Four of Dick Dale’s classic albums have been re-released, and NPR decided to replay its 1993 interview with “the King of the Surf Guitar”:
He launched surf rock in 1960 with his band, the Deltones. Four of Dale’s early albums are being re-released by Sundazed Music: King of the Surf Guitar, Checkered Flag, Mr. Eliminator and Summer Surf.He described the surf sound in a 1963 article as “a heavy staccato sound on the lowkey guitar strings, with a heavy throbbing beat — like thunder, or waves breaking over you.” It’s also played loud and with plenty of reverb.
In the interview, Dale talks quite a bit about the heavy-gauge strings he uses and about the massive amps he had made for his performances.
When I saw Dick Dale in a small club in Newport Beach, California years ago, the performance was so loud I couldn’t take it — and this was in my rock-concert-going prime. I assumed he was functionally deaf at that point. In fact, I was a bit surprised he didn’t sound deaf in the interview.
Anyway, listen to the interview — and try not to think of the Black-Eyed Peas when you hear “Miserlou”…