Tacoma proto-rockers the Ventures, aka the Fabulous Ventures, have been nominated to be in the next batch of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees for 2008, along with…(ahem)…um, Madonna.

Even with local Seattle roots, the Ventures are often lumped into the “surf” craze of the early ’60s (There was NO Dick Dale action, not in 1960)!! In fact, they were just playing what ALL the other contemporary Northwest bands were playing—simple, danceable, R&B-based instrumentals and Top 40 instrumental cover versions! However, they lucked out in 1960 when they hit nationally with their version of “Walk Don’t Run.” From there they charted multiple times and issued LPs hand over fist…about 40 LPs in about 12 years!

That said, knowing the NW had plenty of great instrumental bands (The WAILERS! The VICEROYS! etc.), the rest of the world was generally lacking of whip smart instro-rock (the Shadows be damned!) and with national radio and record distribution EVERY (pre-Beat invasion) aspiring guitar player had a handful of Ventures LPs. It was the Ventures’ catchy, stripped-down ROCK approach to guitar playing/sound and arranging that made them the perfect band to TEACH rock guitar basics to budding guitarsonists…and yeah, yeah, yeah, they even issued a handful of “play guitar/bass along with the band” albums to encourage the process!

By, say, ‘64/’65, after the English invaded, most instrumental bands either split or added a vocalist and changed names. The Ventures did not. Instead they continued (ahem) Venture-fying (!) pop hits, and some not so hits, and with that they sorta dissolved into an easy listening/go-go/exotica/exploitation outfit and lost relevance with the hip younger (long hair) record buying set.

But MAYBE they were reaching out to the (youngish) adults who might not wanna hear the Yardbirds, but dug the Ventures less threatening Yardbirds covers—but just maybe. (That said, those records have actually aged very well!) And then, they slowly faded from view—in the US. By the ’70s they’d shifted focus to Japan, where they were, as they are now, fucking HUGE! They’re still at too…

When I was a kid, I was in love—L-U-V—with the Ventures’ Hawaii Five-0 LP as that was my favorite TV show. AND their Christmas album. I’ve always HATED Xmas songs so when I found a ROCK ‘n’ ROLL LP of Xmas songs with THAT guitar sound—well, it’s STILL the only Xmas LP I ever liked.