"LOVE GODDESS OF VENUS" Song (Don Wilson) (1963)

The song "Love Goddess of Venus" is a beautiful original ballad composed by Don Wilson in 1963. In this song, female choir was used and you can appreciate the arrangement with depth that echoes in the background. Later, a single was released in the U.S. and Japan with the vocal version of Don Wilson.

It was released on the album "(The) Ventures In Space" by Dolton in January 1964. Producer: Bob Reisdorff.

TABLATURE
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"THE FOURTH DIMENSION" Song (1964)

Music composed by Wadsworth and Hodge and with an exotic musical aspect, and the track recorded by The Ventures on the album “(The) Ventures In Space”, with the title “The Fourth Dimension” and that was released on LP, in January 1964 Producer: Bob Reisdorff. At the time for Americans, all references to the orient, supernatural and space were exotic.

There is a version of The Frantics group (click for details) with the name "Werewolf" which means werewolf (recorded with voice), in 1963, which came to rank on Billboard and "No Werewolf" (without voice) with credits from different composers. But the music is identical.

The Frantics group was active from 1955 until 1966. And when it dissolved, the music scene in the USA had changed, starting the recruitment of young people to Vietnam and the hippie movement. And they come from the same city in Seattle, USA and belonged to the same record label Dolton (Liberty Record).

Check out the version of The Ventures and The Frantics below.

THE VENTURES - "THE FOURTH DIMENSION"

THE FRANTICS - "NO WEREWOLF"

THE FRANTICS - "WEREWOLF"

"HAWAII FIVE-O" Song (1969)

The musical theme of the CBS police series that was on air from September 1968 to April 1980, had 12 seasons of the series, with 278 episodes, called Hawaii Five-O, composed by Morton Stevens, who won two Emmy for the series , in 1970 and 1974. With the audience's increase in the series, the theme became known.

The Ventures (Gerry McGee, Don Wilson and Bob Bogle on guitar, Mel Taylor on drums and John Durrill on keyboards) re-recorded the song in May 1969. Produced by Joe Sarraceno. And it became one of his biggest hits, reaching 4th place on the U.S. charts and the original in 11th place.

Recently the theme was used in several cartoons. He appears briefly in the film Shrek 2, when one of the king's trumpeters is thrilled with the performance fanfare. And in Madagascar, when Marty (zebra) is surfing over two dolphins. In The Simpsons, it's Marge Simpson's ringtone in the episode "The Father, the Son and the Holy Guest Star".

Music that also led The Ventures to enter the "Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame" in 2008. Coincidentally, in that same year the third season of the series was re-released on DVD.

Series Opening Theme (Pilot)

The Ventures "Hawaii Five-O"

"SURF RIDER" Song (Nokie Edwards) (1962)

Surf Rider is a song originally composed by Nokie Edwards (The Ventures). Initially the title would be "Nokie's Tune". But on the August 1962 album "Mashed Potatoes and Gravy", it was recorded under the name "Spudnik" (one of the characters in the potato). Production: Bob Reisdorff & Josie Wilson.

According to members of the group The Ventures, The Liverly Ones recorded this same song in 1963 under the name "Surf Rider" and placing the credits for them. There was contact with their manager and it was possible to retake the rights through the lawyer of Liberty Records. 

With that, in April 1963 the album "Surfing" with the name "Surf Rider" was released.

In 1994 this song was used in director Quentin Tarantino Pulp Fiction's violence film. But the record label Liberty charged high value for use. Resulting in using the version of The Liverly Ones group.

However, through this film, he returned to popularize this song.

Nokie Edwards received the Double Platinum award from MCA Records for selling more than 2,000,000 copies of Pulp Fiction CDs and Albums. And subsequently, when it exceeded 3,000,000 copies sold, The Ventures received the Triple Platinum award.

COMPARISON OF THE SOUND OF GUITARS

Comparison of the sound of guitars with the song "Diamond Head" by The Ventures.

1) Fender Custom Shop 1956 Stratocaster Relic:

2) Fender Jazzmaster '62 RI (USA made):

3) Vintage Mosrite 1966 The Ventures Model:

YouTube (timelineguitars)

"THE VENTURES - DIAMOND HEAD (1965)"

YouTube(nyraimbow2)

GROUP EQUIPMENT III

Equipment Configuration at shows, in the U.S. (2007)
(CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE)

GROUP EQUIPMENT II

Drums setup at concerts in the U.S. (2007)

(CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE)

LEGACY I - STYLE

While they existed before the terms "surf guitar" and "surf rock" arrived (they don't consider themselves a surf music group). They were an important foundation of "surf music", if not the first to play your style.

 

Dolton BST-8003 / BLP-2003 (1960)

Guitar Player, in an article entitled "20 Essential Rock Albums", mentions that its elements from the 1960 album, "Walk Don't Run", contain presages of surfing trends.

  

The Ventures pioneered the use of special effects on these songs, such as "2000 Pound Bee" recorded in late 1962, in which guitarist Nokie Edwards employs a distortion pedal "Fuzz", foreshadowing as "King of Fuzz Guitar", Davie Allan (The Arrows), three years later.

  

Nokie Edwards was also one of the first to use twelve-string guitars in rock.

  

The 1964 album "The Ventures In Space" was the first to use special effects, and made pioneering use of "reverse-tracking", a technique used very effectively by The Beatles in post '60.

 
"The Ventures In Space" due to its surreal and spatial effects, was considered an influence on the psychedelic generation of San Francisco, after '60. As well as being named as a favorite by the late Keith Moon (The Who).

 
The version of the song "Telstar" (The Tornados), released in January 1963, included one of the first cases of "flanging" in a pop recording.

 
The Group was one of the first rock representatives, able to sell albums based on "style and sound" without the need for "hit singles" on the albums.

 
The Ventures are also credited by "The All Music Guide To Rock" as the beginning of the formulation of the "concept album".

 
"Encyclopedia Britannica On-line" states that The Ventures "served as a prototype for guitar-based rock groups".

 

Reference source: Wikipedia (English)

LEGACY II - BILLBOARD

The Ventures enjoyed their greatest popularity and success in the USA in the 1960s, but they have continued to perform and record to the present (2008).

  

With over 110 million albums sold worldwide, the group remains the best Instrumental Rock group to sell at all times.

38 albums (including a seasonal Christmas album) on the US charts, and six of the fourteen compacts included in the "Top 40" chart, and three in the "Top 10".

  

Of its 38 classified albums, 34 occurred in the 1960s, and The Ventures was rated the 6th best pop album performed for that decade, according to "Joel Whitburn (Top Pop Albuns)".

  

Among his accomplishments in America, in 1963 The Ventures had five LPs on the "Billboard Top 100" at the same time.

  

In addition, they released a series of instructional LPs, entitled "Play Guitar with The Ventures" (playing guitar with The Ventures) and "Play Electric Bass with The Ventures" (playing electric bass with The Ventures), accompanied by insert with chords and music diagrams, separated by lead guitar, bass and rhythm, entitled "Guitar Phonics System booklet". Five LPs were released in this series, the first of which reached the "Billboard Top 100 Album Chart", an unprecedented feat previously by an instructional LP. 

In a new achievement, 

The Ventures was the first to put two different versions of the same song in the "Top 10", these being "Walk Don't Run" (2nd place) and "Walk Don't Run'64" (8th place) ).

Reference source: Wikipedia (English)

LEGACY III - INFLUENCES

More than thirty great artists have identified their influence as The Ventures.

  

George Harrison (The Beatles) stated in an interview with Guitar Player that The Beatles preferred the American guitar sound from The Ventures to British contemporaries.

  

When asked the name of the most influential rock on solo guitar, Joe Walsh (James Gang and The Eagles) said that it included all of the music for "Walk Don't Run" because it changed many guitarist lives.

  

Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Still & Nash (and Young)) told Don Wilson that he learned to play with recordings from The Ventures.

  

Jeff Baxter (Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers) and Gene Simmons (Kiss) were the first members of The Ventures Fan Club.

  

Other influential identifications with The Ventures include: Ray and Dave Davies (The Kinks), Carl Wilson (Beach Boys), Jeff Cook (Alabama), Roger Fisher (Heart), Keith Moon (The Who), Alan White (Yes), Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Jimmy Page (Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin), Robby Krieger (The Doors), Joey Ramone and Marky Ramone (The Ramones), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), Peter Frampton and many others.

Reference source: Wikipedia (English) and The Ventures Official Site

GROUP EQUIPMENT I

Configuration of Equipment in Shows. (1999)
(CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE)

GROUP GUITARS

(Updated in December, 2017)

THE YEARS OF FENDER 1958-1963
*Bob Bogle (Jazzmaster 1959 and Bass VI)
*Don Wilson (Jazzmaster and Stratocaster 1959)
*Nokie Edwards (Precision Bass)












THE YEARS OF MOSRITE 1963-1968
*Nokie Edwards (Joe Maphis Model and The Ventures Model customized)
*Don Wilson (The Ventures Model customized)
*Bob Bogle (Bass The Ventures Model customized)

The change to Mosrite guitars came after Nokie's visit to Bakersfield, California, City of the Legendary Buck Owens with whom he played as a guitarist early in his career. There he met the "Guitar Builder" Semie Mosley and the guitar manufactured by him (Joe Maphis Model), and after plugging in the amplifier and playing, he heard that strong sound. At the time, the Stratocaster pickup coils had 6,000 turns and the Mosrite pickups had 10,000 turns. The group used "custom" guitars with 12,000 turns.

And then ... Gibson and Fender were used too.

In the mid-1990s, Fender Japan produced the "Limited Edition The Ventures Signature Series", consisting of a Jazzmaster, Stratocaster and Jazz Bass, with all the specifications determined by the group. 

Below is the photo from the 1998 Fender Japan Catalog which also includes a Nokie Edwards Signature Model Telecaster (with Seymour Duncan PICKUPS and Schaller SCRUGGS TUNER (D-TUNER), preferred Nokie accessories). (click for link to "Fender Japan Catalog 1998")

CURRENTLY
*Gerry McGee (Fender Japan -Stratocaster Gerry McGee Signature Model)
*Nokie Edwards (HitchHiker Guitars - Exclusive design and configuration)
*Don Wilson (Aria Guitars - The Ventures Model 2001 and in the U.S.A. - Wilson Bros. Guitars)
*Bob Bogle (Aria Guitars - The Ventures Model 2002 and Bass Model 2001 and in the U.S.A. - Wilson Bros. Guitars)
*Bob Spalding (Aria Guitars - The Ventures Model 2002 and Bass Model 2001 and in the U.S.A. - Wilson Bros. Guitars)

The silhouette design of the guitars that symbolized the group The Ventures, were the Jazzmaster of Fender. And currently The Ventures Model from Wilson Bros. Guitars.

GROUP HISTORY

THE VENTURES originated in Tacoma, WA, USA, when Don Wilson and Bob Bogle met in 1958. They formed a pair of guitarists called "The Versatones". 

In 1959, he recorded his first single "The Real McCoys / Cookies & Cooks" on Don's mother's record label, Blue Horizon. And they changed the name to "THE VENTURES". Then they decided to incorporate a bassist and a drummer into the pair. They invited Nokie Edwards and Skip Moore, and later George T. Babbitt Jr. entered as a drummer, but since he was not old enough to play in bars and nightclubs, he was replaced by Howie Johnson, thus forming the current configuration of the group and successes.

In 1960, he launched the "Walk Don't Run" which reached number 2 on the "Billboard Top 100" charts and group acclaim. Then there was the change of position of the musicians, Bob Bogle taking over as bassist and Nokie Edwards as lead guitarist. Thus assuming a new dynamic in the group and being acclaimed as "King Of Guitar". 

With the success of "Walk Don't Run", other songs followed, "Driving Guitars", "Journey To The Stars", "Bumble Bee Twist" and many others. At this time, Howie Johnson suffered a serious car accident and was unable to continue in the group and was replaced by Mel Taylor. 

In 1968, "King Of Guitar" Nokie Edwards left the group to run his private business and his fans were heartbroken. Studio musician Gerry McGee took his place. Gerry had a totally different style than Nokie. But with the launch and success in the USA of "Hawaii Five-O", in 1969, it again captivated its audience. Even though he had other changes in the group, he kept his faithful audience. 

On April 12, 1996, The Ventures immortalized their hands on Hollywood's "Rock Walk Of Fame". 

On August 11, 1996, the leader and dynamic drummer of the band Mel Taylor died of cancer and Bruce Geire took over the drums. And the following year, his son Leon Taylor took over as drummer for The Ventures. 

In 2005, Bob Bogle stepped away from touring and Bob Spalding took over as bassist. 

On March 10, 2008, The Ventures entered the "Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame" with the song "Walk Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O". Year in which they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the group.