Dick Dale, surf guitar and me
Check out the this video.
Yep that’s me in the center, goofy smile and all. An exciting group to watch huh? Still wish I had that Strat for the price they are going for today!
I was in the Marine Corps stationed at the Air Facility in Santa Ana CA. Being from Connecticut I soon discovered the beaches, Balboa Island and the Balboa peninsula. I used to watch Dick playing at the Rinky Dink ice cream parlor and then later at the Rendezvous Ballroom on the peninsula. That band was so cool and I thought I could never get in such a band (oh yeah, and all those “beach bunnies”!). Dick opened a record store at one point and I use to go in and look around but never got up the nerve to say anything to him until one day I mentioned that “I play guitar too”. Dick said that he had a gig coming up at a night club (The Flamingo in Santa Ana, one of the cool Orange county clubs at the time.). His guitar player was underage and would I like to come and play with them? Man, I couldn’t believe it. He had never heard me play and he was asking me to come play in the Del Tones? Dick remembers the story a little differently as he had said he had heard me play. Well there is a lot more to the story and I will tell more in later on but suffice it to say I owe a lot to Dick as he started my life on a path I could only dream of. Thanks Dick!
(c) 2008 Art Munson
Would love to hear your comments!
I’m Al Cutillo’s brother, did Bigfoot ever do a song called I wanna give thanks to all of my friends? If not do you know who did it? I have the original Bigfoot album and I would have sworn it was on that album but it’s not and it’s driving me crazy.
Thank You,
Anxiously awaiting your response,
Mike Cutillo
Hi Mike, nice to hear from you. I don’t remember a song by that title. Maybe it had another title?
Take care
Art
It’s a shame Dick has lost his surf music roots and no longer allows surf bands to open for him and when they are booked to open for him, has them removed. he has deprived the public from seeing some excellent talent.
Art:
I remember the green strat you played with the Righteous Brothers. I played with Chris Morgan in 1970-71 in LA and he used to talk about you. I heard Chris passed away. He could at times sing as good as anyone I ever worked with. I really liked the way you used the strat volume control to make the guiatr “cry”. Quite unique for the time. You had hundreds of other guitarist copying that cool sound.
Hi Clay,
I remember Chris, great singer and he did pass away, quite awhile ago. He sang on an album I did with Mike Patterson called “6680 Lexington”.
The volume control thing was around before me. I think country may have been doing first.
Take care
Art