Surf Music History

A Brief History of South American Surf Rock By Luis Minvielle - Illustration by Ian Grandjean.

A Day at the Beach Podcast by Clint Beachwood.  What Surf Music is, where it came from, and where it is today. Podcast #150.

The Birth of Surf Volume 3 Dereks Music Blog.

Classic Instrumental Surf Music Timeline Tim Jeffreys timeline of the first wave of instrumental Surf Music.

Dick Dale Fender article.

Dick Dale and the Gillette Estate Home base for Dick Dale 1976-1981.

Dick Dale and the Stratocaster Showman and Reverb Tank.

Dick Dale Home page.

Dick Dale information Written by Unique Guitar.

Dick Dale interview by Lee Sobel - Cool Culture Magazine #1,  2001.

Dick Dale and Leo Fender How Dick Dale and Leo Fender invented a genre.

Definition of Surf Music Surf Guitar.com.

Dick Dale NPR interview by Terry Gross.

The Illustrated Discography of Surf Music Compiled by John Blair & Stephen J. Mc Parla.

JBL & Fender The story, although brief, of JBL (James Bullough Lansing) & Fender (Leo Fender).

New Zealand Surf Music History Flying Nun Record Store.

One Punk's Guide to Surf Music Sean Carswell.

The Origins of Surf Music  A first-hand account by Paul Johnson of the Bel Airs, The Packards, The Surfaris, and The Duo Tones.  More Origins from Paul Johnson on Surf Guitar 101.

The Origins of Surf Rock ~ Reverb, Rhythm, Revolution. In the late 1950's to the early 1960's. A YouTube video.

The Rendezvous Ballroom Venue on Balboa Island, Newport Beach, California.

The South Bay Bands that Created the  ‘60’s Surf Music Sound Golden State  Made in California.  Written by Chris Ridges.

Surf's Up: An Alternative Music History  Jessica Lee Mc Millan.

Surf's Up…. A Deep Dive Into An American Music Trend Gone Outernational Surf Music history explored by Steve J.

Surf's up Steven Jurgensmeyer's interseting take on the history of Surf Music.

WGBH interview with Dick Dale for the award-winning series “Rock & Roll”. 

Wikipedia A very extensive summary.

Wipe Out A Facebook link with some history of the song “Wipe Out” and the flip side “Surfer Joe”.

Wipe Out Fil from Wings of Pegasus interviews Bob Berryhill about the Surfaris hit “Wipeout”.

Sound of the Surf.  Watch the trailer:  🌴HERE 🌴..  🏝Rent or buy at Vision Films🏝. 
Watch the complete movie on ⛱️Amazon Prime⛱️ and 🌊 Tubi TV 🌊.  
Vision Films Inc. (“Vision”) has set July 1, 2025 for the North American Transactional VOD release of the documentary Sound of The Surf  from the late Thomas Duncan and executive producer John Blair. Written, directed, and produced by Duncan and executive produced by John Blair and Isariya Duncan. A story 17 years in the making, John Blair, of Jon and The Nightriders fame, persevered to complete the film after Duncan’s passing in 2021.  The use of original music, rare archival footage, photos, and exclusive interviews defines the birth and legacy of the uniquely SoCal surf sound. Unknown to many, the innovative sound of surf music began as instrumental and became a cultural phenomenon almost overnight when the world of surfing claimed it as their own during the transitional time of the 1960’s.  Witness the rise and influence of the electric guitar and the relevance of the band in pop culture still today while rocking out to the soundtrack.  
     Synopsis: In the 1960’s, Surf Music was born in southern California and quickly became a global cultural phenomenon. From the original pioneers to those who revolutionized it, Surf Music’s influence helped to shape an entire generation. Journey back in time with original music, rare archival footage, personal photo collections, and exclusive interviews from surf music legends and their fans.