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.
Stop Action
The Ventures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Batanghari aeknyo lah tenang
Biakpun tenang deraslah ketepi
Anaklahnyo jambi dek oi janganlah dikenang
Siang tabayang bamimpi malamlah bamimpi
Anaklah jambi janganlah dikenang
Jalanlah jalan ke ujung jabung
Singgah sebentar di pengabuan
Oi rindu dan dendam dek oi tidaklah tetanggung
Budi setitik kenang jadilah kenangan
Rindu dan dendam dek oi tidaklah tetanggung
Budi setitik kenang jadilah kenangan
Pegi besantai ke tanggo rajo
Nampaklah jelas jambi seberang
Maulah kupinang dek oi apolah kadayo
Sudahlah nasib orang diambeklah orang
Maulah kupinang dek oi apolah kadayo
Sudahlah nasib orang diambeklah orang
Batanghari kebanggaan jambi
Sungai tepanjang sebatas negri
Pujuklahnyo hati dek oi bawalah kemari
Mari bejoget lagu sibatanghari
Pujuklahnyo hati dek oi bawalah kemari
Mari bejoget lagu sibatanghari
Batanghari aeknyo lah tenang
Biakpun tenang deraslah ketepi
Anaklahnyo jambi dek oi janganlah dikenang
Siang tabayang bamimpi malamlah bamimpi
Anaklah jambi janganlah dikenang
Siang tabayang bamimpi malamlah bamimpi
Jalanlah jalan ke ujung jabung
Singgah sebentar di pengabuan
Oi rindu dan dendam dek oi tidaklah tetanggung
Budi setitik kenang jadilah kenangan
Rindu dan dendam dek oi tidaklah tetanggung
Budi setitik kenang jadilah kenangan
Pegi besantai ke tanggo rajo
Nampaklah jelas jambi seberang
Maulah kupinang dek oi apolah kadayo
Sudahlah nasib orang diambeklah orang
Maulah kupinang dek oi apolah kadayo
Sudahlah nasib orang diambeklah orang
Batanghari kebanggaan jambi
Sungai tepanjang sebatas negri
Pujuklahnyo hati dek oi bawalah kemari
Mari bejoget lagu sibatanghari
Pujuklahnyo hati dek oi bawalah kemari
Mari bejoget lagu sibatanghari
The lyrics to The Ventures' song "Stop Action" are in Bahasa, specifically in the Jambi dialect of Indonesia. The song is titled "Batang Hari," which is the name of a river in the Jambi province. The lyrics talk about the river, the region, and its people, with a mix of nostalgia, longing, and resignation. The singer is addressing a potential lover or friend, telling them not to remember the negative things about Jambi but instead to focus on the good memories, to enjoy the music and the culture, and to accept the fate of the people of Jambi.
The first verse talks about the river Batang Hari, which is usually calm but can become wild at times. The second verse tells the listener to take a walk to the edge of the forest and to stop at the Pengabuan location. There, they should not dwell on their longing and resentment but instead should create happy memories that they can cherish. The third verse suggests going to Tanggo Rajo, a local dance, where the singer plans to propose to their love interest. However, they acknowledge that love and destiny can be fickle and that people must accept their lot in life.
The song repeats the chorus, emphasizing the importance of not dwelling on negative thoughts and emotions but rather focusing on the music and joy of Batang Hari. The song ends with the singer urging their love interest to come and enjoy the music and dance with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Batanghari aeknyo lah tenang
The Batanghari river flows calmly
Biakpun tenang deraslah ketepi
Even if there are rapids at the sides
Anaklahnyo jambi dek oi janganlah dikenang
Do not remember the children from Jambi
Siang tabayang bamimpi malamlah bamimpi
Daydream during the day, dream at night
Anaklah jambi janganlah dikenang
Do not remember the children from Jambi
Siang tabayang bamimpi malamlah bamimpi
Daydream during the day, dream at night
Jalanlah jalan ke ujung jabung
Walk until the end of the river
Singgah sebentar di pengabuan
Take a moment to rest at Pengabuan
Oi rindu dan dendam dek oi tidaklah tetanggung
My longing and grudges cannot be ignored
Budi setitik kenang jadilah kenangan
A single drop of gratitude can become a memory
Rindu dan dendam dek oi tidaklah tetanggung
My longing and grudges cannot be ignored
Budi setitik kenang jadilah kenangan
A single drop of gratitude can become a memory
Pegi besantai ke tanggo rajo
Go leisurely to Tanggo Rajo
Nampaklah jelas jambi seberang
Jambi across the river is clearly visible
Maulah kupinang dek oi apolah kadayo
I will propose to you, what will your answer be?
Sudahlah nasib orang diambeklah orang
Fate is something that must be accepted
Maulah kupinang dek oi apolah kadayo
I will propose to you, what will your answer be?
Sudahlah nasib orang diambeklah orang
Fate is something that must be accepted
Batanghari kebanggaan jambi
Batanghari is Jambi's pride
Sungai tepanjang sebatas negri
The long river stretches throughout the land
Pujuklahnyo hati dek oi bawalah kemari
Convince your heart to come here
Mari bejoget lagu sibatanghari
Let's dance to the song of Batanghari
Pujuklahnyo hati dek oi bawalah kemari
Convince your heart to come here
Mari bejoget lagu sibatanghari
Let's dance to the song of Batanghari
Writer(s): ドン・ウィルソン, メル・テイラー, ボブ・ボーグル
Contributed by Eli B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.