The Rip Chords
| Company type | Vocal ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Headquarters | Hollywood , United States |
Key people | Ernie Bringas, Phil Stewart, Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Rip Chords emerged as an American vocal ensemble in the early 1960s, originally performing under the name the Opposites, consisting of Ernie Bringas and Phil Stewart. The lineup later grew to include Columbia Records producer Terry Melcher and co-producer Bruce Johnston (who would go on to join the Beach Boys), aligning their sound with surf and hot-rod music trends despite their debut single, "Here I Stand," not fitting these genres. Between 1962 and 1965, while recording in Hollywood for Columbia, they achieved five entries on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Hey Little Cobra" reaching as high as number four.
Group history
Bringas and Stewart crossed paths in the mid-1950s at Inglewood High School, located near Hollywood. Recognizing their harmonious vocal blend, they pursued a recording opportunity and caught the attention of Arwin Records/Daywin Music in 1962.
Arwin Records, founded by actress and singer Doris Day alongside producer Marty Melcher, employed their son Terry Melcher as an A&R producer at Columbia. Bob Crystal, Arwin’s vice president, arranged for Bringas and Stewart to audition at Columbia.
Columbia Contract
Following the audition, Terry Melcher secured a contract for Bringas and Stewart with Columbia. Initially named the Opposites—reflecting Bringas’s theological studies and Stewart’s work as a detective—they changed their name to the Rip Chords before releasing any material to avoid unfavorable associations. The name was created by Melcher as a playful term with no connection to the television series Ripcord.
Functioning strictly as a vocal group without instrumentalists (though Stewart contributed some guitar), they depended on studio musicians from the Wrecking Crew, including guitarist Glen Campbell, drummer Hal Blaine, and bassist Ray Pohlman.
Their first single, "Here I Stand," produced by Melcher and recorded on December 17, 1962, reached number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1963. Bringas provided lead vocals while Stewart sang background; Campbell’s lead guitar added a distinctive element to the recording.
The follow-up single, "Gone," recorded April 26, 1963, featured Bringas singing lead and falsetto parts with layered harmonies from both Bringas and Stewart. Bruce Johnston contributed falsetto accents, while Gracia Nitzche of the Blossoms delivered a spoken introduction. Although it charted on the Hot 100, it did not match the success of "Here I Stand" but attained number two locally in San Antonio, Texas.
Following "Gone," Bringas’s availability for touring was limited due to his graduate studies at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Hey Little Cobra - Single
Because of his ministerial education commitments, Bringas missed the subsequent recording session, temporarily leaving Stewart without his vocal partner. To fill this gap, Melcher and co-producer Johnston stepped in vocally; Johnston had previously collaborated vocally with Bringas and Stewart on "Gone." Their involvement became crucial as the group prepared their third single.
Recorded on October 15, 1963, their third release "Hey Little Cobra" featured Melcher singing lead vocals with Johnston providing background harmonies. The track climbed to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 by February 1964 and reached number three in New Zealand.
Although Melcher was credited as producer on "Hey Little Cobra," neither he nor Johnston received vocal credit initially. Subsequently, both were acknowledged as producers on all Rip Chords releases; however, their contributions as vocalists remained officially uncredited.
Two Albums and a Touring Group
After the success of "Hey Little Cobra," Bringas returned to the studio ensemble, expanding the Rip Chords' core vocal lineup to four by incorporating Melcher and Johnston. Nevertheless, Bringas was unable to participate in live performances due to his academic obligations. As a result, Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus joined Stewart as the touring Rip Chords until the group's dissolution in 1965; neither Rotkin nor Marcus contributed vocals on the studio recordings.
Columbia Records never publicly differentiated between the recording artists and the touring ensemble; promotional efforts exclusively featured the touring members, who appeared in advertisements, interviews, and on album artwork.
The touring ensemble performed on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, participated in Clark’s 1964 Caravan of Stars tour alongside performers such as the Supremes, and appeared in the 1965 movie A Swingin' Summer with Raquel Welch. Few within the industry or general audience were aware that the recording and touring Rip Chords largely consisted of separate individuals, with Stewart being the sole common member.
The debut album, Hey Little Cobra and Other Hot Rod Hits (early 1964), reached No. 56 on national charts. Vocal duties were shared among Bringas, Stewart, Melcher, and Johnston. Although only Bringas and Stewart were credited vocally on the album cover, Rotkin and Marcus were mistakenly included.
The group's fourth single, "Three Window Coupe" (April 1964), featuring Melcher as lead vocalist, climbed to No. 28 nationally. The distinctive Melcher-Johnston vocal style dominated their recordings, playing a significant role in defining the Rip Chords’ contribution to the California Sound.
Released three weeks later, the Three Window Coupe album maintained a similar vocal arrangement. Like its predecessor, it incorrectly credited Rotkin and Marcus as vocalists while excluding Melcher and Johnston’s contributions. The 2006 reissue rectified these inaccuracies and celebrated the group as a quintessential example of the sun-drenched California Sound under producer Terry Melcher’s guidance and with future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston’s involvement.
The group’s final notable single, "One Piece Topless Bathing Suit" (June 1964), featured lead vocals by Bringas and Melcher. Although it charted nationally, it did not achieve significant commercial success. Their last single, "Don't Be Scared" (February 1965), failed to enter the charts.
Following "Don't Be Scared," the group disbanded after releasing five Hot 100 singles and two albums that encapsulated surf music trends of that era. Stephen J. McParland observed that their sound was inherently time-sensitive—once its moment passed, it concluded. No further Rip Chords studio sessions took place beyond 1965.
New Rip Chords
Under the Rip Chords name, Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher contributed "Sealed With A Kiss" to an album produced for Radio Shack in 1983 by Mike Love and Dean Torrence titled Rock'n'Roll Again.
Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus, who had been part of the touring group with Stewart, revived the Rip Chords during the mid-1990s by adding new members. This reformed lineup continues to perform live and record under the Rip Chords name. In 2010, they issued a CD through Spectra Records titled The Best of the Rip Chords ... Today, which is separate from Sundazed Music's 2006 release Summer U.S.A. The Best of the Rip Chords, featuring recordings from the original 1960s ensemble. The Spectra release does not include any original members.
Unreleased recordings and supporting vocals
In 2006, Sundazed Music issued Summer U.S.A.! The Best of the Rip Chords, which included four bonus tracks. Among these were three songs that had never been released before: "Wiameah Bay," an instrumental performed by the Wrecking Crew, along with two hot-rod themed numbers, "Sting Ray" and "XKE," both of which remained archived in Columbia's vault since 1965. The fourth addition, "Red Hot Roadster," originally featured on the 1965 soundtrack A Swingin' Summer, had also appeared on Sundazed's 1996 release Three Window Coupe. Bringas and Stewart contributed background vocals to the Hot Doggers' rendition of Surfin' USA (Bruce & Terry), while the backing harmonies on Pat Boone’s “Beach Girl” are identical to those found on the Rip Chords’ version.
Singles
- 1962–63: "Here I Stand" (lead vocals by Bringas) b/w "Karen" (lead vocals by Bringas and Stewart): reached #51 on Billboard.
- 1963: "Gone" (Bringas lead) b/w "She Thinks I Still Care" (Bringas lead): peaked at #88 on Billboard.
- 1963–64: "Hey Little Cobra" (Melcher lead) b/w "The Queen" (Melcher lead): Billboard peak #4; CHUM Chart peak #5.
- 1964: "Three Window Coupe" (Melcher lead) b/w "Hot Rod U.S.A." (Melcher lead): reached #28 on Billboard; #34 on CHUM.
- 1964: "One Piece Topless Bathing Suit" (lead by Melcher and Bringas) b/w "Wah-Wahini" (Melcher lead): Billboard position #96.
- 1965: "Don't Be Scared" (Melcher lead) b/w "Bunny Hill" (instrumental performed by The Wrecking Crew).
Albums
Hey Little Cobra and Other Hot Rod Hits (Columbia, February 1964) attained a peak position of #56 on the Billboard Album Chart.
- Contains popular tracks such as "Hey Little Cobra," "Here I Stand," "The Queen," and "Gone."
Three Window Coupe (Columbia, September 1964)
- Includes selections like "Three Window Coupe," "Bonneville Bonnie," "Hot Rod U.S.A.," and "Surf City."
Summer U.S.A.! The Best of the Rip Chords (Sundazed, June 2006)
- A compilation featuring standout songs including "Hey Little Cobra," "Three Window Coupe," and "Don't Be Scared."
External links
- The Story of the Rip Chords authored by Ernie Bringas
- Current Information About the Rip Chords