26

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Sonichris

Joined: Mar 06, 2006
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Posted on May 30 2024 01:41 PM

I recall reading an interview with Jan Davis, maybe on his Sundazed CD liner notes, where he claimed that Jim Monsour brought a copy of Misirlou to him, asking for it to be punched up, or something to that effect. He said it was pretty tame, without much going on. Jan claimed he added the shouts, piano, and ran it thru some echo chamber to get it a lot more hot sounding.

I'll have to see if I can find that quote.

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"You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"

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IvanP

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
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southern Michigan
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Posted on May 30 2024 01:52 PM

Here you go, Chris:

https://surfguitar101.com/forums/post/287495/

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Ivan
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Redfeather

Joined: Jul 30, 2016
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Posted on May 30 2024 04:05 PM

I'm copying this in from the other thread:

Jan Davis and his keyboard-playing partner Bob Roberts. From the interview with Davis from Pipeline 60 (Summer 2003):

"Jan's other brush with fame came with Dick Dale's Miserlou. 'What happened was that Dick's dad James Monsour came into Rendezvous with this track his son had recorded' reported Jan. 'At the time Rendezvous was handling distribution for Dick's Del-Tone label and so we listened to the track and it was interesting but dead sounding. Rod Pierce said for me and Bob to take the track into the studio and liven it up with some overdubs. So we added all the shouts and handclaps, some extra rhythm guitar and Bob on piano. I think we ran it back and forth through our old Ampex mono recorders about six times adding this or that. When we finished it really cooked. To this day Dick has never acknowledged or thanked me for the work we put in on Miserlou. Now, of course, thanks to Pulp Fiction, that track is all over America on adverts for Domino's Pizza, Mazda cars - just all over the place.'"

What he says about processing the sound multiple times really makes sense to me. The thickness of the lead guitar is really epic, beyond what you hear in any of his other songs from that era. Just try to get that sound straight out of a cabinet--even a dual D130 cab--not gonna happen.

It also may illuminate one of the weirdest discrepancies in Dick's accounts of things back then: when he always claimed that Misirlou had no spring reverb on it. It seems to me that he likely did record the thing totally dry and this is what his dad brought to Jan Davis. So in Dick's memory it was recorded without reverb but obviously the finished track is dripping with it. Perhaps the fact that he never acknowledged Davis' work indicates some form of resentment, wherein he pretended it never happened..

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Sonichris

Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 1892
Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
United States

Posted on Jun 01 2024 10:17 PM

IvanP wrote:

Here you go, Chris:

https://surfguitar101.com/forums/post/287495/

Yup! This is the kind of thing that made (makes?) this place something special.

Also, Jan Davis and his story of hot rodding Misirlou is just his story. I've never heard anyone else say its actually true or not. Jan Davis could have made the whole thing up. But, after listening to a bunch of Jan Davis instrumental songs, a lot of them resemble DD's Misirlou. There is something in the sound of the guitar, the reverb/echo and general "feel" or "punch" of the song that sounds an awful lot like each other.

—

"You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"

Last edited: Jun 01, 2024 22:23:53

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weird_oh84 Joined: May 24, 2023 Posts: 168	Posted on May 29 2024 07:15 PM Who produced Miserlou for Dick Dale? I forgot his name but I know he’s the voice that yells in the song… Top
Redfeather Joined: Jul 30, 2016 Posts: 883	Posted on May 29 2024 08:17 PM I believe Jan Davis was one of them. Top
bigtikidude Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 25541 Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.	Posted on May 29 2024 10:46 PM John Blair might know I know it was recorded live at the Rendevous. Then there was overdubs added later. — Jeff(bigtikidude) Last edited: May 29, 2024 22:46:58 Top
weird_oh84 Joined: May 24, 2023 Posts: 168	Posted on May 30 2024 01:16 AM Redfeather wrote: I believe Jan Davis was one of them. That’s it! Thanks! Top
John Joined: Aug 23, 2007 Posts: 594 Monterey County, California	Posted on May 30 2024 12:35 PM Those early Deltone tracks were produced, as far as I know, by Jim Monsour, not Jan Davis (who only, apparently, provided the vocal shouts on the studio track). I know it was recorded live at the Rendevous. Then there was overdubs added later. I think you're confusing the single version of "Misirlou" with the version on the "Surfer's Choice" LP. That LP was not recorded at the Rendezvous Ballroom, but some of the tracks were recorded at the Harmony Park Ballroom. LP also produced by Jim Monsour. — www.johnblair.us www.soundofthesurf.com Last edited: May 30, 2024 12:36:26 Top
Sonichris Joined: Mar 06, 2006 Posts: 1892 Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies	Posted on May 30 2024 01:41 PM I recall reading an interview with Jan Davis, maybe on his Sundazed CD liner notes, where he claimed that Jim Monsour brought a copy of Misirlou to him, asking for it to be punched up, or something to that effect. He said it was pretty tame, without much going on. Jan claimed he added the shouts, piano, and ran it thru some echo chamber to get it a lot more hot sounding. I'll have to see if I can find that quote. — "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been" Top
IvanP Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan	Posted on May 30 2024 01:52 PM Here you go, Chris: https://surfguitar101.com/forums/post/287495/ — Ivan Lords of Atlantis on Facebook The Madeira Official Website The Madeira on Facebook The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook The Space Cossacks on Facebook The Madeira Channel on YouTube Top
Redfeather Joined: Jul 30, 2016 Posts: 883	Posted on May 30 2024 04:05 PM I'm copying this in from the other thread: Jan Davis and his keyboard-playing partner Bob Roberts. From the interview with Davis from Pipeline 60 (Summer 2003): "Jan's other brush with fame came with Dick Dale's Miserlou. 'What happened was that Dick's dad James Monsour came into Rendezvous with this track his son had recorded' reported Jan. 'At the time Rendezvous was handling distribution for Dick's Del-Tone label and so we listened to the track and it was interesting but dead sounding. Rod Pierce said for me and Bob to take the track into the studio and liven it up with some overdubs. So we added all the shouts and handclaps, some extra rhythm guitar and Bob on piano. I think we ran it back and forth through our old Ampex mono recorders about six times adding this or that. When we finished it really cooked. To this day Dick has never acknowledged or thanked me for the work we put in on Miserlou. Now, of course, thanks to Pulp Fiction, that track is all over America on adverts for Domino's Pizza, Mazda cars - just all over the place.'" What he says about processing the sound multiple times really makes sense to me. The thickness of the lead guitar is really epic, beyond what you hear in any of his other songs from that era. Just try to get that sound straight out of a cabinet--even a dual D130 cab--not gonna happen. It also may illuminate one of the weirdest discrepancies in Dick's accounts of things back then: when he always claimed that Misirlou had no spring reverb on it. It seems to me that he likely did record the thing totally dry and this is what his dad brought to Jan Davis. So in Dick's memory it was recorded without reverb but obviously the finished track is dripping with it. Perhaps the fact that he never acknowledged Davis' work indicates some form of resentment, wherein he pretended it never happened.. Top
Sonichris Joined: Mar 06, 2006 Posts: 1892 Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies	Posted on Jun 01 2024 10:17 PM IvanP wrote: Here you go, Chris: https://surfguitar101.com/forums/post/287495/ Yup! This is the kind of thing that made (makes?) this place something special. Also, Jan Davis and his story of hot rodding Misirlou is just his story. I've never heard anyone else say its actually true or not. Jan Davis could have made the whole thing up. But, after listening to a bunch of Jan Davis instrumental songs, a lot of them resemble DD's Misirlou. There is something in the sound of the guitar, the reverb/echo and general "feel" or "punch" of the song that sounds an awful lot like each other. — "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been" Last edited: Jun 01, 2024 22:23:53 Top

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Who produced Miserlou for Dick Dale?