The Challengers (band)
The Challengers was an American surf rock band that in 1962 in the occupation Jim Roberts (piano), Don Smoker aka Don Landis ( electric guitar ), Glenn Grey ( electric guitar ), Randy Nauert (bass ), Richard Delvy alias Richard Delvecchio (drums) and Nick Hefner (saxophone) in Los Angeles, California formed and has emerged from the band The Belairs. The debut album of the Challengers, Surf Beat, one of the best selling albums of the surf era.
History
After Delvy and Roberts had left the Belairs the end of 1961, they formed the band The Challengers. In the recording studio World Pacific Studio in Los Angeles recording her debut album were made in three and a half hours. The record label Vault Records took over the publication of surf beat, and shortly after the release of the album in January 1963, rose in the U.S. charts Billboard Hot 100. The album includes, among other pieces of performers with a great impact on the surf rock such as The Fireballs and Duane Eddy.
After the success of the first album more singles such as Torquay / Bulldog and Moon Dawg / Tidal Wave were published. In February 1963, she participated in Los Angeles, among others, The Mar- Kets, The Lively Ones and The Avantis at the Battle of the Bands. The radio station KFWB along with Del -Fi Records released the album Battle of the Surfing Bands, which contains the title Ramrod the Challengers. Concerts and appearances on television, for example in the show Celebrity Party, Dick Dale & The Del -Tones, increased the popularity of the Challengers.
For the recording of the album On The Move Hefner, Grey and Landis left the band and was replaced by Phil Pruden, Art Fisher and Eddie Fournier. In 1964, the album K -39 appeared with the most famous song of the same title challengers. The band released several albums a year now and had her own TV show, Surf's Up. The artist Rick Griffin designed several album covers of the band.
With the British Invasion of the mid 1960s, the Challengers changed their style, such as the more pop- oriented song documented Kicks by Paul Revere & The Raiders. Like many other surf - rock bands also the Challengers had dissolved until 1966.