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.
Loco-Motion
The Ventures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
I know you'll get to like it if you give it a chance now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
My little baby sister can do it with me
It's easier than learning your A-B-C
So come on, come on, do the Loco-motion with me
You gotta swing your hips, now
Come on, baby
Jump up
Jump back
Well, now, I think you've got the knack
Wow, wow
Now that you can do it, let's make a chain, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
A chug-a chug-a motion like a railroad train, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
Do it nice and easy, now, don't lose control
A little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul
Come on, come on
Do the Loco-motion with me
Ye-ye-ye-yeah
Move around the floor in a Loco-motion
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
Do it holding hands if you get the notion
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
There's never been a dance that's so easy to do
It even makes you happy when you're feeling blue
So come on, come on, do the Loco-motion with me
(Come one)
You gotta swing your hips, now
(Come one)
That's right (do the Loco-motion)
You're doing fine!
(Come one, do the Loco-motion)
Come on, babe
(Come one, do the Loco-motion)
Hm-hm-hm, jump up
(Come one)
Jump back (do the Loco-motion)
You're looking good
(Come one, do the Loco-motion)
Hm-hm-hm, jump up
(Come one)
Jump back (do the Loco-motion)
The lyrics to The Ventures' "Loco-Motion" describe a new dance craze that's sweeping the nation. The singer encourages the listener to give the dance a try, promising that it's easy to learn and fun to do. The lyrics also reference the dance's simple steps, which involve swinging your hips and jumping back and forth. Once you've got the hang of the dance, the singer suggests forming a chain with others and doing the "chug-a chug-a motion" of a railroad train.
The song seems to be celebrating the joy and simplicity of dance as a way to let loose and have fun. By encouraging the listener to try the Loco-motion, the song taps into the power of music and movement to bring people together and create a sense of shared experience. The repetition of the song's catchy chorus and the upbeat rhythm of the music help to reinforce this sense of unity and joy.
Overall, "Loco-Motion" is a classic example of a feel-good dance song that has stood the test of time. Its energetic melody and simple lyrics continue to inspire people to get up and dance, whether at home or in public settings like weddings, parties, and dance clubs.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's doing a brand-new dance, now
The Loco-motion is a new dance that everyone is doing
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
Encouraging someone to do the Loco-motion dance
I know you'll get to like it if you give it a chance now
If you try the Loco-motion, you will enjoy it
My little baby sister can do it with me
The Loco-motion is easy enough for even a little child to do
It's easier than learning your A-B-C
The Loco-motion is easier to learn than the alphabet
So come on, come on, do the Loco-motion with me
Let's dance the Loco-motion together
You gotta swing your hips, now
Moving your hips is an important part of the Loco-motion dance
Come on, baby
Encouraging the baby to dance
Jump up
Jumping upwards as part of the dance
Jump back
Jumping backwards as part of the dance
Well, now, I think you've got the knack
You're getting good at doing the Loco-motion dance
Now that you can do it, let's make a chain, now
Let's dance the Loco-motion in a chain, now that you know how to do it
A chug-a chug-a motion like a railroad train, now
Moving in the Loco-motion dance like a train
Do it nice and easy, now, don't lose control
Dance the Loco-motion smoothly, without losing control
A little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul
Dance the Loco-motion with rhythm and soul
Move around the floor in a Loco-motion
Dance the Loco-motion while moving around the dance floor
Do it holding hands if you get the notion
Dance the Loco-motion while holding hands with someone, if you feel like it
There's never been a dance that's so easy to do
The Loco-motion is an easy dance to do
It even makes you happy when you're feeling blue
Dancing the Loco-motion can make you happy, even if you're feeling sad
That's right (do the Loco-motion)
Encouraging to continue dancing the Loco-motion
You're doing fine!
Complimenting on doing well while dancing the Loco-motion
You're looking good
Complimenting on looking good while dancing the Loco-motion
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sound Reading
Гениально снято.
Castor Troy
Песня из сериала осторожно модерн день сурка
J93 B3ll
I started listening to the Ventures in 60's. My first album was Ventures in Space
FastgunEd
Me too and me too.
Dr. Willy Van
Talk about a monopoly on a certain sound even the Beach boys can’t take you to Southern Cal like the ventures
ςʌɑɞяⲏυⲏ
Намного лучше чем оригинал, но эту версию было весьма сложно найти.
Mike Carter
Mike Carter
@Dave Christian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8nzx_C2BcE
Rungroch Srichamorn
**OK**
Rungroch Srichamorn
**OK**