Norman Knowles

Norman Knowles is a surf musician, band leader, and record producer from California. He is the composer of several classic surf songs, including as co-writer of the surf classic "Church Key", which was a hit for The Revels. He also has been involved in band management, managing another surf band, The Sentinals. Knowles has made a significant contribution to the surf genre.

Norman Knowles
GenresSurf
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsSaxophone
Years activeLate 1950s to 2000s
Associated actsThe Dreamers, Gil Serna and The Rockets, The Revels, The Sentinals, The Centurions

Background

Knowles' compositions include "Church Key", "Intoxicate",[1] and "Six Pak".[2] He also produced "Latin’Ia" by The Sentinals.[3] He was responsible for the first recorded release by The Impacts.[4] He co-owned a record label with Tony Hilder. The label, Westco Records was located in Morro Bay.[5][6] As well as being the saxophonist and the band leader being of The Revels, he was also a both a member and manager of another surf rock act, The Sentinals.[7][6]

Having become tired of travelling and not making much money, Knowles got out of performing. He moved into management and booking acts. In 1989 and at the age of 50, he was working as an Amtrak ticket agent He had his own 200-acre ranch near King City in central California.[8]

Career

1950s to 1960s

Between 1959 and 1961, Knowles was leading The Revels.[9] They were originally called Gil Serna and The Rockets. When he changed their name to The Revels, the group's career took off.[10] He had success with a composition. Besides his co-composition with Dan Darnold, the classic "Church Key" (which was a hit for The Revels),[11][12] he co-composed "[[Six Pak" which was also a California hit.[13][14] Knowles got his inspiration for the song from Darnold's taking four seconds to drink a beer.[15] Along with The Revels, Knowles provided music for the Kent Mackenzie directed 1961 film, The Exiles which was about Native Americans living in Los Angeles.[16] Years later he recalled some of the tracks they recorded for the film which included "It's Party Time" and possibly "Revellion". He stated that the song "Commanche" that was written for the movie was cut out.[17] In 1962, The Sentinals released "Latin Soul" bw "Christmas Eve" on Era 3097. The A side was composed by Robert Hafner and the B side, a joint composition by Hafner and K.C. Reeth. Along with Tony Hilder, Knowles produced both sides. This was just one example of the Hilder, Knowles, Hafner involvement.[18][19][20] In 1963, Surf Mania by The Surf Teens was released. In addition to producing the album, the album contained five compositions by Knowles.[21][22][23]

In 1966, Knowles was out of the music business and became branch manager of an oil company. The company folded during the 1973 fuel crisis.[24]

Later years

He played on the California Live album by Merrell Fankhauser which was released in 1991.[25] Along with Sam Eddy and Tony Hilder, Knowles worked with Bob Irwin of Sundazed to aid in the 1994 release of Intoxica! The Best Of The Revels. Irwin had done the same with another surf producer John Hodge for a release by The Pyramids.[26][27] In 1995, he was a member of the reformed version of The Centurions and they played at the 1995 Pier Fest at Huntington Beach.[28][29] In 1997 Knowles played on the Bustin' Surfboards '97 album for The Tornados, on the track "Devils Tail". He recalled the difference in the recording session as it was back in 1962, compared to how it was in 1997.[30]

Influence

Among the musicians that have been influenced by Knowles is Bill Swanson, sax player for surf band, The Eliminators.[31]

Management

Not long before The Impacts, a Del-Fi act had their California surf hit "Latin’ia", Knowles offered to manage them.[32] In 1962, Knowles had introduced the group to Tony Hilder.[33] By 1963, Knowles was managing The Sentinals, who at that time, according to the San Lus Obispo Telegram-Tribune were fast becoming as big a draw as the Four Seasons in the Valley area.[34]

Record Producer

His label, Westco was in operation from around 1962 to 1965. The main purpose of the label was to have recordings played on air and to sell them to the larger record companies.[35][6]

In the late 1990s, the Bacchus Archives record label got in touch with him about the Surf Teens' album he produced in 1963. The album was released on the budget Sutton label and was distributed by the rack jobbers at their usual outlets. Due to the budget type release of the original, there was no info on the record or the cover about the band. There was a rumor that Knowles had some unreleased recordings of the group which turned out to be true. The record was re-released on vinyl as a limited edition of 500 pressings.[36]

Partial production list
Group / Act Release Catalogue Year Notes #
The Revels "Revellion" / "Conga Twist" Impact 22-IM, 22-IMX Side A co-composed with Mark Hilder
Producer both sides[37]
The Sentinals Latin'ia / "Tor-Chula" WCEB 23 1962 Producer both sides
The Sentinals "Latin'ia" / "Tor-Chula" Era 3082 June 1962 Producer for both tracks
The Sentinals "Latin Soul" / "Christmas Eve" Era 3097 December 1962 Both tracks co-produced with Tony Hilder
The Revels With Sam Eddy "It's Party Time" / "Soft Top" Westco WC-3 / WC-4 Producer both sides
Kenny Hinkles' Friends
Kerry Hinkle		 "The Bee" / "Over You" Westco WC-5 1963 Producer both sides[38]
Jeff Hamman And The Surf-Teens "Moment Of Truth" / "Moonshine" Westco WC-9 1963 Producer both sides[39]
The Sentinals "I've Been Blue" / "Hit The Road" Westco WC 12 1964 Side b co-composed with J. Waller, The Sentinals
Producer both sides[38]
The Revels On A Rampage Impact 1LP-IM 1964 [40]
Group / Act Release Catalogue Year Notes #
The Surf Teens Surf Mania Sutton SSU 339 1963 Later released on Bacchus Archives BA 1127[41][42]
Album producer
The Revels On a Rampage Impact 1LP-IMX 1964 Executive producer[43]
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References
  1. History-of-rock.com - Surf Instrumental Groups, Revels
  2. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series Volume 14, Part 5, Number 1, Music, January–June 1960 - Page 401
  3. The Bluegrass Special, June 2011 - Surf In Verse
  4. Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands Of The Sixties, Robert J. Dalley - Page 149
  5. Who Put the Bomp, No 15, Spring 1976 - Page 42 SURF THEORY FOR THE SEVENTIES
  6. The Illustrated Discography of Surf Music, 1961-1965, Compiled by John Blair - Page 71
  7. Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands Of The Sixties, Robert J. Dalley - Page 149
  8. The Los Angeles Times, Friday, January 6, 1989 - Reunion Discussed : Former Surf Musicians See a New Wave of Popularity - By GERALD FARIS
  9. Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands of the Sixties, Robert J. Dalley - Page 259
  10. The Golden Age of Rock Instrumentals, By Steven Otfinoski - Page 142
  11. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series, - Page 1330 Church Key:
  12. Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius, By Philip Lambert - Page 61
  13. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series - Page 401
  14. Real Life Rock: The Complete Top Ten Columns, 1986-2014, By Greil Marcus - Page 403 9 = The Exiles, directed by Kent McKenzie (Milestone) and Revels, Intoxica! (Sundazed)
  15. The Golden Age of Rock Instrumentals, By Steven Otfinoski - Page 142
  16. Drumbeat, November 2016 - Page 70 THE EXILES
  17. The Center for Studies in American Culture - September 28, 2010 The Center for Studies in American Culture September 28, 2010 (XXI:5), Kent MacKenzie, THE EXILES (1961, 72 min) Page 3 to 4
  18. 45Cat - The Sentinals - Discography, The Sentinals, Latin Soul, Era 3097
  19. Discogs -- The Revels – On A Rampage
  20. Discogs -- The Revels – Revellion / Conga Twist
  21. Standard Catalog of American Records, 1950-1975, Tim Neely - Page 1079 SURF TEENS, THE
  22. AllMusic - Surf Teens, Surf Mania, Credits
  23. AllMusic -- Surf Teens, Surf Mania, Overview
  24. Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands Of The Sixties, Robert J. Dalley - Page 263
  25. Reverb Central - Merrell Fankhauser - California Live
  26. Billboard, August 10, 1995 - Page 87 REVERSE TAKEOFF: SURF'N'ROD MUSIC REVIVALS INTENSIFIES
  27. Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records: 1950-1975, Tim Neely - Page 1004
  28. Surf Bands of the Sixties (Second Edition), by Robert J. Dalley - ISBN 1560750421, 9781560750420 - Page 53
  29. The Centurions Surf Band, Myspace - Photos
  30. The San Bernardino County Sun, Friday, May 23, 1997 - The Tornadoes busy 'Bustin' Surfboards' again By JASON FOSTER
  31. The Eliminators - About Us, Bill Swanson - Sax
  32. San Luis Obispo Tribune, March 01, 2012 - Surf music: SLO County's radical history Patrick S. Pemberton
  33. Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands of the Sixties, Robert J. Dalley - Page 259
  34. San Lus Obispo Telegram-Tribune Saturday March 16, 1963 - S.L.O. Musicians Gain Momentum In Struggle For National Notice, By Tom Valentine
  35. Who Put the Bomp, No 15, Spring 1976 - Page 42 SURF THEORY FOR THE SEVENTIES
  36. Independent Label Distribution, September, 2014 - COMING OUT ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2014, THE SURF TEENS, Surf Mania, LP
  37. Discogs - Norman Knowles, Discography, Production
  38. 45Cat - Search 45cat, "Norman Knowles"
  39. Discogs - The Surf Teens, Discography, Singles & EPs
  40. Discogs - The Revels – On A Rampage
  41. Discogs - The Surf Teens – Surf Mania Sutton – SSU 339
  42. Discogs - The Surf Teens – Surf Mania, Bacchus Archives – BA 1127
  43. Discogs - The Surf Teens – Surf Mania
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