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.
Danny Boy
The Ventures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,
But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying,
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
You'll come and find the place where I am lying,
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me,
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!
"Danny Boy" is a well-known ballad that speaks of yearning and love. The lyrics tell a story of two lovers and the impending separation between them due to unfortunate circumstances. The singer in the song tells Danny Boy that they must depart, as the summer has passed and the roses are falling. They must each go their separate ways for a time, but the singer implores Danny Boy to return when the meadow is green once again. The singer promises to be there waiting for him, in sunshine or shadow, as their love is true.
The song takes a melancholic turn in the second stanza as the singer speaks of the possibility of death. If the lovers are to be reunited, it may only be in death. The singer describes their final resting place as a peaceful spot amidst flowers, where Danny Boy can kneel and pray for them. The singer also mentions that they will hear Danny Boy's prayer from beyond the grave, and it will bring them comfort in their final moments. The song ends with the hopeful promise of eternal peace and love between the two lovers.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
Danny, the traditional Irish instruments are playing, calling you to come listen
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The sound of the pipes echoes throughout the hills and valleys.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
Summer has ended, and the flowers are dying and fading away.
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.
You must leave, while I must stay behind and bid you goodbye.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Return to me when the fields are green and the sun is shining.
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
Or when the winter has taken over and the valley is covered in snow.
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,
I'll be here waiting for you, in good and bad times, whether in joy or sorrow.
Oh, Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so!
Danny, I love you deeply and truly.
But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying,
But when you return to me and all the beauty is fading away.
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
If I have passed away, as may be possible.
You'll come and find the place where I am lying,
You'll come and visit me at my grave site.
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
You'll kneel and say prayers for the soul of the deceased.
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me,
Despite your gentle footsteps, I shall hear your presence above me.
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
Because you are there, my resting place will be more comforting and peaceful.
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
You'll show your love for me by visiting me and expressing your feelings.
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!
I will rest in peace knowing that you will visit me again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Frederick E. Weatherly
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ace Hardy
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