singemonkey wrote:
I'm kind of sorry I missed it - not for Cliff, but for the band. My Ma went to see them in Fishhoek hall or something in the late 50s ?
My surf band used to do Apache. Hank had an awesome sound. Of course it killed the Strat's popularity for rock 'n roll in Britain until Hendrix came along. Everyone thought strats were for plunka-plunka music.
It's crazy to think what a different world that was. Rock 'n roll was long forgotten in America. The airwaves were dominated by surf bands - surf instrumentalists like Dick Dale, Link Wray, The Astronauts, surf vocal bands like the Beach Boys and Jann and Dean. The Shadows were Britain's answer. Then the Beatles came along and swept it all away. A bit like Nirvana did to hair-metal.
I get the impression that the surf and beat scene co-existed out in the colonies for longer than in Britain. Am I right Vic?
Even in SA most early bands used Strats...then in 1963/4 the Beatles introduced the world to alternative makes...Gretsch, Hofner and Rickenbacker, and of course a different sound and few bands were using Fender Strats any longer....You're right SM, surf music somehow co-existed with the Brit invasion (Surfin'USA , Surfer Girl; Beach Boys, circa '64, and others). But even to this day some Strat players are searching for that (elusive) harmonics rich Hank sound. I believe there's a Shadows club very active in Ctown. ?
