The Surfaris-"Wipe Out"

I have the Dot LP - playing it now - and it's exactly the same as the Dot 45 with the laugh, and "Wipe Out" runs about 2:16.

Here's part of the story on this video by Bob Berryhill, a founding member of the Surfaris, who tells how (at about 19:20 in the video) the band recorded a whole album for Dot, but instead of using their tapes Dot had the LA surf band The Challengers re-record the tunes for the album. I understand this was done because Dot found out the boys in the Surfaris were underage and not members of the musicians' union.

Video by Bob Berryhill, a founding member of the Surfaris

Decca and re-recording: After the Dot debacle, the Surfaris signed with Decca. But since Dot held the rights to their original "Wipe Out" recording, the band had to re-record the song for their Decca album, "The Surfaris Play." This 1963 Decca album featured the Surfaris playing their own instruments for "Wipe Out" and "Surfer Joe," along with new original material.

So, the re-recording for Decca was a necessity due to the legalities surrounding the original recording and their new label situation.

Edited by billbuster

I figured out the Decca situation.

Decca never had the rights at all to the hit version. The YouTube video showing the hit version playing on a Decca LP clearly had its audio replaced. You can see from the record label that a different song is playing while we hear the audio to “Wipe Out”.

My fault for not being more careful with the YouTube clips.

Edited by crapfromthepast

To Aaron & Ron:

To the best of my knowledge, "Wipe-Out" (as it was
labeled on the original DFS B-side) was *recorded* in
full-track mono (as opposed to being *mixed* to mono from
2, 3 or 4 tracks) as it was recorded as a throwaway B-
side to "Surfer Joe" in a small studio in California.
Therefore, on a technicality, there cannot be an
alternate *mix* of the cut.

However, the record was picked up by Princess Records,
and then ultimately Dot records for national distribution
and somewhere along the way reverb was added (as well as
compression & EQ). The hit Dot 45 was at least 2
generations away from the master tape or possibly a
modified needledrop of the original DFS or Princess 45.

So while it sure *sounds* like a different mix, I don't
believe there can be a different mix.

Andy

Good info, Andy. It must be the higher gen tape, the difference in reverb (which I assume was added to the entire song, even though it's most noticeably different on the intro), and compression.

Brian sent me a copy from a UK Reader's Digest CD comp, and while this CD has the correct reverb and compression, the EQ sounds nothing like what is on the Dot 45 and is pretty bad sounding. It's probably an even higher generation tape, which doesn't help.