Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Beach Party
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Thanks to its association with Hawaii, the ukulele seems particularly at home on the beach. The original beach boys of Waikiki were uke players and early pictures of the California surf scene always include a uke or two. Maybe it's no coincidence that many of the most famous songs about the beach, surfing and summer play especially well on the ukulele. Ever since the publication of Jumpin' Jim's '60s Uke-ln, we've been on the lookout for more pop songs to arrange for ukulele. While it is possible to play virtually anything on the uke, some songs seem born to be strummed. The chords to "Surfer Girl" are especially uke-friendly as are many of Brian Wilson's Beach Boys' songs. In this songbook we are happy to include a number of Brian's tunes as well as other beach and summer hits. Also part of the surf sound were the many instrumentals that were popular during the heyday of the '60s. While these often featured reverb-drenched electric guitars, we felt it wouldn't be a beach party without uke versions of "Wipe Out" and "Misirlou." In the case of "Misirlou," it was a delight to discover that the man who made it famous, the "King of the Surf Guitar," Dick Dale, had started his fretted musical career on the humble ukulele. He kindly shares his story here, admitting, "if it wasn't for the uke... I wouldn't be Dick Dale."
