The Surfin’ Lungs - Last Wave To Surfsville

By Dominic Picksley

The Surfin’ Lungs have marked 40 years since the release of their first single by ending a long wait to unveil their ninth studio album, Last Wave To Surfsville.

It has been seven years since Europe’s premier surf pop band gave us Surf Factor 8 and their latest offering once more harks back to those American-themed days of sun and fun on the beach in the early 60s, with a surfboard under one arm and a pack of beer under the other.

Taking such luminaries as The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean and Gary Usher as their inspiration, mixed in with a healthy offering of Ramones-style punk and Blondie-esque New Wave sensibilities, the Lungs power through a 14-track long player which belies their now-ageing voices and frames, to such an extent that they sound as fresh now as they did all those years ago when they delivered Mickey’s Car to an unsuspecting musical public.

Chris Pearce remains their constant presence, the lead singer and guitarist since the band’s formation in 1981, a man whose voice is synonymous with their sound.

His sidekick and co-songwriter/bassist Steve Dean (also a co-founder of the band) may have taken a sabbatical from the group, reducing them to a trio, but the remaining Lungs, which also include long-time keyboardist/guitarist Clive Gilling and drummer Ray Webb, have remained faithful to their particular ‘formula’ – blasting out some great punk-pop tunes which conjure up images of the beach.

“We’re really pleased with how its come out, and the attention it’s received so far,” said Pearce, who insisted that the album title was a nod to a big hit by their idols The Monkees, rather than a farewell album, nipping that particular rumour firmly in the bud.

“It was Clive’s title and was just a take on ‘Last Train To Clarksville’. We’ve always loved The Monkees. especially Steve, so no, it’s got nothing to do with being a last album.

“I think it flows really well. And if we deviated away from our formula – if there is such a thing – it wouldn’t sound like us anymore.”

On recording the first-ever album without Dean, Pearce feels his absence does not detract from the album, although it meant more work for him.

“Steve is an awesome musician and a great songwriter… and we had that almost telepathic musical connection that partnerships have,” he said, “and, of course, it took longer as I had to record the bass as well, but I was also keen to prove we could pick ourselves up and do it.

“We started in around a year ago, and just recorded the first four tracks to prove that we could still sound like The Surfin’ Lungs even without Steve on the record.

“We’re just pleased to have made a very good album and hope lots of people get to hear it and enjoy it.”

Gilling revealed how different this LP was to make than previous releases. He said: “We faced some different challenges recording this album. Chris’s input was quite phenomenal – writing and arranging most of the songs and playing a variety of the instruments.

“From the first recording session to the final mix, the album actually took a year to record. With previous albums we would have had all the songs ready and rehearsed before entering the studio. This was more of a gradual building process. However, I don’t think this made any difference to the overall sound or feel to the album.”

Opening with the rollocking Beach Patrol, with an intro that owes more than a passing resemblance to The Beach Boys’ Fun, Fun, Fun, things turn towards 50s/60s B-movie territory – Giant Scorpion Attack, is a thumping, hard rock/synthesiser pastiche to the corny, monster films.

The Scorpion track is Pearce’s favourite, as he revealed: “I love Giant Scorpion Attack, partly because I love B-movies and also I like songs with a sort of cinematic bent. A storyline where you can picture each verse in your head.”

The rock’n’roll-themed What Would Elvis Do swings, despite the goofy lyrics, while Summer In The Metro offers up the pitfalls of travelling on the underground in the hot, sticky summers, again to a punchy backbeat.

In between ‘Elvis’ and ‘Metro’ come a bass-laden instrumental Date With Danger, while Webb finally gets his first lead vocal on a Lungs album with the ballad Jacqueline.

Gilling always gets the chance to showcase one of his own tunes on the album – and following on from Mr Gasser Go, Go, Go, Surf, Drags & Rock’n’Roll, Bubblegum Summer and Girl With The Joey Ramone Tattoo from the previous four albums, this time he presents San Diego Dreaming as side one’s closer… and threatens to steal the show once more.

Strumming along on an acoustic guitar while delivering a gritty vocal, the Lungs fill out the sound behind him, making this song one of the standouts on the album.

“It was about a trip I took there some years back,” explains Gilling, who has been with the band since 1987. “We were hanging out with local music legend Joey Harris from The Beat Farmers. He had a hundred stories!

“He took us on a day trip to Tijuana and mentioned that when he was young he would listen to Wolfman Jack broadcasting locally from over the Mexican border region.

“He also mentioned a local character called ‘The Green Flash’ who would run along the Pacific Beach prom every morning. However, this guy would be ‘stark-bollock naked’ except for a pair of Dunlop Green Flash running shoes! Hence his moniker and hence the line in the song ‘Mother close your eyes’.”

Pearce interjected: “Clive always gets a song or two, and they’re always great and some of the most popular songs airplay-wise.

“Bubblegum Summer was the most played track from Full Petal Jacket, and Girl With The Joey Ramone Tattoo on Surf Factor 8 got quite a bit of airplay, too.

“It was great to have Ray’s lead vocal on record. He occasionally used to sing lead sometimes at live shows. I like his voice.”

Bump That!, a catchy singalong ditty, opens side two, and is propelled by Gilling’s horn-sounding keyboard, before the boys launch into the rip-roaring The Boys Dig Her The Most, while She Knows Jack powers along in typical Lungs fashion.

Topdown In The Rain sees Pearce slowing things down, but only a little, before they launch into their cover of the Z-Cars theme tune, a popular 60s/70s TV police drama.

They have recorded The Munsters and The Godfather themes in the past, and while they give Z-Cars an upbeat rendition, it nonetheless remains a curious addition to the set.

Asked why the band opted to record the track, Pearce explained: “It was something I demoed, and the other guys liked it and wanted to do it.

“I saw it as a fun, danceable tune, irrespective of whether you know the TV show or not, which you would only do if you’re British and of a certain age anyway!”

Gilling also revealed that Z-Cars was almost usurped by another theme from the dim and distant past: “Regarding Z-Cars, this is the one track that maybe doesn’t sit in with the rest, but we needed another track. Chris always likes the idea of having 14 tracks – seven songs each side ‘like The Beatles albums’ and he has a love of 60s TV and themes.

“The other theme on the demos he played (as good as it was) was ‘Champion The Wonder Horse’, which definitely would have stuck out as an oddity. So Z-Cars was the better choice!”

Feelgood tunes Boardrider and A Summer To Remember bring the album to close, the latter a fitting tribute to Dean who co-wrote the track before he took some time out.

Final word goes to the excellent album cover, which is a throwback to the surf/hot rod LPs of the early 60s. Obviously inspired by The Beach Boys’ 1964 release All Summer Long, with a picture montage of surfers, cool kids dancing and playing on the beach, and the instruments played by the band, it gets you in the mood even before you’ve spun the first track.

“We’re all very happy how it turned out and especially the whole look of the CD,” concluded Gilling.