The Fantastic Plastic Machine Soundtrack-Harry Betts

West Coast Jazz trombonist and composer Harry Betts  was  born in New York and raised in Fresno. The accomplished and versatile Betts got his start in Stan Kenton’s orchestra and later joined the Bob Keene Orchestra before leading his own. His trombone playing can be heard on The Beach Boys' Christmas Album, Glen Campbell’s remarkable “Guess, I’m Dumb” single and The Mason Williams Ear Show album. He also did extensive soundtrack work including scoring A Swingin' Summer and Winter A-Go-Go. Composing and arranging a soundtrack for a surf documentary was not that far of a stretch as Betts also played trombone on the cinematic “The Lonely Surfer” album by Jack Nitzsche. This soundtrack was recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in Hollywood, engineered by Pete Romano, produced for Jackie Mills for Wednesday's Child Productions and released on Epic Records. The top-tier session players still remain a mystery at this point.

The film (on YouTube at the time of this writing)  follows La Jolla’s Windansea Surf Club (still in existence) and their long boards from the waves and craggy rocks of Malibu to their 1967 adventures in the Fiji Islands, New Zealand and Australia. Narrated by Jay North (aka Dennis the Menace), the film documents a crucial transition point in surf history on the cusp of the short board revolution (introduced by the Australians). It also has the distinction of featuring footage of pioneering Japanese-American woman surfer Joey Hamasaki, who was a member of the Windansea Surf Club.

The all-instrumental soundtrack, thankfully more '67 than '69 in sound and spirit, matches and enhances the mood of the documentary that was filmed in 1967, but not released until 1969. The wide-ranging recording can be listened to on the foreground and in the background as it features a variety of ‘60s sounds that blend well together within songs and across the album. Leading off is the tone-setting “Theme From The Fantastic Plastic Machine.” This opening number immediately delivers some fuzzed up riffs and dashing bongos before heading into a tube of double picking and sweeping strings. Somewhat surprisingly, the 45 version of the theme became big in the Northern Soul scene during the ‘70s.

“Endless Bummer” combs the shore with a trickle of soft harpsichord notes before becoming submerged in a sea of strings, but the waves are not happening in the Fiji Islands nor New Zealand. Its overall mood is akin to a theme to a ‘60s medical drama. The horn intro of “Night Flight” seems to quote “Ain't No Mountain High Enough,” if not every late ‘60s game show intro before coils of sparkling guitar and go-go drumming drive the song forward. “Green-O” sounds perhaps inspired by the “Hawaii Five-O Theme” as the Ventures' version of the TV theme song was a huge hit in 1968.

“Straight Ahead” brings the soft focused sunburst pop, while the jaunty and effervescent “Rock Slide” takes the tijuana taxi into frivolous fun as the horns and xylophone fills out the cascading sound. Meanwhile, urgent horns and racing bongos of “McTavish” are evocative of Mark Eric’s “Night of the Lions.” Lush and lovely strings return on “Nat's Theme” and cast an atmospheric spell similar to Bill Pursell's "Our Winter Love" or even the “Airport Love Theme.” “Outta Sight” buoyantly perks up the ears like lapping waves and prefigures the sound of the High Llamas at their most whimsical. With “Green Grotto,” Betts delivers his most adventurous, ambitious and churning number that ranks up with David Axelrod and epitomes what Domenic Priore has termed Psychedelic Surf Pastiche Washout.

There is no incidental music on this soundtrack as Betts’ compositions and arrangements bring forth a spacious sound that is deep, wide and constantly moving. The Fantastic Plastic Machine is one of the last shifting swells of ‘60s soundtrack surf and is recommended for listeners of Bacharach, Stu Phillips, Howard Roberts, the Sandals as well as Shibuya-kei.