Following on yesterday’s surf instrumental, the Ventures’ “Walk, Don’t Run,” today’s classic instrumental song of the day is another surf-flavored track, “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris. The single, first released in January of 1963, went all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Cash Box Top 100—and became a staple for almost every garage band in the 1960s.
“Wipe Out” was written by the four members of the Surfaris: Jim Fuller (lead guitar), Bob Berryhill (rhythm guitar), Pat Connolly (bass), and Ron Wilson (drums). Like “Walk, Don’t Run,” “Wipe Out” became one of the first songs that budding guitarists learned to play back then, which is why it made the setlists for so many garage bands. (My garage band played it back when I was in junior high.)
The Surfaris came up with “Wipe Out” pretty much on the spot when they were in the studio and needed a B-side for the intended A-side they just recorded, a little ditty called “Surfer Joe.” “Wipe Out” is based on a simple riff across a basic 12-bar blues; the maniacal laugh and the utterance of “wipe out!” at the beginning were provided by the band’s manager, Dale Smallin.
What makes “Wipe Out” notable is the prominent drum solo by the band’s drummer, Ron Wilson. It’s relatively simple to play but sounds hard to non-drummers. It may be the most requested drum solo of all time; I can’t tell you how many civilians have come up to me at gigs and asked (nay, demanded), “Play Wipe Out!” So I do.
I’ve played “Wipe Out” so many times I can probably do it in my sleep. (And maybe have…) To make it interesting, I sometimes do it in paradiddles. (You try it, drummer friends!)
The Surfaris formed in the fall of 1962 when the group of then-high school students got together in Bob Berryhill’s garage. (Really.) The single actually got multiple releases—first in January of 1963 on DFS Records, then in February on Princess Records (both small local independent labels), then nationally (on Dot Records) in April. It was rereleased in 1966 by Decca Records then again in 1973 by MCA.
The band added a fifth member, saxophonist Jim Pash, right after the recording sessions for “Wipe Out” and “Surfer Joe.” They broke up in early 1966 after bassist Pat Connolly left the band. Connolly and Bob Berryhill are the only surviving members of the group; drummer Ron Wilson passed away in 1989, Jim Pash died in 2005, and Jim Fuller left us in 2017.
So here’s today’s daily bonus video of the day, the Surfaris lip synching and playing “Wipe Out” on some television show back in 1963.
