Eddy-fication

“Eddy-fication” is an original instrumental in early 60’s guitar rock style. For this tune I tried to create what might have been a tribute to Duane Eddy by the Ventures.

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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.

He Never Came Back

“He Never Came Back” was originally a track from the 1964 album “Ventures in Space” and was written by members Don Wilson, Bob Bogle, Mel Taylor and Nokie Edwards.

Razz Bari

“Razz Bari” is an original, early 1960’s-style, riff-driven instrumental rock track. It features a baritone guitar handling the lead part.

Duane Eddy frequently used baritone and 6-string bass guitars in his recordings. The Shadows also utilized a 6-string bass occasionally, typically in a very noticeable manner.

However, I have found no Ventures tracks that use baritone or 6-string bass as the lead instrument. Likely there are some out there that I just haven’t run across yet.

El Cumbanchero

“El Cumbanchero” was composed by Puerto Rican  songwriter Rafael Hernandez (October 24, 1892 – December 11, 1965)  in the mid 1940s.

In 1963, the Ventures released an instrumental version as a single. It was never included on a regular album, nor did it crack the hot 100.

While inspired by the Ventures, my version is not a cover, but an original arrangement.

Venturing Out

“Venturing Out” 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.

Bluer than Blue

“Bluer than Blue” was a track on the 1961 album “The Colorful Ventures”.  On the LP, each song had a color in the title. The album included standards like “Blue Moon” as well as contemporary hits like “Greenfields”.

It also included a number of tracks written to fill out the album.  “Bluer than Blue” is one of these. It was written by Tommy Alsup and Dick Glasser who wrote “Guitar Twist” for the Ventures “Twist with the Ventures” album.

At this point in the Ventures’ career, the group was only Bob Bogle and Don Wilson. they did not have either a regular drummer or bass player. Only Bogle and Wilson are pictured on the “Colorful Ventures” cover. Bogle and Wilson were almost constantly on the road as well.

Given these factors — and that Alsup was a skilled guitarist — it is likely that neither Bogle nor Wilson were actually involved in this track. In the book “Walk Don’t Run, The Story of the Ventures”, the record producer makes no apologies for including tracks recorded exclusively by studio players.

I can also find no evidence that the Ventures ever performed this song live.