The Ventures

[brutus]

I like the the "From The Vaults" collections. There Is One Way records two on one that I think are still in print also See For Miles reissues on C.D. On a side note can anyone name the backing track that goes with each chirstmas song?

[vjf1968]

The One Way ones are out of print and fetch up to $70 to $80 bucks, same goes for the See For Miles. I can not justify spending that kind of money on a single CD.

[Veenture]

...can anyone name the backing track that goes with each chirstmas song?

If by 'backing track' you mean the intro of each track hinting at a previously recorded Ventures tune, then they are as follows:

Sleigh Ride -intro: “Walk, Don’t Run”
Snow Flakes -intro: “She’s Not There”, (main tune is “Greensleeves”)
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town -intro: “Woolly Bully”
Jingle Bells -intro: “What’d I Say”
Jingle Bell Rock -intro: “Memphis”
Silver Bells -intro: “Only The Young”
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer -intro: “I Feel Fine”
Frosty The Snowman -intro: “Tequila”
Scrooge -intro: “Jokers Wild” (?)
Blue Christmas -intro: “When You Walk In The Room”
We Wish You A Merry Christmas –intro “The ‘In’ Crowd”
White Christmas -intro: “Blue Star”

The additional (new) Christmas songs on the Christmas album 2001 version are:

Winter Wonderland -intro: “Yellow Jacket”
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree/Here Comes Santa Claus Medley -intro: “Runaway”
Christmas Song -intro: “Sleepwalk”
Feliz Navidad -intro: “La Bamba”

The intro’s on the “Christmas Joy” album of 2002 are:

Jingle Bells -intro this time: “Nutty” (aka “Nut Rocks”)
Joy To The World -intro: a-la “Walk, Don’t Run ’64”
We Wish You A Merry Christmas -new intro, possibly from a tune from the Jim Croce album
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing -intro: “Telstar”
God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen -intro: a-la “Secret Agent Man”
Oh Holy Night -intro: (?)
We Three Kings -intro: (?)
What Child Is This? (aka Snow Flakes) -unknown intro (main tune is “Greensleeves”)
O Come All Ye Faithful -intro: (?)
Deck The Halls -intro: “When You Walk In The Room”
Christmas Joy -Don Wilson vocal, to the tune of “Reflections In A Palace Lake”

Anybody know the others?

Yeah, the four “Vaults” cd’s are a ‘must’ for Ventures fans. the double cd from See For Miles Records -“Ultimate Collection” (from 2000)- is a ‘must-have’ also. Sadly See For Miles Records is no more and I believe the “Ultimate Collection” was their last (Ventures) issue. I agree, those prices are just way too high

And talking about a White Christmas, this year’s the first one we’ve had in Holland…since 1981 (!)

[rog43win]

I started buying the Ventures vinyl albums (and I have a few 45's) way back in the beginning, and I think I stopped when I had 31 of them......they are still all in great condition, and I must say, I love the original album recordings much better than the re-recorded versions...
As much as I love watching the many youtube clips of the Ventures, I still like the album versions better...of course, I realize they had studio conditions, but I feel like I stopped at a good time.....I have the lead stylings of Bob Bogle and Nokie Edwards....and the sound of the Ventures at their best......

[rog43win]

The biography of the Ventures, "Walk-Don't Run, the story of the Ventures", by Del Halterman, is eye-opening regarding the process of making the albums....
In many instances, the Ventures had no part in what songs were put on an album.. The record producers put together the albums and released them the way they wanted to.
The book reveals that also in many instances, the Ventures were not all that happy at the resulting album. They would have recording sessions and record maybe 4 songs at a time, which would be held until a later date when it came time to "produce" another album....songs would be chosen out of the many that were on masters.....
Quite a few times, other musicians filled in for some of the Ventures on recording sessions if they were on tour.....the producers felt it was still "fair" to label them as recorded by the Ventures if even one of the original Ventures was in the recording session.....
Of course, we know that Gerry McGee was a Venture during the years that Nokie was gone, but other musicians often went on the tours when one or more of the original Ventures couldn't make it.......but I guess you gotta expect that if you spend 50 yrs recording and touring.....
I went off track a little but was just throwing in some info as to why albums were done the way they were.......
In the book, it's obvious that record companies missed the boat often as far as releasing certain albums at strategic times for marketing.....
I recommend the book for anyone who doesn't own it yet....it goes into great depth the long careers of the Ventures......

Roger

[rog43win]

If I had known about Veenture's post of 3/22/09, I wouldn't have even posted my last entry of 2/7/10 .........wow, very thorough ......I was aware of the same info from reading the Ventures book, but never intended to go into such detail that Veenture did.......excellent job!

Roger

[brutus]

Thank you Veenture for the in-depth backing track info. I played my Christmas Ventures c.d. all thru the holidays... it was great for Christmas morning craziness.

[LOSTVENTURE]

I just counted 54 LP's, so I've lost a couple. My records (those big plastic discs with the litte hole in the middle) are not in the best of condition. But you have to remember that those were my music lessons and some cuts got a hundred plays the first week that I had them. By the way, I bought my albums as they came out through the early sixties and I never paid more that $3.00 for a new one. There were times that I had to decide whether to get a new album or a new set of strings. The good old days, right?
Don
ps: I have re-learned the Christmas album every year from 1965 to present. I may just go home this evening and plug up the Custom 60 and rock around the "Christmas tree" tonight. It was 28 degrees this morning in Charlotte so I'm not totally off base here. Well, maybe a little but ...........

[rog43win]

I am doing some painting and putting up chair rails in my living room, so I figured I'd listen to my old Venture vinyls as I worked. I have to say, I love the sound on the first several albums....on the "Walk-Don't Run" and "The Ventures" albums, in particular, Bob Bogle's lead on the Fender Jazzmaster, and Nokie Edwards' bass playing, is so signature of their early days.
Don't get me wrong, I definitely love the Mosrite days as well, particularly Nokie's lead work.....but it's fun to listen to the sound that made me a Ventures fan in the first place, and what inspired me to go out and buy a Fender Jaguar and Fender Amp, and start a Ventures-style band........love those guys!

[TimR]

I think, somehow, the real character of the Ventures' sound struggles to come through with any kind of digital reproduction. IF you have a good turntable, those early vinyl albums are pure magic, like I've never heard on any CD. They don't even sound as good in person, as those early vinyl albums, and I've seen them in 4 different venues. Vinyl rocks!