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.
San Antonio Rose
The Ventures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song of old San Antone
Where in dreams I live with a memory
Beneath the stars all alone
It was there I found beside the Alamo
Enchantment strange as the blue up above
A moonlit pass that only she would know
Still hears my broken song of love
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart
Speak once again of my love, my own.
Broken song, empty words I know
Still live in my heart all alone
For that moonlit pass by the Alamo
And Rose, my Rose of San Antone
Deep within my heart lies a melody,
A song of old San Antone
Where in dreams I live with a memory
Beneath the stars all alone
It was there I found beside the Alamo
Enchantment strange as the blue up above
A moonlit pass that only she would know
Still hears my broken song of love
Moon in all your splendor know only my heart
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart
Speak once again of my love, my own.
Broken song, empty words I know
Still live in my heart all alone
For that moonlit pass by the Alamo
And Rose, my Rose of San Antone
The lyrics of "San Antonio Rose" by The Ventures evoke a sense of longing and nostalgia for a bygone era. The singer reminisces about a bittersweet memory of San Antone (San Antonio), a place imbued with sentimental significance. The imagery of a moonlit pass near the Alamo adds a mystical quality to the recollection, as if the memory exists in a dreamlike realm where only the singer and their beloved Rose can venture.
The repeated reference to a broken song of love suggests that the relationship with Rose did not end on a harmonious note. Despite the pain and emptiness in the singer's heart, the memory of Rose lingers like a haunting melody, reminding them of a love that once bloomed but now withers like petals falling apart. The tender and sweet description of Rose's lips reflects the depth of emotion and intimacy that once existed between the singer and Rose, making the loss even more poignant.
The plea to the moon to "call back my rose" conveys a sense of yearning and desperation to reconnect with a lost love, to recapture the beauty and tenderness that once flourished in their relationship. The singer's heart holds onto the memory of Rose, unable to let go of the past and still feeling the echoes of their love in the lonely depths of night. The Alamo, a symbol of historical significance and resilience, serves as a backdrop for this personal tale of love and loss, adding layers of complexity to the emotional landscape painted in the lyrics.
In conclusion, "San Antonio Rose" by The Ventures is a poignant exploration of love, memory, and longing. Through evocative imagery and heartfelt lyrics, the song delves into the depths of human emotion, capturing the essence of a love that endures despite the passage of time and the pain of separation. The singer's heartfelt plea and vivid recollection of moments shared with Rose in San Antone resonate with listeners, inviting them to reflect on their own experiences of love, loss, and the enduring power of memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep within my heart lies a melody
The song I hold dear resides deep within my heart
A song of old San Antone
It is a tune that reminds me of San Antonio
Where in dreams I live with a memory
In my dreams, I am transported back to a memory
Beneath the stars all alone
Under the night sky, solitude surrounds me
It was there I found beside the Alamo
Next to the Alamo is where I discovered
Enchantment strange as the blue up above
A strange enchantment akin to the blue sky above
A moonlit pass that only she would know
A path illuminated by the moon, known only to her
Still hears my broken song of love
My love's song, though broken, still resonates
Moon in all your splendor know only my heart
Only my heart truly understands the beauty of the moon
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone
Bring back my beloved, the rose of San Antonio
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart
Her sweet and tender lips are like delicate petals
Speak once again of my love, my own.
Remind me once more of my love, my one and only
Broken song, empty words I know
I am aware of the broken and empty nature of my song
Still live in my heart all alone
Yet it continues to reside in my heart, alone
For that moonlit pass by the Alamo
In remembrance of that moonlit path next to the Alamo
And Rose, my Rose of San Antone
And my beloved, the Rose of San Antonio
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Robert Wills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind