Dick Dale
Biography:
Dick Dale launched the surf music craze in the 1950s and rode the resulting tsunami through the 1960s. His guitar playing style is punctuated by fast picking and Middle Eastern influences, resulting in a totally unique sound. Dale was an avid surfer and his fellow surfers dubbed him the "King of the Surf Guitar".
Dick Dale's contribution to rock music runs quite deep. Early in his career, Dale met the guitar and amp guru, Leo Fender, and the two collaborated on a groundbreaking product: the 100-watt amplifier. Dale had been trying out a number of Fender amplifiers, but under his demands they all quickly failed. So Fender developed a new transformer that could deliver the power that Dale's amp would need and paired it with a 15-inch speaker built to exacting specifications by the James B. Lansing speaker company. Dick Dale was the first guitarist to play this new 100-watt amplifier, which was dubbed the Single Showman. As a result, he was later called the "Father of Heavy Metal" by Guitar Player Magazine.
The surf rock phenomena died out by the mid-1960s due to the British Invasion, yet Dale continued to have a vibrant career. He recorded the music for the movie "Back to the Beach" with Stevie Ray Vaughan, which resulted in a Grammy nomination in 1988. In 1994, Dale's song Misirlou was used as the title music for the smash movie "Pulp Fiction" and, two years later, Dale recorded music for Disneyland's Space Mountain ride.
Among his achievements, Dale was the first rock guitarist to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame and the White House Congressional Hall of Records. Of course, he has also been inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame.
Top Ten Jams:
| 1. | Misirlou |  |
| 2. | Pipeline (with Stevie Ray Vaughan) | |
| 3. | Del-Tone Rock | |
| 4. | Peter Gunn | |
| 5. | Surf Beat | |
| 6. | Night Rider | |
| 7. | Ghostriders in the Sky | |
| 8. | California Sun | |
| 9. | Fish Taco | |
| 10. | Nitro | |
Discography:
| Spacial Disorientation (2001) | |
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| Calling Up Spirits (1996) | |
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| Unknown Territory (1994) | |
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| Tribal Thunder (1993) | |
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| The Tigers Loose (1983) | ||
| Rock out with Dick Dale and his Del-Tones: Live at Ciro's (1965) | ||
| Summer Surf (1964) | ||
| Mr. Eliminator (1964) | |
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| Checkered Flag (1963) | ||
| King of the Surf Guitar (1963) | ||
| Surfers' Choice (1962) | |
Notable Guitars:
Fender Stratocaster Dick Dale Signature Model
Sheet Music:
Similar Artists:
The Ventures
Duane Eddy
Gary Hoey
Links:
Dick Dale Official Website
Dick Dale MySpace Page
Talk About Dick Dale in the Discussion Forums
Artist Updates:
Dick Dale "Misirlou" Video
