This is like a lo-fi track of the Centurions doing the Revels' "Church Key." It's nasty and primitive, over reverbed and very low-E.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

Thunder Reef is a riff-rockin' surf instro, with not much reverb, and little melody. The stompin' sensibilities are dominant, and the rhythm is infectious. This is more spirited than the studio session, with poundier drums and more energy. The Shindogs are the Bobby Fuller Four. The stereo is limited to handclaps left and cymbals right.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Hay Burner" has a barn dance quality, with a horn honkin' and a weird party feel about it. Lot's of yips and yells. The De-Fenders, the Darts, and the Deuce Coupes were all the same studio band, with Glen Campbell playing lead guitar.
Bumpkin Hot Rod Instrumental Mono

Basic riffology... chord progression, drum solo, and not much else. This is the same band as the Deuce Coupes and Darts.
Hot Rod Instrumental Mono

"Surfari" was a single. Like "Bombora," this is dark and menacing pure surf. The double picking is perfecto, and the rhythmic backtrack is powerful. The sleeve misidentifies it as "Bombora."
Surf Instrumental Mono

The Pharos are a total mystery. No one seems to know who they were. A few quirky tracks exist, "Pintor" among them. It's a rare, pleasant listening, Latin surf track. It has a certain quaintness, an infectious melody, and well placed whammies. Their other tracks are on various Del-Fi compilations and elsewhere.
Spanish Surf Instrumental Mono

This is a mighty dry riff rock track, with only it's disjointed energy to rely on. Not very interesting or memorable. Just old. The Moongooners were Scott Engel, John Maus, and John Stewart, who became the Walker Brothers after a stint as the Dolton Brothers. Scott Engel issued a surf instro single called "Devil Surfer." The tone here is similar, but it's much less "authentic."
Surf Instrumental Mono

A go-go jam, with no redeeming qualities, unless your looking for that perfect frat party record that no one will listen to while they shout to be heard in their meaningless verbal exchanges in search of the next lay.
Organ Riff Instrumental Mono

This is the same tune that Dick Dale issued. The guitar is fuzzy and the drums are great. It's fast paced and slightly monotonous.
Hot Rod Instrumental Mono

Bobby Fuller played some of the best surf instros on the gentler side of the track. This recording is essential to any surf collection. It begins with a slowed reverb kick, and moves right into one of the most recognizable of the more obscure instros. The structure and sound are perfectly surf, and the energy and style are exquisite. This is the full track, without being faded for the single, including the post performance tape echo swell.
Surf Instrumental Mono

Except for "Sea Horse," this is Merrell Fankhauser's best writing, as evidenced by the number of covers out there. It features a simple melody line with drum breaks and a dark brooding tone in an infectious setting. Very cool.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

This is not the same tune as the Road Runners issued, nor is it Bo Diddley's song. A non-surf lead guitar over a damped reverbed rhythm guitar that produces occasional glissandoes. This east LA band didn't often sound like this.
Surf Instrumental Mono

This is very similar to The Lonely Dragster, with Bobby's Wolfman Jack imitation overdubbed, and wolf baying added. It's pretty surfy, chunky, and moderately paced. It's a cool track, dripping the early sixties border radio days when Wolfman Jack was on XERB beaming into California (and on XERF and others along the border as well). Saturday nights, car radios were tuned to XERB, KRLA, KFWB, KHJ, KAFY, KFXM, or KGFJ, from which oozed out the surf, the rock, and the R&B that drove a generation.
Border Radio Surf Instrumental Mono

This is a funny idea. Doing a surf instro version of the anniversary waltz seems really bizarre. Though it's a strange idea, it works quite well. Trad surf knot tying music. Real surf guitar, thundering tom toms, and that silly melody. Fun.
Surf Mono

Piano and guitar blues, slowly writhing with a soul groove. Interesting stinging whammy and reverbed second guitar. A real merger between surf and blues.
Surf Blues Instrumental Mono

This was a single. Like "Bombora," this is dark and menacing pure surf. The double picking is perfecto, and the rhythmic backtrack is powerful. The sleeve misidentifies it as "Bombora." The sleeve lists the band as the Surfaris.
Surf Instrumental Mono

Another pleasant listening excursion into the obscure and not particularly great. It just doesn't stand up to the caliber of "Pintor." the piano carries the lead while the rhythm guitar plays a damped by unreverbed line. Mostly a jam.
Surf Instrumental Mono

The chorded introduction is charming, the guitar progression on the rhythm guitar is very slightly similar to the Surfaris' "Wipe Out," but the lead melody line is totally different, and there are no drum breaks a la Ron Wilson. I'm telling you this because Merrell claims to have written "Wipe Out." I fail to hear the similarity, at least enough to make a legal case.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Corrido Twist" is more a blues number, not unlike some Freddie King tunes. More jammin' riff than a song. Guitarist Jim Reese subsequently joined the Bobby Fuller Four. You can hear some licks that play a role in the BF4 later on.
Surf Blues Instrumental Mono

This is a solid track, quite different from the rest by this band. The melody riff is tasty, surfy, and well suited for the excellent backtrack, with its piano and traveling rhythm. It has a Richie Podolor feel to it, both in basic tone and in the writing. Cool. This was also issued under the name the Deuce Coupes.
Surf Instrumental Mono

Guttural guitar and a playful horn riff like a slowed and less infectious Pretenders or Persuaders.
Studio Instrumental Mono

A rolling cowboy beat and a smooth lead guitar line, delivered with surf and cactus in mind. Infectious but not quite exciting. It's that play quiet in the studio thing I think.
Cowboy Surf Instrumental Mono

The Venturas were from west Texas. "High Noon Rumble" is nearly a surf treatment of the theme from High Noon. Not particularly interesting.
Studio Hot Rod Instrumental Mono

This is a purely surf track, with marvelous damped reverbed second guitar, and pure simple surf lead. the melody is strikingly simple, but very effective. A great surf instro track, throbbing and rhythmic. It captures your heart. Very nice Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics / BF4 soft surf sound. The lead could have been more present, but this is a great track. The lead is Bobby's Southwest sound over heavily reverbed and damped rhythm guitar. Bobby is playing a nine string guitar!
Studio Hot Rod Instrumental Stereo

This tracks was cut at Bobby's surf prime, live and raw. The recording is overdriven (distorted), but the playing is very hot. This ranks among the best versions of this venerable surf classic on record. Full of fire and reverbed charm.
Surf Instrumental Mono