Comin’ Home Baby

This is my cover of “Comin’ Home Baby”, which was the “B-side” to the Ventures 1966 single, “Blue Star”. The song was written by Ben Tucker and Robert Dorough. As far as I can determine, it was never released on any Ventures album in the 1960s. It has been included on a “collector” album released in Japan in 1980. The Ventures also included it in their live shows.

Hodad Lockdown

“Hodad Lockdown” is an original instrumental intended to evoke the early 1960s style of the Ventures and surf rock.

Black Sand Beach

This is my cover of “Black Sand Beach”, an instrumental originally a released by the Ventures in 1967 on an album for the Japanese market entitled “Pops in Japan”. The song was composed by “Dan Kosaku”, whose real name was Yuzo Kayama — a Japanese popular musician, singer-songwriter and actor.

As a guitarist, he took inspiration from the  The Ventures, and performed  in the 1960s with using a Mosrite guitar.

The Ventures re-did the song in 1981 as the “B-side” to the single “Surfin’ and Spyin'” and called it “Showdown at Newport”.

Pickin’ Wings

“Pickin’ Wings” is an original instrumental intended to be similar to the style of the Ventures’ country-influenced material, which typically featured the great Nokie Edwards playing lead.

Summertime

This is my instrumental version of “Summertime“, which was composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.  The song soon became a popular and much recorded jazz standard.

The Ventures included a cover on their 1962 album, “Mashed Potatoes and Gravy”, with Nokie Edwards playing the lead.

You Can Run Again

An original composition in 1960s instrumental guitar style.

Too Young

“Too Young” was written by Sidney Lippman, with lyrics by Sylvia Dee. It was published in 1951.  The best-known version of the song was recorded and released by Nat King Cole that same year. It was a million-selling record and reached the #1 position on the Billboard chart, staying at #1 for 5 weeks and altogether on the Best Seller chart for 29 weeks.

In 1972, a 14-year-old Donny Osmond had an international hit with the song; it peaked at #13 in the USA that year.

I was inspired to arrange the song after hearing a beautiful 1974 rendition by guitar great Nokie Edwards. My version does not attempt to recreate his, but is more in a Duane Eddy style.

Nokie Shuffle

“Nokie Shuffle” is an original composition.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending and performing at the 10th annual Ventures Fan Fest. The theme this year was “A Tribute to Nokie Edwards”.

Nokie was an incredible guitarist whose skills took the Ventures to  another level in the early 60s. At the fan fest many played his numerous “signature” tunes. I resolved to develop a better understanding of his style, which has never come easily to me.

I usually do better going for the “spirit” of a style than trying to directly imitate things note for note. “Nokie Shuffle” is an attempt to do that.

Lonely Girl

“Lonely Girl” was the “B” side of the Ventures 1965 single “Diamond Head” and was also  on their 1964 album “The Ventures Knock Me Out”. Other than an added modulation, my recording is basically a straight cover.