The Ventures are an American rock band. Musicians create tracks in the style of instrumental rock and surf rock. Today, the team has the right to claim the title of the oldest rock band on the planet.
The team is called the "founding fathers" of surf music. In the future, the techniques that the musicians of the American band created were also used by Blondie, The B-52's and The Go-Go's.
The history of the creation and composition of the group The Ventures
The team was created back in 1958 in the town of Tacoma (Washington). At the origins of the team are:
- Don Wilson - guitar
- Leon Tyler - percussion
- Bob Bogle - bass
- Nokie Edwards - guitar
It all started in 1959 in the American city of Tacoma, where builders Bob Bogle and Don Wilson created The Impacts in their spare time. The musicians were good at playing the guitar, which allowed them to tour Washington.
Creating your own label
The musicians did not have a permanent rhythm section. But it doesn't seem to bother them much. The guys recorded the first demo and sent it to Dolton, a division of Liberty Records. The founders of the label gave the musicians a refusal. Bob and Don had no choice but to create their own Blue Horizon label.
The rhythm section was soon found in Knockie Edwards and drummer Skip Moore. The group created instrumental music and called themselves The Ventures.
The musicians presented the first professional single Walk-Don't Run released on Blue Horizon. Music lovers liked the track. It soon began to play on local radio stations.
Dolton quickly acquired a license for the musical composition and began distributing it throughout the United States of America. As a result of this, the band's debut composition took an honorable 2nd position in the local music charts. Moore was soon replaced on drums by Howie Johnson. The group started recording their debut album.
The presentation of the first studio album was followed by the release of a number of singles. The tracks were at the top of the charts. Soon the group had a signature feature - to record records with a similar arrangement. The tracks were connected by the same theme.
Since the early 1960s, there have been changes in the composition of the group. Johnson gave way to Mel Taylor, Edwards took up guitar, leaving bass to Bogle. In the future, changes in the composition occurred, but not so often. In 1968, Edwards left the group, making way for Gerry McGee.
The influence of the Ventures on music
Musicians constantly experimented with sound. Over time, the team has had a huge impact on the development of music around the world. The Ventures topped the list of best-selling bands. To date, over 100 million copies of the group's albums have been sold worldwide. In 2008, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Ventures were distinguished by their virtuoso performance, as well as constant experiments with guitar sound. Over time, the team acquired the status of "the group that laid the foundation for thousands of rock bands."
After the decrease in popularity in the United States of America, in the 1970s, the musicians did not cease to be popular in a number of other countries, such as Japan. It is interesting that the tracks of The Ventures are still listened to there.
The discography of Venchers includes more than 60 studio records, more than 30 live records, and more than 72 singles. As noted above, the musicians were not afraid of experiments. At one time they recorded tracks in the style of surf, country and twist. Considerable attention should be given to songs in the style of psychedelic rock.
Music by The Ventures
During the 1960s, the group released many songs that became real hits. The tracks Walk-Don't Run and Hawaii Five-O deserve considerable attention.
The group managed to find its niche in the album market as well. The musicians included cover versions of popular tracks in the albums. 40 studio albums of the team were in the music charts. It is noteworthy that half of the collections were in the top 40.
The Ventures Group in the 1970s
In the early 1970s, the band's popularity began to wane in their native America. The musicians were not upset. They started releasing records for Japanese and European fans.
In 1972, Edwards returned to the team. Taylor left the band around this time. The musician decided to pursue a solo career. Joe Baryl sat on the drums, where he stayed until 1979, when Taylor returned.
After the termination of the contract with Dolton, the band created another label, Tridex Record. On the label, the musicians released compilations exclusively for Japanese fans.
In the mid-1980s, Edwards left the band again. McGee took his place. During a Japanese tour in the mid-1980s, Mel Taylor died unexpectedly.
The team decided not to stop their career, and Mel's son Leon took the baton.
During this time, the group released several more compilations. The albums in question are:
- New Depths (1998);
- Stars on Guitars (1998);
- Walk Don't Run 2000 (1999);
- Plays Southern All Stars (2001);
- Acoustic Rock (2001);
- Christmas Joy (2002);
- In My Life (2010).
The Ventures today
The Ventures group has slightly reduced its activity. The musicians rarely, but aptly, tour in their classical composition, not counting drummer Mel Taylor, who died of pneumonia on tour.
In the early 2000s, the musicians released several compilations, including re-recording of the Walk Don't Run album.
