Comments on: The Ventures: big in Japan

The Ventures: big in Japan

flapjax at midnite — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:27:47 -0800

It's hard to think of any music that's any more fun than The Ventures, and here they are, live in Japan, 1965, at the top of their game. This footage is really good: Walk Don't Run. Wipe Out. Apache. House of the Rising Sun. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. Flight of the Bumblebee. The Cruel Sea . . . But WAIT! Opening for the Ventures on that steamy summer night was homegrown Ventures cover band The M-Ventures! Straight outta Tokyo! Check out their versions of The Pink Panther Theme, Surf Rider and Yellowjacket. And in case you were wondering if the Ventures' influence is still being felt in Japan, well, check out 9-year-old guitarist Chicchi's versions of The Cruel Sea, Penetration, Walk Don't Run and Pipeline.

By: roll truck roll

roll truck roll — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:35:41 -0800

Now I have to wait all day to watch this.

By: Item

Item — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:46:43 -0800

Some of that footage isn't from the 'Live in Japan' film.

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:47:32 -0800

I love surf music. But I actually love the idea of surf music more.

By: AJaffe

AJaffe — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:48:17 -0800

Saw 'em at Coney Island High in the mid-'90s -- coolest middle-age guys ever...

By: gomichild

gomichild — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:00:38 -0800

Oh they were on smapXsmap the other week!

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:02:14 -0800

Aw, hell. I wish I hadn't blown my Mefi Music quota for the day--I'd have given you more of my surf music. Sweet Mosrites!

By: pracowity

pracowity — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:21:14 -0800

They neglected to make silly guitar faces. Book 'em, Danno!

By: itchylick

itchylick — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:29:10 -0800

Nice. I like the up close shots of the drum kit. Austin City Limits is usually pretty good about getting up close and personal with each member of a band, but I often find myself wishing they'd hold on the drummer just a little bit longer so I can see a complete fill.

By: Poolio

Poolio — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:32:20 -0800

I love surf music. But I actually love the idea of surf music more. I first read that as smurf music. Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

By: ArgentCorvid

ArgentCorvid — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:33:29 -0800

<homer>mmmm.... The Ventures..... Garrrhhhllll.....</homer> also, Man or Astro-man?

By: psmealey

psmealey — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:36:44 -0800

You know who else was big in Japan?

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:37:28 -0800

Dude, you so rock. Thanks.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:38:28 -0800

How the hell does a Star Wars musical make it ten years without being mentioned on The Blue?

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:39:35 -0800

Oops. wrong thread.

By: Poolio

Poolio — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:39:50 -0800

How the hell does a Star Wars musical make it ten years without being mentioned on The Blue? These are not the droids you are looking for.

By: marxchivist

marxchivist — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:55:03 -0800

Wow. I've been enjoying the hell out of the Ventures' Live in Japan album. That M-Ventures stuff is certainly a nice bonus.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:59:17 -0800

I knew exactly what you meant R Mutt:) Please do a Charley Pride or Merle Haggard post sometime flap. Cuz that would make me happy. And I know how you like to make me happy.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:01:58 -0800

The live "Wipeout" is better than the recorded version. How many songs have drums as the lead instrument (that are not self-consciously drum solos).

By: lubujackson

lubujackson — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:04:32 -0800

Wow, never heard any of these songs live before. The band is super tight, this is great.

By: Quartermass

Quartermass — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:06:47 -0800

This is blowing my mind. Thanks so much.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:18:15 -0800

Well, yes, the Ventures are fun. But not as fun as the Chicken Dance! Da da da da da da da Da da da da da da da Da da da da da da da DAH DAH DAH DAH!

By: psmealey

psmealey — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:25:26 -0800

True story: I once had a long term romantic involvement with a girl whose aunt was married to the drummer in the Ventures (who performed the famous drum solo). That's the closest I'll ever come to musical immortality. Unless you count my second cousin once removed who was married to Les Paul's son.

By: carter

carter — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:46:34 -0800

There was a whole twangy guitar craze in Japanese pop in the 60s, inspired by the Ventures, called the eleki craze ('eleki' = 'electric (guitar)'). The Surf Coasters are another Japanese surf revival band. They have a ton of live shows on archive.org. They do a mean Miserlou. Aren't the M-Ventures a tribute band?

By: chimaera

chimaera — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:01:07 -0800

I love the Ventures. And Dick Dale. They were really, really rocking out in a period when "rocking out" was just barely starting to gain mainstream acceptance. Awesome stuff, thanks for the post!

By: East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:09:58 -0800

This post makes me happy.

By: Goofyy

Goofyy — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:22:36 -0800

Ha ha hahahahaha...Wipe Out Iconic. Way back when 'big boys' were 11, and I was smaller, they had to be able to beat Wipe Out on their desks, with fists. In this place, no trip to the roller rink was complete, if they didn't play Wipe Out. If they still have a rink, I bet they still play it.

By: quite unimportant

quite unimportant — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:36:00 -0800

Ahh, I loves me some surf. Palm mutes and tube amps. Good stuff.

By: crawfishpopsicle

crawfishpopsicle — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:55:12 -0800

My dad has been trying to get me to listen to surf music since I was a kid. I am slowly starting to come around. He really loves these guys.

By: jonp72

jonp72 — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:00:28 -0800

There was a whole twangy guitar craze in Japanese pop in the 60s, inspired by the Ventures, called the eleki craze ('eleki' = 'electric (guitar)'). Yup, you should definitely check out Takeshi Terauchi, who a friend described pretty accurately as a "one-man Ventures." That dude is 31 flavors of awesome.

By: black8

black8 — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:07:36 -0800

Slaughter on Tenth Avenue is one of my favorite songs, period. Thanks!

By: ssmith

ssmith — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:47:48 -0800

I just *had* to trot on over to iTunes to buy the album. Fantastic post.

By: wfc123

wfc123 — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:36:00 -0800

The original "Wipeout" was recorded by the Surfaris.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:30:09 -0800

And the original Apache by the Shadows

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:32:32 -0800

And how could you forget this wonderful thing?

By: RussHy

RussHy — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:33:08 -0800

Mmmmm. Clean and crisp, love that sound. Nice post!

By: lelilo

lelilo — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:55:34 -0800

Wonderful post (as usual for you, mr. flapjax). On Stage has always been my favorite of the half-dozen or so Ventures albums I own. I've been listening to it since 1965, too, but as best as I can remember I've never seen them performing before. Very nice footage, too; it occurs to me that Mel Taylor probably was the first drummer I ever tried to imitate. What a wonderful story, a bricklayer and a hod carrier meet up (in Tacoma!) and end up with the most successful instrument rock group of all time. According to the Wiki, too, they're still the most popular American rock band in Japan. Amazing. Question: why does the tribute band — which according to this seems like a reconstruction, not from '65 — call themselves the M-Ventures? For Mosrite?