Dick Dale and His Del-Tones

Summer Surf CD

compact disc | $13.98

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In the half-century since he began his reign as King of the Surf Guitar, Dick Dale has remained one of rock’s most innovative and influential axemen. A bold pioneer in the use of speed, volume and sonic texture, the charismatic Dale invented surf music, and in the process permanently altered the role of the electric guitar in rock ’n’ roll. Of all the surf guitarists who would follow in Dale’s wake, none could match his prodigious technique, his fierce showmanship or his restless inventiveness.

At the dawn of the 1960s, Dale’s passion for the sport of surfing inspired him to create music that replicated the physical sensations of the surfing experience.

Although he began releasing singles on his own Deltone label in the late ’50s, Dale made much of his most enduring music during his ’60s stint with Capitol Records. In addition to carving out the surf sound on the landmark albums Surfers’ Choice, King of the Surf Guitar and Summer Surf, Dale turned for inspiration to another all-American pursuit—drag racing—to create the hot-rod music genre on the LPs Checkered Flag and Mr. Eliminator.

Who could ask for a bigger slice of instant summer than this scorching session from surf music maestro Dick Dale?! Summer Surf, Dale's superb 1964 collection, is just the ticket for chasing those wintertime blues, as the man who single-handedly invented the genre cuts loose with what he does best. Whether it's the high-stakes excitement of "Glory Wave," the wacky hand-jive of "Mama's Gone Surfin'" or the raging glory of "Tidal Wave," the sand, the sun and the waves will always be with you if the sound of Dick Dale is close at hand!



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