Watch Dick Dale's legendary 1963 performance of 'Misirlou', which redefined the track for a modern audience: Dick Dale & The Del Tones "Misirlou" 1963 FairDealDan YouTube• Aug 23, 2006
: Dick Dale, the "King of the Surf Guitar," transformed the song by using rapid-fire tremolo picking on a single string and heavy reverb, a style influenced by the Arabic oud playing he heard from his Lebanese father. Misirlou
: Its distinctive "Eastern" sound comes from its foundation in the double harmonic minor scale (known in Arabic music as maqam Hijaz ), featuring a characteristic augmented second interval. History of Recordings : Watch Dick Dale's legendary 1963 performance of 'Misirlou',
: The melody originated in the early 20th century within the multi-ethnic environment of the Ottoman Empire, shared among Greek, Turkish, Arabic, and Jewish musicians. : First recorded by Tetos Demetriades as a
: First recorded by Tetos Demetriades as a Greek rebetiko/tsifteteli track.
: Greek-American musician Nick Roubanis copyrighted a jazz arrangement, which helped the song enter the American mainstream via big band leaders like Harry James .
: Dick Dale released the definitive surf rock version, originally titled " Miserlou ". Modern Legacy