Hilder had a prolific output as a producer in the surf genre. He's mentioned and referenced in books such as ''Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands of the Sixties
by Robert J. Dalley, and various other surf music related publications. He is also credited with bringing the surf sound to a host of independent California record labels in the early 1960s. According to Who Put the Bomp
magazine, Hilder was responsible for more local surf music being recorded and released than any other individual. Years later his status as a producer in the surf genre was acknowledged in a 1995 issue of CD Review''. Records released on other labels such as Del-Fi Records and Challenge Records credit Hilder as either orchestra leader, publisher, or writer. He had also used the pseudonym of Mark Hilder.
1950s to early 1960 In the late 1950s, Hilder worked for the
Kent and
Modern record labels. His time at Modern Records gave him contacts he could use in the music business. In 1959 having left the Kent / Modern organisation, Hilder would form CT Records, which would be his first record label. Two singles were subsequently released on CT. In time to come he would take advantage of the surf music craze. Hilder would become involved with
Billy Watkins,
Jesse Belvin and
Charles Wright. for Billy Watkins. Released in 1959 on the
Challenge label, it was backed with a
Robert Hafner composition, "Rendezvous". It was given a B+ rating by
The Cash Box in its October 17 issue. It was also a prediction that month by
Billboard to do well, and became a local hit year. Hilder was also involved in the release of Rickey Agary's rocker single, "Everybody Needs Someone". Agary was backed by the Mark Anthony Band. The two part single was released on the
Bel Canto label in 1959.
1960s ; The Revels In 1960, his Impact label had its first release. The record was "Church Key" by the Revels, released on Impact 1. The session wasn't going coming along that well so Knowles decided to ring Hilder to come over, and with his experience help them out. Soon Hilder arrived with his partner and songwriter,
Robert Hafner. Hilder's attention was focused on guitarist
Dan Darnold's playing around with the vibrato bar of his guitar. Hafner helped with a melody centering around the vibrato's hook. An arrangement was put together and later the title "Church Key" was given to the musical piece. Barbara Adkins who was Hilder's girlfriend (and later his wife) provided the giggles on the recording. Hafner brought some other tunes with him, one of which was "Vesuvius". The band learned it there in the studio and recorded it. Not having a label of his own at the time, Hilder and Norman Knowles started their own company as partners, splitting the costs as well as the profits. In 1960, the group released "Vesuvius" bw "Church Key" on Tony Hilder's CT label. Then it was later released on Impact, this time with "Church Key" as the A side. a docu-drama about urban Indians from L.A. and with garage rock music provided by The Revels. ; Other acts and recording ventures In 1962, Hilder attended a practice session by
Rendezvous Ballroom regulars, the Rhythm Rockers, and heard them doing their version of a song he held the rights to, "Church Key". They would have two singles released on Impact, "Moment Of Truth" bw "Frogwalk and "Church Key" bw "Passion". In late 1962, he reached out to a group called the Latin Knights in a bid to get them recorded. He did several sessions with them in the studios in L.A. He later changed their name to
the Charades and signed them to his label. In 1963, he produced the album
The Winners Of The 18 Band Surf Battle, which was released on the
GNP Crescendo label. It included titles by the Rhythm Kings and Dave Myers & the Surftones. In 1966, represented by attorney Al Schlesinger, Hilders company Anthony Music was involved in legal action with
Del-Fi records, filing a $122,000 Superior Suit over breach of contract, fraud and money owned. This was over royalties not being paid as per an alleged agreement for the masters of various albums. This included recordings by
The Centurians,
Dave Myers and the Surftones,
the Sentinels and an LP
Battle of the Surf Bands. Also in the same year, Hilder approached
Myron Fagan a playwright-director for information. He urged Fagan who was nearly 80 to pass on his knowledge of the CFR, Illuminati and its new world order plans so it could be preserved. In 1967, the result was an album called
The Illuminati CFR. According to the book by Mark Jacobson,
Pale Horse Rider: William Cooper, the Rise of Conspiracy, and the Fall of Trust in America, it was recorded at a studio where Hilder normally recorded the surf-rock groups. It was released as a 3 record set that Hilder produced. ==Anthony Music & Impact Records==