review

synopsis

The Rip-Chords followed the success of Carol Connors' 'Hey Little Cobra' with the Berry-Christian composition, 'Three Window Coupe.' Much like the split sensibilities of Jan and Dean’s New Girl In the School/Dead Man’s Curve album, the Rip-Chords also divide the focus of each side of their offering. While side A follows the hot rod concentration of their previous album, side B shows a shift towards sun and sand. Three Window Coupe possesses some of the very best and most skillfully crafted recordings of the entire genre. In fact. there's hardly a weak track on here. 

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The album begins with a slick rendition of the Jan and Dean number followed by the rocklin’ ‘Bonneville Bonnie.’ As demonstrated by their first album, the Rip Chords didn’t shy away from resurrecting old tunes, and ‘Gas Money’ is no exception; originally a Jan and Arnie tune, the song first appeared in 1958 on the Arwin label. Also of interest are the several P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri tracks on the record, which would soon be featured on the Fantastic Baggys’ first and only (American) album, Tell ‘Em I’m Surfin’ later in the year. The first Sloan-Barri composition, ‘This Little Woodie,’ is a charming ode to the quintessential surf buggy of the day, while the immortal ‘Surfin’ Craze’ makes it’s debut.  ‘My Big Gun Board’ is also a fun ode to another common surfing item. After a commendable version of Bobby Darin’s ‘Hot Rod U.S.A.,’ Phil Stewart’s folksy vocals are again featured on country-tinged ‘Old Car Made in ’52;’ undoubtedly the album's weakest track. This is followed up with what is perhaps the album’s warmest moment, ‘Beach Girl,’ which happily rises above merely being a rewrite of ‘Surfer Girl,’ and demonstrates some diversity in the group’s repertoire. In ‘Surf City,’ the Rip Chords are again able to infuse their unique sound into another Jan and Dean classic. ‘Summer U.S.A’ is a sharp sun-soaked number with a shuffle beat. Concluding the album is ‘Big Wednesday’ is a James Bond-like instrumental; a worthy inclusion here.

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Three Window Coupe would, unfortunately, prove to be the last for the original Rip-Chords. With a few singles popping up here-and-there over the next year, and some excellent unreleased tunes in the vault the group had nearly enough material to fill the third album, though this sadly never materialized. It’s a shame too, as their second album is one of the finest examples of surf and hot rod music ever laid to vinyl.

Three Window Coupe

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// 1964 on Columbia Records (CS-9016/CL-2216)

Three Window Coupe / Bonneville Bonnie / Gas Money / This Little Woodie / Hot Rod U.S.A. / Old Car Made in ‘52 / Surfin’ Craze / Beach Girl / My Big Gun Board / Surf City / Surf City / Summer U.S.A. / Big Wednesday