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American instrumental surf rock band

The Challengers were an instrumental surf rock band started in Los Angeles, California, in late 1962. They represented a growing love for surf music and helped make the genre popular. Their debut album, Surfbeat, was the biggest selling surf album of all time and helped bring surf music from California to the rest of the world.

The band was formed out of the pioneer surf band called The Bel Airs. The Bel Airs were still in high school at the time, but scored a hit with an instrumental song titled "Mr. Moto". Their potential was cited by many, but it was an argument about use of the then new Fender reverb unit that led to their breakup. The Bel Airs were originally formed by two guitarists, Eddie Bertrand and Paul Johnson, both 16 years old at the time they recorded "Mr. Moto". In early 1963, Eddie Bertrand heard Dick Dale using the Fender reverb unit and wanted to start incorporating heavy reverb into The Bel Airs songs. He felt reverb was the sound that would come to define surf music. Even at 17, Johnson was something of an independent thinker and told Bertrand that The Bel Airs had done quite well without reverb and he didn't see any reason at all to begin using it. The argument escalated until Bertrand finally left the band which then broke up for good shortly after. Johnson confirmed this story in the liner notes he contributed to The Bel Airs reunion album released in 1986.

During their peak years, from late 1960 to Summer 1963, The Bel Airs had two drummers who played gigs with the band alternately, original Mouseketeer, Dick Dodd (Eddie & the Showmen and The Standells) and a local school friend named Richard Delvy. Delvy saw value in publishing, promoting and recording and began a career of managing and producing surf music. He then ultimately recorded numerous Southern California bands in the latter part of the 1960s. Since the 60's Delvy has produced many different musical artists and has made music management his lifelong passion. The year before The Bel Airs breakup, Richard Delvy left The Bel Airs to form a new band called The Challengers. He brought in bassist Randy Nauert and keyboardist Jim Roberts who had played with The Bel Airs. Delvy later brought in guitarist Art Fisher who had played with The Bel Airs during the recording of The Challengers third album On The Move. Delvy also recruited Glenn Grey (lead guitar), Don Landis (rhythm guitar) and Nick Hefner (saxophone). They played at many high schools and many local dances and clubs. They eventually earned enough money to rent a recording studio, "World Pacific" to start recording. In about three and a half hours, they had an album titled Surfbeat. Saxophonist Nick Hefner played on only one track. Surfbeat was released in January 1963 on Vault Records and quickly went up the charts. Just months earlier, The Beach Boys released a vocal single called "Surfin' Safari". Some months before The Challenger's Surfbeat release, surf music icon Dick Dale's first album Surfers' Choice was released. Surfbeat contained songs that were early influences on surf rock, including songs first recorded by The Fireballs and Duane Eddy. In the early years Rick Griffin contributed cartoons of the band that appeared on their albums and a fan oriented "Challengers Band Cartoon Book". He later became well known for his work creating psychedelic poster art later in the 1960s. The original group released a second album titled Lloyd Thaxton Goes Surfing With The Challengers with the benefit of being associated with the popular teen television show host Lloyd Thaxton.

The Challengers were seen in a few of 1980s surf band reunion concerts. Richard Delvy always kept in contact with his bandmates. His surf band history was extensive and he maintained his friendships with his former Bel Airs guitarist Paul Johnson (PJ and the Galaxies) and Eddie Bertrand (Eddie & the Showmen). In 1992 a local surf company owned by Brad Jennings (The Early Sixties Company) signed an exclusive contract with Richard Delvy to reproduce the Challengers band LP covers and Rick Griffin artwork for tee shirts and surf related products. That successful relationship is still going on today through Richard's estate. In 1994, after 24 years without new recordings, The Challengers reunited with some new members to release the album New Wave produced by band leader and founder Richard Delvy. Paul Johnson graciously joined the group to play guitar and composed. Art Fisher played guitar on "Mr. Moto", Ed Fournier contributed a new song he wrote and Richard Delvy plays drums on the new tracks. It was released on compact disc on the independent label Atmospheres. Richard Delvy died on February 6, 2010, ending his lifelong influence on music in the Los Angeles area. Bassist Randy Nauert died on February 7, 2019.

The Challengers Year Album (Label) 1963 Surfbeat (Vault LP 100; reissue: Sundazed 6029) 1963 Lloyd Thaxton Goes Surfing With The Challengers (Vault LP 101; reissue: Sundazed 6030) 1963 On The Move (Surfing Around The World) (Vault LP 102; reissue: Sundazed 6031) 1964 K 39 (Vault LP 107; reissue: Sundazed 6032) 1964 The Challengers Go Sidewalk Surfing! (Triumph TR 100; reissue: Sundazed 6091) 1965 At The Teenage Fair (GNP Crescendo 2010) 1965 The Man From U. N. C. L. E. (GNP Crescendo 2018) 1965 Surf's Up! The Challengers On TV (Vault LP 109) 1966 California Kicks (GNP Crescendo 2025) 1966 Billy Strange & The Challengers (GNP Crescendo 2030) 1966 Wipe Out! (GNP Crescendo 2031) 1966 Challengers A Go Go [live] (Vault LP 110) 1967 25 Greatest Instrumental Hits (GNP Crescendo 609) 2 LP 1968 Light My Fire With Classical Gas (GNP Crescendo 2045) 1970 Vanilla Funk (GNP Crescendo 2056) 1994 New Wave (Atmospheres ATD 101)