55 jaar geleden: “Surf City” op nummer één

Vandaag is het 55 jaar geleden dat de single “Surf City” van Jan & Dean op nummer één stond van de Amerikaanse hitparade. Volgens On this day was het daarmee het eerste surfnummer dat daarin slaagde.

Aan de Vlaamse kusten was surfen niet zo’n populaire sport, zodat volgens de website van de Ultratop het nummer pas in 1979 gedurende negen weken in de Vlaamse hitparade zou staan, met een piek op de vierde plaats! Daar herinner ik mij niets van, al moet ik wel toegeven dat we hier rond die tijd wel een heropleving kenden van de surfsound met het hitje “Windsurfing” van de Nederlandse groep The Surfers, een studioproject van Jaap Eggermont en de leden van Catapult. De liedjes werden ingezongen door studiozangeressen, die helaas wat te dik waren om op een surfplank te staan. Daarom werd speciaal voor de televisie een podiumact gecreëerd met sexy danseressen die het nummer lipten. 

“Surf City” is a song written by Brian Wilson and Jan Berry about a fictitious surf spot where there are “two girls for every boy.” It was first recorded and made popular by the American duo Jan and Dean in 1963, and their single became the first surf song to become a national number-one hit.

The first draft of the song, with the working title “Goody Connie Won’t You Come Back Home”, was written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. While at a party with Jan Berry and Dean Torrence, Wilson played them “Surfin’ U.S.A.” on the piano. Berry and Torrence suggested that they do the song as a single, but Wilson refused, as “Surfin’ U.S.A.” was intended for the Beach Boys. Wilson then suggested that the duo record “Surf City” instead. Wilson had lost interest in the song and believed he was never going to complete it himself. Berry later contributed additional writing to the song, while Torrence also contributed several phrases, but never insisted that he be given writing credit.

Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, Earl Palmer, Bill Pitman, Ray Pohlman and Billy Strange are identified as players for the single per the American Federation of Musicians contract.

Released in May 1963, two months later it became the first surf song to reach number one on national record charts, remaining at the top of Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. The single also charted in the UK, reaching number 26. Before the single, Jan and Dean made music which was largely inspired by East Coast black vocal group records. The success of “Surf City” gave them a unique sound and identity which would be followed by five more top ten hits inspired by Los Angeles surf or hot rod life.

The Beach Boys’ manager and Wilson’s father Murry was reportedly irate about the song, believing that Brian had wasted a number one record which could have gone to his group, the Beach Boys. Brian later told Teen Beat, “I was proud of the fact that another group had had a number 1 track with a song I had written … But dad would hear none of it. … He called Jan a ‘record pirate’.”

Volgens On this day was het al vijf jaar eerder dat Dick Dale and The Del-Tones voor het eerst de instrumental “Let’s Go Trippin’” had uitgebracht (volgens Wikipedia is het pas twee jaar later). It is often regarded as the first surf rock instrumental and is credited for launching the surf music craze. Hoe dan ook, ik heb dat feit aangegrepen om mijn visie of surf- en hotrod-muziek te geven. Wie graag wat meer leest over Jan & Dean en dan vooral over het tragische leven van Jan Berry, die kan hier terecht.

In 1991, after moving to Huntington Beach, California, Dean Torrence helped convince elected officials that the town be officially nicknamed Surf City, USA. In 2006, the official trademark of “Surf City, USA” was granted to Huntington Beach after several back-and-forth lawsuits between Huntington Beach and Santa Cruz. (Wikipedia)