#pre-spawn bass

[krispyweiss]

Song Review(s): Dead & Company - “Shakedown Street” & “Sugaree” (Live, May 19, 2023)

With Bill Kreutzmann having opted out on the eve of its Final Tour to be replaced by Jay Lane, Dead & Company in 2023 might be more accurately called RatDog & Company.

In any event, the streaming teasers from the first show of the band’s last tour seem to indicate things are going to be pretty similar to 2022 with tempos a bit quicker than they were in the band’s pre-pandemic years; poor background vocals; & an onstage relationship between John Mayer & Jeff Chimenti based on that of Jerry Garcia & Brent Mydland.

“Shakedown Street,” at one point a lethargic dud for D&C, is destined to be forever saddled with the shake-it-down-down bridge Weir is so fond up along with his other vocal quirks. Yet the May 19 version in California was brisk & featured some innovative playing from Mayer, Chimenti & Oteil Burbridge, who seemed intent on getting some lead bass into the equation. It had no proper ending.

Mayer has grown into his ability to inhabit “Sugaree.” He no longer oversings (but Sound Bites does not like his voice) & his guitar playing is, of course, up to the high standards this music requires even as Weir insists on the abrasive tone he’s embraced over the band’s run. Yet it is songs like “Sugaree” that sound more like a cover band than anything even tangentially related to the Gratefuls that first spawned Dead & Company in 2015.

These previews indicate Dead & Company has no intention of simply going through the motions on this last outing. But this group is more RatDog (Weir, Lane & Chimenti) than Dead (Weir & Hart) at this point.

Grade card: Dead & Company - “Shakedown Street” & “Sugaree” (Live - 5/19/23) - B+/B-

5/20/23

[devanbald]

Unlocking the Secrets of Bass Fishing: Expert Tips for the Avid Angler

Bass fishing is more than a pastime for many; it's a craft, a passion, and, for some, a lifelong pursuit. The sport's allure lies not just in the thrill of the catch but in mastering the subtle techniques and understanding the behavior of this elusive fish. In this article, we delve into the insights and tips from seasoned pros to help you elevate your bass fishing skills.

Decoding Bass Behavior

Understanding bass behavior is fundamental to becoming a successful angler. Bass are not random in their actions; various factors influence their movements and feeding habits, including the time of day, water temperature, and seasonal changes.

Seasonal Shifts: Bass behavior changes with the seasons. During the spring, bass enter a pre-spawn and spawn period, making them more aggressive and territorial. They move to shallow waters, where they are more accessible to anglers. Summer summer's heat often drives bass to more profound, calmer waters during the day, while they become more active in the early morning and late evening. In fall, bass feeds heavily to prepare for winter, often found in mid-depths chasing baitfish. Winter sees a slowdown in activity as a bass retreat to the deepest, warmest parts of the lake or river.

Daily Cycles: The best times for bass fishing typically coincide with their feeding periods, usually at dawn and dusk. These low-light conditions are when bass are most active. Midday fishing can be less productive, particularly in hot weather when bass seek refuge in more profound, calmer waters.

Essential Gear for Bass Fishing

Choosing the right gear is crucial to enhancing your bass fishing experience. This includes selecting the appropriate rods, reels, and lines for bass fishing.

Rods and Reels: A fast-action medium-heavy rod is versatile, allowing for various techniques from casting to jigging. Pair it with a high-quality baitcasting reel for better control and precision, essential when targeting specific areas where bass might be hiding.

Fishing Lines: The type of fishing line you use can significantly influence your success. Monofilament lines are buoyant and great for topwater lures, while fluorocarbon lines are nearly invisible underwater, making them ideal for clear water conditions. Braided lines are known for their strength and sensitivity, making them perfect for fishing in heavy cover or vegetation.

Choosing the Right Lures

Lure selection is critical and can vary based on conditions and the behavior of the bass. Knowing which lures to use in different scenarios can make a substantial difference.

Topwater Lures: These are highly effective in the early morning and late evening or during overcast conditions. They mimic surface prey like insects and small fish, enticing bass to strike aggressively.

Crankbaits: Designed to cover large areas of water quickly, crankbaits are ideal for spring and fall when bass feed actively. They mimic the swimming action of baitfish, making them irresistible to bass.

Soft Plastics: Versatile and practical year-round, soft plastic lures can be rigged in various ways to imitate different prey. Worms, creature baits, and swimbaits are popular choices that can be used in numerous fishing styles and conditions.

Jigs: Perfect for fishing in heavy cover or along the bottom, jigs can imitate crawfish or other bottom-dwelling creatures. They are particularly effective during the pre-spawn period when bass are feeding aggressively.

Refining Your Techniques

The way you present your lure can significantly affect your success. Mastering various techniques and adjusting them to the conditions can help you catch more bass.

Slow and Steady: A slow and steady retrieve can be more effective when the water is cold, or the bass is less active. This approach gives the bass ample time to react and strike.

Erratic Movements: Mimicking the erratic movements of injured prey can trigger a bass's predatory instincts. This technique is especially effective with jerk and crankbaits, enticing bass to strike.

Flipping and Pitching: These techniques are invaluable when fishing in heavy cover. Flipping and pitching allow you to place your lure precisely in spots where the bass is hiding, such as dense vegetation or around structures like docks and fallen trees.

Adapting to Changing Conditions

Successful bass anglers are those who can adapt to changing conditions. Weather, water clarity, and temperature are crucial in determining bass behavior.

Weather Conditions: Overcast days can be more productive since bass are more likely to roam and feed aggressively. Bright, sunny days may require you to fish deeper or seek shaded areas where bass might hide.

Water Clarity: Using natural-colored lures resembling local prey can be more effective in clear water. In murky water, bright or dark-colored lures that create strong silhouettes and vibrations can attract bass more easily.

Temperature: Water temperature dramatically affects bass activity. Understanding how bass reacts to different temperatures helps you adjust your techniques accordingly. Warmer temperatures usually mean more active bass, while colder temperatures call for slower presentations.

Learning from the Experts

Continuous learning and adaptation are crucial to becoming a proficient bass angler. Attending fishing seminars, reading articles, watching videos, and regular practice can significantly improve your skills. Joining a local fishing club or participating in tournaments can provide valuable experience and insights.

Mastering bass fishing requires a combination of knowledge, skill, and adaptability. You can increase your chances of success on the water by understanding bass behavior, selecting the right gear, choosing appropriate lures, refining your techniques, and adapting to changing conditions. Use these expert tips to enhance your fishing experience and enjoy the thrill of catching more bass.

[burleyoutdoors]

Burley Outdoors Blog: Pre-Spawn Bass Fishing – Tactics and Tips

By Max & Danielle Hello, fellow anglers and outdoor enthusiasts! Max and Danielle here from Burley Outdoors, bringing you an in-depth look into the thrilling world of pre-spawn bass fishing. As the icy grip of winter loosens and water temperatures in Minnesota gently climb, signaling the bass to embark on their journey from the deep, frigid sanctuaries to the shallower spawning grounds, we find…

[engprodtechllc]

Round Unpainted Jighead (1/2oz)

Round Unpainted Jighead (1/2oz) are perfect for fish that are small through large. That bigger bait, with all its action and water displacement is perfect for slightly stained conditions. As summer begins to where into the fall, then the swim jig bite tends to diminish some. Well, it goes from crazy to just good. Water temperature is the first factor. I'll throw a swim jig anytime the water temperature is between 50 and 75 degrees. In my mind that's in the very early pre-spawn all the way through the shad spawn. The water needs to be warm enough to make the fish active so that's why I pick 50 degrees. The main difference between a standard casting jig and a jig designed for swimming is the head design. Swim jigs feature a pointed nose with a vertical line tie so the lure swims through the water column and easily slips through cover. Bass jigging works best when lunkers are holding near shallow cover such as grass, rocks, laydowns, and docks. Fishing a jig in deeper water is productive in the summer and winter time or when baitfish have moved offshore. Usage: When skipping a swimbait around shallow like when fishing docks, a weighted swimbait hook is the ticket. You can fish the jighead, but a swimbait skips so much better with a belly weighted hook tucked into the bait. Start with braid and a fluorocarbon leader of a few feet in length, joined by an Albright Special or Uni-to-Uni knot. This offers you the best ability to feel the jig, while still having some stealth with the nearly translucent fluorocarbon line up against the jig itself.   Round Unpainted Jighead (1/2oz) can be fished near docks, brush, weeds/grass, and lily pads/pad stems that are situated on flat, shallow spawning areas. They are murder on panfish, walleye, and bass. Swim jigs can quickly cover vast areas on a spawning bed with a simple swimming retrieve. Bass can be sight fished with jigs this time of year as well. This purchase is for a pack of five (5) unpainted jig heads. Read the full article

[gertlushgaming]

Modern Warfare 3 Review (Steam)

For this Modern Warfare 3 Review, we are playing the direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against the ultimate threat. The ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov is extending his grasp across the world causing Task Force 141 to fight like never before. Modern Warfare 3 Review Pros: - Decent graphics. - 105.75GB Download size. - Steam achievements. - Own in-game achievements. - Graphics settings - graphics preset, render resolution, dynamic resolution, upscaling/sharpening, Nvidia image scaling preset, Nvidia image scaling sharpness, VRAM scale target, variable rate shading, texture resolution, texture filter anisotropic, depth of field, detail quality level, particle resolution, bullet impacts, persistent effects, shader quality, on-demand texture streaming, allocated cache size, download limits, tessellation, shadows, weather grid volumes, water quality, ambient occlusion, static reflection quality, and screen space shadows. - Full controller support. - Display settings - display mode, display monitor, display adapter, screen refresh rate, display resolution, aspect ratio, restart shaders pre-loading, gamma, brightness, Nvidia reflex low latency, exo mode preset, v-sync (menus), v-sync (game), and focused mode. - Controller settings - 12 layouts, can rebind controls, bumper ping, stick layout preset, vibration, amd deadzone inputs. - Can rebind controls for the mouse and keyboard. - Invert axis and sensitivity sliders for every part from ADS to movement. - First-person shooter gameplay. - Three game modes - campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies. - Zombies mode supports first and third-person views with a button press. - Player card with banner and Emblem. You can show off any selected items in your showcase. - Purchase from the last game carry over. - You can ping items and enemies in the game. - Four campaign difficulties - Recruit, Regular, Hardened, and Veteran. - Cutscenes are a mix of in-game and FMV. - Excellent voice work. - Challenges - weekly, daily, armory unlocks, Weapons, operator challenge, and calling cards. - The final kill is the kill at the end of an MP game. - Unlock and activate double exp tokens for rank, weapon, and/or battle pass. - Uses the Cod HQ as its bass of games so here is where you select each of the game modes and come back to it every time you want to swap. - Unlock exp tokens and rewards in the campaign. - The zombie mode is now the open world and like DMZ in that you can go and take on contracts, find valuable loot, zombies are everywhere, areas are split into levels of danger and other random players are in the world, Then you just need to extract. - Hard Hitting soundtrack with improved special effects and noises. - Quick multiplayer play lets you select the modes you want to play and then join the best game. Modern Warfare 3 Review Cons: - Had a lot of boot-up issues on launch day with booting up loops and no way to play. - Uses all the maps of the old games in multiplayer with very little in the way of new. - The campaign involves booting up a different game in essence and it takes a while even on SSD. - The zombies mode doesn't have a good or even helpful intro/tutorial to it. - For me Zombies is fantastic but it is just a DMZ mode with zombies instead of AI enemies. - Does not play well with Steam big picture mode especially if you plan on jumping between modes such as campaign and multiplayer. - Shaders pre-loading means long load times and constant restarting, sometimes the game won't even tell you this information. - At present the multiplayer playlists are boring and typical. - Only skins from the last game carry over. - I have moments where I will constantly get dropped into games that are just about to end. - Bad spawn points are a huge thing, some maps have gone because of it but it's still pretty bad. - Still getting it where my battle pass points don't show until I reboot. Related Post: Vampire The Masquerade Coteries Of New York Review  Modern Warfare 3: Official website. Developer: Sledgehammer Games Publisher: Activision Store Links - Steam Read the full article

[segkbf]

Understanding Crawfish

Crawfish are an excellent bait for bass. In addition, they become softer when they molt, making them a good meal for bass to inhale. Moreover, the bass is methodical hunters who can take their time swallowing their prey. Understanding Crawfish will help you catch more kayak bass. Understanding Crawfish Pre-Spawn  If you are looking for a way to attract more bass during pre-spawn, try…

[doomedandstoned]

Mammon’s Throne Dish Out Extreme Doom in “Return us to The Stars”

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

This Melbourne crew has a sound that looms large, like a mighty shadow engulfing your senses, full of fiery beats, fearsome roars, witchy riffs, and grim atmosphere. A sound that can best be summed up by the rarely used (but quite fitting) tag extreme doom. Behold, MAMMON'S THRONE!

"Who is Mammon?" you may be wondering. Only one of the seven crown princes of Hell! The word came into popular use following Christ's Sermon on the Mount, which warns about the dangerous trap of greed. You know, that thing about the love of money being the root of all evil. Mammon also played a role in the Spawn comic books and the DC universe, so there's that.

Now we return to Mammon's Throne for yet another profane offering of damning downtuned devastation. Following 2020's Forward Unto Flame, which came out during peak pandemic panic, we have five songs crafted during the turbulent years that followed. Today, Doomed & Stoned premieres the opening track off Mammon's Throne. The band had this to say about it:

We wrote “Return us to The Stars” to tell the tale of a ritual being performed. We set it amidst the backdrop of a desolate desert, largely devoid of life and water, where the only seas are the endless sands that lay before weary emissaries of ancient, forgotten gods.

Every song on the album is about some sort of ending. Be it the end of a life, a kingdom, humanity, or an entire world, and “Return us to the Stars” is a last ditch and terrible ritual to ancient gods in the hope to ascend to the stars and leave a dying world.

We structured the song to slowly build from a somber funeral march towards the blackened ferocity of the final eldritch and chaotic moments of the ritual. The interlude where clean guitars take focus and the rhythm section stops, symbolizes the eerie moments of being in the eye of a great and powerful storm of energy.

Out April 1st on Brilliant Emperor Records, Mammon's Throne is a wicked genre melter, with elements of funeral doom, death, black, and post-metal in the vein of Serpentine Path, Graves at Sea, and Unearthly Trance (pre-order here). I recommend mixing it up on a playlist with the band's Australian compatriots Motherslug, Lucifungus, Holy Serpent, Potion, and Lamassu.

Give ear...

Mammon's Throne by Mammon's Throne

SOME BUZZ

Melbourne extreme doom metal band Mammon's Throne return heavier and darker with their second, self-titled full-length album.

After relentless touring following the success of their 2020 debut album 'Forward Unto Flame,' released on vinyl through Black Farm Records, Mammon's Throne have established themselves as a force to be reckoned within the Australian live music scene.

On their latest offering, haunting funeral doom melodies meet crushing sludge and death grooves before taking flight in searing blackened crescendos all accompanied by a chilling and diverse range of vocal styles and a furious drumming assault.

The album is slated for an April 2023 release through Brilliant Emperor Records on multiple formats and has been mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Mastering Studio.

Mammon's Throne is: Matthew Miller (Vocals), Amesh Perera (Guitars), Sam Talbot-Canon (Bass) & Nick Boschan (Drums)

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[superstorelomo]

Yoink bandcamp

On Anomalía ediciones Upcoming Releases Saturday, 3 Lukas Mantel Sextet – Vardah (Pre​-​Release #2/​4) (jazz fusion, modern jazz)īandcamp page Sunday, 4 Dayum – Ghost of Sparta (technical deathcore) Perth, Australia Yoink – Interactome (progressive rock, math rock)īrooklyn, New York Yon – Animalista (math rock) Porto, Portugal Watercolour Ghosts – Connector (progressive metal, post-rock) On The Flenser Verbian – Jaez (post-metal) Osnabrück, Germany Serration – Ease Yourself Back into Consciousness (metalcore)Īlberta Street Sects – “Gentrification Ⅲ: Death and Displacement” (experimental hardcore) On Ugexplode Lilly Legit & Chime Garlands – Closure (modern jazz, math rock) Sankt Peterburg, Russian Federation Jeb Bishop, Alex Ward, and Weasel Walter – Flayed (free jazz, noise) On Unique Leader Iamthemorning – The Bell (progressive rock) On Wolves and Vibrancy Humanity’s Last Breath – Abyssal (deathcore) New York Fawn Limbs – Harm Remissions (mathcore, grindcore) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Blame God – Power and Control (grindcore) Friday, 2 Aaron Myers-Brooks – Energetic Bursts (progressive metal) Israel Zeitgeber – Transforming the Random Crushing Forces of the Universe into Manageable Patterns (world fusion) Kiev, Ukraine פיי שפירו (Faye Shapiro) – אלף נשיקות (Elef neshikot) (experimental pop, world fusion) On Coup sur coup Thursday, 1 August Dead Way Englightenment – Störung (post-black metal) Lisbon, Portugal Things Amazing – Better Things (math rock, post-hardcore) Minneapolis, Minnesota Variable Geometry Orchestra – Mare Tranquillitatis (avant-garde classical) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, 31 Grogus – Four Kings (progressive sludge) On Potentially Kinetic The Tea Club – If / When (progressive rock, art rock) On Cruel Nature Tuesday, 30 Bit Brigade – Mega Man 3 (rock, VGM)Īthens, Georgia Eradiate and The Key to Nchuandzel – Impaling the Night’s Darkened Spirit on the Blade of Intransigence (avant-garde black metal) On L’oreille électrique Monday, 29 Fret! – A Vanity Spawned by Fear (post-hardcore, math punk) Sunday, 28 Electric Pop Art Ensemble – In Montreal (experimental jazz, noise) New York, New York Frode Gjerstad, Fred Lonberg-Holm, and Matthew Shipp – Season of Sadness (avant-garde jazz) ​2: Mario Kart 64 Soundtrack from YouTube Video” (jazz, VGM) Guadalajara, Mexico Saturday, 27 The 8-Bit Big Band – “Let’s Play Live! Ep​. Spurn – At the Precipice of Excitation (grindcore, deathgrind)Ĭalgary, Alberta Troker – Pueblo de brujos (jazz fusion, experimental jazz) On Gizeh Sevish – Horixens (drum and bass, experimental electro) On Napalm Several Wives – Göldi Fell (contemporary classical, dark ambient) Label page Oh Hiroshima – Oscillation (post-rock) On Give Praise John Zorn – Tractatus musico-philosophicus: Philosophical Investigations from the Invisible Theatre (avant-garde jazz) Holy Grinder – Primitive Methods (powerviolence) Bureau Berlin – Earthbound Akupunkture (free improvisation, noise) On Orenda Christopher Cerrone – The Pieces that Fall to Earth (contemporary classical)ĭaxma – Ruins upon Ruins (atmospheric post-metal) On Whirlwind Ben Rempel – Desert Music (experimental jazz) South Bend, Indiana Rebecca Nash’s Atlas – Peaceful King (modern jazz) Harlow, UK After Ours – Random Nuggets (jazz fusion, pop) Friday, 26 July Abe – Abe (math rock, post-hardcore)

[mikeybalzz]

Flipping Heavy Cover for Pre Spawn Bass (GIANT Fish + Phytobedo!!!)

Flipping Heavy Cover for Pre Spawn Bass (GIANT Fish + Phytobedo!!!)

One of my favorite fishing techniques for catching pre spawn bass is flipping – whether it’s flipping docks, punching mats, pitching jigs – fishing for bass in heavy cover as they move up to spawn can lead to giant fish and be a fun technique for catching fish. In this video my friend @phytobedo break down some tips for catching late winter pre spawn bass in heavy cover flipping and…

[largemouthbassnation]

Fishing EXTREME River Current For BIG Bass!!! Caleb's Channel: Such a INSANE river crank bait bite! Make sure to SMASH Caleb's SUBSCRIBE button! As always thanks for taking time ... source

[burleyoutdoors]

The Ultimate Early Spring Bass Fishing Adventure at Table Rock Lake with Burley Outdoors

Pursuing the Bass Trifecta with Precision and Passion Welcome back to Burley Outdoors, where Max and Danielle guide you through the mesmerizing waters of Table Rock Lake in search of the early spring bass trifecta: largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass. With the season’s warmth coaxing these species into shallower pre-spawn territories, it’s an angler’s dream scenario. Let’s dive deeper into…

[weaselle]

My tongue plays numb, fakes dumb and stutters when the bass drum shakes some phrase I utter, but it’s braised in butter sic sauce so tasty that wasting it’d be a loss a toss too hasty. Daintily I dip back track and zip to the spot pre-hop and ante-hip: centered in the moment, poised on the brink, balanced on the brim, time to swim or sink, rhyme when I think and the seconds turn to hours and I check the terms I use just like I’m used to super powers ‘til the syllables lock and the clock stands still, I flow lickety split, it’s deliciously ill, I so wickedly spit that the vicious be chill, keep slick the viscous bits and let the quickness be spilled: i need a topic, hop on it dog gone it, want it to flaunt it I’ll spawn it, drop it undaunted I’m on it, rock it ‘til dawn off the bonnet, pop off a song or a sonnet honest but haunted by monsters awful and crawling from closets into your bed in this fashion I’m askin’ the vast masses for action, the past act is distractin’, the fast track and the cash and the flash mask what is happenin’, the man’s actually taxin' the facts they put in your head

[engprodtechllc]

Round Unpainted Jighead (3/8oz)

Round Unpainted Jighead (3/8oz) are perfect for fish that are small through large. That bigger bait, with all its action and water displacement is perfect for slightly stained conditions. As summer begins to where into the fall, then the swim jig bite tends to diminish some. Well, it goes from crazy to just good. Water temperature is the first factor. I'll throw a swim jig anytime the water temperature is between 50 and 75 degrees. In my mind that's in the very early pre-spawn all the way through the shad spawn. The water needs to be warm enough to make the fish active so that's why I pick 50 degrees. The main difference between a standard casting jig and a jig designed for swimming is the head design. Swim jigs feature a pointed nose with a vertical line tie so the lure swims through the water column and easily slips through cover. Bass jigging works best when lunkers are holding near shallow cover such as grass, rocks, laydowns, and docks. Fishing a jig in deeper water is productive in the summer and winter time or when baitfish have moved offshore. Usage: When skipping a swimbait around shallow like when fishing docks, a weighted swimbait hook is the ticket. You can fish the jighead, but a swimbait skips so much better with a belly weighted hook tucked into the bait. Start with braid and a fluorocarbon leader of a few feet in length, joined by an Albright Special or Uni-to-Uni knot. This offers you the best ability to feel the jig, while still having some stealth with the nearly translucent fluorocarbon line up against the jig itself.   Round Unpainted Jighead (3/8oz) can be fished near docks, brush, weeds/grass, and lily pads/pad stems that are situated on flat, shallow spawning areas. They are murder on panfish, walleye, and bass. Swim jigs can quickly cover vast areas on a spawning bed with a simple swimming retrieve. Bass can be sight fished with jigs this time of year as well. This purchase is for a pack of five (5) unpainted jig heads. Read the full article

[randomvarious]

The Champs - “Tequila” Fetenhits: Oldies Song released in 1958. Compilation released in 1999. Frat Rock / Rock & Roll / Latin Rock

Though The Champs spawned a handful of hits in their improbable seven-year run, it was their first hit, the instrumental, “Tequila,” which was originally recorded as a throwaway b-side, that would make them an indispensable piece of both popular music and rock and roll history. But before getting into the band’s formation and the song itself, let’s do a little bit of scene setting.

From history-of-rock.com:

The year 1958 saw a dramatic increase in short-lived fad rock and roll instrumental combos. Not that Rock and roll instrumentals hadn't been around before or that they wouldn't  be around later. It was just that the floodgates opened wide in 1958. A year earlier, the biggest selling instrumental was "Raunchy" by it's co-composer Bill Justis. By the end of 1959, there was Santo and Johnny, Johnny and the Hurricanes, Dave "Baby" Cortez, Duane Eddy, the Fireballs, the Virtues, the Wailers, Link Wray and His Ray Men, the Royaltones, the Rock-A-Teens, Sandy Nelson, Cozy Cole and Preston Epps. However the group that really created the demand was the Champs.

It’s The Champs, a loose collection of session musicians who officially formed as a band after “Tequila” was released, who are responsible for the most memorable rock and roll instrumental of all time. It’s not groups who dedicated themselves full-time to rock and roll instrumentals; it’s these guys, who, not long after they released their debut album and started to tour, became a revolving-door-band, and added people like Glen Campbell and the duo that would become Seals and Crofts to their ranks. A random session that was originally intended to be just a one-off to fill a b-side for a 45 ended up selling millions of records, rocketing up to #1 on the Billboard charts, and winning a Grammy. Go figure.

Now for the origin story of the band, with more from history-of-rock.com:

The story of the Champs began with Dave Burgess, who was born December 13, 1934, in Beverly Hills, CA. Burgess first recorded for Okeh Records, a subsidiary of Columbia that issued country, blues, and jazz records. Burgess was eighteen when he recorded his first two Okeh singles: "Don't Put A Dent In My Heart" and "Too Late For Tears." In 1955, he recorded two singles for Tampa Records "Don't Turn Your Back On Love" and "Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue." All were country and had no success.

In 1956, Burgess was recording for Top Records. Top would take unknown, but talented artists, have them cover the latest hits as closely as possible to the original, then issue them four-to-a-record for forty nine cents. Top's slogan was "twice the music at half the cost" and it was a bargain until the unsuspecting buyer got home and played the record.  Burgess appeared on an unknown amount of records, but at least ten came out with his name in the credits.

Ethics aside, Burgess got a first hand education in recording and performing while at Top. In 1957, while working as a deejay in Lancaster, CA. to [pass] time he composed songs and sent them off to various music houses. Two became very successful that year" "I'm Available" in the "pop" field and "I'll Be There" in the country market. [The Champs would later record an instrumental version of “I’ll Be There” as a b-side for “Tequila” in 1958.]

His songwriting brought him to Challenge Records, a Los Angeles company founded in April, 1957 by Gene Autrey (sp.).. There he recorded as Dave Dupree, as well as under his own name. Four of Challenge's first singles were recorded by Burgess, who became a regular session guitarist for Challenge.

A couple days before Christmas in 1957, a session was arranged in Hollywood by Challenge to record Burgess’ next single, “Train to Nowhere,” due to be released in January, along with a b-side. Sitting in on the session with Burgess, who was on rhythm guitar, were, according to Wikipedia, “Cliff Hills on bass, the Flores Trio (Danny Flores on saxophone and keyboards, Gene Alden on drums, and lead guitarist Buddy Bruce), and Huelyn Duvall contributing backing vocals.” The group had recorded two other songs to consider for the b-side, “Night Beat” and “All Night Rock,” the latter of which has never been released. But at the tail-end of the session came an instrumental ditty. 

history-of-rock.com has more:

With some studio time remaining, Burgess asked the other musicians to stay to help him come up with a B-side for a record he had previously recorded.One musician offered a Tex-Mex sax line, another a snappy guitar riff,  the drummer played a backbeat on the bell of his cymbal and Burgess plucked the muted strings of his electric guitar.The song was called "Tequila" and was spoken after each bridge. In ten minutes they had a take.

And that was that. Sometimes a musician or a producer knows when they’ve got a hit on their hands...but this wasn’t one of those times. “Tequila” was a pure filler track. The seller was gonna be “Train to Nowhere”. Everyone at the session knew that. But then, sometime in January, some radio DJ in Cleveland got a hold of “Train to Nowhere” and decided he would spin the b-side instead. And three weeks later, “Tequila” was all of a sudden the #1 song in America. Wild.

“Tequila” is nothing without Danny Flores, the man who graces the track with his trademark “dirty” sax melodies and the intermittent gravelly murmur of the word “tequila.” At the time of the song’s recording, he was actually signed to another label, so he couldn’t use his actual name on the record. Instead, he went by Chuck Rio. It was because of “Tequila” though, that Flores was crowned as the godfather of Latin rock. And while that’s a really cool title to have bestowed upon yourself, one can’t help but think of all the money he missed out on from selling his American rights to the song for what’s been reported as a paltry amount of money. However, it wasn’t all bad. He still had the global rights to the song, which was said to have netted him about seventy grand a year up until his death in 2006. A lot more than probably any other 50s rocker can say they made in residuals off a single song.

“Tequila” has staying power, I think, because it pulls a bunch of different ideas from a bunch of different music styles. Its composition is simple, its melodies are catchy, and the fact that rock and roll instrumentals were popular at the time was definitely a contributing factor to its success, too. But this song also simultaneously carries that hip, 50s cocktail lounge kind of vibe with its cymbal taps and its mambo beat; it has hand claps and an upbeat rock and roll tempo for dancing and partying; its guitar strums are poppy; the chorus has a definite, escalatory big band jazz/swing feel to it; and Flores’ sax tone is very reminiscent of the jazz-brass-sleaze that had constantly complemented burlesque and striptease dance routines (it’s hard to imagine that strip joints used to have house bands, but they did) for years prior. In fact, something could even be said about how “Tequila” manages to combine an air of lounge-y sophistication with its beat, while supplying over-the-top, trashy amounts of sax melodies with its lead, representing a sort of convergence of two opposite styles of contemporaneous nightlife: artsy hipsterdom vs. raw, transparent transactionalism. It’s all in one track and all at the same time. A song by The Champs, made for both camps. 

Without a doubt, “Tequila” is the most popular rock and roll instrumental ever recorded. Its success was totally unforeseen, so much so, that The Champs formed after the thought-to-be-a-one-off, just-before-Christmas recording session in 1957 that birthed the song. They weren’t even an official band; mostly just some session musicians recording a b-side and having a bit of innocent fun in the studio. But that fun was both evident and highly contagious, which ended up lending to the song’s overall immortality, landing it as a staple track for just about any classic party mix, and opening the door for an oncoming era of pre-garage-frat-rock behemoths like “Louie Louie,” “Surfin’ Bird” and “Shout”.

[bassfishinnnva]

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