Brian Carman, 69, co-wrote 'Pipeline' for The Chantays (video)

In 1961, two teenage members of an Orange County band called The Chantays played around on the guitar and wrote a piece of instrumental surf music. "Pipeline" became not just a hit, but an icon of the era. "By the end of the day, they had composed what would become one of Southern California's most recognizable musical exports — an instrumental anthem to riding the waves and living the life, a hard-driving song that begins with a dive-bombing set of notes cherished by virtually every kid who has picked up a guitar in the last six decades," writes Steve Chawkins in his LA Times obituary for Brian Carman, guitarist for The Chantays and co-writer of "Pipeline."

"It's like the melody of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy,' " said Tim Cooley, a music professor at UC Santa Barbara and author of a 2014 book, "Surfing About Music". "It's there, it's in your head, it's unforgettable." More from the LAT:

With its hard-driving rhythm and Carman's cascading introduction, "Pipeline" became embedded in the national consciousness. It has been used in a host of movies and TV shows. In an episode of "The Sopranos," it was the background music for a cannoli-eating contest.

In 1963, it brought the nervous young Chantays to "The Lawrence Welk Show," where they strummed and drummed to their pre-recorded "Pipeline" as the old pros in Welk's regular band sat stolidly behind them. The musical bastion of Middle America had never before featured a rock 'n' roll group. For years afterward, Welk thanked them at Christmas with cheese logs and gift baskets.

"Our parents absolutely loved it although we might have thought it was somewhat corny," Spickard said. "But Welk was an absolute gentleman."