Magic Waltz

“Magic Waltz” is a composition by Ernie Lamprell.

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Strike!!

“Strike!!” is another original instrumental composition in which I try to combine the feel of 60’s instrumental guitar rock with a somewhat more complex 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.

Cue Ball

“Cue Ball” is another original instrumental composition in which I try to combine the feel of 60’s instrumental guitar rock with a somewhat more complex 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.

Blue Tail Twist

“Blue Tail Twist” is a rockified setting of the Southern Folk Song, “Blue Tail Fly”. Burl Ives had a hit with the song in 1948.

In 1960, an instrumental rock group, Johnny and the Hurricanes, turned it into a rock number called “Beatnik Fly”, which reached the singles charts in both the USA and UK. At the time it was fairly popular to use well-known traditional songs as the basis for recordings. Johnny and the Hurricanes had an earlier hit called “Red River Rock”.

The Ventures picked up on this trend, including a versions of “Red River Valley” on their 1962 album “The Ventures Play Telstar, The Lonely Bull” and “Blue Tail Fly” on “Twist Party Vol. 2, also in 1962.

My arrangement of “Blue Tail Fly” is in this tradition and style , bit is not a cover of anyone else’s version.

Londonderry Air

“Londonderry Air” (Oh Danny Boy) is an air that originated in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is popular among the American Irish diaspora and is well known throughout the world. It was first published in the 1850s. The song “Danny Boy” uses the tune, with a set of lyrics written in the early 20th century.

Duane Eddy recorded the song in 1961, and the Shadows also recorded a very nice arrangement. I have been unable to find a version by the Ventures.

My arrangement is not based on any prior versions; rather I attempted to cast the song as a slow “surf anthem” as it might have been done by the Ventures or an early 60’s surf-rock group.

Paper Airplane

“Paper Airplane” was originally a track on the Ventures 1967 album, “Guitar Freakout”.  Songwriting credit was shared by all four members of the group, Bob Bogle, Nokie Edwards, Mel Taylor and Don Wilson.

Signet

“Signet” is another original instrumental composition in which I try to combine the feel of 60’s instrumental guitar rock with a somewhat more complex 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.