The Ventures

[JimN]

George,

There was somebody on the old MSN Shadowmusic Group that owned one of those Ventures models, identity escapes me at the moment! I agree that they are a good looking Strat -made in Japan I believe.

One of the members at SMSE owns one. Great guitar.

JN

[BobGreg]

Returning to the Backing Tracks theme, The Ventures did issue 5 Play Guitar LPs in 1965. In 1997 See For Miles (SFM) Label re-issued these on double CDs. Three of the albums are for lead and the fourth covers bass. I managed to get Vol1-Vol4, not sure if SFM issued the final album on CD - if they did I haven't got it.

There was an additional special collectors edition to acompany all 5 volumes - for the then princely sum of £4.99 plus £1.50 post and packing, which "lovingly recreates all the booklets from the original vinyl releases with easy to follow diagrammed finger patterns for lead and bass guitars and chords for rhythm guitar for all the tunes featured".

Unfortunately the tracks, although featuring The Ventures, they do not contain the full tunes - I'd say that they covered the first half of the tune without any connecting fills that were normal before returning back to the earlier tune either in the original key or another which was also a feature on some of The Ventures tunes. That was quite a dissapointment.

Since those superb SFM days when all the Ventures LPs were produced on 2 for 1 CDs, SFM went the way of other special labels and disappeared from sight - real shame because the label also issued some of the earlier Shadows material on CD as well (The full EP collection, Vocals, Guardian Angel and Live at Abbey Road/Live at the Liverpool Empire)

[BobGreg]

Sorry for the scanned picture size!!

[George Geddes]

Not sure that the albums do actually feature the Ventures...

George

[BobGreg]

George,

I think I have the original LPs somewhere in the loft but reading the text with the CDs does indicate that it was The Ventures for the first 4 albums, with 5 & 6 being made by other groups. With the charts success of the earlier volumes The Venture released volume 7 as a follow up. The original sound recordings were also owned by Liberty/Dolton records another strong indicator.

Although written post LP, Gerry Woodage wrote some of the notes on the SFM CDs, I'm sure that if The Ventures hadn't recorded these he would have said so, particularly when it clearly indicateds that Vols 5 & 6 were by other performers - it certainly sounds very like them on the CDs. The flavour of the comments to my mind indicates the Ventures themselves playing.

The following are extracted from the notes:

So great was The Ventures' influence on young aspiring guitarists in the sixties, that when Dolton Records looked to find something that little bit different to record and decided to issue a new style guitar tutor on disc, ther was only one ever choice to kick it off, ...

By the time this simple yet effective guide to playing four monster instrumental hits, hit the streets in August 1965 under the title Play Guitar With The Ventures, Bob, Don, Nokie and Mel had scored no less than eighteen massive top hundred albums in America, to say nothing .....

It was also the first time that someone as famous as The Ventures actually showed us how to play their own hits ...

What a decision within weeks of release it actually charted in the national top hundred album charts ...13 weeks

Volume two was inevitable. This equally satisfying issue from Feb 1966, with four further favourites, ...., was eagerly snapped up and suddenly a series was demanded! .. Vol 3 arrive in May 1966 with Vol 4 in August ...

Dolton aiming to vary things issued volumes 5 and 6 with other artists, but when Play Guitar Volume 7 came out in December 1966, it was a hasty return to the band who in almost 40 years, has never stopped guiding by example ....

You may be right George, but I'd like to think that The Ventures did make these recordings - the main point is that there are some Ventures backing tracks arround , even if only partial.

[wstagner]

I think we'd all like to have thought they were on them, but for the most part they were not.
Mel Taylor is on at least some of them as you can hear his unmistakeable voice counting off some of the intros. They did pose for the pix, if that counts.

I agree these are not suitable for backing trax as the songs are all incomplete.

[wstagner]

Here's an intresting review of 2 ancient LP. I think you'll agree the same could be (or has already been) written about The Shadows:

All Music Guide

In 2000, the Collectables imprint reissued two of teen idol Bobby Vee's albums (originally released on Liberty) on one economically sensible disc. Come Back When You Grow Up (1967) was Vee's attempt to remain relevant in a changing musical climate and Bobby Vee Meets The Ventures (1963) was an interesting crossover for the two artists and provided the world with a valuable lesson: Never hire a backing band that is more enthusiastic than the lead singer who is supposedly the one being showcased. Rob Theakston

He's correct. The BV meets Ventures is one of the better Ventures LP IMHO.

[wstagner]

I'm curious to know the V toons for which B trax are desired.

[Bill Bowley]

This clip has 'the sound' that I liked about The Ventures -it seemed totransform into something else over the years, but then again that happens to all groups IMHO, for better or worse depending on the listener!

[wstagner]

That "sound" disappeared after the 1st Ventures LP....Walk Don't Run.