The Surfaris are an American surf music band formed in

Glendora, California Glendora is a city in the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County, California, east of Los Angeles. As of the 2020 census, the population of Glendora was 52,558. World-famous Route 66 runs through the city. Known as the "Pride of the Footh ...

, in 1962. They are best known for two songs that hit the

charts A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent t ...

in the

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area, and nationally by May 1963: "Surfer Joe" and " Wipe Out", which were the

A-side and B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...

of the same

45 rpm single In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standal ...

. The Surfaris were inducted into the

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Mission Statement The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is a 501(c)(3) charity organization. The mission of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is to honor all great musicians regardless of genre or instruments. This is done by exhibiting t ...

in 2019 for their hit instrumental song, "Wipe Out".

Career

The original band members were Ron Wilson (

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

), Jim Fuller (

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

), Bob Berryhill (

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...

), and Pat Connolly (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

). In the fall of 1962, Southern California high school students Jim Fuller and Pat Connolly called friend and guitarist Berryhill for a practice session at Berryhill's house. The trio practiced for about four hours and met drummer Wilson at a high school dance later that evening, whereupon the band was born. "Wipe Out" was written and recorded by the quartet later that winter, with the song reaching #2 nationally in 1963 before becoming an international hit.

Saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...

player Jim Pash joined after their "Wipe Out" / "Surfer Joe" recording sessions at Pal Studios.

Ken Forssi Kenneth Raymond Forssi (March 30, 1943 – January 5, 1998) was an American musician, best known as the original bass player in the band Love. Early life He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the older of two sons, along with brother Charles, born t ...

, later of

Love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

, played bass with The Surfaris after Pat Connolly left.

"Wipe Out"

Wilson's energetic

drum solo A drum solo is an Solo (music), instrumental solo played on a drum kit. A drum solo may be set or improvised, and of any length, up to being the main performance. In Rock music, rock, drum solos are unique in that traditionally they are minimally ...

made " Wipe Out" one of the best-remembered

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

songs A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usuall ...

of the period. " Wipe Out" is also remembered particularly for its introduction. Before the music starts, Berryhill's dad broke a board (imitating a breaking surf board) near the mic, followed by a maniacal laugh and the words "Wipe Out" spoken by band manager Dale Smallin. " Wipe Out" was written in the

studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...

by the four original members (Berryhill, Connolly, Fuller, and Wilson). It was initially issued on the tiny DFS label (#11/12) in January 1963. It was reissued on the tiny Princess label (#50) in February 1963. It was picked up by Dot (45-16479) in April 1963, and later reissued as Dot 45-144 in April 1965. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

. Following the death of television personality

Morton Downey, Jr. Morton Downey Jr. (December 9, 1932 – March 12, 2001), born Sean Morton Downey, was an American television talk show host and actor who pioneered the "trash TV" format in the late 1980s on his program '' The Morton Downey Jr. Show''. Early ...

, news reports and obituaries incorrectly credited him as the composer of "Wipe Out" (as well as

The Chantays The Chantays, sometimes billed as Chantay's, is an American surf rock band formed in Orange County, California. They are known for their 1963 hit instrumental "Pipeline". Their sound combines electronic keyboards with surf guitar, creating a uni ...

' "Pipeline"). , Downey's official website continued to make this claim but it has been changed to state he "also played major roles in the production of the hit surf music era songs 'Pipeline' and 'Wipeout'."

Disbanding and reformation

The band released a series of records, with two other singles, "Surfer Joe" and "Point Panic" (another group-composed instrumental), having an impact on the charts. Point Panic is a renowned surfing venue in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

after which the song was named. The original 1963 membership remained intact until August 1965 when Connolly departed before their Japanese tour. Ken Forssi replaced him on bass for the tour. Fuller resigned after the tour and the band folded in early 1966. Forssi died from a brain tumor in 1998. Ken Forssi joined the group and was the bass player for their "It Ain't Me, Babe" LP recorded at Capitol Records in Studio A in late Spring and early Summer of 1965. Pat Connolly left the music business in 1965. Ron Wilson died of a

brain aneurysm An intracranial aneurysm, also known as a cerebral aneurysm, is a cerebrovascular disorder characterized by a localized dilation or ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain due to a weakness in the vessel wall. These aneurysms can occur in an ...

on May 12, 1989, one month short of his 45th birthday. Wilson had released an album of his songs, entitled ''Lost In The Surf'', on Bennet House Records of

Grass Valley, California Grass Valley is a city in Nevada County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 14,016. Situated at roughly in elevation in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, this norther ...

, which was recorded in June 1987. A very small number of cassettes of this album were produced. ''Lost in the Surf'' included a

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of c ...

of "

Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a Standard (music), stand ...

", complete with Scottish

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, N ...

. Jim Pash, who played saxophone in the earlier formation and was later a guitarist, died April 29, 2005, of heart failure at age 56. Jim Fuller co-founded the Surfaris in 61' with Connolly. The band reformed in 81' with Pash and Berryhill but in 1983 Berryhill left the band because neither Pash nor Fuller wanted Berryhill's wife to join the band as bassist. By the mid-'80s, Fuller's The Surfaris added new players, such as Kelly Lammers, Robert Watson, Jay Truax, Paul Johnson (Mr. Moto), and Dave Raven, among others. These new band members remain in The Surfaris today. Surfaris-Promo-8x10

However, in 1986 John P. Reisman took over management of the Fuller/Pash version of 'The Surfaris'. In 1987, the manager engaged the band with Columbia Pictures
New Gidget Show
and in 1987 recorded the cut
Bred to Shred
for the episode (Jim Pash: Producer; John Reisman; Engineer). The full band with the latest lineup appeared in the production. Just prior to that Chris Pritchard was in the lineup on vocals and guitar. During that period the manager focused on fairs and festivals, playing for audiences of ten to one hundred thousand at times. However, the band did continue to play clubs to bring the music to as many venues as possible.

Bill Silva Entertainment Bill Silva Entertainment is a concert promotion, artist management, touring, and publishing company based in Los Angeles and established in 1979.

during this period of management known as Fahn & Silva Entertainment handled the contracting. The-Surfaris-Lyra-Productions-John-P

Jim Fuller later had another band concurrently with The Surfaris "Jim Fuller and the Beatnik", until his passing on March 3, 2017, in

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of t ...

at age 69. After leaving the band, Berryhill became a teacher until late 2000, when he created a new band with his family and named it The Surfaris. Now the last original member playing professionally, Berryhill performs worldwide as The Surfaris with his wife Gene Berryhill and sons, Deven and Joel Berryhill. In 2003, Berryhill's band re-recorded "Wipe Out" and eight original songs, which is what he wanted to do for the first "Wipe Out" session in 1962. At the time, the boys just 15 and 17 years old were forced to play other writers' songs, not by The Surfaris, which were later replaced by the company's players while The Surfaris were on tour. Lawsuits ensued in favor of The Surfaris. In 2015, Berryhill recorded and released the album entitled ''The Surfaris Hurley Sessions''.

Members

* Jim Fuller – lead guitar (1962–1966, 1981–2017; died 2017) * Pat Connolly – bass (1962–1965) * Ron Wilson – vocals, drums (1962–1966; died 1989) * Jim Pash – saxophone, guitar (1963–1966, 1981–2005; died 2005) * Bob Berryhill – rhythm guitar (1962–1966, 1981–1983) * Ken Forssi – bass (1965–1966; died 1998) * Jay Truax – bass (1984–2017?) * Rob Watson - Keyboards * Dave Raven - Drums * Dusty Watson - Drums * Paul Johnson - Lead Guitar * Ron Eglit - Rhythm Guitar * Kelly Lammers - Guitar (1981?–1984?) * Chris Pritchard - Guitar (198*?–1987) * Louis Fagenson - Guitar, Slide Guitar, Keyboards (198*?–1987?) * Don Murray - vocals, drums (1981–1996) *

John Mehler John Mehler (born August 27, 1948, in Long Beach, California) is a drummer for Love Song, Spirit of Creation, Noah and other bands. Biography Mehler graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1969 and soon thereafter moved to Salt Lake City w ...

- vocals, drums (1986–?) * Scott Lash - Guitar (1987–1988)

The Surfaris featuring Jim Fuller and Jim Pash

Jim Pash/Jim Fullers Surfaris managed by John Reisman/Lyra Records & Productions * Jim Fuller - vocals, rhythm guitar * Jim Pash - vocals, saxophone * Don Murray - vocals, drums * John Mehler - vocals, drums, percussion * Chris Pritchard - vocals, lead/rhythm guitar (198*?–1987) * Scott Lash vocals, lead/rhythm guitar (1987–1988) * Louis Fagenson - vocals, guitar, slide guitar, keyboards

The Surfaris featuring Bob Berryhill

The lineup of Berryhill's Surfaris has been stable since its 2000 founding. * Bob Berryhill – lead guitar * Deven Berryhill – vocals, v guitar * Gene Berryhill – bass * Joel Berryhill – vocals, drums

Discography

Albums

* 1963: '' Wipe Out'' (

Dot A dot is usually a small, round spot. Dot, DoT or DOT may also refer to: Orthography * Full stop or "period", a sentence terminator * Dot (diacritic), a mark above or below a character (e.g. ȧ, ạ, İ, Ċ, ċ, etc.), usually to indicate sou ...

DLP-3535/DLP-25535) * 1963: ''

Play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

'' (

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

DL-4470/DL-74470) * 1964: ''Hit City '64'' (Decca DL-4487/DL-74487) * 1964: ''Fun City U.S.A.'' (Decca DL-4560/DL-74560) * 1965: ''Hit City '65'' (Decca DL-4614/DL-74614) * 1965: ''It Ain't Me, Babe'' (Decca DL-4683/DL-74683) * 1983: ''Surf Party! The Best of The Surfaris Live!'' ec. 1981(Koinkidink KWK-102; CD reissue:

GNP Crescendo The gross national income (GNI), previously known as gross national product (GNP), is the total amount of factor incomes earned by the residents of a country. It is equal to gross domestic product (GDP), plus factor incomes received from n ...

GNPD-2239, 1994) * 2003: ''Basic Tracks'' by Jim Fuller's Surfaris (Got It Records #0101) * 2005: ''Wipe Out'' by Bob Berryhill's Surfaris (Calvary Chapel Music #6021) * 2006: ''Street Party'' by Jim Fuller's Surfaris (Heyday Records #35753) * 2015: ''Hurley Sessions'' by Bob Berryhill's Surfaris (Salt Talk Music #41662)

Singles

* 4/63: " Wipe Out" // "Surfer Joe" (DFS 11/12; Princess 50; Dot 16479) * 9/63: "Point Panic" // "Waikiki Run" (Decca 31538) * 11/63: "Santa's Speed Shop" // "A Surfer's Christmas List" (Decca 31561) * 12/63: "Scatter Shield" // "I Wanna Take a Trip to the Islands" (Decca 31581) * 3/64: "Go Go Go for Louie's Place" // "Murphy the Surfie" (Decca 31605) * 6/64: "Dune Buggy" // "Boss Barracuda" (Decca 31641) * 10/64: "Karen" // "Hot Rod High" (Decca 31682) * 1/65: "Beat '65" // "Black Denim" (Decca 31731) * 5/65: "Theme Of The Battle Maiden" // "Somethin' Else" (Decca 31784) * 7/65: "You Can't Sit Down" // "Surfer Joe" (Dot 16757) * 8/65: "Catch a Little Ride With Me" // "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" (Decca 31835) * 4/66: "So Get Out" // "Hey Joe Where Are You Going" (Decca 31954) * 8/66: "I'm a Hog for You" // "Wipe Out" (Decca 32003) * 10/66: "Show Biz" // "Chicago Green" (Dot 16966) * 4/67: "Search" // "Shake" (Dot 17008)

Compilations

*1973: ''Yesterday's Pop Scene: The Surfaris – Wipe Out!'' *1974: ''Wipe Out, Surfer Joe and Other Great Hits'' *1976: ''Surfers Rule'' *1977: ''Gone with the Wave'' *1978: ''Shut Down – Music from the original soundtrack'' *1982: ''The History of Surf Music – Vol. 1: The Instrumental Hits 1961–1963'' *1984: ''Wipe Out: 20 Instrumental Greats'' *1987: ''Wipe Out (The Singles Album 1963–1967)'' *1987: ''The Best of 60s Surf (Original Master Recordings)'' *1989: ''Surfin' Hits'' *1989: ''Surfin' Sixties (Baby Boomer Classics)'' *1990: ''Fun City U.S.A. / Play'' (Repertoire) *1991: ''Guitar Player Presents...Legends Of Guitar: Surf – Vol. 1'' *1994: ''Wipe Out! The Best of the Surfaris'' *1994: ''Rock Instrumental Classics – Vol. 5: Surf'' *1995: ''Pulp Rock Instros – Vol. 1'' *1995: ''Surfaris Stomp'' *1995: ''Revenge of the Surf Instrumentals'' *1996: ''Cowabunga! The Surf Box Set'' *1996: ''Teen Beat – Vol. 3'' *1996: ''Let's Go Trippin' (Classic Tracks from the Surf & Hot Rod Era)'' *1996: ''Surf Crazy: Original Surfin' Hits'' *1996: ''

Jenny McCarthy Jennifer Ann McCarthy-Wahlberg (' McCarthy; born November 1, 1972) is an American actress, model, television personality, and anti-vaccine activist. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for ''Playboy'' magazine and was later named thei ...

's Surfin' Safari'' *1997: ''Guitar Heroes'' *1997: ''Hot Rod Presents...Big Boss Instrumentals'' *1997: ''Kahuna Classics: A Collection of Surf Music'' *1998: ''Hard Rock Cafe – Surf'' *1998: ''Surf! Sand! Sun!'' *1998: ''Surfers Rule / Gone with the Wave'' (BGO) *1999: ''Wipe Out / Play'' (BGO) *2000: ''KFJC 89.7 – Water Logged'' *2000: ''Teen Beat – Vol. 5'' *2003: ''Lost Legends of Surf Guitar – Vol. 2: Point Panic!'' *2005: ''Hit City '64 / Fun City U.S.A.'' (BGO)

References

External links

The Surfaris, Bob Berryhill official website
*

Allmusic Entry AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the data ...

br>The Rock and Roll Hall of FameHollywood's Rockwalk Surfaris page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Surfaris, The American surf music groups Musical groups established in 1962 Musical groups disestablished in 2017 Musical groups from Los Angeles Rock music groups from California Decca Records artists Dot Records artists American instrumental musical groups 1962 establishments in California 2017 disestablishments in California