Long May They Wave

“They took her across the green cement, where the grass used to be, then across the yellow cement, where the beach used to be, and then out onto the blue cement, where the harbor used to be.”--Kurt Vonnegut, “Welcome to the Monkey House.”

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Vonnegut’s nightmare scenario doesn’t seem as farfetched today as it did in the 1950s, when he wrote those words.

But there was a time, in 1963, when the beach hadn’t yet become a zoo. The surf was better, there was plenty of free parking and even the lifeguards were cool. You could still cruise Main Street and there were no traffic jams.

Good tunes--including surf music--were all over AM radio in 1963--right before the Beach Boys persuaded half of America to move to the Golden State. Surf music, not surprisingly, is indigenous to Southern California. One of the original surf bands, the Surfaris, will hang 10 at the Ventura County Fair for a pair of party-ending gigs Sunday night.

The Surfaris are forever linked to one of the most famous instrumentals of all time--a song that begins with a surfboard breaking in half and a demonic laugh--none other than “Wipe Out.” According to the Illustrated Book of Rock Record Lists, “Wipe Out” is the most influential surf song ever recorded. Guitar World magazine ranked it among the 10 most influential songs on rock guitarists.

That’s pretty cool for a song that was recorded in two takes as an afterthought because the band needed a B-side for their single “Surfer Joe.” Besides that, all the band members were still in high school in Glendora. Jim Pash, one the original Surfaris, was 14 years old. Now relocated to Yucca Valley--a place with no surf, at least until the Big One--Pash talked Surfari business by phone.

“Yes, the song was composed in the studio and was patterned after ‘Bongo Rock’ by Preston Epps, and the drum solo was the marching cadence of the Charter Oaks High School marching band,” Pash said. “We were definitely surprised by its success. Our manager was surprised. Everyone was surprised. Basically, we just wanted to press up some records to sell for a buck apiece at school to pay for some new guitar amps.”

“Wipe Out” was a million-seller nine months later and the first surf song to make a dent in the national charts, where it reached No. 2. When the song started to run out of gas, deejays flipped it over and “Surfer Joe” was a hit in its own right, despite the fact that two of the five verses were missing.

“Back in those days, the radio wouldn’t play a song if it was over three minutes long. The record label did an edit, and I don’t think it worked because it wasn’t funny the way the song ended. Back in those days, Trestles was a surf spot located at Camp Pendleton, and if you were caught there, the Marines arrested you. Now in the song, Surfer Joe wanted to surf Trestles so bad, he enlisted in the Marines, went AWOL and ended up on KP.”

Jimi Hendrix, who probably never surfed Trestles, once said, “. . . And you’ll never hear surf music again.” Forget Hendrix as a futurist.

“There have been a lot of reissues and box sets,” Pash said. “Plus a lot of young kids under 30 are forming surf bands. There’s a band out here in Yucca Valley where I live called the Woodies.”

One thing that helps account for the vitality of surf music in Southern California is the fact that a lot of the original surf bands are still around, such as Dick Dale & the Deltones. Plus, the new bands know the right licks. The Surfaris for example, in addition to Pash on sax, keyboards and guitar, also have the original bassist and co-writer of “Wipe Out,” Jim Fuller.

“Our demographics are a melting pot of America,” said Pash. “We have 5-year-old kids pogo-ing in front of the stage and 70-year-olds dancing. We’ve allowed ourselves to mature as musicians. We do things to change the songs and improvise. That throws people for a loop. We have no message. Just show up and have a good time.”

Real Surfin’ Safari: Tired of the same bands at the same places and the same girls who won’t dance with you anyway? OK, here’s a same-menu, different-venue scenario that sounds a lot like the recipe for too much fun: Ventura’s 13-year-old ultimate party band, Raging Arb & the Redheads, will travel to Bali for at least two weeks beginning on or about Sept. 17.

Here’s the scary part. Raging Arb will play every night for two weeks (at least) at Tubes Surfer Bar in Kuta Beach, Bali. Toby Emery has replaced Bill Benson on lead guitar and Jimmy Giannatti will take over for Emery on rhythm guitar. The surfing in Bali and the Indian Ocean is excellent. You can get a room for less than $10 a night, and better yet, the bouncers don’t know you.

Now here’s the scariest part. The air fare is $850 round-trip. But hey, Indonesia is farther away than Australia. To find out more about this, call Keith Leatherwood at Ashwood Travel at (805) 650-8132.

If you don’t have the cash for that one, here’s more affordable derelict activity. Imagine a booze bus and hotel accommodations in Ensenada for $125, which includes a wild south-of-the border wingding from Sept. 19 to 21.

Providing the soundtrack in Mexico will be Ventura rock gods Bloody Mary Morning, Carpinteria ska masters the Upbeat, and rockin’ blues from the Guy Martin Group.

Let’s see, the war with Mexico ended 149 years ago . . . can we make it to 150? Call (805) 488-3547 to find out more about this one.

BE THERE

The Surfaris at the Ventura County Fair, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Sunday at 7 and 9 p.m. on the Ventura Station Stage. Free with fair admission. (805) 648-3376.