Surfers' Choice Explained

Surfers’ Choice
Type:studio
Artist:Dick Dale and His Del-Tones
Cover:Surfer's Choice.jpg
Border:yes
Released:November 1962
Recorded:Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa Beach, California
Genre:Instrumental rock, surf music
Label:Deltone
Producer:Jim Monsour
Next Title:King of the Surf Guitar
Next Year:1963

Surfers’ Choice is the debut studio album of Dick Dale and his Del-Tones, pioneers in the surf genre. The album was released in November 1962. The recording established the conventions of surf music and brought the concept to middle America. The album was mostly recorded live at the Rendezvous Ballroom, with overdubs added in the studio. The record was out of print for a long time. It was reissued on CD by Sundazed Records in October 2006.[1] The album was rereleased by Not Now Music with a bonus disc of singles as Surf Beat.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Dick Dale; except where indicated

Side one
  1. "Surf Beat"
  2. "Sloop John B" (Carl Sandburg, Lee Hays)
  3. "Take It Off"
  4. "Night Owl" (Tony Allen)
  5. "Fanny Mae" (Buster Brown)
  6. "Misirlou Twist" (Chaim Tauber, Fred Wise, Milton Leeds, Nicholas Roubanis)
Side two
  1. "Peppermint Man" (Alonzo Willis)
  2. "Surfing Drums"
  3. "Shake 'n' Stomp"
  4. "Lovey Dovey" (Eddie Curtis, Nuggy)
  5. "Death of a Gremmie"
  6. "Let's Go Trippin'"

2006 Sundazed CD bonus tracks

  1. "Del-Tone Rock"
  2. "Jungle Fever" (a later version of "Surfing Drums" with jungle noises added)
  3. "Misirlou" (traditional)
  4. "Eight Till Midnight"
  5. "Lovin' on My Brain"
  6. "A Run For Life"

2013 Not Now Music bonus disc

  1. "Ooh-Whee Marie"
  2. "Stop Teasin'"
  3. "St. Louis Blues"
  4. "Jessie Pearl"
  5. "We'll Never Hear the End of It"
  6. "The Fairest of Them All"
  7. "Del-Tone Rock"
  8. "Let's Go Trippin'"
  9. "Shake 'N' Stomp"
  10. "Jungle Fever"
  11. "Misirlou"
  12. "Eight 'Til Midnight"
  13. "Peppermint Man"
  14. "Surf Man"

Chart positions

Billboard Music Charts – Album

Billboard Music Charts – Single

Notes and References

  1. News: 1055-2685. 32. 25. 22. Disc News. Goldmine. 2021-05-02. 2006-12-08.