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Back in the day, there were no iphones, ipads, ipods, cds, mp3, or YouTube, but there were, however, three guitarists and a drummer, plenty of 33 rpms, 45’s, and hi-fi’s, which was enough to establish a new sound of music (Rock & Roll) that stills stands today. It was the Beatles you say, No, there were no vocals. It was music and music alone without vocals that changed history, crossing country and language barriers. It was, THE VENTURES, who started out on an adventure in 1959 that is still going strong in 2013. The youth of today might say, “WHO”! No, it was, The Ventures, not, The Who. Perhaps some of the young guitarists and drummers of today may have heard of The Ventures. Hopefully, they have and have studied after, Bob Bogle, Nokie Edwards, Don Wilson, and drummer Mel Taylor, who was not the original drummer, but in 1962 replaced Howie Johnson, due to lingering injuries from a traffic accident. If they haven’t, they should and can with the modern technology of today. Later came, guitarist, Gerry McGee, who played in place of Kokie Edwards from time to time. There were others who were apart of The Ventures throughout the years, but the before mentioned were the heart and soul of the most powerful instrumental group in musical history. Sadly, Bob Bogle and Mel Taylor are no longer with us, and have been replaced by long-time friend, Bob Spalding, on bass and Mel’s son, Leon Taylor, who is carrying on in his father’s footsteps and drumming speed. Thank God, we have them all on YouTube for today’s musicians to study after and learn from. The Ventures biggest hit was “Walk Don’t Run”, rock and roll version, released by Dolton Records, reaching #2 on the charts and remaining there for several weeks, only to be topped by Elvis’s #1 hit, “It’s Now or Never”. The Ventures had several other single hits making the Top 100, including their 1964 surfer style remake of Walk, Don’t Run (#8) and the 1968 hit Hawaii Five-O (#4). There biggest success, though, was in albums, the first being “Walk Don’t Run”. The Ventures are ranked 6th among artist whose albums hit the album charts during the 1960s and 26th all-time for artist with albums that hit the charts. After the 70s, the Ventures have been virtually forgotten in the United States, but not overseas, especially in Japan, where they toured annually for 3 and 4 months at a time, starting in 1965 and have had 35+ tours since. The 30th anniversary tour, in 1994, consisted of 107 concerts in four months. In the 80s, they had a minor resurgence of popularity in the United States, becoming popular with fans of punk rock, but there biggest fans still remain in Japan, where they have released over 200 albums. Over the years The Ventures have had 13 different band members. The following timeline is of the members by which they are remembered: Don Wilson (Rhythm) 1958-Now; Bob Bogle (Bass/Lead) 1958-2005; Nokie Edwards (Lead/Bass), 1960-1968 & 1972-1984 & 1999-2005, Special Guest; Mel Taylor (Drums) 1963-1972 & 1979-1996; Gerry McGee (Lead) 1968-1972 & 1985-Now: Leon Taylor (Drums) 1996-Now; Bob Spalding (Bass/Lead) 2005-Now. One thing lacked, however, to seal the deal that The Ventures are the best rock and roll band in the world, having more influence on rock and roll than any other, and that was there induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which came after being long overdue, on March 10, 2008. To those who have never listened to the music of The Ventures, or those who have forgotten them, do yourself a big favor and do it. Go to YouTube, lock into The Ventures playlist, put on a good set of headphones and push play. You may find yourself there for hours, as you witness how they evolved through the years. They are that good and will capture your attention, as they should, because you can hear no better, no, not in this world. The Ventures a once in a lifetime band.
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Ventures, Best Band, Rock and Roll, Japan, Walk Don't Run, Pipeline, overseas, hall of fame,
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