The fourth release from the label that gave us Surfbeat by the Challengers was a compilation album featuring six new surfing groups. The cover boasts art by the legendary Rick Griffin who sketched some of the most lauded and instantly recognizable surf illustrations during the early 1960s.

 

The back cover optimistically states “the talent on this album, except the Challengers, is probably new to you and your phonograph…but within the next few months their names will become well known to both of you." Unfortunately, the never happened; none of the tracks on this particular release are partially noteworthy; even the Challengers and Tom Starr & the Galaxies material is lackluster and both the Beach Girls’ “Bobby’s the Boy” and “He’s My Surfing’ Guy” are especially bad. Nevertheless, the lackluster material may also just be indicative of just how early into the surfing craze this was released - there probably wasn’t that much available at this point.

 

Still, if you’re like me and had already just about collected everything else by the time you found a copy of this rare album, it’s kind of nice to find some scarce tracks not found anywhere else.