Dick Dale rose to fame in the early 1960s with his groundbreaking surf rock sound. His 1962 debut album Surfer’s Choice with his band The Del-Tones sold over 88,000 copies locally in Southern California, which would equal over 4 million albums today adjusted for population growth.
Over his long career, Dick Dale has released these key albums:
Studio Albums:
- Surfer’s Choice (Deltone, 1962)
- King of the Surf Guitar (Capitol, 1963)
- Checkered Flag (Capitol, 1963)
- Mr. Eliminator (Capitol, 1964)
- Summer Surf (Capitol, 1964)
- The Tigers Loose (Balboa, 1983)
- Tribal Thunder (HighTone, 1993)
- Unknown Territory (1994)
- Calling Up Spirits (Beggars Banquet, 1996)
- Spacial Disorientation
Live Albums:
- Rock out with Dick Dale and his Del-Tones: Live at Ciro’s (Capitol, 1965)
Singles:
- “Let’s Go Trippin’/Del-Tone Rock” (Deltone, 1961)
- “Jungle Fever/Shake-N-Stomp” (Deltone, 1961)
- “Miserlou/Eight ‘Til Midnight” (Deltone, 1962)
- “Secret Surfin Spot/Surfin’ and Swingin'” (Capitol, 1963)
- “Let’s Go Trippin’ ’65/Watusi Jo” (Capitol, 1965)
- “”Pipeline” With Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nominated for a Grammy
Compilations and Soundtracks:
- Hot Rod Music on Capitol (Capitol, 1963)
- The Big Surfin’ Sounds on Capitol (Capitol, 1964)
- King of the Surf Guitar: The Best of Dick Dale & The Del-Tones (Rhino, 1986)
- Pulp Fiction Soundtrack (MCA, 1994)
- Cowabunga Surf Box Set (Rhino, 1996)
- Better Shred Than Dead: The Dick Dale Anthology (Rhino, 1997)
- MOM II Music for our Mother Ocean (Surf Dog Records, 1997)
With his blazing guitar solos and energetic live shows, Dick Dale earned the title “King of the Surf Guitar” and left a lasting impact on surf rock.