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Big Surf!

Maker The Sentinels

Datec 1963

Object number00015456

NameRecord cover

MediumInk on paper

DimensionsOverall: 313 x 316 mm, 0.1 kg
Display Dimensions: 305 x 310 mm

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection Purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds

Terms

DescriptionSurf music was popular in the United States from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s. Themes of the lyrics often derive from teenage issues and surf culture, though a number of bands, such as The Sentinels, were not actually surfers. This record cover for The Sentinel’s album 'Big Surf' was produced in the United States in 1963. The album was recorded by De-Fi records in Hollywood California.HistorySurf music was an extension of 1950s Rockabilly and Rhythm and Blues compositions, and was largely introduced by musicians that were not themselves involved in America's popular surf culture. Beginning with instrumental compositions, surf music later incorporated vocal harmonies. In their lyrics, vocal groups like the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean attempted to capture the essence of being a teenager and living in Southern California. Slightly behind developments in the United States, surf music reached Australia in 1962. The genre took hold in the form of a dance style known as The Stomp. Though there were unique elements in Australian surf music, much of it was influenced by the Californian scene. The Sentinels formed in 1961 in the Californian Central Coast town of San Luis Obispo. The five-member band made a small number of albums for Del-Fi between 1963 and 1964, and achieved regional popularity. Their sound had a heavier Rhythm and Blues structure than most other bands of this genre, and they also incorporated Latin riffs. The band broke up in the mid-1960s.SignificanceThe design of the album cover, featuring a classic photograph of a surfer in action, is representative of promotional material used by bands who identified themselves with surf culture.