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| VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2
The Surfaris / Bird’s Surf Shed The Surfaris / Bird’s Surf Shed Bird’s Surf Shed
BY BART MENDOZA © MUSICSCENESD // MUSICSCENESD.COM
NOVEMBER 2021
Signing Eric Bird Huffman & Bob Berryhill
A lot of music has been released since rock n roll first appeared on the airwaves, but despite the passage of all that time, there are few songs as instantly recognizable as The Surfaris 1963 classic “Wipe Out.” They scored further hits; “Surfer Joe” (#62 US) and “Point Panic” (#49 US), but’s it’s the 2:47 of “Wipe Out” that has cemented the legend. The surf tune is so popular that it charted three times (#2 1963, #16 1966, #110 1970 / US), long since becoming a standard, covered by garage bands and megastars alike. The Surfaris still perform regularly, now led by founding member Bob Berryhill (rhythm guitar), backed by his wife Gene Berryhill (bass) and sons, Deven Berryhill (lead guitar) and Joel Berryhill (drums). On January 2, surf shop / museum Bird’s Surf Shed, held a special event, adding a Surfaris display, with the band in attendance. One of Bob Berryhill’s guitars and his surfboard, as well as vintage album covers are now a permanent part of the shop. “I thought it would be nice to contribute a piece of history at a surf museum,” he remarked. “Since I’ve surfed from Hawaii to San Diego, I thought Bird’s Surf Shed would be a perfect location,” Berryhill said. He first picked up a surfboard as a teenager. “My first LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com
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Bart Mendoza Bob Berryhill by Eileen Tisch
time was at the age of thirteen on Waikiki Beach Hawaii in 1960 and I continued to surf until 2012. I still love being a “water man” and now live on the Cumberland River near Nashville. We boat, go tubing, kayaking, fish, and swim— anything you can do in the water.” In addition to Berryhill, the original lineup of The Surfaris also included Ron Wilson (drums), Jim Fuller (lead guitar) and Pat Connolly (bass). Today it’s very much a family affair. “The process was slow but eventually my wife, Gene, became my bass player in 1990,” Berryhill recalled. “She was a concert violinist and started playing at the age of eight,” he continued. “Before the year 2000 Gene and I used several sidemen to play along on our gigs. That year both Deven and Joel wanted to be part of The Surfaris so we began rehearsing and doing gigs to see how it would work.” It’s clearly been an unqualified success. “We play from 10 to 20 gigs a year depending on the demand,” Berryhill said. Additionally, while many classic bands are happy to rest on their laurels, The Surfari’s have continued to release new music. Wipe Out (2005) and The Hurley Sessions (2015) have been a hit with both critics and longtime fans. According to Berryhill, a new album is in the works. “We are writing new songs for an album @LocalUmbrellaMedia
but need to get the band in one place to work out the details,” he said. Is Berryhill surprised by surf music’s longevity and specifically how revered his songs have become? “It surprises me every time I get an email or phone call to use “Wipe Out” or “Surfer Joe” in a new production or commercial,” he remarked. “However, “Wipe Out” from the day we recorded it, was a hit in my eyes. We recorded it in December 1962 and by June of 1963 it was on radio stations around the world.” Wipe Out has become an icon of the surf era and has passed the test of time. ”Songs like “Wipeout,” “Pipeline,” “Misirlou,” “Hawaii Five-0” are examples of songs that make people think of the beach,” he said. Berryhill cites the “Surf’s Up” movie with “Wipe Out” used for the cave ice sledding scene as his favorite film use of the song, As for the strangest? “A guy called and wanted to use it for a commercial for a savings and loan bank. I thought “what you want, to wipe out your savings?” he said good naturedly. After nearly six decades, how does Berryhill feel about having been part of The Surfaris? “Looking back on our contributions to the rock and roll music scene, I feel like we were very fortunate to have provided something lasting and over time, influential,” he remarked. “I have guitar teachers and drum teachers tell me the song Wipe Out is a great way to introduce melody and cadence to students. I am grateful that The Surfaris songs and style will always be remembered as creating an iconic part of musical history.” In the meantime, Berryhill is happy to continue making music. “I hope we can continue to play for audiences all over the world and keep the legacy of authentic surf music alive,” he said. www.thesurfaris.com
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