The Rip Chords

The Rip Chords
Origin	Inglewood, California
Genres	pop, surf rock, Hot Rod music
Years active	1962–1965

The Rip Chords were an American singing duo originally called The Opposites, composed of Phil Stewart and Ernie Bringas. This original twosome (Phil and Ernie) eventually expanded into four primary voices, adding Columbia producer, Terry Melcher and co-producer, Bruce Johnston. The group came to be associated with the hot rod/surf genre of the day, although their first single release, "Here I Stand," did not reflect that style. They recorded at Columbia Records in Hollywood from 1962-1965. The group placed five singles on The Billboard Hot 100. They are best known for their #4 single, ″Hey Little Cobra,″ one of the highest ranking hot rod songs of all time. Ernie Bringas, founding member of the Rip Chords (who now teaches Religious Studies at Glendale Community College (Arizona)), was there at the very inception of the group, until its disbandment in 1965, and said that "there is misinformation, disinformation, misperception, and confusion swirling around this recording group, maybe more than any other. Even today, the distortion is perennial, pervasive, and wide-ranging as there are incorrect statements on other internet web pages."

History of the original group

Early history (the original two)

Phil and Ernie became acquainted in the mid-1950s during their school days at Inglewood High in California (about ten miles south of Hollywood). They discovered some complimentary musical talents, and struck up a friendship. Encouraged by their singing compatibility, they were determined to secure a recording contract from one of the big studios. The quest began in 1958 and all too soon the task proved extremely arduous. They approached every recording company in Hollywood, starting with the mega studios and working their way down to the 'also-rans.' But they came up empty. By early 1962, they had decided to call it quits.

Shortly thereafter, Ernie was sitting at his kitchen table sifting through a collection of 45 rpm records that he had purchased over the years. One of those records by Jan and Arnie caught his attention. But what really caught his eye was the record label, Arwin Records (located in Beverly Hills). At that time, he knew that Jan and Arnie (which morphed into Jan and Dean) had left Arwin for another record label called Dore (located in Hollywood). Ernie concluded that the Arwin label might be looking for some new artists to replace them. So Ernie called Phil and asked if he wanted to go with him to Beverly Hills and explore the possibility. Phil declined, but Ernie gave it one more shot. He drove the fifteen miles to Beverly Hills with their old scratchy demo record in hand. The demo was an old recording they had made four years earlier to showcase their voices. As it turned out, this long shot trip to Arwin Records proved to be a defining event.

Actress/singer Doris Day and her husband, Marty Melcher (an American film producer) owned Arwin Records and Daywin Music. Their son, Terry Melcher, had recently been hired at Columbia Records as an A&R (artists and repertory) producer. Bob Crystal, vice president of Arwin Records, saw potential in Phil and Ernie’s voices, and quickly arranged for an audition at Columbia Records. Following the audition, Terry Melcher signed Phil and Ernie to a recording contract at Columbia. Their moniker, The Opposites, seemed apropos at the time because Ernie was studying for the ministry and Phil was a “private eye” (a tracer). But shortly before their first release, the name The Opposites was changed to the Rip Chords. The change was prompted by concerns that the name (The Opposites) could falsely imply a positive versus negative image of the two friends; ergo, the name Rip Chords was adopted. According to Terry Melcher: “Actually, I gave them the name and it was just a play on words. It had nothing to do with the TV show Ripcord” (spelled without the h).

The Wrecking Crew

The Rip Chords were a vocal group. They were not a band (no musical instruments, although Phil played some limited guitar). Accordingly, Phil and Ernie needed to be backed instrumentally by studio musicians. These musicians, such as guitarist/singer Glen Campbell, drummer Hal Blaine, bass guitar player Ray Pohlman, and other prominent instrumentalists, came to be known as The Wrecking Crew. As a common practice, The Wrecking Crew backed many of the '60s groups; such as, The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, The Carpenters, The 5th Dimension, Jan and Dean, The Mamas And The Papas, The Monkees, and many other groups that had chart-topping and Grammy-winning hits.

First single released (″Here I Stand″)

Terry Melcher produced the Rip Chords' first release, ″Here I Stand″ (a remake of the Wade Flemons version). Recorded December 17, 1962, it peaked at #51 on The Billboard Hot 100 in early 1963. Ernie sang the lead, the falsetto, and also joined Phil with the background vocals. (They are the only vocalists on this recording.) Both Phil and Ernie agreed that: "Glen Campbell, a member of The Wrecking Crew, gave the song a great lift with his lead guitar. Recent remix attempts have watered down his contribution, but on the original release, the imprint of his lead guitar is indelible."

Phil and Ernie made several personal appearances to promote their first release. They appeared as an act with Tommy Dorsey for a charity benefit in L.A.; a DJ rock concert in San Francisco; and two personal TV appearances, that included the Wink Martindale and Lloyd Thaxton shows. Prior to their first release, they performed at the famous, Hollywood Palladium. This particular appearance (12/8/62) featured an unreleased single, ″Ding Dong,″ the precursor to ″Here I Stand.″ Ernie had educational responsibilities, so the above live appearances would be the only ones made by him.

Second single released (″Gone″)

Terry Melcher’s second effort for the Rip Chords was a song called ″Gone,″ recorded April 26, 1963. As was the case with their first release, Ernie sang the lead, the falsetto and, along with Phil, the background vocals. Bruce Johnston, a friend of Terry’s, added an interjecting falsetto part to the song. Only Ernie, Phil, and Bruce appear on this recording. Although the song did penetrate The Billboard Hot 100, it did not fare as well as the previous hit, ″Here I Stand.″ However, ″Gone″ did very well wherever it was played, e.g., in San Antonio, Texas, during the week of August 1, 1963 (on KTSA’s top 55 survey), ″Gone″ climbed up to #2, right above Elvis Presley’s #3 song, ″Devil In Disguise.″

Ernie's hiatus

Following the release of ″Gone,″ Ernie Bringas left to pursue his ministerial education in September 1963. He had just graduated from California State University at Long Beach and was headed for three years of graduate work at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where he eventually earned his Master of Divinity degree. At that point in time, it was not at all certain that Ernie would be allowed to return to the group since church officials were concerned about a possible conflict of interests. As it turned out he would rejoin the group within three months. During those three intervening months, from September through November 1963, the Rip Chords future was in question as a recording and live performance entity.

The Bruce and Terry vocal component

The recording issue was easily resolved. Producer Terry Melcher and, now, co-producer Bruce Johnston (AKA: Bruce & Terry) stepped in vocally to fill the void created by Ernie’s brief absence. Bruce had already sung with Phil and Ernie on their second single, ″Gone.″ Bruce and Terry would prove to be a significant addition as the Rip Chords prepared to record and release their third single.

The question of who would tour with Phil was still problematic. Bruce and Terry were not inclined to tour; their interest was in vocal participation and the production end of the business.

The touring Rip Chords

Since Ernie was temporarily absent from the group, and his return remained uncertain, two young men (Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus) were brought on board to tour with Phil as the Rip Chords. Thus, Phil, Rich, and Arnie became the official touring wing of the Rip Chords. Thus, Phil, Rich, and Arnie became the official touring wing of the Rip Chords. It is important to note that Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus were never vocally involved in any Rip Chords’ recordings. Their participation was limited to touring. [14]

Having solved the touring issue, Phil was still without a singing partner. The solution was in house.

Third single released (″Hey Little Cobra″)

The third Rip Chords’ release was the mega hit single, ″Hey Little Cobra,″ vocally layered by Bruce and Terry (recorded 10/15/63). Terry sang the lead. He and Bruce did the background vocals. The song peaked at #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in February1964. Initially, of course, when the ″Cobra″ single was released, Bruce and Terry did not receive any credit for their vocal participation because, at that point in time, they were ghostsingers; that is, the public never knew they were on the records. (Definitively, ghostsingers would be the equivalent of what we call literary ghostwriters.) Bruce and Terry would remain ghostsingers for the remainder of the Rip Chords’ journey.

Today, of course, that secret is no longer a secret. The real controversy now is about the background vocals; that is, who else is on that ″Cobra″ record? There have been efforts to credit Phil, Rich, and Arnie with having been a vocal part of that recording. This belief has been fostered by various sources; that is, numerous CD liner notes, articles, books, and eventually, of course, the Internet. Even the official Columbia files seem to indicate as much.

“Although much of the early literature and never-ending Internet sources promote that misconception, the only voices on that Cobra single are Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston" stated Ernie Bringas. He said this for the following six reasons:

• First, he confirms that he was still unavailable to record because church officials had not yet given him the green light to reengage.
• Second, Phil called Ernie at the seminary when the ″Cobra″ single was released in late 1963, and informed him that Bruce and Terry were the only vocalists on the record. (Today, however, Phil disputes the idea that he was not on the ″Cobra″ single.)
• Third, Rich and Arnie never appeared vocally on any Rip Chords’ material. They simply toured with Phil as being the Rip Chords because Terry, Bruce, and Ernie were unavailable to tour. Rich and Arnie were hired to sub for them on the road, but not vocally in the studio.
• Fourth, as far as the Columbia files are concerned, Terry couldn’t list Bruce and himself as the singers on the ″Cobra″ record. They weren’t even a part of the group. They were supposed to be producing the record, not singing on it. To avoid getting into hot water, Terry had to finesse the paper work, or risk being found out (as Terry eventually admitted to Columbia).
• Fifth, we come to the auditory analysis of the ″Cobra″ single. Ernie worked for a couple of years with Bruce and Terry in the studio. He knows their voices inside out. This is not to say he’s infallible on this issue, but he is certain that it is only Bruce and Terry who layered the ″Cobra″ record.
• Sixth, more importantly, both Terry and Bruce have been adamant on this point. Also, Ernie spoke with Terry a few years before his untimely demise in 2004, and Terry repeated that he and Bruce were the only voices on that record. Bruce Johnston, the only surviving member of that duo, who is now with the Beach Boys, will vouch for the fact of their sole involvement, as he did again on July 7, 2012, when he spoke to Ernie at a Beach Boys concert (see photo above).

Bruce and Terry's recording of ″Hey Little Cobra″ would, in future years, create further confusion about the Rip Chords' identity. That is, who were the real Rip Chords?

Return of Bringas

Following the ″Hey Little Cobra″ single, Bringas, having been absent for three months, rejoined the group in December 1963. There was a ruling by church authorities that allowed him to record, but not tour (as touring would impede his theological studies). But after the success of the ″Cobra″ single, it was impossible for Phil and Ernie not to acquiesce to the further vocal involvement of Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher. For that reason, the original Rip Chords (Phil and Ernie) expanded into four primary voices, adding producer Melcher and co-producer Johnston. Expediently, Johnston and Melcher continued on as “ghostsingers”. Within this coalition of four, all Rip Chords’ music of the 1960s would be hammered out.

So Phil and Ernie were back together in the studio after the "Hey Little Cobra" single, to record the next album (a fact that numerous Internet sources have failed to discern). Melcher, Ernie, and Phil handled all of the lead vocals. However, for the rock genre, most everyone agreed—including Phil and Ernie—that Melcher was their best lead vocalist. He certainly carried the lion’s share (about 60% of all leads). Bruce did not have any leads, but he was especially good at falsetto, backgrounds, and impromptu. Phil and Ernie had the other 40% of the leads. All four were heavily involved with the harmonizing background vocals, with the notable exception of the ″Cobra″ single and its flip side, ″The Queen″.

Although Bringas was back in the studio to record, he did not tour because of his educational commitment and the restrictions imposed by church officials. As for Johnston and Melcher, they had no interest in touring because they were busy as Columbia producers. So the touring group, Phil, Rich and Arnie, would remain intact; Phil Stewart, Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus continued on as the touring arm of the Rip Chords, performing in concerts. In summation: Ernie flew in from seminary to record, but he didn’t tour; Rich and Arnie toured, but they didn’t record; Phil recorded and also toured; Johnston and Melcher certainly didn’t tour although they recorded with Phil and Ernie (but no one outside of the studio knew it). In the words of author Stephen J. McParland, “It was like a cloning experiment in a Saturday morning cartoon gone wild!”

First album (Hey Little Cobra and other Hot Rod Hits)

Their next release, in early 1964, was the Hey Little Cobra and other Hot Rod Hits album. It peaked at #56 on the national charts. This album featured strong contributions by all four singers (Terry, Bruce, Ernie, and Phil). However, within this coalition of four, there was an in-house struggle between the Phil and Ernie "sound" and the Bruce and Terry "sound". Regardless, the Cobra album seems to feature an equal smattering of both.

The album jacket correctly listed Phil and Ernie as vocalists, but then neglected to mention Bruce and Terry, while incorrectly listing Rich and Arnie as vocalists. It was a necessary ploy because Rich and Arnie were on the touring end of the equation. They, along with Phil, would be the ones showing up on stage. Even so, the write-up on the album cover can only be categorized as disinformation (false information that is intended to mislead).

Having said this, however, it is not clear who in the upper chain of command at Columbia Records—the biggest recording company in the world—knew about this unorthodox arrangement. Terry Melcher recorded the group at the Columbia studios on the West Coast (Hollywood) while the East Coast offices in New York City handled publicity. Whatever the case, this disinformation about who constituted the singing Rip Chords was nonetheless pragmatic and served a positive purpose; it allowed Phil to tour (with the help of Rich and Arnie), it allowed producers Bruce and Terry to unofficially record with the group as ghostsingers, and it allowed Ernie to stay in school. But again, this fragmentation would only muddy the historical waters when trying to sort out the truth about this group.

Fourth single released (″Three Window Coupe″)

The fourth single released was ″Three Window Coupe″ (April, 1964), with Terry singing the lead. It peaked at #29 on the national charts. Because of the overwhelming success of the ″Cobra″ single, the Bruce and Terry “sound” was predominant in this fourth single. Terry, as the main A&R producer, had total say about what would be recorded and how it would be recorded. Therefore, many subsequent recordings would be based on the ″Cobra″ vocal blueprint of Bruce and Terry. Their imprint became indelible.

Because of this circumstance, the rock pundits have incorrectly surmised that Phil and Ernie were basically sidelined for the duration, having little or nothing to do with the Rip Chords’ body of work. This view is partially driven by some misleading Internet articles. For example, classicbands.com stated that Ernie's brief hiatus had been permanent and that Rich and Arnie filled in vocally. These statements are incorrect.

Another factor that lent credence to the idea that Phil and Ernie’s vocal involvement was somewhat limited came from Terry’s own evaluation of their contribution when he said: “Occasionally…we had them come in and make a little noise.” But the upcoming assessment of the total Rip Chords’ musical product brings that comment into question.

Second album (Three Window Coupe)

The Three Window Coupe album followed the single three weeks later. Just like the group’s previous album, the liner notes erroneously—but purposely—listed Rich and Arnie as having sung on the album. As usual, Bruce and Terry’s vocal involvement with Phil and Ernie on the album went unmentioned. The Rip Chords’ public persona remained in tact. Anyway, this album is considered by many to be their best collective effort. Ironically, it did not generate chart action.

Although the vocal imprint of Bruce and Terry on these recordings remains unquestionable, the popular notion that Phil and Ernie had minimal input is doubtful. For example, when one examines the original Columbia issue of the 1964 Hey Little Cobra and other Hot Rod Hits album (CS 8951 or CL 2151)—featuring 11 vocal recordings—one discovers that Terry carried 45% (5) of the leads, while Ernie also carried 45% (5) of the leads, and Phil carried 10% (1).

Similarly, on the original 1964 Three Window Coupe album (CS 9016 or CL 2216), we find another 11 vocal recordings. On one of those songs, Terry and Ernie share the lead together. Of the remaining 10, Terry carries 60% (6) of the leads, while Phil and Ernie evenly split with 40% (4) of the leads. These numbers fly in the face of any attempt to downgrade Phil and Ernie’s vocal contributions. See Discography below.

Furthermore, when it came to the background vocals, at least three of the singing foursome was almost always involved. Additionally, Ernie and Bruce shared, almost equally, the falsetto parts, except when Ernie was on hiatus - this led to the notable exceptions of the ″Hey Little Cobra″ single and its flip side, ″The Queen.″

Vocal parity did not exist. Ernie acknowledges that the vocal contributions made by Bruce and Terry were a major factor in creating the sound that led the Rip Chords to success. In Ernie’s own words: “To be sure, neither Phil nor I deny that Terry and Bruce were major contributors in shaping the Rip Chords’ music and to what is now known as the California Sound." Terry and Bruce could create this sound without us; we couldn’t create it without them. That is a key difference, and no one should try to take that away from them.”

The Rip Chords' first release, "Here I Stand", featured only the voices of the original two, Phil and Ernie. That was the record that launched the group onto the national charts and paved the way for any future success.

Fifth and sixth singles released (″One Piece Topless Bathing Suit″ and ″Don't Be Scared″)

Terry and Ernie carried the lead on their last release of any consequence; the single, ″One Piece Topless Bathing Suit″ (June, 1964). It managed to break into the national charts, but failed to generate major activity.

In February 1965 a final single was released called ″Don’t Be Scared.″ This was definitely a Terry and Bruce production, although Phil was involved. Ernie was busy at school, and says that he was not on this recording. In any case, no national chart success ensued.

Disbandment and summary

Shortly after the ’65 release, the group disbanded. All in all, the Rip Chords had managed to place 5 singles on The Billboard Hot 100, a major achievement by any standard. They had also released two very cool albums that reflected the car/surf genre of the day. It was a good run. Stephen J. McParland sums it up this way: “But something as trendy and timely as the Rip Chords’ sound and image also had a built-in clock, something like those little pop-up thermometers they used to implant in roasting chickens. When your time’s up, you’re done.”

Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Ernie Bringas, and Phil Stewart never recorded any music under the Rip Chords’ moniker after disbanding in 1965. Therefore, any Rip Chords' music produced after 1965, does not reflect any of the original singing Rip Chords.

The new Rip Chords

As stated earlier, back in the 1960s, Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus were hired to go on tour with Phil Stewart because, aside from Phil, the other three singing Rip Chords (Terry, Bruce, and Ernie) were unavailable to tour for various reasons already noted. Although Rich and Arnie never appeared vocally on any of the 1960s Rip Chords’ recordings, in the mid-1990s they legally revived the Rip Chords with additional new members. This new group tours extensively, and produces new recordings under the Rip Chords’ name. However, none of the original singers from the 1960s are part of this group, or their new recordings. Although this new group has served to complicate further the original Rip Chords’ identity issues, they have also had the positive affect of keeping the Rip Chords' name involved in the oldies but goodies circuit. They also help to promote the sales of the original Rip Chords' recordings of the 1960s, albeit indirectly.

When any marketing company seeks to reissue the 1960s recordings, the CD booklets will, by necessity, incorporate old album pictures, other publicity shots, and liner notes relating to the 1960s touring Rip Chords. That is why the original touring Rip Chords are wrongly perceived as being the recording Rip Chords. For example, in 1996, Sundazed Music reissued the Rip Chords' original album, Hey Little Cobra and other Hot Rod Hits. The CD booklet—taking its cue from the original album—incorrectly credits Rich and Arnie as having sung the background vocals, not only on the ″Hey Little Cobra″ single, but all Rip Chords' music in general. Also that same year, Sundazed reissued the original Three Window Coupe album on CD. Although the CD booklet on this last release started to correct the singing credits, the definitive clarification was yet to come.

Historical Clarification Solved in 2006 Sundazed Release

Finally, in 2006, Sundazed Music set the record straight. They issued their final Rip Chords’ release, Summer U.S.A.! The Best of the Rip Chords, where they corrected the earlier CD booklets by recognizing the fact that Rich and Arnie comprised only the touring aspect of the group, but not part of the recording Rip Chords. The 2006 booklet states: [Ernie] “Bringas, in the middle of his divinity school studies, was slated to attend the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio and would be unavailable to tour. To resolve this dilemma, two musicians, Arnie Marcus and Rich Rotkin, were hired, essentially creating two separate groups of Rip Chords; a recording act, and a touring entity.”

Also, the 2006 CD slipcover clearly identifies the recording Rip Chords: “No group epitomized the sun-soaked California Sound better than the fabulous Rip Chords… Led by legendary producer Terry Melcher along with future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and ace-vocalists Ernie Bringas and Phil Stewart, these long-board big-guns left an indelible mark on the surf’n strip sounds of the ‘60s….”

Moreover, for the first time, there is a picture of this foursome—Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Ernie Bringas, Phil Stewart—on the inside cover of the 2006 CD booklet (accomplished by bringing 4 separate photographs together). But ironically, all other photos in that booklet are pictures of the touring Rip Chords. Therefore, the booklet photos don’t mesh with each other (including the CD slipcover). According to Vice President, Tim Livingston, of Sundazed Music, they had no choice because those were the only photos they found in the Columbia archives.

The Rip Chord's sidelights

Previously Unissued Material Surfaces

In 2006, when Sundazed Music, Inc. released a CD called Summer U.S.A.! The Best of the Rip Chords, it featured four additional songs of interest, three of them previously unissued. The three unissued songs were as follows: ″Wiameah Bay,″ an instrumental by The Wrecking Crew, and two hot rod songs by the Rip Chords called ″Sting Ray″ and ″XKE.″ They had been in Columbia’s vault since 1965.

The other song of interest was ″Red Hot Roadster.″ Originally, it was scheduled to be released as a single but was sidetracked in 1965 for the soundtrack to the movie, A Swingin’ Summer. Aside from the movie, it made its first appearance in 1996 on the Three Window Coupe CD issued by Sundazed Music, and then again in 2006 (as mentioned above). According to Ernie, the above three vocal compositions were basically a Bruce and Terry production, with Phil Stewart in tow. Ernie was unable to attend the session because he was back in Ohio with his studies.

Background Vocals for the Hot Doggers, Frankie Lane, and Eddie Hodges

Terry Melcher, working with other Columbia artists, asked Phil and Ernie if they would do the background vocals for Frankie Laine, and also for Eddie Hodges. Ernie can’t recall the Frankie Lane number, but the Eddie Hodges song was ″Would You Come Back.″ Terry also asked Phil and Ernie if they would do the background vocals for the 1963 album Surfin’ USA by The Hot Doggers (AKA: Bruce And Terry). Phil and Ernie agreed since Bruce and Terry had already helped them on their recording efforts. The liner notes credit Terry as singing the falsetto, but according to Ernie, he carried the falsetto. Surfin’ USA was reissued by Sundazed Music in 2006.

Discography

Original singles

• 1962/63 A-side—Here I Stand (Ernie Bringas on lead vocal) and B-side – Karen (Phil Stewart on lead)
• 1963 A-side—Gone (Ernie on lead) and B-side—She Thinks I Still Care (Ernie on lead)
• 1963/64 A-side – Hey Little Cobra (Terry Melcher on lead) and B-side – The Queen (Terry on lead)
• 1964 A-side – Three Window Coupe (Terry on lead) and B-side – Hot Rod U.S.A. (Terry on lead)
• 1964 A-side –One Piece Topless Bathing Suit (Terry and Ernie on lead) and B-side – Wah-Wahini (Terry on lead)
• 1965 A-side – Don’t Be Scared (Terry on lead) and B-side – Bunny Hill (Instrumental by The Wrecking Crew.)

Original albums

Hey Little Cobra and Other Hot Rod Hits - - 1964 (In the order they appear on the original Columbia album)

• Here I Stand (Ernie on lead)
• The Queen (Terry on lead)
• 409 (Ernie on lead)
• Trophy Machine (Terry on lead)
• Gone (Ernie on lead)
• Little Deuce Coupe (Terry on lead)
• ’40 Ford Time (Instrumental by The Wrecking Crew)
• She Still Thinks I Care (Ernie on lead) NOTE: The correct title of this song should have been, She Thinks I Still Care.
• Shut Down (Ernie on lead)
• Drag City (Terry on lead)
• Ding Dong (Phil on lead)

Three Window Coupe - - 1964 (In the order they appear on the original Columbia album)

• Three Window Coupe (Terry on lead)
• Bonneville Bonnie (Phil on lead)
• Gas Money (Ernie on lead)
• This Little Woodie (Terry on lead)
• Hot Rod U.S.A. (Terry on lead)
• Old Car Made In ’52 (Phil on lead)
• Surfin’ Craze (Ernie on lead)
• Beach Girl (Terry on lead)
• My Big Gun Board (Terry and Ernie on lead)
• Surf City (Terry on lead)
• Summer U.S.A. (Terry on lead)
• Big Wednesday (Instrumental by The Wrecking Crew)