Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
The Belairs - Origins Of Surf Musicdotdotdotdotdot
artworkIf you missed the first two releases of this great package, your ship has come in. If you didn't, well there are some differences for the completist. This is an exquisite document of the birth of a genre, and of the South Bay sound that was distinctly different from the Orange County sound that is so very familiar. The Belairs' "Mr. Moto" is arguably the first instrumental recorded and released to be label "surf," and is one of the essential singles in any surf collection or historical overview.

Origins Of Surf Music is a necessary part of your surf library.
Picks: The Crawler, Stung, Peter Gunn, It Was I, Mr. Moto, Mr. Moto, Little Brown Jug, The Three Blind Mice Make It To Santa's Village, Vampire, Kamikaze, Volcanic Action, Runaway, Bedlam, Volcanic Action, Squirt, On Top Of Old Smokey, (Un Classe De) Chiflado, Davy Crockett Meets Mickey Mouse, Volcanic Action, Rampage, Flip Top Box, The Wayward Wind, (Un Classe De) Chiflado, Duck Waddle, Squad Car, The Shimmy

Track by Track Review


The Crawler dotdotdotdot
Home Style Surf (Instrumental)

This early home demo is just Paul & Eddie rhythmically grinding out a song that would become a standard in the Belairs sets, as well as other South Bay surf scene bands. It's rhythm oriented, infectious, and chunky. They go through it twice. Paul says it was derived from Little Anthony & the Imperials' "Shimmy Shimmy Koko Bop." This was recorded at Paul's house in 1960.

Stung dotdotdotdot
Home Style Surf (Instrumental)

This is fifties progression sorta song, with the two guitars doing what comes naturally for many of the fifties bison bop bands. It's an infectious if repetitious number, but, hey they were only 14. This was influenced by Johnny & the Hurricanes style, with Eddie replacing the organ melody with what he could do with his Sears Silvertone. Again, from Paul's house around 1960.

Peter Gunn dotdotdotdot
Home Style Surf (Instrumental)

With the two guitars being detectivists without a band, this song takes on a whole different character than any other version. Paul and Edie are doing inventive things with it, morphing into something more reminiscent of the Fendermen than Henry Mancini or Duane Eddy. Pretty cool. A home recording from Paul's house circa 1960.

It Was I dotdotdotdot
Home Style Surf (Instrumental)

When Skip & Flip recorded their Cherry Pie variation and had a hit with it, it is unlikely that they ever expected it to be a surf band standard. Yet, when Paul and Eddie put together their band, they played many standards and especially teen-tragedy songs, instrumentally. This is a very early precursors to their eventual sound. At this point, they were calling themselves the Cruisers with Richard Delvy added on drums. Again, a home recording from 1960. The live version from the South Bay Surfband Reunion is spectacular, and really quite close to this in texture.

Mr. Moto dotdotdotdotdot
Home Style Surf (Instrumental)

Paul says this was recorded within a week of it's creation in 1960, and recorded at home, with Chas Stuart now added on sax, but playing the second verse. It's very primitive, but this is the birth of surf, if ever there was one.

Mr. Moto dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This is it, their claim to fame, their most familiar song, and the first surf release from May 1961 on Arvee Records. "Mr. Moto" is just about the most influential surf instro ever. "Mr. Moto" came to be a surf classic, and was recorded and released months before Dick Dale's "Let's Go Trippin'," before he opened the Rendezvous Ballroom, and before it was called surf. If you must draw a line in the sand, it must be drawn here. "Mr. Moto" was recorded at Liberty.

Covered by countless others, this song features 15 year olds Paul Johnson and Eddie Bertrand trading guitar parts in their trademark style on a prototypical PJ writing masterpiece. Jim Roberts' piano work is stunningly perfect for this song. A historical absolutely must have!

Little Brown Jug dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This was the B-side to "Mr. Moto." It shows the rhythmic nature of Paul and Eddie's synergy, and their penchant for familiar childhood tunes reconstructed to fit their need. ItŐs easily the best version of this tune around. Recorded at Liberty, this is the original unedited version, without the removal of the botched line from Paul.

The Three Blind Mice Make It To Santa's Village dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Again with the silliness of their tastes. This was both an attempt at holiday music, and a variation on "Three Blind Mice." This is a previously unreleased track from the Liberty sessions. The use of "Jingle Bells" is priceless.

Vampire dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This stroll was issued as a single on Richard Delvy's label after the end of the group. It was "borrowed" from Johnny and The Hurricanes, and is a fine slow dance dumber, with the plinky fifties piano work from Jim Roberts.

Kamikaze dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Originally called "Whiplash," this fine song is typically Paul & Eddie interplaying their two guitars for a rhythmic holistic sound. A fine infectious track, this is a lot like "Mr. Moto." The groovy piano work in the middle is cool.

Volcanic Action dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

A Richard Delvy produced track, with plenty of energy and urgency. A strong melody, and mean sound. A primal surf tune from an essential band that was there at the very beginning. "Volcanic Action" is a chunky reverb surf tune with the band in fine form. Quite surfy in the traditional sense, "Volcanic Action" conveys that driven Belairs rhythm section power. A fine performance, with a thundering bottom end despite the lack of a bass player. Full throated guitar from Eddie Bertrand, and fine support from the entire band. Very cool, especially in stereo.

Runaway dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This is a Chas Stuart lead number, and is intense, if not particularly interesting. It's rhythmic and moody. It's a cover of Del Shannon's hit.

Bedlam dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Richard Delvy took this with him to the Challengers, and that was the only place it saw release until Paul Johnson's surf band the Packards cut it in 1980. Paul's writing is all over this tune. This early version is very charming and simply arranged. An excellent track.

Volcanic Action dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This comes from a television show called Pickwick Party . It's a raucous performance of one of the Belairs more hard driving instrumentals. What a piece of history!

Squirt dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This is the other track from the "warehouse," and shows the continuing influence of Paul's balancing of instruments to create a sense of ensemble, rather than a band to support a lead player, another difference that emerged between Paul and Eddie. This is an interesting track, full of energy and guts.

On Top Of Old Smokey dot
Surf (Instrumental)

This is a 1962 home recording, with the band in Paul's living room in Redondo Beach. By now, Richard Delvy has been replaced by Mouseketeer Dickie Dodd (future Standells), and Jim Roberts is also gone, having left with Delvy to form the Challengers. This is another sign of Paul's like for songs from childhood. These sorts of songs were popular at their shows, despite their hokiness. It has that classic Belairs chunky rhythm, and Chas Stuart's classic sax lines. Still no bass player in the band.

(Un Classe De) Chiflado dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This home demo version of what was to become a South Bay surf scene classic, performed by many of the other bands in the area. It's a melodic, rhythmic and infectious tune. "Un Classe de Chiflado" means "some kinda nut."

Davy Crockett Meets Mickey Mouse dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Another classic example of Paul's sense of humor about material to cover, and in this case, there's a certain extra dimension given drummer Dick Dodd's former membership as a Mouseketeer. It's just cute and funny.

Volcanic Action dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Here's another take of "Volcanic Action" from Paul's living room in 1962. What an innocent and magical time in surf music.

Rampage dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This was an experiment platform they developed to allow Eddie to go off on. It's highly jungle beat oriented, and very infectious. This was cut in '62, before the peak of surf hit, before "Wipe Out."

Flip Top Box dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This crude recording shows the the interplay between the sax and guitars that Paul liked. It has a certain raw appeal, but is a relatively unmelodic number for Paul. Honky R&B with a bit of reverb.

The Wayward Wind dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Again demonstrating how a good melody, regardless of it's source (in this case Gogi Grant's MOR hit), can be brought into a surf set,and made to fit the genre and work well. When they break into the middle part, the pace picks up, and the song gets really strong.

(Un Classe De) Chiflado dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This is a superb take of "(Un Classe De) Chiflado" cut in the legendary Gold Star studios in 1963. Chas is rippin' on the sax, and the rhythmic sound of The Belairs just reigns supreme.

Duck Waddle dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Another Gold Star session, this is a song that was quite popular at Belairs shows. It's cute, choppy, and unusually structured.

Squad Car dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This version of Paul's classic is starkly different from the better known Eddie & the Showmen version. It relies on the delicate interplay between the two guitars, where as the "hit" version relies on Eddie's pure power. This approach is totally different, almost like a different song. This is very infectious. Chas Stuart plays the sax reed to simulate the police siren.

The Shimmy dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This is a funky tune, also quite popular at Belairs shows. Steve lotto's bass lines hold it all together.