Their first wide-release single, "Walk, Don't Run" (1960), brought international fame to the group, and is often cited as one of the top songs ever recorded for guitar. In the 1960s and early 1970s, 38 of the band's albums charted in the US, ranking them as the 6th best album chart performer during the 1960s, and the band had 14 singles in the Billboard Hot 100. With over 100 million records sold, the Ventures are the best-selling instrumental band of all time.
The Ventures have had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. The band was among the first to employ and popularize fuzz and flanging guitar effects, concept albums, and twelve-string guitars in rock music. Their instrumental virtuosity, innovation, and unique sound influenced many musicians and bands, earning the group the moniker "The Band that Launched a Thousand Bands". Their recording of "Walk, Don't Run" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for its lasting impact, and in 2008 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Don Wilson and Bob Bogle first met in 1958, when Bogle was looking to buy a car from a used car dealership in Seattle owned by Wilson's father. Finding a common interest in guitars, the two decided to play together, while Wilson joined Bogle performing masonry work. They bought two used guitars in a pawn shop for about $10 each. Initially calling themselves the Versatones, the duo played small clubs, beer bars, and private parties throughout the Pacific Northwest. Wilson played rhythm guitar, Bogle lead. When they went to register the band name, they found that it was already taken. Disappointed, they cast about for an appropriate name. Wilson's mother suggested the name "The Ventures", upon which they eventually agreed in 1959.
During their first years (1958–1961), the Ventures played Fender guitars (a Jazzmaster, a Stratocaster and a Precision Bass) for both their live performances and their recording sessions. These instruments are prominently visible on the covers of two early albums: The Ventures and The Colorful Ventures. From 1962 to 1963 they used two Jazzmasters with a Precision Bass, shown on the album cover of "Bobby Vee meets The Ventures". Then in early 1963, California guitar manufacturer Mosrite re-branded their uniquely styled, futuristic-looking Mark 1 electric guitar model for the Ventures by applying decals that stated "The Ventures Model" on the headstock. The band adopted these guitars (which included a bass model) and first used them on The Ventures in Space (1963), one of their most influential albums because of the unique, otherworldly guitar sounds it contained. From 1963 through 1968, a statement on their album covers announced that the Ventures used Mosrite guitars "exclusively" (the Ventures and designer Semie Moseley were partners in the distribution of these instruments). After the expiration of their contract with Moseley, the Ventures returned to playing mainly Fender guitars. Only rarely have they used Mosrite guitars since that contract ended.
In the mid-1990s, Fender issued a limited edition Ventures Signature Series of guitars consisting of a Jazzmaster, a Stratocaster, and a Fender Jazz Bass, all with specifications determined by the band.
Aria Guitars and Wilson Brothers Guitars have subsequently issued Ventures Signature Model instruments. The Wilson Brothers guitar, in particular, is closely modeled physically on the original Mosrite design.
The Ventures pioneered the use of special effects on such songs as "The 2000 Pound Bee", recorded in late 1962, in which lead guitarist Nokie Edwards employed a fuzz pedal. Edwards' use of "fuzz tone" predated the "King of Fuzz Guitar", Davie Allan of The Arrows, by at least three years. In addition, Edwards was among the first to use the twelve-string guitar in rock. The 1964 The Ventures In Space album was a primer in the use of special guitar effects, and made pioneering use of 'reverse-tracking'. The Ventures In Space, because of its ethereal space-like effects, was deemed an influence on the later 1960s San Francisco psychedelic generation, as well as being cited as a favorite by Keith Moon of the Who.
The band's cover of the Tornados' "Telstar" (released in January 1963) featured one of the first instances of flanging on a pop record. The song "Silver Bells" on The Ventures' Christmas Album, released in November 1965, has one of the first recorded uses of a talk box as a musical effect, voiced by Red Rhodes.
The Ventures have had an influence on many musicians, both professional and amateur. Their instructional album, Play Guitar with the Ventures, was the first such record to chart on the Billboard Top LPs list, peaking at No. 96, and taught thousands of budding guitarists how to play the guitar. George Harrison stated in a Guitar Player interview that he preferred the American guitar sound of the Ventures to British contemporaries. When asked to name the most influential rock guitar solos, Joe Walsh said he would have to include the entire song "Walk, Don't Run" because it changed so many guitar players' lives. John Fogerty, during his introduction of the Ventures at their Hall of Fame induction, said that it "kicked open a whole movement in rock and roll... The sound of it became 'surf music' and the audacity of it empowered guitarists everywhere." Stephen Stills told Ventures guitarist Don Wilson that he learned to play on Ventures records. Jeff Baxter and Gene Simmons were early members of the Ventures Fan Club. Carl Wilson called the Ventures a major influence on his early guitar playing, stating that the Beach Boys had learned to play all of their songs by ear.
Bob Bogle lived in Vancouver, Washington, for years and died there on June 14, 2009, of non-Hodgkin lymphoma; he was 75.
Nokie Edwards died on March 12, 2018, due to complications after hip surgery. He was 82.
Gerry McGee died on October 12, 2019, after having a heart attack and collapsing onstage four days earlier in Japan. He was 81.
Don Wilson continued to record with the band, but retired from touring at the end of 2015. He died of natural causes on January 22, 2022, at the age of 88.
Mel Taylor died on August 11, 1996, of cancer, at the age of 62. He was diagnosed two weeks before his death.
Blue Tango
The Ventures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we're dancing to the tango we loved when first we met
While the music plays, we recall the days
When our love was a tune that we couldn't soon forget
As I kiss your cheek, we don't have to speak
The violins, like a choir, express the desire
We used to know not long ago
So just hold me tight in your arms tonight
The song "Blue Tango" by The Ventures is a romantic track that tells the story of a couple dancing to a tango, which was the song they loved when they first met. The lyrics portray the two protagonists in a "world of blue," suggesting a sense of melancholy, and the music playing in the background triggers memories of their past love. As the couple dances, they don't need to speak, as the violins express their desires and emotions. The lyrics suggest that the violins play like a choir, indicating the intense passion the couple once shared.
The lyrics emphasize the need for the couple to hold each other tight, allowing them to relive the intensity of their past love. The song's lyrics suggest that the passion they once shared still exists, allowing the couple to enjoy a moment of longing for their lost love, even if only for a night. The Ventures's delivery of the lyrics emphasizes the romantic and wistful mood created by the song's lyrics, and their fond remembrance of love in its early stages.
Line by Line Meaning
Here am I with you in a world of blue
I am here with you feeling sad and melancholy.
And we're dancing to the tango we loved when first we met
We are dancing to that tango which we both used to love and used to remind us of our initial meetings.
While the music plays, we recall the days
As the music plays, it reminds us of those good old days when we used to be happy and in love.
When our love was a tune that we couldn't soon forget
Our love was so strong, and it was like a never-ending song that we couldn't forget easily.
As I kiss your cheek, we don't have to speak
When I kiss your cheek, our love speaks more than our words.
The violins, like a choir, express the desire
The violins play like a choir, and through their music, we express our strong desire for each other.
We used to know not long ago
We used to know how much we loved each other, but that was not long ago before our love faded away.
So just hold me tight in your arms tonight
So, let's just hold each other tightly in our arms tonight and forget all our worries as we share this tango dance together.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hidenseek
Beautiful version of an all-time classic by the Ventures.
steverlfs
The Ventures have always been my favorite! Let's see what rap artist will still be around in 50 years!
peacepipe18
The tone of the Fender Jazzmaster + Bob Bogle's chord like solos = magic
Bob Silverio
The Ventures was one of my favorite groups from the sixties. I first heard then perform walk don't run and love their sound ever since then.
acla9000
Very cool version with typical rock-and-roll flavor!! Mr. Anderson would approve it heartily.
Dipankar Adhikary
Amazing !!...... this particular rendition of the famous Blue Tango by my hot favourite, The Ventures has been hitherto unheard by me. After listening to this, I've been thinking how on earth did they manage to play in such a way ..... simply mesmerizing. Presumably, the best possible rendition of The Blue Tango !
I would like to breathe my last with the music of my favourite 'The Ventures ', plugged in to my ears. ❤️👌🏽👍🏽🙏🏾
barrygioportmorien1
I can agree with you all the way, It's my favourite version also. Saw the Ventures in person, about 15 years ago, or so.at Casino Rama, in Orillia, Ontario. Great concert.
Frank Young
cannot imagine what those four thumbs down souls were thinking if thinking ever happens for them... beautiful music.
hidenseek
Musically uneducated !
Mutz1950
Just wonderful.