The Atlantics are Australia's premier instrumental band. In September 1963, as the Beatles ruled the hit parade in England, the surf music craze rode high on the US & Australian charts. This was the moment when The Atlantics broke onto the music scene with their international hit "Bombora".
Between rock'n'roll's first outburst in the latter fifties and the group quake of the mid-sixties, the most important, and generally under-appreciated era of rock and roll was the trend towards instrumental music. The Beatles were as much influenced by the Shadows, as they were Chuck Berry and Motown. The Atlantics were Australia's most significant contribution to that style and era of rock music.
The group's core met during the summer of 1960/61 on a bus returning from the beach to Randwick in Sydney where the band members were living. Their influences were all that instrumental rock of the day, from the pioneering Johnny and The Hurricanes through to "new" boys, the Ventures and the Shadows.
Peter Hood and Jim Skiathitis were on the way to Sydney's Royal Easter Show but when it just rained and rained they ended up at Jim's house writing a new song. A mutual decision by the group called the new song 'Bombora' - an Australian aboriginal term for large waves breaking over submerged rock shelves. The new surf music craze had now emerged. American instrumental group The Chantays had jumped on the bandwagon with 'Pipeline'. The Atlantics decided to follow suit. It seemed natural. Acknowledging surfing was simply a reflection of their Sydney beach lifestyle. The Atlantics were the first Australians to join in on the new craze. Even their name fit. The Delltones and Little Patti would follow. Recorded at the same session as 'Bombora' for the new single was 'Greensleeves', a traditional tune.
'Bombora' was an instant success, top five nationally, and released in America, England, Japan, Italy, Holland and New Zealand. The Atlantics name again proved a lucky accident. A lot of people just assumed the band came from America. Catapulted to stardom the band balanced the flood of demand for live appearances with recording their first self-titled album. Around the same time as releasing the album, the group came out with a vocal single featuring their old singer Kenny Shane. He was also recording with Sven Libaek and the group decided to give him a hand with instrumental backings, a couple of original songs, and their name with his on the 'Surfin' Queen' single. The Kenny Shane and the Atlantics vocal single sank without a trace. Not so the Atlantics' instrumental follow-up. 'The Crusher', nearly the name given to 'Bombora'. 'The Crusher' denoted a huge collapsing wave usually unfit for surfing. The B-side Chet Atkins-style 'Hootenanny Stomp' was written by Theo Penglis as an attempt to try and diversify the group's style even further.
In 1999 the original Atlantics reformed for a new album and a national tour. ‘Flight Of The Surf Guitar’ contained 17 tracks, comprising 14 all new originals, together with brand new recorded versions of three of their most popular songs – ‘The Crusher’, ‘Rumble and Run’ and of course, ‘Bombora’. In 2002 the Atlantics joined the ‘A Long Way To The Top’ tour. In 2006 they recorded several new tracks for the Delightful Rain: A History of Australian Surf Music compilation. Keep an eye on the gig guide for an update on where they're playing next.