Torquay
Torquay / Alone / Joey's Song / Last Date / Chief Whoopin-Koff / El Ringo / Wheels / Honey / Raw-Hide / Tuff-A-Nuff / Dumbo / Quite A Party
The Fireballs
// 1963 on Dot Records (DLP 25512 / DLP 3512)
1.0
Album Review:
'Torquay' had been previously released in 1959 on Top Rank Records and had a profound influence on the surf sound. 'Alone' is a laid-back take on the Shepherd Sisters' popular 1957 hit. 'Joey's Song' goes nowhere as does Floyd Cramer's 'Last Date.' Though recorded in 1960, 'Chief Whoopin-Koff' slinks closer to the surf style and was released as a B-side of 'Vaquero.' The Western style of 'El Ringo' bleeds over into a forgettable cover of the String-A-Longs' 'Wheels.' 'Honey' offers nothing new while 'Raw-Hide' is just about the most surfy track here. 'Tuff-A-Nuff' was the band's most recent B-side but still lacks any connection with the sunny beach sound of Dick Dale or Marketts.'Dumbo' would be issued as a single in 1964 and features a twangy surf guitar. 1961's 'Quite A Party' closes out the album.
While the Fireballs' influence on the surf genre can't be understated, their music's biggest connection to the style is the number of surf bands that included 'Torquay' and 'Bulldog' on their albums. In 1964, the Fireballs would release 'Daytona Drag' which would eventually turn up on the 1966 Campusology album, though the single hadn't much in common musically with the hot rod sound.
CHOICE CUTS:
Raw-Hide / Dumbo