eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Mar 21 2016 11:13 PM
Fifty-six years ago today, Bob Bogle, Don Wilson, Nokie Edwards, and Skip Moore, carried their equipment down the stairs to Joe Boles basement recording studio and cut one of the, if not the, most influential guitar driven, instrumental records in history. Blue Horizon Records #101-1.
The Ventures, sporting Fender Vibrolux and Bassman amps as well as a Gibson GA-40 amp were recorded on an Ampex 351-2 stereo analog tape machine using four microphones, which included a U-47 to cover the drums.
That record still sounds great today, eh guys?
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Mar 21 2016 11:14 PM
And by the way......that was also on a Tuesday and a leap year.
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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Rob_J
Joined: Sep 29, 2007
Posts: 500
Sacto, CA
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 06:49 AM
I have sort of a "love/hate" relationship to "Walk Don't Run". As a kid I used to have my ears glued to the radio waiting for the station to play it. It is likely the first, or at least one of the first songs that I ever tried to learn.
Now, I've played it so many times there are times when I grow really tired of it. Don Wilson has been asked in interviews if he ever gets tired of playing it and he says "no". I guess if I'd made millions from playing it, I'd never get tired of it either. It's a great song though and one that everyone loves hearing so if you are in a band playing instrumentals you almost have to include it.
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Badger
Joined: Nov 16, 2013
Posts: 4537
Wisconsin
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 06:50 AM
Agree; truly one of a handful of songs in the "instantly recognizable" by anyone category. Nothing shallow about the drums side of the house either. Pretty neat testament to getting the most out of your mics. One can sit around noodling with that & non-players in the room recognize what you're doing.
I distinctly remember even my parents thought it was ok. 
— 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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artdecade
Joined: Aug 30, 2012
Posts: 399
Twangsville
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 07:34 AM
Long Live The Ventures! 
— To Boldly go where no Tiki has gone before...
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CreepBeat
Joined: Feb 25, 2016
Posts: 242
Seattle, WA
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 11:42 AM
Agreed that it still sounds fab. It's interesting to listen to the production style of the original recording and what was in vogue at the time. Wouldn't it have been amazing to have been there for the tracking of it?
— Skins for The Delstroyers
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SilverFlash
Joined: Jul 14, 2015
Posts: 478
Near Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 01:37 PM
WDR is definitely one of my all-time favorites. It's one of the tunes that made me want to learn guitar.
— -Tim
MyYouTubeChannel
My Classic Instrumental Surf Music Timeline
SSS Agent #777
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 03:24 PM
In the Ventures' book, it mentions that Bob thought they had done about a dozen takes of it (live to two track) before they figured that they had done the best they could. No overdubbing back then in Boles' studio.
The master tape was sent off to cut a few acetates, which when these demos were returned, the group thought the disks were a bit bright and had the record manufacturing guys tone it back a bit and they went for it.
The rest as they say, was history.
I frankly never tire of listening to the Ventures early recordings. I've been struggling to get "that sound" for ages.
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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artdecade
Joined: Aug 30, 2012
Posts: 399
Twangsville
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 03:42 PM
Which Ventures book? I haven't read one yet. Suggestions?
— To Boldly go where no Tiki has gone before...
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JohnnyMosrite
Joined: Jun 14, 2006
Posts: 913
New York City area
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 04:44 PM
Yes - WDR. As a kid, I thought the drum intro was the coolest sound I had ever heard. My older friends had many of their albums.
So -
When I decided to learn guitar on my own, I bought the first "Play Guitar with the Ventures" album (BTW, it was a hit album when issued - try that with any other instruction record) - followed by every "Play Guitar with ..." album in the series afterwards.
To get my fingers coordinated, I first learned the Bass parts, then the lead guitar and then the rhythm chords. Maybe not the best approach; but it worked for me.
Those Mosrite Guitars pictured in the album just spoke to me. Mr. Inner Drive and Focus said,"I gotta get one (or two and so on) of those". This - outside of school - was my main misspent youth desire - and it still is. I have over 100-150 instrumentals tunes under my fingers and a large chunk of them are Ventures tunes.
There are many varied and better ways to learn guitar today, but that was what was around back then.
I'm not done with their catalog yet - there's always something to learn with these guys. 56 years and I'm just getting started on some of their (really great) not often heard material.
So much for life's dirty habits
J Mo' 
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25706
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 04:44 PM
Great cover song,
But I prefer the original by Johnny Smith.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CxXnpfg2I7A
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
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Badger
Joined: Nov 16, 2013
Posts: 4537
Wisconsin
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 05:21 PM
JohnnyMosrite wrote:
To get my fingers coordinated, I first learned the Bass parts...
I literally wish I'd done that when I first picked up a guitar.
— 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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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Mar 22 2016 06:19 PM
The book I was pulling info from is: "Walk Don't Run, the Story of the Ventures." Credited to Dale Halterman, Josie Wilson, Bob Bogle and Don Wilson. It is 389 pages of paper backed Ventures trivia.
I dig the Johnny Smith original as well but like Johnny Mo observed, the drum intro by Skip More is as good as there has ever been. It, like the Chantays original "Pipeline," is often paraphrased but has seldom been duplicated.
Johnny Smith was able to retire to Colorado Springs at a relatively young age and run a small music store and teaching studio with the assistance of that 2:00 minutes of utter instrumental perfection.................
I think I'll go knock it out again...........
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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artdecade
Joined: Aug 30, 2012
Posts: 399
Twangsville
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Posted on Mar 23 2016 12:16 PM
Thanks, Eddie! I'm going to order it today!
— To Boldly go where no Tiki has gone before...
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Rob_J
Joined: Sep 29, 2007
Posts: 500
Sacto, CA
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Posted on Mar 23 2016 12:43 PM
The book referred to is a great resource for learning about the history of The Ventures. I'm going to have to pull it out and go through it again.
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