Apr 01 2008
The Ventures: Walk Don’t Run
The Ventures, the instrumental band which was the bedrock on which surf music was built, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10th this year. Started by two masonry workers from Tacoma Washington, Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, in 1958, the Ventures made their first appearance in the hit parade with “Walk Don’t Run” in 1960. They do not consider themselves a surf band and I remember that I didn’t either back in the early sixties when I was first a surf fan. The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean were surf music to me and the Ventures were those wankers with funny guitars.
Mosrite made an endorsement deal with the Ventures and brought out a line of Ventures model instruments in 1963. Previous to that (and afterwards) the Ventures played mostly Fender instruments. Fender released a Ventures series of guitars in the mid 1990s.
The Mosrites are cool looking though. Here are the Ventures plaing “Walk Don’t Run” on their Ventures model guitars in 1964.
Nice read.
Thank you,
Jim Baldwin
Spokane WA
http://LetHerIn.org