The Phantom Surfers - Istanbul. Lookout Records 7". Lookout 156.

I don't know who made the decision to sign The Phantom Surfers (and, indeed, The Go-Nuts) to Lookout, but it was a fairly strange one. I suppose there was all that filthy sell-out lucre they'd earned on the backs of Green Day or The Offspring to get through. I can't imagine they sold that many records despite seeming to spend quite a bit on the releases (their first Lookout LP had a Jack Davis cover!). Anyhow, Larry Livermore's losses are our gain. Here's the cover of a track by The Renegades (Istanbul) and a Phantom Surfers original (Tokyo Twist). Enjoy.

The Phantom Surfers - Istanbul. Lookout Records 7". Lookout 156.

instrumental lookout records phantom surfers surf

Various Artists - The Phantom Surfers and The Astronauts split single. Pin Up Records 7". PIN UP 94013.

Jesus, where did the time go? I never meant to be away for nearly a month, but real life got in the way. Not in the way of transcribing vinyl, more in the way of sitting down and writing and uploading. It's been a busy time and, frankly, I've not been arsed enough to do stuff. Not now, though. I return, embiggened and there's a lot to share. The next four posts are themed - European Tour singles 'only' available from merchandise stalls during Our Favourite Bands' tours of Yoop. Tonight, it's the turn of The Phantom Surfers and The Astronauts. The former from the United States, the latter from Germany, but they got to play two dates in England so that meant some kind of getting over here vibe for them. Coming up next, in no particular order, The Untamed Youth's Special European Tour 45 1996, Man Or Astroman? vs Europa and The Mummies & Supercharger Tour '93 flexi-disc (from flexi-disc). Enjoy.

Various Artists - The Phantom Surfers and The Astronauts split single. Pin Up Records 7". PIN UP 94013.

astronauts Europe phantom surfers pin up records surf The Astronauts

The Lone Surfer and his Super Pals - Planet Pimp Records Present ... Planet Pimp 7" PPR-003.

A garage rock/surf super group that only came about because one member of The Phantom Surfers choked when Dick Dale had a gig the same night they were due to play at The Pony Express Pizza Parlour. The full story, along with the story of the fella getting a fist full of cash at the bottom left of the sleeve, can be found here. This release is pure Planet Pimp flogging a dead horse exploitation. Enjoy.

The Lone Surfer and his Super Pals - Planet Pimp Records Present ... Planet Pimp 7" PPR-003.

phantom surfers planet pimp records surf The Mummies The Trashwomen

 The first single from the golden glove champs of the west coast Go Sound from way back in 1991. A propos nothing at all, here's a good video of them playing in Portugal a couple of years ago. I see Johnny's back. It would have been a GREAT video, but some nit cut out all the inter-song banter. The best thing about any Phantom Surfers performance is the inter-song banter. And the jokes. The music is incidental to the banter.  And if any of you were technically-minded enough to download the video (in the best possible quality) and send me a copy I'd be very, very happy.

The Phantom Surfers - Besame Mucho. Standard Recordings 7".  SR71.

phantom surfers standard recordings

The Astronauts - The Big Sound of The Astronauts. Pin Up Records 7". PIN UP 95-025.

I was fortunate enough to see this German surf band supporting The Phantom Surfers at The Frat Shack in Euston Station, London. I hadn't heard them before that night and it's fair to say they blew me away with how good they were. They wore costumes as well. Costume-based surf bands are The Best. Enjoy.

The Astronauts - The Big Sound of The Astronauts. Pin Up Records 7". PIN UP 95-025.

phantom surfers pin up records The Astronauts

The Go-Nuts - Go Nuts With The Go-Nuts. Estrus Records 7". ES753.

The first release from the band who would go on to be The World's Greatest Super Hero Snak Rock and Gorilla Entertainment Revue. Here, they are merely America's Premier Superhero Food Band. And a three-piece. Korn Dog joined later. This features the first appearance of the celebrated Go Nuts Theme. Enjoy.

The Go-Nuts - Go Nuts With The Go-Nuts. Estrus Records 7". ES753.

estrus go-nuts phantom surfers snak rock untamed youth

Various Artists - Fuck You Spaceman. Planet Pimp Records. PPR-001.

A treat for April Fools' Day from the deranged mind of Sven Erik Geddes.

   1. Slug Dick Nick: In The Bilges
   2. Mummies: (Doin') The Kirk
   3. Three Stoned Men: Lieutenant Uhuru
   4. The Phantom Surfers: Klingons vs. Daleks
   5. The Possessed Accordion Of Alicia Rose: Themato Il Cosmonauto

Enjoy.
Various Artists - Fuck You Spaceman. Planet Pimp Records.  PPR-001.

daleks doctor who garfield mummies phantom surfers planet pimp records star trek

The Untamed Youth - Doin Me In. Teen-Rage Records 7".

Released, at a later date, on Deke Dickerson's Teen-Rage Records (a subsidiary of ECCO-FONIC INTL.), this contains the earliest recordings of The Untamed Youth. But you can read all that in the sleeve notes, can't you. Ignored by the many, loved by the few, The Untamed Youth were the very best of the many frat / surf bands, and you can hear their 'chops' developing in this ancient relic. Enjoy.

The Untamed Youth - Doin Me In. Teen-Rage Records 7".

Deke Dickerson frat rock phantom surfers the untamed youth

The Vice Barons - Vice Barons Meet ... The King of Fuzz. Screaming Apple EP.

Back in the late 1980/early 90s legendary Radio DJ John Peel would often start his programme with the promise of 'more boring Belgians'. This would usually herald the playing of some turgid, sub-Throbbing Gristle, 'dance' track with a pounding backbeat and upfront porno-sampled vocals. Which seemed to last for years and years. The Vice Barons are not those boring Belgians. A surf, fuzz, instrumental riot from the low countries, they are the perfect antidote to the cliche of the 'boring Belgian'. Here, they tackle four songs made 'famous' by Davie Allan, the king of fuzz guitar. Enjoy.
The Vice Barons - Vice Barons Meet ... The King of Fuzz. Screaming Apple EP.

belgium fuzz phantom surfers vice barons

Various Losers - The Winners of the Vincent Price Beauty Contest (The Best of Repent Records Volume One). Repent 5432.

Hey! It's another LP! And because my scanner is too small and because I go to work when its dark and come home when its dark meaning I can't take a photo of the sleeve and also because the flash makes it look crap but mainly because no other loser has ever bothered making an image of the sleeve of this record and put it onto the web for me to steal ... there is no picture of the sleeve. It's pretty messy, anyway. So, instead, here's a picture of Mr. Michael Lucas drinking from what looks like a bottle of cough medicine from all that writing on the side of it. I lifted the picture. Sorry. I've done worse. Thanks, Toe Stubber. You've really captured the entrepeneurial spirit of Mr. J.P. Gutrock.
Just to prove I'm not totally lazy, here are the sleeve notes from the back. Hand-written by JPG himself.

"FROM THE DESK OF J.P. Gutrock
IT GIVE ME GREAT PLEASURE, ETC., 5 UP AND COMING, ETC, "TOUGH" (OR IS THIS EXPRESSION DATED? PLEASE CHECK - IF SO, CHANGE) PUNK/INDIE/ALTERNATIVE/NEW WAVE (CHECK DEMOGRAPHICS THIS WEEK & SELECT MOST SELLABLE GENRE) (THOUGHT - MAYBE "GARAGE"?). MENTION OTHER RELEASES BY THESE BANDS (REPENT RELEASES ONLY, OF COURSE), COUNT BACKWURDS (CHECK SP.) COURTESY SUMPP, WERTHEIMER MANAGEMENT GROUP, ETC. "DOING IT FOR THE KIDS." HOPE YOU ENJOY, ETC., OTHER FINE REPENT RELEASES (PLUG VULCANEERS LP ESPECIALLY). CLOSE WITH "ROCK ON" OR SOMETHING.
SHIRLEY - THE ABOVE ARE LINER NOTES FOR "V.P.B.C." - TYPE UP AND HAVE IT ON MY DESK TUESDAY A.M. ANY PLANS WEDNESDAY LUNCH?"

Various Losers - The Winners of the Vincent Price Beauty Contest (The Best of Repent Records Volume One). Repent 5432.

garage loli and the chones mike lucas phantom surfers repent records the count backwurds the distractors the gashouse gorillas the titans

The Phantom Surfers - Bikini Drag. Estrus Records ESP4.

Front. Back is blank.

Insert.

It would be too easy to sit here and say that money alone cannot buy you this sort of thing. Too easy and wrong, because I did buy it. But let's pretend that I didn't. Is there any other band so giving? Any other band which such utter respect for its fans? Any other band who would give away the secrets of their multi-million dollar-earning technique for practically nothing ($4 IIRC)? Download this, print out the the instructions on the printer at work, pick up your bass guitar and play along with The Phantom Surfers on 'Pleasure Point'. And don't forget ...gliss...

The Phantom Surfers - Bikini Drag. Estrus Records ESP4.

estrus phantom surfers surf

The Phantom Surfers - Flutter Foot / Playa Raton. Drop Out 7".

Two tunes from The Phantom Surfers. Johnny Bartlett's own composition, Flutter Foot backed up with a cover of Skip Roper's Playa Raton. Both tracks were later anthologised on the 1999 compilation LP/CD 'A Decade of Quality Control 1988 to 1999'.


The Phantom Surfers - Flutter Foot / Playa Raton. Drop Out 7".

phantom surfers surf

The Go-Nuts - The Donut Prince and The Pauper EP. Planet Pimp Records PPR-016.

Snak Rock superstars The Go-Nuts were that most prog-rock of things, a surf/garage 'supergroup' featuring members of The Phantom Surfers, The Untamed Youth and The Mummies. They were also greater than the sum of their parts but probably never got their due thanks to their stupid stupid schtick of dressing up as superheroes. And staying in character. There was almost a Go-Nuts TV pilot made, which would have been interesting, and you can see their influence on shows like Yo Gabba Gabba and Glee. Every record they made featured at least one different recording of The Go-Nuts theme. Bit by bit I'll post them all.


The Go-Nuts - The Donut Prince and The Pauper EP. Planet Pimp Records PPR-016.

go-nuts mummies phantom surfers untamed youth

Various Artists - Everybody's Goin' Surfin' / Nobody's Goin' Surfin'. Repent Records LP. 08-637.

I must confess I nicked the image above. I'm struggling to get good images from LP sleeves; particularly those with the shrink-wrap still on them, so I took the easy way out and lifted it from some Japanese fellas website. Sorry, Surfy San.

Anyhow, another upload, again from Mike Lucas's Repent label. This one is Heritage-focussed. Lots of 60s surf and not-surf. And The Phantom Surfers.

Enjoy.

Various Artists - Everybody's Goin' Surfin' / Nobody's Goin' Surfin'. Repent Records LP. 08-637.

mike lucas phantom surfers repent records surf

The Neatbeats - (Do The) Global Twist EP - Hillsdale Records HR-23.

Apparently John Lennon would have been 70 this year and there has been some activity around this. At what point does it flip from dead pop star would have been X years old to dead pop star was born X years ago? In ten years will it be John Lennon would have been 80 this year or will it be John Lennon was born 80 years ago. Tricky thing, history.

Anyway, how better to celebrate a dead pop star than with a long out-of-print record from a bunch of Japanese Beatleniks released by a Beatle-wig-wearing American. Here's Johnny...

The Neatbeats - (Do The) Global Twist EP - Hillsdale Records HR-23.

japan Liverpool phantom surfers

The Phantom Surfers - Survival of the Fattest EP. Planet Pimp Records PPR-012.

Anybody who has seen The Phantom Surfers play live knows that one of the greatest things about them is the side-splitting entertainment they provide. No, they're not really bad, just really good at between-song banter. This product of a natural partnership with wise-ass record label, Planet Pimp Records, appeared at the height of the post-Pulp Fiction fad for surf music and features precisely no surf music. The first track is a live performance by the band with all the music taken out; it's funny, but the great irony is that this stand-up double act (between guitarist Mel Bergman and bass player Mike Lucas) needs the music to help sweep it along. The final track is a Comfy Jones prank call to self-appointed inventor of Heavy Metal, Dick Dale, which is worth sitting through for the final pay-off, and to hear Dale's well-rehearsed description of himself. This track also sticks at the end, but I've left it in. It's not as if you'll be dancing to it...

The record came with a pre-printed postcard of complaint so that disappointed hipsters could request a refund from Mr. Sven-Erik Geddes.

 The Phantom Surfers - Survival of the Fattest EP. Planet Pimp Records PPR-012.

phantom surfers planet pimp records surf

The Trashwomen - Hillsdale Records EP HR01.

The first release from The Trashwomen is an all-instrumental treat which underlines how under-appreciated they were as a pure surf band. I'd put them up against any surf band you care to mention and expect them to emerge victorious. They'd kick away Dick Dale's walking stick, they'd surfers stomp The Phantom Surfers, they'd steal Man Or Astroman?'s lunch money*.  Get stuck in.

The Trashwomen - Hillsdale Records EP HR01.

*Yes, I know they're all old with beer bellies and second wives now, but I've been a bit out of touch with Mel Bergman's Moribund Music of the Early 90s.

Hillsdale Records phantom surfers surf The Trashwomen

The Phantom Surfers / Roofdogs - Hell Beach Party EP. Demolition Records DEMO 003.

Front

Centre

Back

All the way from Madrid in Spain, here's a split release featuring the magnificent Phantom Surfers and the less-magnificent, but still pretty good nonetheless, Roofdogs.  Roofdogs were the first ever band released by Estrus Records, a cassette only LP called Pound Bound. The two tracks here were taken from that release.  This is the only place you can get hold of The Phantom Surfers' version of Eddie and The Showmen's much-covered but utterly brilliant 'Squad Car'.

The Phantom Surfers / Roofdogs - Hell Beach Party EP. Demolition Records DEMO 003.

estrus madrid phantom surfers roofdogs spain squad car surf