A fond memory of Dick Dale and Surfdog from Founder Dave Kaplan. R.I.P
In 1997 I asked Dick Dale to come into the studio to do a rockin’ updated version of his classic “Misirlou” for our Surfrider Benefit Album. During the recording, Dick stopped at one point and instructed his drummer on how he wanted him to play a certain part, and Dick “played” the drum parts with his mouth. It was a sound so cool and so “out there” that I stopped and asked Dick to do that sound again for me. Everyone was mesmerized so we paused the whole session and I asked Dick to do an entire drum solo as if he was on stage in a stadium full of 40K people – A drum solo with his mouth!!
Dick was proud to be part of our Music For Our Mother Ocean/Surfrider record, and he always loved that we used his “mouth drum solo.” We think you will too.
The result is what you hear underneath the words in this clip:
By the way, Dick originally explained to me that he was a drummer and always approached his playing (on his upside down strings) as a percussionist—which is how he got his sound!
What an original. Someone who literally invented an entire sound on a guitar! RIP.