The Chantays
Encyclopedia
The Chantays are an American
surf rock band
from the early 1960s, known for the hit
instrumental
, "Pipeline
" (1963). Their music combined electronic keyboard
s and surf guitar, creating a unique ghostly sound.
in California
, when a local group called The Rhythm Rockers inspired the five to form The Chantays. In December 1962, the group recorded and released "Pipeline", which eventually peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
in May 1963. The track also peaked in the UK Singles Chart
in 1963 at #16. The Chantays recorded their first album
in 1963, also entitled Pipeline, which included "Blunderbus" and "El Conquistador". Their follow-up album was Two Sides of The Chantays in 1964.
The Chantays toured Japan and the US joining the Righteous Brothers and Roy Orbison
on a few occasions, and they were the only rock and roll band to perform on the Lawrence Welk Show.
"Pipeline" (published as sheet music
in 1962 by Downey Music Publishing) has become a standard surf rock hit. The tune has since been covered
by Lawrence Welk
himself (on the Dot album Scarlet O'Hara), Al Caiola
(United Artists - Album "Greasy Kid Stuff"), The Ventures
, Agent Orange
, Hank Marvin
, Lively Ones. Dick Dale
with the help of Stevie Ray Vaughan
(Grammy Nominated), by thrash metal
band Anthrax
, Bad Manners
, and also by Johnny Thunders
. "Pipeline" has also been featured in many film
s, television program
s and commercials. It also appears on numerous compilation album
s.
The Chantays have been honored for their contributions to music. Some of the highlights include being honored on April 12, 1996 by Hollywood's Rock Walk, that was founded to honor individuals and bands that have made lasting and important contributions to music. The Chantays have also been included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio
. "Pipeline" is listed as one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Along with Bill Medley
of The Righteous Brothers and Diane Keaton
, The Chantays were honored by the City of Santa Ana, California and Santa Ana High School when they named a street after them, Chantays Way. OC Weekly Magazine also named The Chantays as one of the Best Orange County Bands.
Today, the Chantays are still playing. The band's original members Bob Spickard, Brian Carman and Bob Welch are joined by long time members Gil Orr, Ricky Lewis and Brian Nussle. The Chantays have recorded two new albums: The Next Set (live recording) and Waiting for the Tide. Some of the tracks included new songs "Crystal T" and "Killer Dana", along with remakes of "Pipeline", "El Conquistador" and "Blunderbus".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
surf rock band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from the early 1960s, known for the hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
instrumental
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
, "Pipeline
Pipeline (song)
"Pipeline" is a surf rock tune by The Chantays which was recorded in 1963.The tune, originally called "Liberty's Whip," was renamed after the band members saw a surfing movie showing scenes of the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. The tune, fitting in with the popular surfing craze of the time, swiftly...
" (1963). Their music combined electronic keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
s and surf guitar, creating a unique ghostly sound.
History
The Chantays were formed in 1961 when five high-school friends decided to start their own band. Bob Spickard, Brian Carman (co-writers of "Pipeline"), Bob Welch, Warren Waters and Rob Marshall were all students at Santa Ana High SchoolSanta Ana High School
Santa Ana High School is the oldest and largest high school in Orange County, California, United States. The school was established in 1889.-Notable alumni:*Beverly Bivens, singer with the 1960s band We Five*Gerald P...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, when a local group called The Rhythm Rockers inspired the five to form The Chantays. In December 1962, the group recorded and released "Pipeline", which eventually peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in May 1963. The track also peaked in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 1963 at #16. The Chantays recorded their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
in 1963, also entitled Pipeline, which included "Blunderbus" and "El Conquistador". Their follow-up album was Two Sides of The Chantays in 1964.
The Chantays toured Japan and the US joining the Righteous Brothers and Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
on a few occasions, and they were the only rock and roll band to perform on the Lawrence Welk Show.
"Pipeline" (published as sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
in 1962 by Downey Music Publishing) has become a standard surf rock hit. The tune has since been covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
himself (on the Dot album Scarlet O'Hara), Al Caiola
Al Caiola
Al Caiola is a guitarist who plays jazz, country, rock, western, and pop music. He has been both a studio musician and stage performer...
(United Artists - Album "Greasy Kid Stuff"), The Ventures
The Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
, Agent Orange
Agent Orange (band)
Agent Orange is an American punk rock band formed in Orange County, California in 1979. The band is one of the first to mix punk rock with surf music. They first gained attention with their song "Bloodstains" which they released on their own 7" E.P. An early demo of the song was presented to...
, Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
, Lively Ones. Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
with the help of Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
(Grammy Nominated), by thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Anthrax
Attack of the Killer B's
-Personnel:*Joey Belladonna - Lead vocals, Backing vocals*Dan Spitz - Lead guitar, Backing vocals*Scott Ian - Rhythm guitar, Backing vocals, Lead vocals on "Bring The Noise", "Protest and Survive", "Startin' Up A Posse", and "I'm The Man '91"*Frank Bello - Bass, Backing vocals*Charlie Benante -...
, Bad Manners
Bad Manners
Bad Manners are an English 2 Tone ska band. They quickly became the novelty favourites of the UK pop scene through their bald outsized frontman's on-stage antics, earning early exposure through their Top of The Pops exploits and an appearance in the live film documentary, Dance Craze.They were at...
, and also by Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
. "Pipeline" has also been featured in many film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s and commercials. It also appears on numerous compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s.
The Chantays have been honored for their contributions to music. Some of the highlights include being honored on April 12, 1996 by Hollywood's Rock Walk, that was founded to honor individuals and bands that have made lasting and important contributions to music. The Chantays have also been included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. "Pipeline" is listed as one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Along with Bill Medley
Bill Medley
William Thomas Medley is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers....
of The Righteous Brothers and Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
, The Chantays were honored by the City of Santa Ana, California and Santa Ana High School when they named a street after them, Chantays Way. OC Weekly Magazine also named The Chantays as one of the Best Orange County Bands.
Today, the Chantays are still playing. The band's original members Bob Spickard, Brian Carman and Bob Welch are joined by long time members Gil Orr, Ricky Lewis and Brian Nussle. The Chantays have recorded two new albums: The Next Set (live recording) and Waiting for the Tide. Some of the tracks included new songs "Crystal T" and "Killer Dana", along with remakes of "Pipeline", "El Conquistador" and "Blunderbus".
Members
- Bob Spickard - Guitar: original member
- Brian Carman - Guitar: original member
- Bob Welch - Drums: original member
- Warren Waters - Bass: original member
- Rob Marshall - Piano: original member
- Ricky Lewis - Guitar: long time member
- Gil Orr - Guitar/Bass: long time member
- Brian Nussle - Bass: long time member
Albums
- Pipeline (1963)
- Two Sides Of The Chantays (1964)
- Next Set (1994)
- Waiting For The Tide (1997)
Singles
- "Pipeline" (1962) LISTEN - 45 single
- "Monsoon" (1963)
- "Space Probe" (1963)
- "Only If You Care" (1964)
- "Beyond" (1964)
- "Greenz" (1965)
- "Fear Of The Rain" (1965) as the 'The Ill Winds'
- "It Never Works Out For Me" (1965) as the 'Leapin' Ferns'
Live
- Pipeline (Lawrence Welk Show, May 18, 1963) LISTEN
- Runaway (Lawrence Welk Show, May 18, 1963) LISTEN