Interview with Dick Dale, May 15, 1998

Partial Transcript: --makeshift rooms. That's basically it.

Segment Synopsis: A brief conversation with Dick Dale's booking agent, Ray Scott.

Keywords: Audio devices; Capital Records; Dale, Dick (Artist); Demise; Developing; Recording; Recording studios; Scott, Ray; Sound; World War II

Subjects: Capitol Records, Inc.; Dale, Dick (Guitarist); History of science and technology; Music; Record labels.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: No, I can't not do that.

Segment Synopsis: Dale discusses how his dissatisfaction with current sound recording systems and studios led him to create his own personal studio in Tacate, California.

Keywords: Case Western Reserve University; Consoles (mixing); Consoles (recording); Dale, Dick (Artist); Del-tones, the (Artist); Disclaimer; Doctorate; Guitars; Hanger; Interview; Misirlou (Song); National Science Foundation; Protopunk; Punk movement; Ranch; Recording Studios; Research; Sound; Stage; Study; Surf; Surf music; Surfing; Tacate (Calif.)

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; California; Case Western Reserve University; Dale, Dick (Guitarist); Dale, Dick (Vocalist); Del-Tones (Musical group); Guitar; History of science and technology; Music; Punk culture and art; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recording industry--United States; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and Reproduction--History; Sound--Recording and reproduction; Surf music; Surfing

Partial Transcript: Well, you know, I thought, to me, I can listen to 'Misirlou' a hundred and ninety seven times, easily.

Segment Synopsis: Dale discusses the development of his trademark sound, known as the "Surf Sound" or "Dick Dale Sound."

Keywords: Acoustic bass; Amplification; Amplifiers; Bass; Berry, Chuck (Artist); Dances; Earth; Electric bass; Electric guitars; Fender; Fender, Leo; Guitars; Hollow body guitars; Jazz; King; King of the Surf Guitars; Lions; Mother Earth; Nature; Oceans; Power rock; Protopunk; Roar; Rock 'n' roll; Rock music; Solid body guitars; Surf; Surf music; Surfers; Surfing; Tigers; Tribal Thunder (Album); Upright bass; Wet; Wet sound

Subjects: Amplifiers (Electronic); Audio equipment industry; California; Dale, Dick (Guitarist); Dale, Dick (Vocalist); Fender Musical Instruments; Fender, Leo 1909-1991; Guitar; History of science and technology; Jazz music.; Music; Record labels.; Rock 'n' Roll era; Rock-n-roll groups; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Surfing

Partial Transcript: Uh, the solid body guitar is what made the sound, of the power, sound.

Segment Synopsis: Dale discusses his philosophy regarding guitar strings.

Keywords: Blue; Blue steel; Blue steel strings; Break; Breaking; Concerts; Dale, Dick (Artist); Dean Markley guitar strings; Gauge; Grinding; Guitar picks; Guitar strings; Guitars; Heat; Heat treatment; High gauge guitar strings; Melt; Picks; Saddle; Sixty wound; Strings; Wound

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; California; Dale, Dick (Guitarist); Dale, Dick (Vocalist); Fender Musical Instruments; Fender, Leo 1909-1991; Guitar; History of science and technology; Music; Rock 'n' Roll era; Rock-n-roll groups; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Surfing

Partial Transcript: So, what I'm tryin' to do is, is tell you, quickly, what--this, this, this history.

Segment Synopsis: Dale describes his personal and professional relationship with Leo Fender, which includes the creation of the Dual Schumann amplifier.

Keywords: Amplifiers (models) Schumann; Cure, the (Artist); Dale, Dick (Artist); Europe; Fender Stratocaster; Fender, Leo; Guitars; Heavy metal music; Left handed; Left handed guitarists; Left handed guitars; Left handed musical instruments; Left-handed; Left-handed guitarists; Left-handed guitars; Left-handed musical instruments; Social Distortion (Artist); Stratocaster; Transformers; Transformers (models) Dick Dale Output; Watt; Winding

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; California; Cure (Musical group); Dale, Dick (Guitarist); Dale, Dick (Vocalist); Fender Musical Instruments; Fender, Leo 1909-1991; Guitar; Heavy metal (Music); History of science and technology; Music; Rock 'n' Roll era; Rock-n-roll groups; Social Distortion (Musical group); Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Surfing

Partial Transcript: Nobody can match that sound. And, now, the reverb came later.

Segment Synopsis: Dale discusses the utilization of reverberation in surf music and talks about his sound recording methods.

Keywords: 1 track; Albums; Audio devices; Choice; Dale, Dick (Artist); Echo (reverberation) chambers; Eddy, Duane; Gadgets; Green tank; Guitar picks; Hammond Organ; Hazelwood, Lee; Let's Go Trippin' (Song); Martin, Dean (Artist); Microphone (models) Birdcage; Microphone (models) Sure Dynamic; Misirlou (Song); Monaural; Mono; Multi-tracking; Notes; One track; Organs; Percussion; Pianos; Pick style; Picking; Presley, Elvis (Artist); Recording studios; Records; Reverberation; Single track; Speakers; Splash; Splashy; Staccato; Surf music; Surfer; Surfer's Choice (Album); Tank; Three track; Track; Tubes; Vibratos; Voices; Wet; Wet sound; Wiring

Subjects: California; Dale, Dick; Dale, Dick (Guitarist); Dale, Dick (Vocalist); Eddy, Duane; Guitar; Hammond organ; Hazelwood, Lee; History of science and technology; Martin, Dean, 1917-1995; Microphone; Music; Organ and Electronic music; Percussion; Piano; Presley, Elvis, 1935-1977.; Rock 'n' roll era; Rock-n-roll groups; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recording producers; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Surfing; Tribal Thunder

Partial Transcript: Yeah. That's what, see that's what this guy, Lee Hazelwood, that produced Duane Eddy, did.

Segment Synopsis: Dale discusses his musical influences and the history of 'surf sound.'

Keywords: Bass; Berry, Chuck (Artist); Big bands; Country music; Cymbals; Cymbals (models) Zildijan; Dale, Dick (Artist); Devil music; Drums; Eddy, Duane (Artist); Evil; Father of Heavy Metal; Fender Musical Instruments Corporation; Fender, Leo; Fleetwood, Mick (Artist); Ford, Mary (Artist); Gauge; Guitar Magazine; Guitar necks; Guitar strings; Guitars; Heavy metal music; High gauge strings; How High the Moon (Song); Jazz; Kenton, Stan (Artist); Krupa, Gene (Artist); Microphones; Paul, Les Paul; Percussion; Percussive; Protopunk; Rendezvous Ballroom; Rhythm; Rock 'n' Roll; Rock music; Shaolin Monks; Sinatra, Frank (Artist); Soft; Speakers; Teenagers; Temples; The Avedis Zildjian Company; Tongue; Tuning; White, Forrest; Williams, Hank (Artist)

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Berry, Chuck.; Big Band music; Dale Dick (Vocalist); Dale, Dick (Guitarist); Eddy, Duane; Fender Musical Instruments; Fender, Leo 1909-1991; Fleetwood, Mick.; Guitar; Heavy metal (Music); History of science and technology; Jazz music; Kenton, Stan; Krupa, Gene, 1909-1973; Music; Paul, Les; Percussion; Rock 'n' Roll era; Rock and Roll Music; Rock-n-roll groups; Sinatra, Frank 1907-; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Surfing; Williams, Hank, 1923-1953.

Partial Transcript: Do, I mean, you know, did they--when you were doin' this stuff--this was novel enough where, where, you know, I know that there was not anything like a rock press then, but would local newspapers cover these shows and, and write you up?

Segment Synopsis: Dale discusses his media coverage in the 1950s and 1960s, his use of amplification, and his participation in the famous Warped musical tour.

Keywords: Amplifiers; Amplifiers (models) JBL; Amplifiers (models) Showman; Audio devices; Country music.; Dale, Dick (Artist); Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.; Fender, Leo; Grunge music; Life Magazine; Media; Motorhead (Artist); Music; Newspapers; Police; Press; Rock; Rock 'n' roll; Sound; Speakers; Special Output Transformers; Tours; Transformers; Warped Tour; Watts

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; California; Dale, Dick (Guitarist); Dale,Dick (Vocalist); Fender, Leo, 1909-1991; Grunge music; Grunge music.; Guitar; History of science and technology; Motörhead (Musical group); Music; Rock 'n' Roll era; Rock and Roll music; Rock-n-roll groups; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Surfing

Partial Transcript: You know, this is, this is the thing that's so great because this is why this whole thing--

Segment Synopsis: Dale discusses his personal life, philosophy regarding drugs and alcohol use, and his experiences in early recording studios.

Keywords: Age; Alcohol; Anaheim (Calif.); Audio engineers; Beach Boys (Artist); Capitol Records; Children; Cleveland (Ohio); Dale, Dick (Artist); Desert; Dirt bikes; Drugs; Education; Family; Fathers; Gilmore, Voyle; Gold Star Records; Gold Star Studios; Harmony Park, Alexandria (Minn.); Hendrix, Jimi (Artist); Hollywood (Calif.); Homeschooling; Hughes Aircraft Company; Indie; Inspiration; Jan and Dean (Artist); Live; Meat; Monsieur, James; Monsieur, Jim; Moon, Keith; Motorcycles; Music producers; Parenting; Parents; Pasadena (Calif.); Paul, Les; Peer pressure; Performance; Presley, Elvis (Artist); Radio Recorders; Recording; Recording studios.; Records; Red meat; Rendezvous Ballroom; Richards, Keith (Artist); Sons; Sunset Boulevard; Vaughn, Stevie Ray (Artist); Vice-presidents; Vine Street; Who, the (Artist); Wife

Subjects: Anaheim (Calif.); Beach Boys; California; Capitol Records, Inc.; Cleveland (Ohio); Dale, Dick (Guitarist); Dale, Dick (Vocalist); Drugs.; Guitar; Hendrix, Jimi; History of science and technology; Hollywood (Calif.); Hughes Aircraft Company.; Jan and Dean; Moon, Keith, 1946-1978; Music; Pasadena (Calif.); Paul, Les; Presley, Elvis 1935-1977; Record labels.; Richards, Keith; Rock 'n' Roll era; Rock-n-roll groups; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Surfing; Vaughn, Steven; Who (Musical group)

Partial Transcript: It's not even the names of 'em, but do--you don't remember the kind of tape recorders that were being used?

Segment Synopsis: Dale discusses his experiences with early recording methods, recording his seminal song 'Misirlou', and his work with the Disney Corporation.

Keywords: Albums; Ampex Electric Corporation; Barns; Beirut (Lebanon); Bendix Wire; Boston (Mass.); Calling Up Spirits (Album); Dale, Dick (Artist); Discoveries Magazine; Disneyland; Fender Musical Instruments Corporation; Fender, Leo; Guitars; Hallways; Hawaii; Lebanon; Live; Misirlou (Song); Multi-tracking; One reel; Out of tune; Overdubbing; Performances; Presence; Quality; Raw sound; Recorders, tape (models); Recorders, tape (models): Ampex; Recorders, tape (models): Suitcase; Recording studios; Reels; Space Mountain; Stages; Steel guitars; Tape; Tomorrowland; Traverse, Freddie; Tribal Thunder (Album); Unknown Territory (Album); Walt Disney Company

Subjects: Ampex Corporation; Audio equipment industry; Boston (Mass.); California; Dale, Dick (Guitarist); Dale, Dick (Vocalist); Disneyland (Calif.); Fender, Leo 1909-1991; Guitar; Hawaii; History of science and technology; Lebanon; Music; Record labels.; Rock 'n' Roll groups; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Steel guitar greats; Surfing