My friend — the gifted record collector, Tom Avazian — found this fairly obscure hot rod album, 1963’s Hot Rod City on the Vault label – for sale on the streets of Washington, DC:
“Competition Coupe” by The Customs was one track that particularly tickled my ear:
Gary Usher — lead vocals & songwriter
Glenn Grey — guitar
Ed Fournier — guitar
Art Fisher — guitar
Dick Burns — bass
Dennis McCarthy — drums [?]
Produced by Gary Usher & Richard Delvy
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Tip of the hat to AllButForgottenOldies for the background story on the band:
The Customs were one of several studio groups put together by Richard Delvy for the 1963 LP, Hot Rod City (Vault 104). This LP included The Customs’ non-charting ‘54 Corvette‘ and another Customs’ song entitled ‘RPM,’ plus ‘41 Ford‘ by The Grand Prix as also heard today. Key members of The Customs included Gary Usher who wrote most of The Customs’ songs and was the lead vocalist. Usher was a major songwriter and producer throughout the 1960s who worked with The Beach Boys and many other top bands and artists. Usher also recorded and/or produced many other surf rock, hot-rod, and other songs under different band names.
1995 would see Hot Rod City reissued on CD by Sundazed with nine extra tracks, including a previously unissued alternate take of “Competition Coupe.”
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LINK to Surf Music on Zero to 180
