Album Review:

You could call this the final installment in the South African Fantastic Baggys album series. Existing to promote a Clairol hair product, Summer Blonde Beach Party is a mixed bag of hard-to-find South African artists covering various tunes - none of which have anything to do with the beach, surfing, or parties. Most notably, however, it includes rare tracks from the South African version of the Fantastic Baggys played by the Falling Leaves.

Anticipating a long-lost surf gem, the main track 'Summer Blonde' is the whole reason I had spent years searching for this album. Unfortunately, it is not the diamond-in-the-rough I had hoped for. At 1:54, this track is an unassuming commercial jingle praising the aforementioned hair product sung by the Leaves. Although played by the same group, Clairol divided the credit between songs attributed to the Fantastic Baggys and Falling Leaves. Both 'Surfer Girl' and 'Papa Do Ron Ron' had appeared a year earlier on the Baggys' Ride the Wild Surf album and are passable covers at best. Under the guise of The Falling Leaves, the group then gives an uninspiring performance of the Trogg's 'I Can't Control Myself.'All other tracks are pretty bad. 'You Baby' is an interesting addition soley because P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri wrote it - the voices behind the original Fantastic Baggys. Wayne's 'Hooray for Hazel' is my least favorite song I've ever listened to.

After years of searching, I can finally report that Summer Blonde Beach Party is not the great summer masterpiece we were hoping for. It is, however, perhaps the album we deserved....