JoshHeartless
Joined: Jun 17, 2006
Posts: 1010
Bay City, Michigan
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Posted on Sep 04 2006 12:43 PM
can anyone tell me how to make rockabilly sound surfy? for example, why does "johnny b. goode" sound rockabilly whereas "fun, fun, fun" sounds surf? can anyone pinpoint the difference? every riff i've been writing lately has been sounding too rockabilly-ish.
for an example of what kind of answer im looking for, i noticed that rockabilly is usually strummed with a jazz style shuffle, and on the other hand, surf is usually downstrummed with a very straight-forward pattern. thats all i can really think of.
im looking for tips on solo-writing and for ideas on harmonies.
by the way, im talking about vocal style surf, i pretty much have instrumental writing down.
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Kawentzmann
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1058
Berlin, Germany
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Posted on Sep 04 2006 01:18 PM
You are on the right track. Apart from a straighter rhythm feel surf is overall cleaner, and rockabilly is dirtier and faster. The 2 and 4 are more isolated in rockabilly, the snare is not ontop of the kick f.e.
You mention writing riffs. Well, in vocal surf the backing is not riffing. That is pretty straight, too. The vocals do the major melodic movements.
They both have different sorts of finesse. A fine Rockabilly song has moments of country and/or jazz. While a vocal surf song might have Phil Spector moments. The arrangement is more broken up for dramatics. While Rockabilly runs thru with maybe the band stop-and-gos ala Carl Perkins.
But in a sense they are close. Funf Fun Fun with a doublebass, an acoustic guitar and an archtop or tele would sound pretty rockabilly-ish.
We once recorded Jan & Deans Bucket T like that. They even had that overall tape-echo already.
KK
— The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann
You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy.
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Surfabilly
Joined: Apr 21, 2006
Posts: 852
Connersville, Indiana, USA
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Posted on Sep 05 2006 04:57 PM
Hearteater
by the way, im talking about vocal style surf, i pretty much have instrumental writing down.
I was gonna suggest surfabilly, until I saw your last line. Once I'm able to get going (recording my music), I'll be doing surf, surfabilly, surfadelic and outright rock instrumentals. So far, I'm not sure how to categorize my stuff with lyrics.
Matt
— Fast Cars & Loud Guitars!
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dan
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 60
southern ontario
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Posted on Sep 05 2006 07:36 PM
Why does johnny b goode sound rockabilly? Because of the upright bass and the feel of the rhythm section, along with Chuck's hollowbody guitar. If the song had been recorded with Chuck playing a strat through a Showman and reverb tank, the bass player playing a Fender bass and the drummer playing with an eighth-note rock feel, it would sound like a 12 bar surf song.
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surfneptune
Joined: Mar 16, 2006
Posts: 923
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 11:44 AM
If there are hot girls that look like Betty Page hanging around. It's Rockabilly.
— THe NEpTuNeS
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krupanut
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 492
Austin Texas
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 11:48 AM
surfneptune
If there are hot girls that look like Betty Page hanging around. It's Rockabilly.
Shouldn't that be "Big" girls that look nothing like Betty Page 
— The Thunderchiefs
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CaptainSpringfield
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 4387
Under the Sun
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 12:40 PM
krupanut
Shouldn't that be "Big" girls that look nothing like Betty Page
Ir's funny because it's true.
-Warren
— That was excessively violent and completely unnecessary. I loved it.
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surfneptune
Joined: Mar 16, 2006
Posts: 923
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 01:15 PM
TRUE... NOT!
We used to play a club in San Jose with the Cadillac Angels a few times a year, they drew a Rockabilly crowd... all the ladies had tight lil sweaters, cute ponytails and the required ink. I loved watching them dance that swing style. Heck even a "big girl" that did not look at all like Betty Page would improve surf's mostly "sausage party" fan base.
You guys need to get out... (I won't even say more often) PERIOD!
— THe NEpTuNeS
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JetBlue
Joined: May 30, 2006
Posts: 746
Cool, CA
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 01:39 PM
There were a couple "Betty Pages" at the DD/Pyronauts show in Sac on Sunday. I guess you gotta get your twang fix where you can.
— Don
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krupanut
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 492
Austin Texas
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 02:40 PM
surfneptune
TRUE... NOT!
We used to play a club in San Jose with the Cadillac Angels a few times a year, they drew a Rockabilly crowd... all the ladies had tight lil sweaters, cute ponytails and the required ink. I loved watching them dance that swing style. Heck even a "big girl" that did not look at all like Betty Page would improve surf's mostly "sausage party" fan base.
You guys need to get out... (I won't even say more often) PERIOD!
funny!
I can pretty much gaurnety I've been to more rockabilly shows than most folks here.
And your right there are more hot girls at rockabilly gigs than surf shows.
The gals like to hear the words.
As for getting out more or period, dude I live in Austin Texas.
I can go see a great band every night of week. 
— The Thunderchiefs
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dan
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 60
southern ontario
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 02:43 PM
Speaking of Bettie Page and rockabilly, check out my bands web site: www.theroyalcrowns.com
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CaptainSpringfield
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 4387
Under the Sun
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 03:32 PM
surfneptune
We used to play a club in San Jose with the Cadillac Angels a few times a year, they drew a Rockabilly crowd... all the ladies had tight lil sweaters, cute ponytails and the required ink. I loved watching them dance that swing style.
You guys need to get out... (I won't even say more often) PERIOD!
Rockabilly shows? Absolutely. The rockabilly gals I went to high school with, on the other hand, all looked like Meat Loaf's character from Fight Club.
-Warren
— That was excessively violent and completely unnecessary. I loved it.
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WR
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3832
netherlands
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 03:38 PM
CaptainSpringfield
Rockabilly shows? Absolutely. The rockabilly gals I went to high school with, on the other hand, all looked like Meat Loaf's character from Fight Club.
-Warren
Ricky Lake in Cry Baby?
— Rules to live by #314:
"When in Italy, if the menu says something's grilled, don't assume it is."
https://www.facebook.com/The-Malbehavers-286429584796173/
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CaptainSpringfield
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 4387
Under the Sun
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 03:47 PM
WR
Ricky Lake in Cry Baby?
Along those lines, but less feminine.
-Warren
— That was excessively violent and completely unnecessary. I loved it.
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JetBlue
Joined: May 30, 2006
Posts: 746
Cool, CA
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 03:47 PM
dan
Speaking of Bettie Page and rockabilly, check out my bands web site: www.theroyalcrowns.com
Great band and nice site. Killer guitar playing, too! 
— Don
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JoshHeartless
Joined: Jun 17, 2006
Posts: 1010
Bay City, Michigan
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 06:34 PM
cool, 14 replies and 2 real answers.
no it's cool i understand.
what if i dont have a strat? i have an epi wildkat, should that work to my advantage for the sound?
i have an old peavey raptor, i like its design better than a strat(its basically thinner looking) but its a real crappy guitar, and the neck and body dont curve, and im not used to playing that guitar anymore, and plus, my wildkat's p-90's sound better anyway.
— The Tremblors on Facebook!
The Tremblors on MySpace!
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CaptainSpringfield
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 4387
Under the Sun
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 06:58 PM
Rather than comparing "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Johnny B. Goode," compare Chuck's "Sweet Little Sixteen" with the Beach Boys' "Surfin' USA." The differences pointed out in the first few responses will be a lot easier to pick out since it's the same exact song.
-Warren
— That was excessively violent and completely unnecessary. I loved it.
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dan
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 60
southern ontario
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 08:15 PM
Hearteater, when you ask how to make rockabilly sound more surflike, do you mean the tone and feel, or the actual song itself? Apart from Fun Fun Fun probably being recorded with a full Fender line-up of guitars and amps and reverb, another thing that makes it more surf sounding than Johnny B Goode is the fact that it has more chords in it. JBG has 3 chords. FFF has 5 or so chords in it. It's more intricate. Plus FFF has complicated harmonies as well. JBG doesn't. If you want to write vocal surf songs that don't sound rockabilly, DON'T write them in a 12 bar format. Put lots of chord changes in them. Invent melodies. JBG isn't a melody, it's a blues shout, which is what it was intended to be. However, if you WANT to write 3 chord surf sounding vocal songs, get the tank out and tell your rhythm section not to play like country boys.
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Jon
Joined: Mar 15, 2006
Posts: 1076
Columbus, OH
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Posted on Sep 06 2006 11:18 PM
CaptainSpringfield
The rockabilly gals I went to high school with, on the other hand, all looked like Meat Loaf's character from Fight Club.
-Warren
I'm sorry to veer the thread off-topic again, but that was funny as shit.
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surfneptune
Joined: Mar 16, 2006
Posts: 923
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Posted on Sep 07 2006 12:21 PM
IT is funnier than shit... Sorry that I hijacked the post, sounds like you got a great answer anyway. One of my favorite bands that could got a great surf sound out of a Gretch is Juevos Rancheros! P-90s have a great tone that works for surf, listen to the insect surfers! For me it's reverb vs slap-back echo that splits the two grenres.
And man Austin Tex is a GREAT town for muscians! I am really envious. We have to go door to door to get people away from the cable tv here in our cultural waste-land! Fat or not, I wish we had more females into instro music. What cant they live without the lyrics? To all you that are hanging, you rock beyond belief.
— THe NEpTuNeS
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