There were a lot of instrumentals in 1963. Oh yeah, I mentioned this earlier.  But you know what there was also a lot of?  Surf rock instrumentals.

This was the year of “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris, an early surf rock jam that has probably stood as the most famous guitar riff of the year and as one of the most famous songs on the list of eligible songs.  I like the song fine, but I didn’t include it for the list.  I don’t know if it’s because of overplay or whatever, but I just didn’t connect with the song as much as the songs I’m highlighting today.  Also on the year-end list was “More” by Kai Winding, a long led by a high-screaming Ondioline part.  Like “Wipe Out,” that song is fine, just one I don’t see myself hearing that much in the future.

And then there was one other surf rock song by a group you’ve probably never heard of.  And that’s a real shame, because this band scored their only hit in 1963… with the best instrumental of the year.

“Pipeline” – The Chantays

#4 peak
#27 year-end

“Pipeline” is a true hidden gem.  In an era filled with tons of surf rock songs, I can’t believe this song has been largely forgotten.  When you combine the best instrumental of the year with easily the best guitar riffs of the year, you’ve accomplished something.

The Chantays were from Orange County, decades before it became a breeding ground for punk and pop punk music.  Originally calling their lone hit song “Liberty’s Whip,” in reference to the then-recent Western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, they switched the title when they saw a film relating to the Banzai Pipeline in the Pacific Ocean.

“Pipeline” was co-written by the band’s twin guitarists, Bob Spickard and Brian Carman.  And while Spickard plays lead guitar, everyone gets their chance to shine on this song.  Part of it is because of the song’s unusual mix.  Unlike most songs where the lead guitar is at the front of the mix, “Pipeline” uses an upside-down mix:  The rhythm guitar, bass, and electric piano are at the forefront, while the drums are almost buried and the lead guitar comes in as a complement rather than the main focus.  And it works.  Carman’s opening riff, a downward slide on the base E string, shoots through the sky like a warning flare before he begins playing the song’s main riff, an arpeggiated sequence alternating between E and G with B. While Carman’s dark and brooding guitar riff provides the menace for the incoming wave, Spickard’s guitar riff is clean and well-defined even with the upside down mix, the symbol that we’re about to catch a wave.  Furthermore, Warren Waters’s two note bass riff, mirroring Carman’s riff, is effective as a complement to the song’s overall sound, and even drummer Bob Welch fits in some effective snare drum fills in a limited role.

But the secret weapon of the song is Rob Marshall and his electric piano.  Maybe the sound of his instrument automatically makes the song dated – it’s so obvious it’s a product of the early 1960s in the same way as people took The Jetsons as the way of the future, and yet, it’s the element that provides the extra dimension to the song.  Marshall’s opening downward sloping chord is ominous and brooding, and along with Carman’s main riff it sets the stage for all that is to follow.  But then, in the bridge we get his primary riff in the song.  Some may say that his electric piano sounds more suitable for a sci-fi fantasy set in outer space than the Pacific Ocean, but it’s so 1963 in the best way possible.  It’s turning the song into a technicolor view of the wave, making everything so vivid, that we’re left to just stand there in awe at the atmosphere of the song.  Whereas “Wipe Out” is the sound of a surfer catching the wave and falling, “Pipeline” is the sound of the surfer completing the wave, not with nervous pompousness as he does in a Beach Boys song, but with stellar showmanship and grace.

While it may be forgotten today (sadly), “Pipeline” made history in May 1963, when in a sign of the apocalypse, The Chantays performed the song on The Lawrence Welk Show.  They were the only rock band of any kind to ever perform on the show, and honestly, it’s kinda funny to see the band mime and dance to the song while the formally dressed band members sit in complete bafflement at what they’re seeing.  Or maybe they’re realizing, for the first time in their lives, that surf rock could be a thing.  

I can’t recommend this song enough.  No other song in 1963, even the songs I’m putting above it on this list, matches “Pipeline” in terms of riffs.  No other song from this year gave a presentation that allowed all its band members to show off their skills.  “Pipeline” is a must-listen for anyone looking to get into surf rock, and it’s not just the best instrumental of the year.  It’s up there with “Green Onions” and “Classical Gas” as one of the greatest pop music instrumentals of all time.

UP NEXT: At #2 comes a song that will never fail to make you happy.

IMAGE SOURCES

Album cover from Amazon

Photo of The Chantays from Pinterest, initially from