Greetings all. Here I am once more to inundate you with something. Lately i have been digging into quite a few of the instrumental surf guitar groups of the early sixties. Which has proven a bit confusing since bands like The Ventures, The Shadows, and The Tornados (at least in their earlier work) strove for similar aesthetics AND played each others' songs on their own records respectively. Such as it was then with the idea of a "songbook" from which any other act could play your song.
There are other luminaries from this period such as Link Wray, the "father of the power chord." From whom the aforementioned groups draw some noticeable influence. Wray helped bring to light an overdriven and aggressive sound in his music with more of an emphasis on percussion in the mix. While bands like The Ventures or The Shadows would opt for the smoother twang and have the drums mixed low. Link Wray & The Wraymen scored a huge hit in 1958 with Rumble. The tune's original title was Oddball until it was suggested by Phil Everly (of The Every Brothers) to change it to Rumble since it conjured images of a street gang. The new title suited the "menacing stalking sound of the song" however the tune was banned on several radio stations for fear that it glorified juvenile delinquency. This is pretty zany considering it has no words. Ah, how things have changed.
The Ventures came along with their hit rendition of Walk, Don't Run in 1960. Originally performed by Johnny Smith in 1955, Walk, Don't Run charted at #2 making it one of "the first surfing songs to make the Billboard Top 100." Meanwhile, across the pond in the UK a groups called The John Barry Seven. This version managed to make it to #11 in the UK charts but was trumped by The Ventures version coming in at #8 in the UK. Walk, Don't Run was later covered by UK band The Shadows in 1977 as well.
The Ventures led a long and interesting career, writing a some great originals, a noteworthy example is Surf Rider. A version of this song, played by The Lively Ones, was featured in the film Pulp Fiction and performing renditions of songs from The Beatles to Brahms. The group also pioneering the idea of a concept record by organizing the songs on each of their LP's into specific themes. An example is The Colorful Ventures (1961) on which, you guessed it, every song involves a color. Their theme records didn't always pan out for the better as is evident on their commemorative album celebrating NASA. Hearing Also Sparch Zarathustra played by a four piece surf rock band on borrowed synthesizers is soul crushingly awful. All the reverse-tracking in the world couldn't save it.
As I said earlier two other great groups active at this time but in the UK were The Shadows and The Tornados. The Shadows were very similar to The Ventures in a great many ways and they played each others songs on a regular basis but The Shadows had a more energetic feel as did many of their contemporaries in the later British Invasion. Their rivals, The Tornados, on the other hand were quite different.
With their lead instrument being an organ as they strove for a more electronic feel. 1962 saw the release of their single Telstar ,written by Meek. This is probably one of their most famous tunes and was the first song by a British group to chart at #1. The song was ALSO later covered by The Ventures, The Champs, The Lively Ones, and of course The Shadows.
Before you drown in The's, Ladies and gentlemen, The Shadows.
Honestly that clip is a tad creepy.
That's all for now, folks.
-St(i)les
Link Wray photo by David Warner Ellis
