Category: News

By Glenn A Baker

September 24, 2021

PETER HOOD: 1943–2021

In 2013, a surging instrumental rock song was added to the National Film and Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia registry. It was named after an Aboriginal term for large waves breaking over submerged rock shelves and had what has been described as a “monstrous, pounding, driving sound”. Penned by drummer Peter Hood and guitarist Jim Skiathitis, Bombora went to No.1 in Sydney while the follow-up The Crusher was almost as successful, denied the summit by the Beatles’ chart onslaught.

By September 1963, Bombora had been released in Japan, Italy, Holland, England, New Zealand and in South America. It was nominated as Record of the Week by US Cashbox magazine and reached No.2 on the Italian charts (where there was even a vocal version released).

It charted in southern California. The song was covered by a number of overseas bands, which made The Atlantics Australia’s first internationally recognised rock act. They went on to cut three albums for CBS, followed by a “best of” compilation which remained in the company’s catalogue for many years. In the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympics, Kylie Minogue’s arrival in the parade atop a giant rubber thong was accomplished to the strains of Bombora.

The Atlantics was a seemingly odd name for a surf band that assembled along Australia’s Pacific coast, though it makes sense when you understand that it was inspired by a popular brand of petrol.

They weren’t prepared to just cover Shadows and Ventures tracks but had their own exciting sound to pursue. There was no shortage of instrumental acts in Sydney in the early ’60s, before the British invasion exploded – The Statesmen, The Starlighters, The Midnighters, The Telstars, The Dee Jays, Dave Bridge Trio, The Joy Boys, The Leemen, The Sierras, The Nocturnes and The Denvermen among them. But almost none were writing their own material.

Matched with the production skills and enthusiasm of Sven Libaek, their recordings possessed a particular energetic presence, right from their first single Moon Man. They developed an efficient studio association. In a four-hour session they could turn out an entire album. Although songwriter/guitarist Jim Skiathitis says that the success of Bombora took the band somewhat by surprise he can recall Libaek “jumping up and down” about the song when they laid it down. As one online tribute expresses it: “That pounding surf drum beat. He inspired many a teenager to beat the skins!”

The members’ European cultural influences (largely Greek with some Yugoslav and Hungarian), with all members having come to Australia as child migrants, gave their music a passionate edge over other local bands of their day. The members were schooled at Maroubra Boys High, with Theo Penglis coming through Sydney Grammar.

From the start Hood was, as Skiathitis, terms it: “The driving force. He was a powerful character, both creatively and as a muscly, imposing drummer. He always drove us forward.” Apart from the anchor and engine room that Hood provided, the band had the advantage of twin lead guitarists, both highly proficient on solo work and both capable of pushing the band along with a zinging rhythm. Their stage act included them playing their guitars behind their heads and Penglis and Skiathitis on opposite sides of the stage swapping lead lines with one another.

They even found acceptance in Melbourne, at a time when that rarely occurred. There The Thunderbirds ruled the roost but The Atlantics won many friends when they played a residency at Earl’s Court alongside the highly regarded Strangers. Their repertoire was not entirely linked to the ocean; they were also well known for tracks such as Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

Their fourth single, War of the Worlds, was a total break with the surf sound. Released in March 1964 it was a bold and ambitious attempt at a mini sci-fi space opera, it had a dramatic building intro, tempo shifts and dynamic changes. It was way ahead of its time, featuring a battle in space using echo and guitar effects, the like of which would not be heard, according to some chroniclers, until the arrival of Jimi Hendrix.

Penglis switched to keyboards in 1965, they added a vocalist in rock’n’roll hero Johnny Rebb and released a number of tough-sounding singles, most notably, in 1967, the song that is now widely regarded as a classic punk/garage track, Hood’s Come On. They also transformed Screaming Jay Hawkins’ I Put A Spell On You into a live drawcard.

They were one of the first Australian bands to set up their own independent label. From late1967 all their recordings (laid down in their own studio) were released on their Ramrod label. They moved with the times. For their instrumental release Take A Trip/Flowers the band worked under the pseudonym Gift Of Love. Their association with Russ Kruger lasted for eight singles and with Colin Cooper for 10.

Like England’s Shadows, The Atlantics were perfectly capable, in all phases, of recording vocal tracks, though radio programmers made it plain that they were an instrumental band to them and to their listeners. That is why, when they formally reunited in 2000 for another string of albums with new members Martin Cilia and original bass player Bosco Bosanac, they saw that particular writing on the wall and became the hottest, sharpest instrumental outfit in the country. Once again with Hood the engine under their hood.

A new audience got to see them in arenas across the country on the Long Way To The Top Tour in 2002. With original tracks on the Flight Of The Surf Guitar CD and songs such as Reef Break they were redefining their unique position in Oz Rock.

In 2006, they participated in the CD/DVD project Delightful Rain. Filmed at Freshwater Life Saving Club, it celebrated Australian surf music and beach culture. In 2013, they were invited to a surf music festival in Livorno, Italy, to which they tacked on shows in Italy, Finland and Greece. It made up for the tours that never eventuated during their peak years.

Hood’s battle with progressive aphasia confined him to bed and made him gravely ill for the past year. He died on September 22 at Robina on the Gold Coast. Jim Skiathitis was by his side, as was Carol, his wife of more than 50 years.

Peter Hood is survived by his children David, Daniel and Michelle, who is a musician and music teacher, and by four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Original link: https://www.smh.com.au/national/peter-hood-drummer-with-the-atlantics-on-international-hit-bombora-20210924-p58ukm.html

By Rob Greaves -August 2, 2020 10:00 am90 1

  These reviews are provided to help maintain a connection with various genres of popular music extending from the 1940’s through to present time.

“Virtually the only successful surf instrumental band, not from America.” – [Reverberation.com] .. .. .. “THE ATLANTICS-BOMBORA . . . May be the Greatest Surf Instrumental ever put on Wax. – [Australian rock bands 1960’s and 1970’s] .. .. .. “(Bombora)… became Australia’s first international hit and made The Atlantics famous all around the world” – [100 Greatest Australian Singles of THE ’60s]”

This is album review number 201 in the series of retro-reviews of both vinyl LP’s and Cd’s, in my collection.

The series is called “Cream of The Crate” and each review represents an album that I believe is of significant musical value, either because of it’s rarity, because it represents the best of a style or styles of music or because there is something unique about the group or the music.

Links to the previous 200+ reviews can be found at the bottom of this review.

Summer in Australia is associated with sun and sand. – the beach!

The beach is associated with Surfing and for this review I have taken out of my crate, an Aussie group that will forever be associated with surfing and, surf music.

The group is The Atlantics and the album is “Great Surfing Sounds“

Released on the mpf (Music For Pleasure )label in 1970, it has the code MPF A8121 and has 10 tracks.

Most people would be familiar with the band name, The Atlantics and might even remember the track, Bombora! Then it gets sketchy for most.

In fact they were one of Australia’s most talented rock groups and started out in 1961 as a purely instrumental group taking to heart first the music of the Shadows, and then groups like the Ventures.

The group initially consisted of:

• Theo Penglis – on guitar
• Eddy Matzenik – on guitar
• Bosco Bosonac – on bass
• Peter Hood – on drums

Very early in their formation Matzenik was replaced by James Skiathitis.

The name Atlantics would suggest that the group named themselves after they great, and often dangerous ocean. in fact, the name was far more innocuous – it was the name of a then local petrol brand.

Echoing the Shadow’s Twangy Atmospheric Instrumental Sound, they were snapped up by CBS Records and became a household name with the release of their Giant Hit Bombora.

This led them to being the first Australian rock band to write their own hits!

Their unique twin lead guitar sound caught the attention of CBS who released the track Bombora in July of 1963. More on that track later.

The Atlantics went on to record seven more singles and released six LPs for CBS, all of which are now regarded as classics of the Surf Instrumental Genre. They also recorded a string of vocal singles with various recording companies and these songs are now considered as outstanding examples of Pre-Punk Garage Rock.

Their first record was the 1963 single – Moon Man backed with Dark Eyes with their last release in 2011 on CD titled, Collectables.

The album “Great Surfing Sounds” was never released by CBS – one of its advantages is the track listing is not replicated on any other vinyl album released by the group.

Track Listing:

Side ONE

1. Bombora
2. Surfer’s Paradise
3. Free Fall
4. War Of The Worlds
5. Tahitian waters

Side TWO

1. Stompin’ Time
2. Coral island
3. Stampede
4. Glassy walls
5. Bluebottles

Track 1 – Bombora.

This just had to be the introductory track. Anything else would have been a let-down as this was their most sucessful track and frankly, with good reason.

It was THE big hit of Australian surf music, making it to the No. 1 spot on the Aussie charts in September 1963 and it announced a powerful, but short lived 6 months of surf‘n’stomp.

There was a very good reason for this – the band were as powerful as ever, but, in early 1964 the British Invasion had really hit the shores – kinda like a Bombora – The Beatles were No. 1 in Australia and surf music was over except for a few dedicated souls.

A crashing set of wild sounds created largely on the guitars, it has it all – energy, pulse, slick play and that “certain something”!

It is unlikely that the sound of Bombora could have been created on anything else but a Fender.

In fact that guitar became so iconic is was donated and now resides permanently in the Powerhouse Museum.

According to The Atlantics, on their web site – “

This iconic guitar is an early 1961 slab board Fender Stratocaster in original Dakota Red finish, serial number 69250. It is the guitar that was responsible for the fabulous sound of the classic song Bombora, Australia’s biggest ever No. 1 Instrumental hit which was released in 1963 by The Atlantics, who are now thought of as Australia’s greatest ever Instrumental Band.

The name Bombora? Bombora is an indigenous Australian term for an area of large sea waves breaking over a shallow area such as a submerged rock shelf, reef, or sand bank that is located some distance from the shoreline and beach surf break.

Bombora

The guitar was originally purchased jointly by Atlantics Guitarist Jim Skiathitis and Drummer Peter Hood in 1961 from J Stanley Johnstons’ Music Store in Sydney.”

The guitar played a big part in many other tracks including  Crusher, War of the Worlds, Rumble and Run and Come .

So we move to Track 2 – Surfers Paradise.

While the often frantic if not frenetic pace of the faster tracks such as Bombora and Crusher were fan favourites, the slower more moody instrumentals also played an important part of this music genre.

Tracks such as the Lonely Surfer by Jack Nitzsche represent that period in the life of a surfer when the surf isn’t pounding. It’s not so much “Hangin’ Five” as just hanging around. Waiting in the water or watching from the shore, those almost still waters to change and the swell to rise.

This is the theme of this track – an early summers morning, with off-shore winds and glassy swells slowly moving through the early crystal morning.

Surfers Paradise

Track 4 – War of the Worlds.

This is a most un-Atlantics track, inasmuch as it is not a surf-based track.

There are no breaking waves, there are no tubes to ride.  This is a galactic space collision again demonstrating how the Fender can be shaken, bent, twisted and cajoled into providing serious “out-there” sounds.

Skiathitis shows that in the hands of a player with true skill, the Fender can provide sounds that while be easily created today with all forms of digital dovver-lackies.

There are a few subtle deference’s to other instrumental tracks, like the Ventures Walk Don’t Run. The track moves from the frantic, to the out of space, and then around the 1:50 mark to a more gentle theme, still with effects, before flying higher and higher into the strat-o-sphere!

It is some indication of how the track was viewed as being “out there” when it appeared on the album “Sounds Of The Unexpected”.

However, in the days of the early 1960’s there was nothing but the guitar, and in the hands of skilled players the Fender excelled at this, as this track demonstrates.

War Of The Worlds

The final track that I am examining, is the only track I am featuring from side 2 of this album.

Track 5 is Bluebottles.

As most of us know, a Bluebottle is a jelly fish with a sting – a powerful sting.

So, how do the Atlantics provide a sting in this track?

Easy, they call upon the skill of and benefit of having what amounted to dual lead guitarists. Although the track was composed by bassist , and featured Theo Penglis and James Skiathitis.

Compared to the complex guitar work of the guitarists who were to come later in that decade and the decades to follow, this track might seem tame. But we need remember the period we are in and, where music was at.  

Bluebottles

“Great Surfing Sounds of The Atlantics” represents the pinnacle of this style of music in Australia in this period of our music development.

In various forms The Atlantics have continued on with Skiathitis, Hood, and Bosanac remaining as the key players.​

Their ongoing popularity has seen them appear on Australia’s “Long Way To The Top” 50’s and 60’s Rock revival shows, the ABC-TV show – Studio 22.

In a final tribute to how they have impacted upon the Australian music scene, Bombora was used in the Closing Ceremony at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

May The Atlantics ride the ‘waves” for as long as we can appreciate that they did it first in Australia, and, arguably did it best.

This album is available on Discogs for about $30.00 upward (including postage).

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VIDEOS:

It wasn’t difficult finding some live footage of The Atlantics, so here are some clips from the 1960’s and one of a little later on.

Bombora 1963

The Crusher 1963

Flight of the Surf Guitar (released 2000)

It is with great sadness, that we extend our sincere sympathies to the family of our long time friend, Johnny Rebb who passed away in Newcastle Hospital on Monday 28th July 2014.

We shared many happy adventures and fond times during our musical careers with John, and we will always remember him with joy and affection.

John, you truly were the Gentleman of Rock and to you we say thank you for the privilege of knowing you and working with you.

Rest In Peace

Peter, Theo, Bosco, and Jim.

After completing their European tour in 2013 The Atlantics announced their retirement from live playing and touring. We wish to thank all our fans and friends that have supported us throughout the years by buying our records and coming to our gigs and concerts. It really made it all worthwhile.

At the Nastola Rautalanka Festival we were presented with a beautiful gold guitar award for our contribution and lasting  promotion of instrumental music internationally.

It was the Thirteenth presentation of the award and the first time it has been presented to a non European band.

It was indeed a great honour to receive the award.