Let’s go trippin’ with Dick Dale this week
With Dick Dale coming to town for a rare area appearance in a few weeks, I thought I should try to get him on my show.
When I make cold calls/email requests for podcast interviews, I never know what to expect. Some artists and celebrities never bother to acknowledge my requests. Others respond once, and then are never heard from again. My favorite band ever, Rush, has yet to reply to any of my multiple requests. I’m not bitter about Rush, however–I’ve been playing Clockwork Angels nonstop since I bought it earlier this week. If you rolled your eyes at my Rush enthusiasm, I hope you have a kickass time at Pitchfork!
When I sent Dick Dale an email, I wasn’t convinced I’d get a reply. Shows you what I know–he replied instantly, and insisted on doing an interview the following day.
Just so we’re all clear: this is Dick Dale. He’s a rock and roll legend in every sense of the term. He created surf music, for fuck’s sake.
When I called him, and he first picked up the phone, he read me the riot act about how journalists have burned him in the past by either misquoting him or just plain being ignorant (see, it’s not just radio guys who leave a bad taste in musician’s mouths!). After reminding him that the podcast was an audio medium and that he couldn’t be misquoted, he agreed to proceed. I was winded before we even started.
And once we started, Dick never stopped. He’s the kind of guy who monologues his way through interview answers for minutes on end, inadvertently answering questions for dozens of questions not-yet-asked along the way.
At the age of 75, Dick’s done and seen it all. I’m psyched that I could bring him to the Dahl Network for my show this week (debuting Wednesday 6/20).
Fun fact: Dick’s musical background started with an ukele. Mahalo.
Here’s a quickie Dick Dale primer:
Let’s Go Trippin’ – The beginning of his career–and surf music, in general.
“Misirlou” – Dale’s royale with cheese.
“Pipeline” – Dale’s collaboration with Stevie Ray that earned them a Grammy nomination.
