Venturing: Concluded

After completing 25 tracks in the last month or so, I think I’m ready to declare my “Venturing” project complete. Here is a Youtube playlist so you can listen to them all.

Venturing #25: The Teaberry Shuffle

If you remember this, you are a geezer. Originally this was a tune titled “Mexican Shuffle” by the Tijuana Brass. It was turned into the “Teaberry Shuffle” for an ad campaign for Clark Teaberry gum. This is the same “Clark” as Clark Bars, meaning the company was headquartered in good ol’ Pittsburgh.

Perry Mason Theme

This is my cover of the iconic theme from the TV series “Perry Mason” which premiered in 1957.  If you were around when this show or any of its reboots were on the air, you will never forget this music.

Also known as “Park Avenue Beat”, it was composed by Fred Steiner, a very successful film and TV composer/arranger. Most active in the 1950s and 1960s, he also composed the theme for “Rocky and Bullwinkle”, and composed incidental music for numerous TV series, including the original Star Trek, Hogan’s Heroes, Have Gun – Will Travel, The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, and Rawhide.

Ram Bunk Shush

“Ram Bunk Shush” was the Ventures third top forty hit, reaching #29 in 1961. It had been a hit in 1957 for pianist Bill Doggett — who penned “Honky Tonk”, another favorite guitar-band number.

Surf Rider

“Surf Rider” is a Ventures album track written by founding member and lead guitarist Nokie Edwards. It appeared on their 1963 album Surfing. It was also recorded by The Lively Ones in 1963. Their version was featured in the final sequence as well as the end credits of Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction.

Peter Gunn

This famous theme was composed by Henry Mancini for the late 1950s television show about a private eye — played by Craig Stevens — who is well-dressed, whose hair is always in place and who loves jazz.

The prominence of the guitar riff throughout led to the tune being very popular with guitar bands. Duane Eddy had a big hit with it as well.

 

Hawaii Five-O

“Hawaii Five O” was the Ventures’ last hit, charting in 1969. It was the theme from the TV show which debuted the prior fall in 1968. The Ventures’ popularity peaked in the early 60’s — before the British invasion.

My arrangement is not based on the rather heavily produced original, …rather it is set in a manner that the original quartet of 2 guitars, bass and drums might do it.