Open Web Player
The Chantays were one of the fortunate instrumental surf bands that scored a major national hit with Pipeline, which reached #4 in the country in the Spring of 1963, when surf music and all things surfing were suddenly the big national craze. This had been building for a while, of course, and Dick Dale and The Challengers already had albums out. The Beach Boys introduced songs about surfing with Surfin' Safari in late '62 (the song Surfin' was released earlier but was not a hit), and Surfin' U.S.A. rode up the charts the same time as Pipeline.
The Chantays were from Santa Ana High school in Orange County and had been playing together since 1961. They were different from most oyher surf bands in several respects, at least on recordings. On the Pipeline album they didn't cover other bands' tunes, which was a common and accepted practice among them; no Miserlou Mr. Moto or Surf Rider here. The tunes by others they included are unusual: Lonesome Road, mostly part of the contemporaneous folk scene; Ghost riders In the Sky, the old country song made a big hit by Vaughn Monroe in 1949 and also covered by Dick dale; Santo & Johnny's Sleep Walk, a hit in 1959; and Del Shannon's Runaway, a #1 in 1961.
They also had a different sound. Compared to the sunny South California sound of groups like The Surfaris and The Challengers, The Chantays had a darker, moodier sound. The lead guitar occasionally broke out in solos but the rhythm and bass were often given equal weight resulting in a deeper tone and a complex interweaving of three guitars being picked. They also used much more of the Fender Reverb unit than many other surf bands, giving their sound an extra echoing quality and deeper texture. The keyboard was an important part of their group and could be the lead in tunes like Night Theme, or a rock'n'roll accompaniment in Bansai. When Rob Marshall switched to the Wurlitzer Electric the keyboard had an eerie sound as it did in Pipeline. Pipeline had a quiet, poetic quality about it. If Wipe Out! exploded, Pipeline shimmered. The complete Pipeline album is here even if the cover doesn't show it.
The inclusion of their ultra-rare second album is the real reason I got this disc on the Repertoire label, a German label that specializes in rare rock. I have the earlier CD release of Pipeline on Varese Sarabande, a disc that seems to be long out of print. I seem to be in the minority here, but I like it when a band established in one style changes their sound to keep up with the times. And the sound was changing rapidly in the 60's as anyone who lived through those times can tell you. Many bands could credibly adapt to a new sound; The Cascades (Rhythm of the Rain) who had a mellow early 60's sound later did some really good mid-60's material for Liberty, almost sounding like the American Breed. But these things rarely worked. Popular Music became merchandise which meant it became connected to fashion, and every couple years or so in the 60's there were all new groups.
The "Two Sides" album is hard to date because it never made the charts. I've seen it listed at 1964 (impossible because of the style), 1965 (possible) and October,1966 (probably most likely). Here they are trying to keep up with the times and have picked up a dark sound with harmonies that are very influenced by British Groups like The Yardbirds and The Zombies. There are five vocals and the instrumentals range from the pipeline clone Beyond to the almost Psychedelic Greenz and Space Probe. Though I can't say there's anything incredible here, it's more than interesting to hear The Chantays sounding like a Mid-60's garage band. I'm sure it's new to CD and rare as finding The Surfaris' 1965 folk-rock album, It Ain't Me Babe". They didn't make it with that album but a transition to folk-rock did work for another early-60's surf band, The Crossfires, but they wisely decided they needed a name change and became The Turtles.
It's odd that Repertoire decided to feature the Two sides cover but this is one of those two-on-one CD;s that has a full page Pipeline cover that you can turn to the front if you wish. Repertoire knows how to remaster 60's sound so the disc sounds good. The booklet isn't much, just original album cover notes. But it's only competition for the Pipeline album is the 2014 release by Geffin is currently going for three times the price without the extra material.
EXTRA NOTE: Be sure to check out The Chantays appearance on The Lawrence Welk Show to promote Pipeline. There weren't many venues for surf bands on TV, so they went where they could go. It's on You Tube.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2016
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2007
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2013
Top reviews from other countries
Movie-Friend
Die andere grandiose Surf-Beatinstrumentalgruppe, neben The Tornados aus UK..
Reviewed in Germany on July 21, 2022
Wilkie
A trip down memory lane, and enjoyable as well.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2016
A. J. Bradbury
The West Coast Fights Back
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2010