Dick Dale was an influential figure in early rock by introducing a new style called ‘surf guitar’. Dale upped the reverb on his electric guitar, and used Middle Eastern scales to bring a whole new sound to rock and roll.
Dale’s father was Lebanese, and he introduced his son to his native music. After the family relocated from Massachusetts to California, Dale took up surfing. A meeting with Leo Fender got Dale the chance to try out Fenders new guitar model, the Stratocaster. Dale says he wanted to try and play it ‘as loud as possible’, and then he also wanted to recreate the rumble sounds he heard while surfing.
After releasing Let’s Go Trippin’ in 1961 – a song considered to be the first surf rock song – Dale continued with ‘Misirlou’, a reworking of a traditional Middle Eastern song. This would become his signature song.
It was Quentin Tarrentino’s use of Misirlou in the movie ‘Pulp Fiction’ that brought Dick Dale back into the spotlight. Two new albums would follow along with touring in front of a new generation audience. Dick Dale suffered from several illnesses over the years, and said he continued touring into his 80’s because of his medical expenses.
Dick Dale, the ‘King of Surf Guitar’, died in 2019.
