Wipe Out (instrumental)

"Wipe Out"
Single by The Surfaris
from the album Wipe Out
A-side	"Surfer Joe"
Released	January, 1963
Format	7"
Recorded	1962, Cucamonga's Pal Recording Studio
Genre	Surf rock
Length	2:12
Label	DFS, Princess, Dot
Writer(s)	Bob Berryhill, Pat Connolly, Jim Fuller, Ron Wilson
The Surfaris singles chronology
"Wipe Out" (1963) "Point Panic" (1963)
Music sample "Wipeout"

"Wipe Out" is an instrumental composed by Bob Berryhill, Pat Connolly, Jim Fuller, and Ron Wilson. It is a twelve bar blues^[1] first performed and recorded by the Surfaris, who were elevated to international status with the release of the "Surfer Joe" and "Wipe Out" single in 1963.

The single was first issued on the tiny DFS label (#11/12) in January 1963. It was reissued on the tiny Princess label (#50) in February 1963, and finally picked up for national distribution on Dot 45-16479 in April 1963. Dot reissued the single in April 1965 as 45-144.

The song – both the Surfaris' version as well as cover versions – has been featured in over 20 films and television series since 1964, appearing at least once a decade.^[2]

The term "wipe out" refers to a fall from a surfboard, especially one that looks painful.

Background

Bob Berryhill, Pat Connolly, Jim Fuller and Ron Wilson wrote the tune almost on the spot, as a suitable B-side was needed for the intended "Surfer Joe" single. In late 1962, while the band was in Cucamonga's Pal Recording Studio recording the single, one of the band members suggested that a gimmick sound indicating a wipe out off a surfboard be emulated. The suggestion was made that during the introduction before the music starts, a cracking sound, imitating a breaking surfboard, should be made. This followed by a manic voice babbling, "ha ha ha ha ha, wipe out." The spoken voice at the beginning of the song is the voice of the band's manager at the time, Dale Smallin.

Single reception

The afterthought track spent four months on the national Billboard chart in the autumn of 1963, reaching #2 and kept out of the top slot only by Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips". The smash hit "Wipe Out" returned to the Hot 100 in 1966, reaching #16 in Billboard and #9 in Cash Box in its second national chart run, landing at #63 on the Year-end chart. This time it is said to have sold around 700,000 copies in the US to add to its original million-plus. Meanwhile, original A-side "Surfer Joe", sung by Ron Wilson, only attracted airplay in the wake of "Wipe Out"'s success, and peaked at #62 during its six-week run. Wilson's energetic drum solo for "Wipe Out" (a sped-up version of his Charter Oak High School marching band's drum cadence) was beaten out on malt-shop tables all over the country, helping the song become one of the best-remembered instrumental tunes of the period. Drummer Sandy Nelson issued different versions on different LPs. "Wipe Out", in 1970, peaked at number 110 in the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. The single spent a grand total of 30 weeks on the Hot 100.

Personnel

• Rhythm guitar: Bob Berryhill
• Lead guitar: Jim Fuller
• Bass: Pat Connolly
• Drums: Ron Wilson

Charts

In popular culture

Following the 2001 death of television personality Morton Downey, Jr., news reports and obituaries incorrectly credited him as the composer of "Wipe Out."^[7][8] As of 2010, Downey's official website continued to make this claim but it has been changed to state he "also played major roles in the production of the hit surf music era songs Pipeline and Wipeout."^[9]

In science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer's Neanderthal Parallax series, the DNA sequence for a deadly virus is saved in a computer folder entitled "Surfaris". A character immediately recognizes this as a reference to "Wipe Out" and determines that the virus will wipe out all of the Neanderthals on a parallel universe's Earth. She then rewrites the DNA code to a non-lethal version and calls the file "Surfer Joe" in reference to the A-side of "Wipe Out".

In the late 2000s, the track was used on "Harry Hill's TV Burp", usually played when Harry or the Knitted Character ride a jelly.

"Wipe Out" has been used on a number of film tracks, including Dark Star (1974), Dirty Dancing (1987), The Sandlot (1993), Toy Story 2 (1999), Recess: School's Out (2001), and Surf's Up (2007).

The Fat Boys feat. The Beach Boys version

In the summer of 1987 a remake of "Wipe Out" by The Fat Boys & The Beach Boys collaborating made #12 US and #2 UK.

Music video

The music video begins with an announcement of a boxing match, the Fat Boys and assist of which is interrupted by an uprising. In the following scene, the Fat Boys load up a car with swimsuits and then drive off, thereby driving the Beach Boys with a beach buggy through the city. Both bands go around the city in the direction of a beach, while they perform the song and animate the inhabitants of the city to come to the beach. The beach is one of the Fat Boys tries to lift a heavy weight and is laughed at by two women because of failure, another playing volleyball and another surfing. The Beach Boys on the other hand scratching vinyl records. In the course of the video all celebrate a beach party.^[10]

Track listings

7" Single

1. Wipeout! 3:50
2. Fat Boys - Crushin' 3:40

12" Maxi

1. Wipeout! (Wave I) 6:05
2. Wipeout! (Wave II) 5:43
3. Fat Boys - Crushin' (12") 5:38

Charts

Other cover versions

• The Ventures covered "Wipe Out" on their albums Let's Go (1963) and The Ventures On Stage (1965).
• English punk band the Toy Dolls recorded a very fast version of "Wipe Out" on their second studio album A Far Out Disc in 1985.
• In 1993, Animal from The Muppets covered the song for the album Muppet Beach Party. Released as a single in 1994, it reached number 38 in the UK Singles Chart.^[12] A music video was created to promote the single and the album.
• Jan & Dean's live cover of "Wipe Out" from an earlier television appearance was featured on their 2001 album Live In Concert: Surf City.

References