Not the first but definitely the most popular rock instrumental combo, the Ventures scored several hit singles during the 1960s -- most notably "Walk-Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O" -- but made their name in the growing album market, covering hits of the day and organizing thematically linked LPs. Almost 40 Ventures' albums charted, and 17 hit... [+] Read More

Not the first but definitely the most popular rock instrumental combo, the Ventures scored several hit singles during the 1960s -- most notably "Walk-Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O" -- but made their name in the growing album market, covering hits of the day and organizing thematically linked LPs. Almost 40 Ventures' albums charted, and 17 hit the Top 40. And though the group's popularity in America virtually disappeared by the 1970s, their enormous contribution to pop culture was far from over; the Ventures soon became one of the most popular world-wide groups, with dozens of albums recorded especially for the Japanese and European markets. They toured continually throughout the 1970s and '80s -- influencing Japanese pop music of the time more than they had American music during the '60s.

The Ventures' origins lie in a Tacoma, Washington group called the Impacts. Around 1959, construction workers and hobby guitarists Bob Bogle and Don Wilson formed the group, gigging around Washington state and Idaho with various rhythm sections as backup. They recorded a demo tape, but after it was rejected by the Liberty Records subsidiary Dolton, the duo founded their own label, Blue Horizon. They released one vocal single ("Cookies and Coke"), then recruited bassist Nokie Edwards and drummer Skip Moore and decided to instead become an instrumental group.

The Ventures went into the studio in 1959 with an idea for a new single they had first heard on Chet Atkins' Hi Fi in Focus LP. Released on Blue Horizon in 1960, the single "Walk-Don't Run" became a big local hit after being aired as a news lead-in on a Seattle radio station (thanks to a friend with connections). In an ironic twist, Dolton Records came calling and licensed the single for national distribution; by summer 1960, it had risen to number two in the charts, behind only "It's Now or Never" by Elvis Presley. After Howie Johnson replaced Moore on drums, the Ventures began recording their debut album, unsurprisingly titled after their hit single.

Two singles, "Perfidia" and "Ram-Bunk-Shush," hit the Top 40 during 1960-61, but the Ventures soon began capitalizing on what became a trademark: releasing LPs which featured songs very loosely arranged around a theme implied in the title. The group's fourth LP, The Colorful Ventures, included "Yellow Jacket," "Red Top," "Orange Fire" and no less than three tracks featuring the word "blue" in the title. The Ventures put their indelible stamp on each style of '60s music they covered, and they covered many -- twist, country, pop, spy music, psychedelic, swamp, garage, TV themes. (In the '70s, the band moved on to funk, disco, reggae, soft rock and Latin music.) The Ventures' lineup changed slightly during 1962. Howie Johnson left the band, to be replaced by session man Mel Taylor; also, Nokie Edwards took over lead guitar with Bob Bogle switching to bass.

One of the few LPs not arranged around a theme became their best-selling; 1963's The Ventures Play Telstar, The Lonely Bull featured a cover of the number one instrumental hit by the British studio band the Tornadoes and produced by Joe Meek. Though their cover of "Telstar" didn't even chart, the album hit the Top Ten and became the group's first of three gold records. A re-write of their signature song -- entitled "Walk-Don't Run '64" -- reached number eight that year. By the mid-'60s however, the Ventures appeared to be losing their touch. Considering the volatility of popular music during the time, it was quite forgivable that the group would lose their heads-up knowledge of current trends in the music industry to forecast which songs should be covered. The television theme "Hawaii Five-O" hit number four in 1969, but the Ventures slipped off the American charts for good in 1972. Instead, the band began looking abroad for attention and -- in Japan especially -- they found it with gusto. After leaving Dolton/Liberty and founding their own Tridex Records label, the Ventures began recording albums specifically for the Japanese market. The group eventually sold over 40 million records in that country alone, becoming one of the biggest American influences on Japanese pop music ever.

Nokie Edwards left the Ventures in 1968 to pursue his interest in horse racing for a time, and was replaced by Gerry McGee; though he returned by 1972, Mel Taylor left the group that year for a solo career, to be replaced by Joe Barile. (Taylor returned also, in 1979.) By the early '80s, the Ventures' core quartet of Wilson, Bogle, Edwards and Taylor could boast of playing together for over 20 years. Though Edwards left the band for good in 1984 (replaced again by Gerry McGee) and Mel Taylor died mid-way through a Japanese tour in 1996 (replaced by his son Leon), the Ventures continued to pack venues around the world. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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Throughout the '60s and , guitarist/songwriter Jerry Cole worked with some of the most prominent talents in rock'n'roll, including Them, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, and as a session man in Phil Spector's "Wrecking Crew." With his own group the Spacemen, Cole released four albums of space-age surf music in just over two years, beginning with... [+] Read More

Throughout the '60s and , guitarist/songwriter Jerry Cole worked with some of the most prominent talents in rock'n'roll, including Them, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, and as a session man in Phil Spector's "Wrecking Crew." With his own group the Spacemen, Cole released four albums of space-age surf music in just over two years, beginning with 1963's Outer Limits. As the '60s progressed, Cole worked on sessions for the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man"/"I Knew I'd Want You" single and Them's 1965 self-titled album. He teamed up with Roger McGuinn again in 1972 for McGuinn's debut solo record, and session work with Roger Miller, Chuck Howard and Susie Allanson sent him in a country-rock direction. Cole's work with the Spacemen was collected in the 1999 Sundazed compilation Power Surf! The Best of Jerry Cole & His Spacemen. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Although packaged and promoted as a bona fide group, the Fantastic Baggys were actually an L.A. studio project by the duo of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. Sloan and Barri wrote many first-rate (and second-rate) pop-rock and folk-rock tunes in the mid-1960s, but were at this point, as evidenced by the name of the group, doing surf and hot rod... [+] Read More

Although packaged and promoted as a bona fide group, the Fantastic Baggys were actually an L.A. studio project by the duo of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. Sloan and Barri wrote many first-rate (and second-rate) pop-rock and folk-rock tunes in the mid-1960s, but were at this point, as evidenced by the name of the group, doing surf and hot rod material. The similarity of the Fantastic Baggys material to Jan and Dean in particular should come as no surprise, since Sloan and Barri not only wrote some songs for Jan and Dean, but also did some vocals on Jan and Dean records of the era.

The Fantastic Baggys did one album for Imperial in 1964, Tell 'Em I'm Surfin', as well as three singles in 1964 and 1965 (which included three non-LP songs); there were also a couple of Fantastic Baggys albums issued in South Africa. (Although there were four Fantastic Baggys pictured on the sleeve of Tell 'Em I'm Surfin', the two other guys were just friends who were not on the records.) The album, in both songwriting and performance, was a pretty close but ultimately derivative and inferior facsimile of circa 1964 Jan and Dean and (more distantly) Beach Boys records. The Fantastic Baggys stopped making records in 1965, when the surf fad faded and Sloan and Barri were more interested in writing and singing more serious and sophisticated material. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A Minneapolis rock & roll band, they evolved from Jim Thaxter & the Travelers, recording one single under that name ("Sally Jo"/"Cyclone"). The group comprises Tony Andreason (lead guitar), Dan Winslow (guitar/ vocals), Bob Reed (bass), and Steve Wahrer (drums/vocals). Unfairly depicted as a novelty act, the Trashmen were in actuality a... [+] Read More

A Minneapolis rock & roll band, they evolved from Jim Thaxter & the Travelers, recording one single under that name ("Sally Jo"/"Cyclone"). The group comprises Tony Andreason (lead guitar), Dan Winslow (guitar/ vocals), Bob Reed (bass), and Steve Wahrer (drums/vocals). Unfairly depicted as a novelty act, the Trashmen were in actuality a top-notch rock & roll combo, enormously popular on the teen-club circuit, playing primarily surf music to a landlocked Minnesota audience. Drummer Steve Wahrer combined two songs by the Rivingtons ("The Bird's the Word" and "Pa Pa Ooh Mow Mow"), added freakish vocal effects and a pounding rhythm to the mix, and, by early 1964, the group was in the Top Ten nationwide with "Surfin' Bird." Though the group continued to release great follow-up singles and an excellent album, their moment in the sun had come and gone; they disbanded by late 1967/early 1968. They re-formed in the mid-'80s and continued to play locally until Wahrer's death. The Trashmen are revered by '60s collectors as one of the great American teen-band combos of all time, their lone hit exemplifying wild, unabashed rock & roll at its most demented, bare-bones-basic, lone-E-chord finest. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Twenty early-sixties instrumental rockers, most tied (if nominally) to surf music, taken from three 1963-64 Capitol albums (Surf Age, Hot Rod Dance Party, and Outer Limits). Cole was different from the average surf guitarist: he was more experienced and versatile, a result of his extensive experience in Los Angeles sessions. His arrangements... [+] Read More

Twenty early-sixties instrumental rockers, most tied (if nominally) to surf music, taken from three 1963-64 Capitol albums (Surf Age, Hot Rod Dance Party, and Outer Limits). Cole was different from the average surf guitarist: he was more experienced and versatile, a result of his extensive experience in Los Angeles sessions. His arrangements were also slicker--in the favorable sense of that adjective--with tight, and tightly paced, arrangements (frequently with brass) that reflected his proximity to the world of Hollywood film and television. So it is that much of this sounds like cool background music for action sequences in early-to-mid-sixties teen-oriented movies and TV shows. Perhaps his closest counterparts in this regard would be the Marketts (whose "Out of Limits" Cole covers here); there are also strong echoes of the Ventures, and occasional nods to exotica. This is less "garage-y, " perhaps, than much vintage surf music, but no less powerful. It's also more melodically varied than most vintage surf acts were, and Cole excels at coaxing an impressive assortment of thick, assertive tones from his axe. As a consequence, this disc is recommended to surf fans who are getting a bit tired of the same-old generic Southern California sound as the reissue vaults get more deeply plundered, and want to hear a refreshingly different take on the style. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide [-] Hide

This 20-track compilation gathers together the best of Johnston's and Melcher's best sides for Columbia under the B&T moniker. That's important, because this collection could just as easily have been double the length if they had amassed all the tracks that Bruce & Terry had recorded under other names like the Rip Chords, etc. including the hit... [+] Read More

This 20-track compilation gathers together the best of Johnston's and Melcher's best sides for Columbia under the B&T moniker. That's important, because this collection could just as easily have been double the length if they had amassed all the tracks that Bruce & Terry had recorded under other names like the Rip Chords, etc. including the hit "Hey Little Cobra." Because Bruce & Terry were a virtual vocal overdubbing machine, some of the tracks on here ("Custom Machine," "Don't Run Away," "I Love You Model T," "Come Love," "Raining In My Heart") appear in mono-only formats. This becomes the only way to hear the final product as it was etched into black phonograph records, as B&T would overdub right directly onto the final single track mix. It also gives the sound of these tracks an edgy, mid-rangey "squashed" kind of compression to them, making them leap out of the speakers. As a musical satellite orbiting around the Brian Wilson/Jan & Dean/Wrecking Crew axis, the music here reflects that time and sound beautifully. These are the beginnings of two long-standing careers in the record business and the records they literally cut their teeth on. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide [-] Hide

In the long-standing tradition of surf and hot rod instrumental ringers of the 1960s, the Clee-Shays weren't really a group, but rather a studio concoction put together by Challengers drummer/producer/mover and shaker Richard Delvy to cash in on the Japanese secret agent/spy music market made popular by Al Caiola and others. Utilizing Ed... [+] Read More

In the long-standing tradition of surf and hot rod instrumental ringers of the 1960s, the Clee-Shays weren't really a group, but rather a studio concoction put together by Challengers drummer/producer/mover and shaker Richard Delvy to cash in on the Japanese secret agent/spy music market made popular by Al Caiola and others. Utilizing Ed Fournier, John Anderson and Bob Edwards on alternating lead guitars, Buzz Carre on bass, and Delvy alternating with Larry Brown on drums, the group ground out albums in session after anonymous session. This 20-track collection cherry-picks the best tracks from their various Japanese albums, with Fournier's originals counting for seven of the selections and spirited covers of "Beyond," "Theme From The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," "Thunderball" and "Get Smart" also spicing up the mix. As surf-instrumental-type music goes, this is great, ultra-rare stuff, and well worth the listen. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Included on this two-disc collection are over 50 songs plus outtakes, singalong instrumental versions, radio promos, and interview clips, ranging from (as the title clearly implies) surf classics like "Surf City" and "Ride the Wild S urf" to hot-rod anthems "Bucket T" and "My Mighty GTO." Collectors will revel over this (un)healthy (over)dose of... [+] Read More

Included on this two-disc collection are over 50 songs plus outtakes, singalong instrumental versions, radio promos, and interview clips, ranging from (as the title clearly implies) surf classics like "Surf City" and "Ride the Wild S urf" to hot-rod anthems "Bucket T" and "My Mighty GTO." Collectors will revel over this (un)healthy (over)dose of summer sun and fun, by far the best and best-sounding collection yet released for this duo who were nothing less and nothing more than the Beach Boys that never graduated from Beach Blanket High. ~ Roch Parisien, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Capitol pushed the Beach Boys for too much material in too short a time for the group to maintain as much quality control as would have been desirable. Consequently, most of their pre-1965 albums contain a high degree of filler, and thus stack up poorly next to those of such contemporaries as the Beatles, who were able to maintain high standards... [+] Read More

Capitol pushed the Beach Boys for too much material in too short a time for the group to maintain as much quality control as would have been desirable. Consequently, most of their pre-1965 albums contain a high degree of filler, and thus stack up poorly next to those of such contemporaries as the Beatles, who were able to maintain high standards on almost all of their tracks. Surfer Girl does have some great tunes, including the title song, the hot rod ditty "Little Deuce Coupe," and "Catch a Wave" (which could have been a substantial hit single on its own merits). Most significant of all is the gorgeous ballad "In My Room," which anticipated future Beach Boys releases both in its sophisticated production (strings, organ, dense harmonies) and its personal, solipsistic lyrics. The rest is surprisingly mediocre filler, especially as at this point they were restricting their lyrical themes to beach culture almost exclusively; "Your Summer Dream," with its unusual harmonies, is about the most interesting of the obscure tracks. If you're not a dedicated Beach Boys fan, though, you should pass, as you can find the first-rate tracks on best-of anthologies. [Surfer Girl/Shut Down, Vol. 2, a Capitol two-fer CD, combines this and Shut Down, Vol. 2 onto one disc, adding the 45 version of "Fun, Fun, Fun," a German version of "In My Room," and the previously unreleased Brian Wilson composition "I Do."] ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide [-] Hide