Instromania!

Monday, 25 August 2025

Playlist

Frantics - The Whip

Diablito - The Jungle

Eddie Osborn - Perfidia

Gigolos - Movin’ Out

Sounds - Mandschurian Beat

Alberto Baldan E Il Suo Complesso - The Surf

Prince Buster’s All Stars - One Step Beyond

Harper, Russe, St. George - Shock Cords

ZZ En De Maskers - Cadillac

Playboys - Charge It

Ventures - Lonely Heart

Spooner’s Crowd - Two In The Morning

Man Or Astroman? - Yo Yo’s Pad

Orbital - The Saint

The Chemist & The Acevities - Cosmic Anarchist Wave

5.6.7.8’s - Highschool Witch

Moonshine Rhythm Club - Swedish Pastry

Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited - Shark Surfin’ Girl

Geezer - Psychoriffadelia

Monday, 18 August 2025

Playlist

Frantics - The Whip

Danny Steel With Hank Farrell And His Rhythm Boys - Chinese Twist

Hot Butter - Popcorn

Surf Teens - The Moment Of Truth

Shorty Rogers - El Nubio

Vassilis Vassiliadis - Solo Tsifteteli

Eka Sapta - Gambang Suling

Armando Trovajoli - Vedo Nudo (Diva Samba)

Balfa Freres - Lake Arthur Stomp

Wet Tones - Apache Trail

Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica - Andalucia

Silent Caravan - Sunrise Over Babylon

Surf Coasters - Last Train

Gramatik - Cirkus

UR - Labyrinth Of Light

Electric Eye - 6 AM

Monday, 11 August 2025

Playlist

Frantics - The Whip

Corvetttes With Bill Duzan - Shaften

André Brasseur - Special 230

Picnics - Picnic Dreams

Tornadoes - Moon Dawg

Jackie Mittoo & The Skatalites - Killer Diller

Bernado Martini And The Crystal Guitar - Silver Dust

Big Jay McNeely And His Orchestra - Let’s Work

Sun Lightning Incorporated - Quasar 45

Marksmen - Night Run

Roland Alphonso - Blackberry Brandy

Galaxies IV - Piccadilly Circus

El Indio - The 7^th Wave

MOOP - La Bercude

Silent Caravan - Doomsday Boogie (I Am Become Death)

Dirty Fuse - The New Victor

Tikiyaki Orchestra - Forbidden Isle

Los Oxidados - Baile Muerte

Grand Atomic - Ivy King

Monday, 4 August 2025

Playlist

Frantics - The Whip

Bailey’s Nervous Kats Featuring Herb Kliebe - Devil’s Run

Walter Wanderley - Só Danço Samba

Star Tones - Harlem Nocturne

Chuck Daniels And The Downbeats - Saturday Nite On The Moon

Los Dragones - El Trotamundos

Impact V - Riptide

Thunderbirds - Royal Whirl

Omar Khorshid - Sidi Mansour

Skatalites - Beardsman Ska

Jerry & The Catalinas - The Arabian Knight

Peter Van Wood - Ghost Party

Final Exit - Black Sand Beach

Colman Brothers - El Niño

Lisa Beat E I Bugiardi - La Decima Vittima

Kösmonaut - Eagle-Bone Vision

Monday, 28 July 2025

Playlist

Frantics - The Whip

Shadows - Quartermaster’s Stores

Alan Moorhouse - Boss Man

Jive-A-Tones - The Wild Bird

Elliott Fisher - Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Ventures - Journey To The Stars

Bambinos - Algiers

Erwin Halletz & His Orchestra - Lips Of Fire

Dick Hyman/Mary Mayo - Moon Gas

Jades - Surfin’ Crow

Tony Osborne & His Orchestra - Marrakesh

Pebble Episode - Tripsy

Laurence Mason - Golden Brown

Satans Pilgrims - Petty-43

Sonido Gallo Negro - La Pollera Amarilla

Black Sky Giant - End Of Days Pilgrimage

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By the late 1950’s a new craze was sweeping rock’n’roll – hot guitar and saxophone instrumentals.

The first rock’n’roll instrumentals were originally performed by Rhythm & Blues combos popular at dances throughout the fifties. Black recorded music was overwhelmingly vocal, notable exceptions being Jody Williams "Lucky Lou" in 1957 and Mickey Bakers “Do What You Did”.

Rockabilly turned rock’n’roll into a worldwide phenomenon but by 1957 the inevitable conservative backlash had largely driven the music back underground replacing it with middle of the road pop sung by teen idols.

Offering an exciting alternative to this watered down material instrumental bands flourished at the local level and were responsible for keeping alive the raunchiest and wildest aspects of rock & roll. The lack of vocals allowed bands to engage in uninhibited jams and pioneer new musical styles.

Link Wrays “Rumble” in 1958 and Johnny & The Hurricanes “Crossfire” in 1959 were just two of many innovative tunes making an impression on the singles charts. In 1960 Duane Eddy was the first rock’n’roll guitarist to have a signature model guitar and was voted “World’s Number One Musical Personality” by New Musical Express in the UK. That country’s premier instrumental band The Shadows launched their debut single “Apache” the same year and later went on to adopt a distinctively exaggerated brand of choreography widely imitated. The most successful instrumental rock band of all time was The Ventures who’s influential “Walk Don’t Run” in 1960 inspired an entire generation of young guitarists.

Surf Music burst on the scene in Southern California in 1961 and infused new energy into the genre. Adding Spanish/Mexican and middle eastern influences to the rock’n’roll mix it got its unique sound by the use of newly invented technologies such as reverb tanks. Generous use of the whammy bar and rapid double picking on the guitar (as exemplified by Dick Dale in 1963 with “Miserlou”) were other features of the music.