Three Window Coupe

Rip Chords | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 20, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sundazed Music Inc.
• ASIN: B000003GZN
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #347,252 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Three Window Coupe

2. Bonneville Bonnie

3. Gas Money

4. This Little Woodie

5. Hot Rod U.S.A.

6. Old Car Made in '52

7. Surfin' Craze

8. Beach Girl

9. My Big Gun Board

10. Surf City

11. Summer U.S.A.

12. Big Wednesday

13. One-Piece Topless Bathing Suit [*]

14. Wah-Wahini [*]

15. Red Hot Roadster [*]

Editorial Reviews

1996 Sundazed release, the worldwide CD debut for one of their 2 original albums, plus three rare bonus tracks: 'One Piece Topless Bathing Suit', 'Wah-Wahini' & 'Red Hot Roadster'. 15 tracks total. Originally released on Columbia in 1964. The band is a surf outfit with vocals.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some of the guys were clappin' their hands, and some of 'em were laughin' out loud., February 3, 2006

By 

Johnny Heering "trivia buff" (Bethel, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three Window Coupe (Audio CD)

This was the second, and last, album released under the Rip Chords name. The Rip Chords were originally Phil Stewart and Ernie Bringas, but by the time this album was recorded, producers Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher had pushed them aside and sang most of the Rip Chords songs themselves. (Phil Stewart was allowed to sing lead on two songs on this album.) Regardless of all that, this is a fun album that features the early-'60s California sound. Bruce & Terry didn't write too many original songs for the album, relying mostly on covers of Fantastic Baggys and Jan & Dean songs. (The hit single "Three Window Coupe" was, in fact, originally a Jan & Dean song.) The CD adds three bonus tracks, including the Rip Chords last chart single, "One Piece Topless Bathing Suit". (Which was another cover of a Jan & Dean song!) This is a fun album, which fans of the California sound will enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a few points, July 28, 2005

By 

Gainsford - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three Window Coupe (Audio CD)

Just to clarify, an earlier point made by Bobbie Mcfarland, he says "THE GROUP HAD DONE THIS WITHOUT THEIR HELP ON HEY,LITTLE COBRA. AND THEY HAD A GREAT GREAT ALBUM." Actually Bruce and Terry had been involved prior to this, and in fact are singing on Hey Little Cobra. The Rip Chords were really just a convienient vehicle for Terry and Bruce to get their product out. Bringas and Co. did participate, but it was Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher all the way, when it comes to the Rip Chords.

Three Window Coupe is a must have for anyone wanting a great "window' to the emergence of the Southern California rock scene. SOngs like Beach Girl show the growing sophistication with which Melcher and Johnston were developing their studio prowess.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Babes & Cars & Surf & Sun!, October 7, 2002

By 

"barbe4" (Wauwatosa, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three Window Coupe (Audio CD)

This CD is full of harmony-filled word-paintings, fab falsettos and finger-snapping choruses, which bring about visions of endless summers, sexy beach babes and that big wave!

On the Rip Chords' car crusin' classic single "Three Window Coupe," the lead vocals were shared between soon-to-be-Byrds' producer, Terry Melcher and soon-to-be-Beach-Boy, Bruce Johnston. Original members (from "Hey, Little Cobra") Ernie Bringas and Phil Stewart were present but didn't participate on this work, nor on most of the recordings after that. Touring group members, Arnie Marcus and Ritchie Rotkin were not at the session. (From the CD's liner notes from Stephen J. McParland editor of California Music Magazine.)

The lovely ballad "Beach Girl" on this CD easily competes with the Beach Boys' "Surfer Girl," and "My Big Gun Board" is a definition song about a surfer dude's favorite mode of transportation -- his surfboard!

And who's the young, attractive girl with the big-gun board that surfs in her yellow bikini, who "walks with a wiggle that turns me on?!" It's "Wah-Wahini." (P.Sloan - S. Barri)

"Hot Rod U.S.A." is somewhat harmony-reminiscent of "Drag City" by Jan and Dean. "Old Car Made in '52" has a countrified lead vocal. And "Surfin' Craze" happily reminds me of the Beach Boy classic, "Surfin' USA."

Check out the charming "This Little Woody" with its cool guitar lick, along with hot-rod rockers "Bonneville Bonnie" "Red Hot Roadster" and "Gas Money," the latter highlighted by a groovy sax solo!

"Summer USA" has more fine falsettos and super sax work:
"Find yourself a girl now with long-blonde hair,
'cause summer means fun most anywhere.
Yeah, it's summer......... USA!" (Terry Melcher-Bruce Johnston-Judy Lovejoy)

If you fancy the Chantays' Pipeline, you'll like "Big Wednesday" which features both a superb bongo intro and guitar interlude.

An added bonus is "One-piece Topless Bathing Suit." (It's not what you think, guys!)

Contributing musicians on this album included Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, Daryl Dragon, Larry Knechtel, Bruce Johnston, Ed Hall, Steve Douglas, Phil Sloan, James Burton and Leon Russell, to name just a few.

Catch the new Rip Chords on tour sometime with Bob "Dr. Robert" Rush, Mitchell Schecter, Fred Brog, Larry "Lorenzo" Branca and original member Ritchie Rotkin!