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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Music General Discussion »

Permalink Ask Bob Spalding (The Ventures, V2) Anything!

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As part of The V2 Indiegogo campaign, Bob Spalding has agreed to do an "ask my anything" (AMA) right here on SG101! So what are you waiting for? Please use this thread to ask questions for Bob.

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

Hi, Bob! What is your favorite song to play?

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Bob, I've listened to several interviews you have done. I have 2 questions: No.1: are you surprised at how the music industry has changed in your life and the fact that instro surf is still alive and well? No. 2: Is there one point in your life that you would change if you had the "time machine"? Good luck with V2!

Hi Bob, first off thank you for agreeing to visit our site! I've had the pleasure to see you play live a couple times.

In your video, I was most struck by the statement "preserving and advancing rock instrumentals". I'm a huge fan of instrumental music, so I really appreciate your career working in instrumental music. But my big question, can you shed any light on how you are going to advance rock instrumentals? Clearly, you've had a big input on that throughout your career and I'm really looking forward to what you have in store with V2.

Really looking forward to that version of Telstar! The one song that cannot be done to death, so flawless.

Hi Bob, Thank you for taking the time to do this. Do you listen to any current instrumental bands and if so, who you feel stands out?

Noel wrote:

Hi, Bob! What is your favorite song to play?

Hi Noel, wow there are many songs that I like playing. Of course at various times some have more interest than others. However I can say that over the long term there are three that never seem to get old even after playing them in concert for many years now. They are "Walk-don't Run", "Mr. Moto", and "Guitar Boogie Shuffle". Each has it's own challenges but played correctly and with feeling they never seem to grow old.

wfoguy wrote:

Bob, I've listened to several interviews you have done. I have 2 questions: No.1: are you surprised at how the music industry has changed in your life and the fact that instro surf is still alive and well? No. 2: Is there one point in your life that you would change if you had the "time machine"? Good luck with V2!

Hi, these are two good questions. Let's start with the time-less instrumentals, many of which are of the "surf genre". I did my first recording session some 50 years ago and the music industry has turned over many times. Being fortunate to work with The Ventures I was able to record instrumentally many of the modern trends that have evolved within the music business. With that experience I can only conclude that the instrumentals that were created out of the late 50's and early '60s are guitar and drum songs that are accessible. I mean they can be learned fairly easily and played with many variations. They also capture a time in the US where young people were establishing their own identity through surfing, cars, and music. Regarding your 2nd questions I have to say "no", I've been very fortunate and worked very hard to be a professional musician and associated with The Ventures. If I had changed something it may not have worked out like it did.

JakeDobner wrote:

Hi Bob, first off thank you for agreeing to visit our site! I've had the pleasure to see you play live a couple times.

In your video, I was most struck by the statement "preserving and advancing rock instrumentals". I'm a huge fan of instrumental music, so I really appreciate your career working in instrumental music. But my big question, can you shed any light on how you are going to advance rock instrumentals? Clearly, you've had a big input on that throughout your career and I'm really looking forward to what you have in store with V2.

Really looking forward to that version of Telstar! The one song that cannot be done to death, so flawless.

Hi Jake, thanks for your kind comments and questions. One of my motivations in playing and recording instrumental music is to preserve the genre itself by using variations of previous "masters" in terms of arrangement, instrumentation, recording techniques, and composition. To that end, having a band to work with to really accomplish this is great for me. As we move through some of the classics we'll record for our first album I believe we'll be preserving them for future generations of instrumental players and fans. At the same time being able to compose and arrange original tracks for the album will also inspire and advance the instrumental genre for future players and fans. Many of the techniques used by instrumental artists of the 50's and 60's are used in today's music, further there are many techniques that could be used today if the music becomes more visible. With my work with The Ventures I found that "Liberty" records did an amazing job of creating and validating the guitar instrumental as a serious genre in selling records. "Liberty" was able make The Ventures one of the music "commodities" in the business. By that I mean if you wanted a guitar instrumental album the associated name was The Ventures and as we all remember including me, everyone had at least 3 three Ventures records...

Surf_Skater wrote:

Hi Bob, Thank you for taking the time to do this. Do you listen to any current instrumental bands and if so, who you feel stands out?

Hi, yes I do all the time. I'm always searching for new instrumental things to listen to. Of course the ones that interest me the most are guitar oriented bands that are creative and move the music forward. Some of these I've worked with like The Surf Dawgs of Minneapolis and B.C.V. of Japan. Both of their products can be found on iTunes. There are some that are very "far out" in their instrumental recordings and arrangements such as Mike Vernon and The Balls of Fire, and there are many that are traditional and creative such as The Aqua Velvets with their simply amazing arrangement of "Remember, Walking in the Sand".

Bob, Thank you so much for answering our questions. Who were the artists that inspired you to play?

No questions from me,
but a Big Thank You Sir for the wonderful and inspiring music!

Cheers,
Jeff

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic

Hi Bob, you may recall I interviewed you and Don when you were in Winnipeg (interview available in the Downloads section). By the way you are overdue for a return!

A few questions come to mind:
- With you and Leon working on V2, what is the impact on the Ventures?
- How much will Japan figure into your tour dates?

Finally, not a question but a thanks for being so gracious in your interview and best wishes for success of your new project.

Rich

https://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=9353f9155b5ff32e14c998495fd00da4&#!/rich.derksen.7

Hi Bob,

I have a question which I would dearly love to know the answer to. What do you do to take care of your hands, fingers, wrists etc? I've been battling tendinitis for 5 years (largely as a result of using computers and touch screens too much) and it really limits my ability to play for a long time.

I actually got back into guitar and bass as it relieved the tendinitis in my forearms. Recently I have been experiencing numbness in the two smallest fingers, on both hands. The doctors just prescribed anti-inflammatories.

Do you have any tips on hand health to share with us?

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Hi Bob,

When and where did you first join up with The Ventures, and what did you learn from playing, recording, and touring with them?

Thanks!

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

Thank you for the all the wonderful music! The Ventures are still at the top of my list of the all time greats. Really looking forward to what you guys come up with next!

I've got a gear question, what has been your "go to" bass guitar and why?

Thank you!

Last edited: Feb 25, 2015 10:11:05

Bob, would you please tell us how your song, Chicchi Star, came about? I for one would love to hear V2 play it. Thank you!

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

no questions but thanks for all the great music. i have a ventures model jazzmaster that i will NEVER part with.

www.surfintheeye.com

Hello Sir,

Your new compositions for the album; are they tunes that have been hanging around in your (and the band's) head for a while, or a conscious "let's sit down and start this song from year zero"?

Bob, I've seen the Ventures and it was a very enjoyable show. Its the only time I've seen the Ventures so it was a memorable one. Care to share any interesting tour experiences? I always like to read other surf bands tour logs. Being a fellow musician it makes for an interesting read. I have the Ventures book and have read some of the stories, but its more of a history band. Thanks for the music too!

Tagged. Wow, just drinkin' it in & grateful for the music. Thanks for engaging with SG101!
Cool

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

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