Eddie & the Showmen were an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 surf rock band of the 1960s. Formed in Southern California by Eddie Bertrand, formerly of The Bel-Airs

The Bel-Airs

The Bel-Airs were an early and influential surf rock band from Southern California, active in the early 1960s.They were best known for their 1961 hit "Mr. Moto", an instrumental surf rock song that featured a flamenco inspired intro and contained a melodic piano interlude...

, they released several singles

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 on Liberty Records

Liberty Records

Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...

. Their highest-charting single in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 was "Mr. Rebel", which reached #4 on the Wallichs Music City Hit List on February 10, 1964.

The band originally formed because Bertrand wanted to move on from the Bel-Airs. While the Bel-Airs focused more on guitar interplay, and a moderate sound, Eddie & the Showmen played more in the style of Dick Dale

Dick Dale

Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...

 with a prominent lead guitar and heavy sound. The band's original drummer was ex-Mousketeer, Dick Dodd, who later joined The Standells

The Standells

The Standells are a garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as the "Godfathers of Punk Rock", and are best known for their 1966 hit "Dirty Water," now the anthem of several Boston sports teams.-The 1960s:...

. One of Eddie & the Showmen's biggest hits, "Squad Car", was a cover version

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 of the Bel-Airs track.

Singles

• "Toes on the Nose" b/w "Border Town" (Liberty Records
  Liberty Records
  Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
  
  55566, 1963)
• "Squad Car" b/w "Scratch" (Liberty Records 55608, 1963)
• "Mr Rebel" b/w "Movin'" (Liberty Records 55659, 1963)
• "Lanky Bones" b/w "Far Away Places" (Liberty Records 55695, 1964)
• "We Are The Young" b/w "Young and Lonely" (Liberty Records 55720, 1964)

Albums

• Squad Car (complete singles collection plus seven bonus tracks)