Ronny and the Daytonas were formed in early 1964 in Nashville, Tennessee. Their first single, “G.T.O.,” became a national hit, peaking at #4, and forever cemented a place for the group in the annuls of hot rod music. Sadly, any follow-up singles from the band failed to have the same impact on the charts. ‘Sandy,’ their next highest scoring release, stalled at #27 one year later.

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The album’s opening number is surprisingly not the well-known ‘G.T.O’ but instead the rockling ‘California Bound,’ a minor hit but a solid track in its own right. ‘Antique 32 Studebaker Dictator Coupe’ feels like it could've easily been a Jan and Dean number, and ‘Bucket T’ is a fitting homage to the duo’s version. The Daytona’s country roots are evident in most of the recordings, noticeably the hillbilly rocker ‘Hot Rod Baby,’ which stalls at the starting line. ‘Surfin in the Summertime’ also confirms the group’s Tennessee background, complete with a whistle section and plucked guitars. ‘Little Rail Job’ and ‘Back In the U.S.A.’ are good up-tempo surf rockers, and ‘The Little Stingray that Could’ even has a falsetto line, but West Coast productions they ain’t. ‘Hot Rod City’ bears a close resemblance to ‘Little G.T.O.,’ which heads up side B, while the final track, ‘Little Scrambler,’ is a fine example of the Honda bike craze, just breaking out on the West Coast.

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In their first album, the Daytonas showcase their country-tinged outlook on the coast’s surf music and are able to bring a new attitude to the genre. It seems that by mid-1964, the surfing craze wasn’t just for those within driving distance of the beach anymore...