Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Dick Dale V's Agent Orange

Dick Dale was the "King of the Surf Guitar" who developed what was to be called “surf guitar” in the 1950's and in September 1961 released the single "Let's Go Trippin'", generally acknowledged to be the first recorded surf instrumental.

Dale moved to California in the mid 1950’s where he was the first guitarist to develop the use of Middle Eastern and Eastern European melodies along with a breakneck speed, single-note staccato picking technique. During the late '50s Dale also became an avid surfer and tried to find ways to mimic the surging sounds and feelings of the sport and the ocean on his guitar. Due to the popularity of his gigs at the Rendezvous Ballroom, a once-defunct concert venue near Newport Beach, with his backing band the Del-Tones. Dale also developed a working relationship with Leo Fender, possibly the most famous guitar inventer and manufacturer and as such he was also the first to exploit the sounds of a Fender Stratocaster (Dale played a right handed guitar upside down and strung backwards) played through the cranked reverb chamber of a Fender Twin amplifier.

Fullerton, California surf/punk power trio Agent Orange combine hybridized surf-twang sounds, smart-metal chops and punky drive. Their sound features lead guitars jumping between surf sounds and smashing punk and a rhythm section equally influenced by both the Sex Pistols and The Ventures.

Dick Dale - Misirlou

Agent Orange - Misirlou

2 Comments:

Blogger Reverend Frost said...

sweeeeet

Thu Apr 14, 09:23:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

However, you should also account for the fact that DD's current bass player also played in Agent Orange for 12 years.

Sat Nov 12, 06:42:00 pm  

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