I nearly choked when my morning DJ played some ventures and said farewell to Nokie Edwards on the way to work today. Had watched this video of them playing wipeout in Japanabout 6 times this weekend. Just amazing. Nokie killin the bass in this one.
Dick Dale is still alive and touring.
Head bowed. Much respect as a member of a key guitar band. Along with a few other instrumentals like Duane Eddy’s Rebel Rouser, Link Wray’s Rumble, Misirlou in surf guitar and a few others, The Ventures Walk Don’t Run was the equivalent of Crazy Train today in terms of an essential guitar riff you were expected to learn. You wanted to learn - you had to play it for your friends to show you were getting better. And you can’t get far into guitar geekery without reading about their importance.
Thanks Mr. Edwards.
I saw Link Wray perform shortly before his death. He was great.
A victim of the Farrah Fawcett curse, a celeb whose death is overshadowed by someone more famous.
Well, I say celeb, but I have never heard of him. Though I do know of his band.
Do you know the first Ventures drummer was George T. Babbitt Jr, a 4 star Gen. in the USAF (now retired)? He was the first drummer to play *Walk Don’t Run *with them.
Loved the Ventures back in the day, and I remember all of those tunes by the other mentioned artists very well. Re: Rebel Rouser: I was always most impressed with the sax work by Gil Bernal.
And one of the later drummers tried to hit on Mrs FtG when she was a waitress at the club they were working. She was 16 at the time. :eek:
Pretty sure that’s a Jimi Hendrix quote.