Surfdog Records is a

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

, music publishing company, merchandising company, and marketing company based in Encinitas, California. Its roster includes artists of the rock,

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

, swing,

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

, lounge, and alternative genres. It has released over 150 albums, including recordings by

Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in ...

Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...

& The Brian Setzer Orchestra,

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

Slightly Stoopid Slightly Stoopid is an American Rock music, rock band based in the Ocean Beach, San Diego, Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego, San Diego, California, who describe their music as "a fusion of folk, rock, reggae and blues with hip-hop, funk, m ...

, Dan Hicks,

Butthole Surfers Butthole Surfers are an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas, by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...

, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart (co-founder of

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British New wave music, new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band t ...

), Richard Cheese, Gary Hoey, and Sprung Monkey.

History

Early years

The foundation of the company was established in 1985, when Surfdog Records' owner Dave Kaplan began Dave Kaplan Management Inc. Dave Kaplan and his staff have managed the careers of artists including

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy ...

, Dave Stewart (co-founder of

, Sublime,

Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...

, Gary Hoey,

and

BulletBoys BulletBoys is an American hard rock/glam metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1987. The group's original lineup was composed of singer Marq Torien (formerly of Ratt, King Kobra, and Kagny & the Dirty Rats), guitarist Mick Sweda (formerly of King ...

. Iconic American musician

(formerly of

), also managed by Dave Kaplan Management Inc., has released over 16 albums through Surfdog Records. Since 2000, Setzer has won three

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

, as well as receiving his seventh Grammy nomination (out of twelve nominations in total) in 2007 for his album '' Wolfgang's Big Night Out'' released on Surfdog Records. In 2003,

released the album '' Everything You Need'' on Surfdog Records, which included some of the band’s biggest hits such as “Collie Man”, “Officer”, and “Sweet Honey”. Dave Stewart, best known for his work as co-founder of the British pop-rock duo

, joined Surfdog's roster in 2007, and shortly thereafter released his album '' The Dave Stewart Songbook Vol. 1''. Followed by his 2011 release through Surfdog Records '' The Blackbird Diaries''. British soul singer Joss Stone released her fifth studio album '' LP1'' through Surfdog Records in partnership with her own Stone'd Records in 2011. Stone co-wrote and co-produced the album with Dave Stewart. In 2011, Surfdog Records signed

releasing his album '' Ghost On The Canvas'', an album intended to be Campbell's farewell to studio recording following being diagnosed with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

. Campbell in 2012 received a

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...

for his contributions to music throughout his 50 years plus career.

2013–2015

In 2013, Surfdog announced the signing of a collaboration with rock and roll legend

for Clapton's new record ''Old Sock'', released on March 12, 2013, followed by 3 more studio Clapton records: ''The Breeze'', ''I Still Do'', and ''Happy Xmas''. On April 22, 2014,

Drake Bell Jared Drake Bell (born June 27, 1986) is an American actor and musician. Born in Newport Beach, California, he began his career as a child actor in the 1990s, appearing on ''Home Improvement (TV series), Home Improvement'' (1994) and in severa ...

released his first studio album since 2006's ''It's Only Time'' with Universal Motown Records, ''

Ready Steady Go! ''Ready Steady Go!'' (or ''RSG!'') was a British rock/pop music television programme broadcast every Friday evening from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan wanted a light ente ...

'', after signing on with Surfdog in 2012. The record debuted at #182 on the Billboard 200, #50 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums, and #32 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums charts. It sold 2,000 copies in its first week of release. The record contains songs originally by

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...

, and more.

, frontman of

and also on the Surfdog roster, produced the album. "Bull", a song on ''Ready Steady Go!'', was on the top 10 charts in Mexico for several weeks. On May 19, 2014, The Burning of Rome's ''Year of The Ox'' was released by Surfdog Records. On July 29, 2014,

& Friends released '' The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale''. ''The Breeze'' is full of covers of songs originally by J.J. Cale and contains vocals by Mark Knopfler, Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Tom Petty, and Don White. The album received much attention, achieving a #2 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album charts. On August 12, 2014,

released '' Rockabilly Riot! All Original'', through Surfdog. The record contains new music from Setzer and was widely accepted by music critics. “Let's Shake” was the first single of the record. On October 21, 2014, Brian Setzer's 1959 Gretsch 6120 was inducted into the world-renowned

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

in Washington D.C. Setzer's guitar joined a large and diverse collection of musical instruments at the museum that include John Coltrane's saxophone, Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet, and Eddie Van Halen's guitar. On August 11, 2015, Sublime announced a deal with Dave Kaplan Management/Surfdog Records, managing the branding, merchandising, licensing, music catalog and new ventures. On October 16, 2015,

was joined with an 18-piece orchestra for the release of his newest Christmas record, '' Rockin’ Rudolph''.

2016–present

On May 20, 2016,

released his twenty-third studio solo album, '' I Still Do'' on Surfdog Records/Bushbranch Records. Clapton reunited with record producer

Glyn Johns Glyn Thomas Johns (born 15 February 1942) is an English recording engineer and record producer. He has worked with many of the most famous rock recording acts from both the UK and abroad, such as the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who, ...

and had the album's artwork painted by Sir Peter Blake who also previously worked with Clapton. On February 24, 2017, Surfdog Records released ''Greatest Licks – I Feel Like Singin’'', an album that honored Dan Hicks on the first anniversary of his passing. On October 12, 2018, Eric Clapton released his first-ever Christmas album, '' Happy Xmas'' on Surfdog Records/Bushbranch Records. ''Happy Xmas'' is Clapton's 24th studio album and features cover art illustration by Clapton himself. November 2018, The Brian Setzer Orchestra celebrated their 15th Anniversary Christmas Rocks! Tour presented by

SiriusXM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merge ...

. In 2019,

celebrated their 40th anniversary with a new album and tour. The album, titled '' 40'' was released via Surfdog Records on May 24, 2019. This marked the band's first new music in 26 years.

Surfdog Music Publishing and Licensing

Surfdog music has been featured in many motion pictures including '' Puss In Boots'', ''

Elf An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic peoples, Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in Norse mythology, North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'' ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

Monsters vs. Aliens ''Monsters vs. Aliens'' is a 2009 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman from a screenplay written by Let ...

'', '' Dude, Where's My Car?'' ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...

'', ''

Stuart Little ''Stuart Little'' is a 1945 American children's novel by E. B. White. It was White's first children's book, and became recognized as a classic in children's literature. ''Stuart Little'' was illustrated by the artist Garth Williams, also his f ...

'', and '' The Real World''. Plus major national commercials, including Ford Lincoln-Mercury, Ashton Kutcher's

Nikon (, ; ) is a Japanese optics and photographic equipment manufacturer. Nikon's products include cameras, camera lenses, binoculars, microscopes, ophthalmic lenses, measurement instruments, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and equipment related to S ...

and

Hallmark A hallmark is an official Mark (sign), mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''Wikti ...

Philanthropy

Surfdog Records has released three MOM (Music For Mother Ocean) albums, and those three albums contributed to the largest donation in Surfrider Foundation's history up till then. The three MOM albums feature some of the biggest artists in music today, including;

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...

The Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of t ...

Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...

Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...

Blink-182 Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

and members of

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to Rage) was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1991. It consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim ...

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

and

No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboar ...

Current and archive artists on Surfdog Records

(co-label: Bushbranch/Surfdog) *

* Agent 51 * Alien Fashion Show * Ballyhoo! *Blush *

* Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks * Dave Stewart *

* Dylan Donkin * Echobrain *

Gibby Haynes Gibson Jerome Haynes (born September 30, 1957) is an American musician, radio personality, painter, author and the lead singer of the band Butthole Surfers. Early life and career Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Gibby Haynes is the son of acto ...

& His Problem * Gary Hoey *Jackpot *Jeremy Kay * Joss Stone (co-label: Stone'd/Surfdog) * Pato Banton * Richard Cheese * Rusty Anderson *

* Sprung Monkey * Tea Leaf Green *The Burning Of Rome *Wylde Bunch * VoivodSurfdog List of Artists
/ref>

Current and archive artists on Dave Kaplan Management

* Sublime *

* Dave Stewart * Agent 51 * Ballyhoo! *Blush *

* Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks *

* Dylan Donkin * Echobrain *

(co-management) *

& His Problem *Jackpot *Jeremy Kay * Joss Stone * Pato Banton * Richard Cheese * Rusty Anderson * Sprung Monkey * Tea Leaf Green *The Schizophonics *The Burning Of Rome *Wylde Bunch *Beat Root Revival

References

External links

* {{Authority control American independent record labels Record labels established in 1993