Walkin’ Silly, Rockin’ Willy

“Walkin’ Silly, Rockin’ Willy” is an original composition intended to be in the style of 1960s guitar instrumentals like the Ventures did. In particular, this one pays tribute to the 12-bar blues-based tracks frequently used to fill out albums.

Pepper’s Blues

“Pepper’s Blues” is an original 12-bar blues in a jazzy, swing, classic rock style. I played the guitar and bass parts (on screeen) and programmed the drum and organ parts.

Kickback

“Kickback” is an original instrumental, 12-bar blues slow shuffle. The featured instrument is my baritone guitar.

Kimono Be Blonde

“Kimono Be Blonde” is an original instrumental intended to be in the early 1960s style of the Ventures. I set out to create a 12-bar-based rocker that would hopefully be similar to something the band members would have written themselves. The title “Kimono Be Blonde” is an anagram of “Bob Don Nokie Mel”.

Advertisement

Wailin’

This is my cover of “Wailin” which was originally released in 1960m by the Fabulous Wailers, a group from Tacoma, Washington. Also from Tacoma, in 1961 the Ventures included a version on their 2nd album.

Hodad Chaser

“Hodad Chaser” is an original instrumental intended to be in the style of early 1960s guitar rock similar to the Ventures. However, it features two lead guitar parts instead of just one.

Tall Cool One

This is my cover of “Tall Cool One”, which was first released in 1959 by a group from Tacoma, WA called “The Wailers”. They became popular around the United States Pacific Northwest around the late 1950s and the start of the 1960s, performing saxophone driven and Chuck Berry-style  R&B and rock and roll.

The Ventures, coincidentally also from Tacoma, included an arrangement of the song on their 1964 album, “Fabulous Ventures”.

 

The Swingin’ Creeper

This is my cover of “The Swingin’ Creeper”, which was originally a track on the Ventures 1965 album, “Ventures A Go Go”. Songwriting credit is shared by all four members of the group at that time, Don Wilson, Bob Bogle, Nokie Edwards and Mel Taylor. It was also used as the “B” side for the 1965 single “Pedal Pusher”, which did not chart. The prominent organ part is not atypical for Ventures during this period. Although a “guitar” band, many of their mid-sixties and later tracks utilized keyboards. And from 1969 – 1978, a keyboardist was a permanent part of their lineup.

 

Driftin’

“Driftin'” was released in 1959 by a British instrumental group known at the time in England as the Drifters. They would later that year change the group’s name from the Drifters to the Shadows — due to the name conflict with the American R&B/doo wop vocal group the Drifters.

The song is a 12-bar blues-derived, riff-based rocker written by lead guitarist Hank Marvin. My version is a fairly literal cover.

 

Night Train

“Night Train” is a twelve-bar blues instrumental first recorded by Jimmy Forrest in 1951. It has been recorded and performed countless times, by musicians in virtually every genre.

The Ventures recorded at least two versions, the first released on their 1960 album “Walk Don’t Run” and the second on the 1964 album, “Walk Don’t Run ’64”.

My arrangement is not a cover of any one specific rendition, but incorporates elements of many.

Bulldog

“Bulldog” was a track on the Ventures’ 1961 album, “Another Smash”. The song was composed by George Tomsco, the original lead guitarist for the Fireballs – who also recorded the tune. My approach is based on the Ventures’ version.

 

The Shuck

This is my cover of “The Shuck”, a rockabilly, country swing instrumental written by Don Markham and Gary Paxton and first released by Don Markham and the Marksmen in 1960. The Ventures included the tune on their second album “The Ventures”. Anyone who thinks the Ventures were mainly surf-rock should listen to this (and many other tracks) to hear how much they were influenced by country music and rockabilly. This would only increase over time with the addition of Nokie Edwards to the group.

My arrangement was very much inspired by the Ventures’ version.

A Go Go Dancer

“A Go Go Dancer” was a track on the Ventures 1965 album “Ventures A Go Go”.

The same song with introductory motorcycle engine sounds was also called “Kickstand” and appeared as the “B” side to the 1967 single “Theme from the Wild Angels”.

Wild Trip

“Wild Trip” was originally a track in the Ventures 1966 album “Wild Things”. The album is notable in that the “filler” tracks written by the group are particularly good, and arguably superior to the “cover” songs.

My version is a cover.

Nothing Ventured

“Nothing Ventured” is another original instrumental composition in which I try to combine the feel of 60’s instrumental guitar rock with a somewhat more sophisticated musical and harmonic language than was typical for that genre. With this one I tried to get a feel similar to the early 60’s style of surf rock and the Ventures.