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.
Night Drive
The Ventures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not So Soft
The Whole Night
we can touch
touch our girl cheeks
and we can hold hands
like paper dolls
we can try
in the privacy
within new york city's walls
we can kiss
kiss goodnight
and we can go home wondering
what would it be like if
if I did not have a boyfriend
we could spend
the whole night
I am waking up
in her bed
I sing 1st avenue
the open window said
always late to sleep
late to rise
lying here watching the day go by
in the living room
there are people on the carpet
having stupid conversations
just to hear themselves talk
and I am drifting through
I am heading for the kitchen
I am thinking of her fingers as I walk...
The Ventures' song Night Drive is an instrumental piece that evokes various emotions and experiences for the listener. The melody carries a sense of wandering, driving in the dark, and discovering the different sights and sounds of the city after hours. However, when paired with Ani DiFranco's lyrics in her song Not So Soft, a different layer is added to the piece.
The lyrics present a nostalgic and reflective tone as the singer describes a night spent with someone special, in a new place, away from prying eyes. The lines "we can try eachother on, in the privacy within New York City's walls" suggest a sort of experimentation between the singer and her friend. They create a space where they can hold hands, kiss goodnight, and imagine what it would be like to be together without any outside interference. The lyrics describe the morning after, where the singer wakes up in the bed, feeling a sense of comfort and familiarity in the new space. The singer's thoughts are filled with the other person as she goes through her day, pondering the weight and significance of their interaction the previous night.
DiFranco's lyrics project a subtler, more wistful meaning to The Ventures' song Night Drive. It strengthens the idea of nighttime exploration and introspection through personal connections and intimate moments, rather than mere physical surroundings. The song is a tribute to the deep and meaningful connections one can make in the stillness of the night, away from the distractions of the outside world.
Line by Line Meaning
we can touch
We have the freedom to connect with each other.
touch our girl cheeks
We can caress each other's faces.
and we can hold hands
We can interlock our hands as a sign of affection.
like paper dolls
We can be delicate and vulnerable with each other.
we can try
We can experiment with each other.
try eachother on
We can explore each other's bodies and personalities.
in the privacy
We can do all these things in our own personal space.
within new york city's walls
Despite being in a bustling city, we still have an intimate space.
we can kiss
We can share a romantic kiss.
kiss goodnight
We can say a sweet farewell.
and we can go home wondering
We can spend the rest of the night contemplating possibilities.
what would it be like if
We're imagining a future without any restrictions.
if I did not have a boyfriend
What would happen if I wasn't taken.
we could spend
There is a potential to spend quality time together.
the whole night
We have all night to ourselves.
I am waking up
The artist is rising from sleep.
in her bed
The artist is in the bed of his lover.
I sing 1st avenue
The singer is humming a tune.
the open window said
The window is open and letting in sounds of the outside.
always late to sleep
The artist didn't go to sleep early.
late to rise
The artist woke up after sunrise.
lying here watching the day go by
The artist is observing time move forward.
in the living room
The singer is entering the living area.
there are people on the carpet
There are people socializing on the floor.
having stupid conversations
They are engaging in pointless talk.
just to hear themselves talk
They seem to enjoy listening to their own voices.
and I am drifting through
The singer is aimlessly moving through the area.
I am heading for the kitchen
The artist is walking to the kitchen.
I am thinking of her fingers as I walk...
The artist's mind is preoccupied with thoughts of his lover.
Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.