Recorded in late-1963, Gutterball was, appropriately, the b-side to Strike, which served as the theme tune for the local California TV edition of Bowling for Money, a forerunner to the better known, Bowling for Dollars in which a good night’s ten-pin bowling could win lucky contestants prizes! prizes! prizes!
This is one of the finest Surf music tracks I’ve ever heard, with a level of excitement and virtuosity on it which seems to jump past The Beach Boys and sound more like a forerunner to early Fleetwood Mac. The guitarist on the track, Glenn Ross Campbell would, within a few years, end up in The Misunderstood playing a full part in their manager’s second favourite song of all time.
John Peel spent a lot of late 1992/early 1993 playing surf music both ancient and modern. In this edition of John Peel’s Music, he played both sides of a single by The Phantom Surfers called Bikini Drag. The b-side, Bonus Track, opened with a lengthy tutorial on how to play surf bass guitar, and in the spirit of public service broadcasting which Peel served so diligently, I am happy to present it for you to play along with. Not least because it contains some very timely advice as we try to step out of the restraints of the Coronavirus pandemic again: Use no neckstrap, wear your mask and if you get lost, return to bliss.
Bonus Track starts at 2:21.
Video courtesy of bullslukaren (Goldtones) and W Discos (Phantom Surfers)
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