Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
The Surfaris - Surfer Joe c/w Wipe-Outdotdotdotdot
artworkThis is the original release of The Surfaris' Surfer Joe c/w Wipe-Out. Note that "Wipe-Out" is hyphenated. Both sides were edited down for the subsequent releases on Princess and Dot. This is as essential as it gets. It launched a long and sordid tale of double dealings and dishonesty, several law suits, tarnished reputations, lifelong bitter feelings, and three different lineups all claiming use of the name. DFS stands for Dale Francis Smallen, whose laugh and call of "wipe out" is heard in the intro. Smallen sold the single to Richard Delvy (Delvecchio), who edited both sides down and released it on the Princess label before licensing it out to Dot.

There is a ton of written information on the rest of the story, and many untold traumas as well. Over the years, I've talked with most of the principals, each having very different versions of the history. All the ranker aside, this one single is a very important part of rock history. Ron Wilson's drums in "Wipe Out" were the acid test for drummers during auditions fort many years afterward. I've heard lots of people play this song live, including Ron Wilson. It's his, and his alone.
Picks: Surfer Joe, Wipe-Out

Track by Track Review


Surfer Joe dotdotdotdot
Surf (Vocal)

This is the original five verse version of the song, unedited. It's much cooler, in my opinion, than the edited hit. The extra verses seem almost more period-perfect than the three that survived the cut. It's a classic bit of surf history that has been at the center of a firestorm from its birth, long wit the flip side "Wipe Out."

Wipe-Out dotdotdotdot
TV Surf (Instrumental)

"Wipe Out" is simply the definitive drummer's badge of courage. If he can do a decent "Wipe Out," he's hired. Simple, and written and recorded in just minutes, this is an international classic that has sold multimillions of copies, and still does every year worldwide. This is the long version.