An offbeat collection of retro surf movie soundtrack tunes

Monday night I was sitting around with my Hawaiian friend Keith, appreciating his attempts --his highly, highly successful attempts-- to roll some awesome homemade sushi, from ingredients with mostly Japanese lettering on the packaging (well . . . except the Spam. Which I just learned is well-loved in Hawaii). A bunch of us were enjoying Japanese plum wine while we waited for the massive assortment of tasty rolls to be ready to devour, and listening to some Chantilly-Lace variety oldies that were on the radio.

Chairman Of The Board is a new release on the UK's Harmless Records, and is a fantastically offbeat collection of forgotten retro songs from surf movies of the 1960s & '70s. Had I gotten this album just two days prior, it absolutely would have been the soundtrack for the sushi feast and the subsequent impromptu lecture on Hawaiian culture from Keith.

From the MySpace: "For more than forty years, surf movies have played to audiences who were passionate, committed, and, quite often, stoned. Never mind the Beach Boys, Dick Dale or the sand stomping legends of the surf guitar. Chairman Of The Board is a collection of the lost soundtracks from the Golden Era of the surf movie; a time during the mid 60s to the mid 70s when counter culture and surf culture where on a parallel journey. These surf films were often low budget, badly edited and overly long masterpieces that beautifully reflected the genuine aspirations of an era where travel, tropical surf and a big fatty at sunset combined with the energy, moods and dreams that echoed through the music. These accompanying soundtracks had a limited release or just existed on the film."

I love the historical delving and subsequent restoration of these tracks to be aired out this summer in all their glory. This could become my new favorite CD -- the perfect soundtrack to the season, whatever I'll be eating. Hopefully more of that sushi, or maybe next time Keith'll throw a pig in the pit.

LISTEN:

San Ho Zay - Farm

(my hometown, San Jose is a fine city with absolutely no surfing within its borders)

Released June 25 in the UK, preorder the import now:
Chairman of The Board: Surf Soundtracks '64 to '74