Out of the shadows of surf rock comes a monster from a group coined the “Gulf Coast Beach Boys”. Most commonly known for their harmonies and catchy hooks, The Coastliners recorded hits like “Alright” and “Wonderful You”. Hailing from Bay Town, Texas in 1964, the group was a five piece: Ozzie Hart (drums), Tommy Meekins (keyboards), Wayman Lamb (guitar), Bob Williamson (bass), and Rex Kramer (lead guitar).

The brain behind the group would be no other than Fred Carroll, their manager at the time. Carroll, in 1965 started International Artists, the record label we all know later recorded such acts as The Elevators, Bubble Puppy, and Red Krayola etc. The first I A release was actually The Coastliners with their hit “Alright”. Carroll would not stay with the label long selling it for $35. Carroll did, however, stay with The Coastliners writing and managing, but most importantly scoring them another record deal with the larger label in the area, Backbeat. That’s right, this group bridged the gap, recording for both I A and Backbeat records. Backbeat rereleased “Alright” and recorded a slew of other singles. One making the Houston charts, “She’s My Girl.” This hit was very in tune with The Beach Boys’ surfer harmonies, which centered on themes of cars, girls and California. This over the top pop backbone made The Coastliners a Texas household name and gave them the alias “The Gulf Coast Beach Boys”. In 1966, “She’s My Girl” was recorded with the flip, “I’ll Be Gone”.

This heater of a track really exemplifies the sound I’m digging for, especially coming from Texas. The fuzz from the bass, from the top, lets any listener know they are not about to hear some Beach Boys cover. This track never made much of an impact on the charts, and as far as I know, still has not shown up on any compilations. The fact that this group was on both International Artists and Backbeat is an amazing feat in itself.

LISTEN: The Coastliners – I’ll Be Gone