Steerpike
03-03-2006, 10:27 AM
Welcome back people. The last two weeks have been rough on yours truly, and I think it's showing in the recent quality of the last two spotlights. Definately not some of my best, which is a shame especially for the one I did on Buddy Holly.
Anyway, here's the obligatory look back:
Saint Vitus - Calling the Children of Doom (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=438619)
The Cruxshadows - Let Me Introduce You to Darkwave (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=440766)
Slough Feg - Hail to the Lord Weird Slough Feg (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=442946)
Buddy Holly - Still Awesome (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=444945)
Pentagram - Abandon All Hope (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=446798)
Now let's hope this week goes better than last.
Biography
Surf rock is very much an under-appreciated genre in modern music. Hardly anyone plays it anymore, and few rock musicians take the time to understand just how critical and influential it was. Since the electric guitars of the 50's and 60's didn't have a lot of sustain, surf rock musicians were forced to play very busy, often complex melodies. Groups like the Beach Boys were among the first to experiment with effects like heavy reverb. One group, The Ventures, were actually so successful that they've never stopped recording.
It was way back in the mid to late 1950's when The Versatones, a guitar duet of Bob Bogle and Don Wilson started playing the clubs. They were two guys who had learned a strong work ethic from being born during the troubled times of the Great Depression. They soon recruited a drummer and Nokie Edwards to play bass.
With this line-up they recorded Walk Don't Run which they had heard on a Chet Atkins record. Unfortunately, none of the record labels they approach were interested. Bastards. So, espousing a DIY attitude that would eventually become highly prevalent in the 70's, they started their own label, Blue Horizon Records. The record was self-produced and self-promoted. This was what got them attention from Dolton Records. They became The Ventures, were signed to Dolton, and Walk Don't Run climbed up to number 2 on the Billboard Charts in 1960.
The group enjoyed their greatest success in America during the 60's, which was also the height of Beatle-mania. The Ventures and The Beatles were the two kingpins of rock after Elvis Presley. They sometimes had 6 LPs in the Billboard Top 100 at the same time. They released about 10 instructional LPs as well, all of which also made the charts, which at the time was an unheard of feat in popular music.
They also became the most popular American rock group in Japan during this time. Ask any J-rock band, and they'll probably site a Ventures influence. To this day, their 1966 song Ginza Lights is considered the most popular song in Japan. The group even still tours the Land of the Rising Sun in the new millennium, and consistently outsold The Beatles 2 to 1 in the 60's.
The group even had their own signature model guitars at this time from the Mosrite manufacturer which are highly sought-after relics of rock history today.
The definitive line-up throughout the 60's and most of the seventies was Bob Bogle on bass, Don Wilson and Nokie Edwards on guitar, and Mel Taylor on drums.
There have only been a few line-up changes over the years, the most recent being in 1995 when Mel Taylor passed away from cancer and his son Leon stepped up behind the kit to take his place.
Though they remained huge in Japan for decades, their popularity declined during the 70's in the US until the punk movement helped spark a revival on interest. The use of many surf rock tunes in Tarantino's Pulp Fiction also added a new breath of life to their career.
As the 6th best-selling band of the 60's, The Ventures have managed to outlive nearly all of their comtemporaries. And they show no signs of stopping either. It's amazing that men of their ages can continue to tour and record with the consistency they still do. Life is a very fickle thing, so it's best that we enjoy the music while they're still here to provide us with more of it.
Official Web Site (http://www.theventures.com/)
Anyway, here's the obligatory look back:
Saint Vitus - Calling the Children of Doom (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=438619)
The Cruxshadows - Let Me Introduce You to Darkwave (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=440766)
Slough Feg - Hail to the Lord Weird Slough Feg (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=442946)
Buddy Holly - Still Awesome (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=444945)
Pentagram - Abandon All Hope (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=446798)
Now let's hope this week goes better than last.
Biography
Surf rock is very much an under-appreciated genre in modern music. Hardly anyone plays it anymore, and few rock musicians take the time to understand just how critical and influential it was. Since the electric guitars of the 50's and 60's didn't have a lot of sustain, surf rock musicians were forced to play very busy, often complex melodies. Groups like the Beach Boys were among the first to experiment with effects like heavy reverb. One group, The Ventures, were actually so successful that they've never stopped recording.
It was way back in the mid to late 1950's when The Versatones, a guitar duet of Bob Bogle and Don Wilson started playing the clubs. They were two guys who had learned a strong work ethic from being born during the troubled times of the Great Depression. They soon recruited a drummer and Nokie Edwards to play bass.
With this line-up they recorded Walk Don't Run which they had heard on a Chet Atkins record. Unfortunately, none of the record labels they approach were interested. Bastards. So, espousing a DIY attitude that would eventually become highly prevalent in the 70's, they started their own label, Blue Horizon Records. The record was self-produced and self-promoted. This was what got them attention from Dolton Records. They became The Ventures, were signed to Dolton, and Walk Don't Run climbed up to number 2 on the Billboard Charts in 1960.
The group enjoyed their greatest success in America during the 60's, which was also the height of Beatle-mania. The Ventures and The Beatles were the two kingpins of rock after Elvis Presley. They sometimes had 6 LPs in the Billboard Top 100 at the same time. They released about 10 instructional LPs as well, all of which also made the charts, which at the time was an unheard of feat in popular music.
They also became the most popular American rock group in Japan during this time. Ask any J-rock band, and they'll probably site a Ventures influence. To this day, their 1966 song Ginza Lights is considered the most popular song in Japan. The group even still tours the Land of the Rising Sun in the new millennium, and consistently outsold The Beatles 2 to 1 in the 60's.
The group even had their own signature model guitars at this time from the Mosrite manufacturer which are highly sought-after relics of rock history today.
The definitive line-up throughout the 60's and most of the seventies was Bob Bogle on bass, Don Wilson and Nokie Edwards on guitar, and Mel Taylor on drums.
There have only been a few line-up changes over the years, the most recent being in 1995 when Mel Taylor passed away from cancer and his son Leon stepped up behind the kit to take his place.
Though they remained huge in Japan for decades, their popularity declined during the 70's in the US until the punk movement helped spark a revival on interest. The use of many surf rock tunes in Tarantino's Pulp Fiction also added a new breath of life to their career.
As the 6th best-selling band of the 60's, The Ventures have managed to outlive nearly all of their comtemporaries. And they show no signs of stopping either. It's amazing that men of their ages can continue to tour and record with the consistency they still do. Life is a very fickle thing, so it's best that we enjoy the music while they're still here to provide us with more of it.
Official Web Site (http://www.theventures.com/)