So, just going back to maybe the people who influenced the instro movement that really took hold in the early 60s.

Sleepwalk was obviously a big hit, as was Tequila.

Was Santo and Johhny, or The Champs exclusively or primarily instrumental bands?

Duane Eddy seems to be the big guitar influence.

What would you recommend from him - I know most of the basics - Rebel Rouser, Cannonball, 40 Miles - I really like Shazam. Greatest Hits collection? Hidden Gems? He did Gunsmoke, no? Anything else?

I think there's an instrumental by the Fireballs (pre or post Jimmy Gilmer).

Where there other groups like that in the mid to lat 50s and into the 60s that led up to Dick Dale etc?

I know of Honky Tonk Part II, and Guitar Boogie (Arthur somebody) of which the latter verges on country music.

I know Chet Atkins was making music but I'm looking for things that are playable!

Les Paul, Atkins, and of course a host of Jazz guitarists did instrumentals, but I guess I'm looking for more of what we might consider a "rock band" format - or at least "Rock and Roll" (which is what Eddy falls into).

There's obviously a "simplicity" in Eddy, and The Ventures, and The Shadows, and the other surf bands that makes them much more playable than Jazz instrumentals or crazy bluegrass stuff, or more intricate classical/fingerpicking style stuff (The Claw).

Link Wray comes to mind as well - had a collection of his stuff. Kinda like Eddy where it's the same formula over and over again...though of course there are exceptions.

Precursors to surf? Early instro pioneers of the rock and roll era?

I think you got most of the main ones. Johnny and the Hurricanes is another early group.

Link Wray
The Fireballs
the Ventures
Duane Eddy

Outside the scope of what you are specifically looking for, but also important:
Dick Dale was influenced by the Middle Eastern and Eastern European music of his heritage.

Mexican music also, whether this came from groups like the Champs or Fireballs or more native sources. Also, while not strictly instro, Soul music was a big influence on many surf groups.

Surf music has so many precursors that we can't limit the inspiration solely to guitar-oriented bands. Much surf was a 'translation' of more complexly-textured, orchestral music of the era immediately preceding the birth of surf. This is the mid-century process of modernization, which can truly be said to be a kind of 'dumbing down' of older, more comlex forms. Chicago blues is WAY simpler than country blues, as surf is often a simplified, mutated rendition of R&B, flamenco and other forms. I think that's what is still so charming about those old recordings _ they are audacious borrowings reinterpreting complex music in a way that is precisely wrong, in the best way.

The Rhythm Kings who recorded a pre-surf version of "Exotic" with horns and a very phatt rhythm section come to mind as one precursor. The Sentinals must have listened to Albert King as they covered Hideaway.

The scene 55 years ago was fluid and protean - surf seems to have come out of the desire of OC dancers to hear harder, louder and more aggressive guitar attack oriented versions of the same general type of music most young people were dancing to. The rhythms as I-IV-V chord progressions were standard.

We shouldn't overlook the social setting of the genesis of surf. It's largely missing now as instro has no further place in the lives of young people. Except on old recordings, which can elicit excitement that they don't show for live guitar music. I'm thinking of a gig a couple years ago at Spike's Bar in Rosemeade where the razabillies ignored Lorenzo Valdambrini's band Surfer Joe and Martin Cilia, then got up to dance in formation to Link Wray's "Run Chicken, Run".

Squink Out!

CrazyAces wrote:

For me it's hard to beat "Have Twangy Guitar Will Travel"
a lot of the latter material is kind of "fluff"

Thanks. That's my fear with a lot of things - it seems like in this era, even more than today (if you can believe that), companies wanted their artists to spew out something just like a previous hit (let's twist again?").

I was listening last night to some early Ventures, which I really dug, but you know when you get to the middle of the decade, it's all covers of hits from the early 60s. Telstar and the Lonely Bull - well there you go. I like many of their covers - especially of vocal songs, but their covers of either originals or previously famous and "definitive" covers by other artists aren't as good as the version they're covering in many cases (IMHO).

Freddie King had some great instrumentals. "Hideaway", "The Stumble"

In a previous search for the people who influenced Eric Clapton, I got into Freddie King. Yeah, not quite the same style (I'd say more "blues") but I have and love "Let's Hideaway and Dance Away" (or whatever) which is an all instrumental album. You can definitely hear what influenced Clapton there!

I Love pre-surf instro rock. There is a lot to be found, some examples:

'Stampede' by The Scarlets, is a great pre-surf instrumental that was covered by Jon & the Nightriders and Messerchups.

Then there are ofcourse the Wailers, lot's of instrumentals on there albums. A big influence on garage bands like The Sonics.

Johnny Guitar Watson's 'Space Guitar' is another classic, very spacy guitar indeed, lot's of reverb!

One of the best instrumentals from the late 50's is 'Have guitar will travel' by the Scotty Moore Trio, yes that is Scotty from the Sun era Elvis!

Johnny & the Hurricanes are an often overlooked instrumental RnR band from the 50's & early 60's, had a couple of hits (Red River Rock, Reveille Rock).

And last but not least, Mickey Baker's '59 album 'Wildest Guitar' is a must have, not only for the gorgeous Jazzmaster on the cover

Here are some youtube vids for inspiration:

www.alohasluts.com
Aloha Sluts on BandCamp
www.arnyzona.com (my photography)
Aloha Fest on facebook

Would Chet fit in here?

Happy Sunsets!

CrazyAces wrote:

tahitijack wrote:

Would Chet fit in here?

Not to the original poster's requirements
Same for Jazz

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic

I often feel in the minority when I think about how Chet and Wes opened the doors to radio and living rooms for pop instrumental music.

Happy Sunsets!

Wes Dakus.... first album 1960. Timeline runs concurrent with surf but I had to throw the Canadian content in..... LoL
Anyone reccomended a good collection of pre surf instro in the likes of "The Scarlets" and "Johnny Guitar Watson" ? ( thanks Arny for pointing them out ).

I am not obsolete, I am RETRO....

Awesome suggestion, thanks!

I am not obsolete, I am RETRO....