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> How did you start/join your surf band?
I had a psychobilly band in the beginning. The double
bass player and me (guitar/vocals) were into the
music. But I developed a love for surf and wanted to
do more instros. I was the guy writing the songs, I
just started writing more and more instros, and the
english of the other vocalist wasnt very good, yet
all neglected german vocals.
Anyway, the band broke up in early 1988. I got back to
homerecording, trying to get a surf sound. First with
a Gretsch Roundup solidbody, later with a 65 Jaguar.
And a 4track casette tape machine.
1992, after a number of solo casette albums I decided
to look for a drummer who is into surf. I also jammed
with a fellow Fender fan and psychobilly. We did a
tape as a Surf instro trio, named the Swyng Jacks.
The drummer turned out to be into all things cool,
trash and retro. But a little shallowly and not deep
enough to get a handle of the instrument he chose.
I met a guy and had first met in the old psychobilly
days, he was a friend of the double bass player. I
knew he was into first- and second wave surf, when I
first had met him in 1985.
In the meantime he had established himself as one of
the top sixites dancefloor soul DJs in Hamburg, but
said he would still like to play in a real surf band.
We made the first Looney Tunes album.
It was all coming and going. People from the
mod/sixties scene where more open to the music,
Rockabillys in Hamburg always just made fun of Surf.
Except for one. He was the first rockn roll dj I
talked to, meeting him in 1983. He was always placing
some great surf in his sets, nobody would dance, ad I
was the only guy opnely appreciation the sound and he
inspired me a great deal.
When I met him recently at a Rockabilly show he told
me he sold almost all of his surf records. He thinks
he got a lot of money for it, and says I couldnt have
afforded the box
the fool!
He was fed up with the third wave always mixing in
trash with the original concept. Its weird that this
would make him abondon his first wave records also,
but in a way I understand. Compared to rockabilly,
surf was not developing to his taste and I guess he is
hording up loads of authentic rockabilly 10'' that
all feature boring versions of unknown mediocre tunes.
I feel I made the most that I could of the third wave.
Strangely I count the band years also as pretty much
the entire 3rd wave period: 1992 - 1998.
I dont think I will meet people like this again.
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