The song, “Walk, Don’t Run” by The Ventures holds a special place in my heart. There are a number of reasons for that.
It was among the first few rock ‘n’ roll songs I’d ever heard, and was the first rock instrumental to hit my eardrums. I was only about twelve years old at the time, so I guess I was pretty impressionable. Two guitars, bass and drums coupled with a catchy melody just grabbed me.
I guess it’s a bit funny actually, because at the time I was home sick with measles AND mumps. I was listening to an old Motorola transistor radio with about a one-and-a-half-inch speaker. Considering the technology of today, you might wonder how impressive that could have been. But that was where high tech was in 1960 – portable radios the size of a cigarette pack. I feel like saying something clever about iPod right here, but I won’t.
“Walk, Don’t Run” had a huge effect on my musical tastes from then on, and The Ventures themselves became probably my favorite recording artists for many years to come. I bought every album they released throughout the 1960′s. Their instrumental interpretations of pop and rock hits of the time were always interesting, if not downright impressive.
One of the reasons I liked them so much is simply that they translated popular music into a universally appealing format. Songs without lyrics have no language barriers, so people all over the world can enjoy them. There’s also a certain appeal in hearing great melodies without some of the achingly sad, or often plain silly “moon, spoon, June” lyrics that were common back then.
“Walk, Don’t Run” by The Ventures has become a staple of Oldies But Goodies re-issues and compilations over the years, and can be found on some really nice CD’s today.
Examples:
- 1. Walk, Don’t Run – The Very Best of the Ventures (Purchase/Download)
- 2. The Ventures Play Telstar…/Ventures In Space (Purchase/Download)
- 3. Teen Beat: 30 Great Rockin’ Instrumentals Vol. 1 (Learn More…)
I love those Oldies Instrumentals!
OK, my story goes way back, and I won’t bore you with it in detail. You’re busy enough as it is.
Born 1948 and grew up listening to all my parents’ and grandparents’ music. Opera, classical, country & western, Grand Ol’ Opry (my grandparents were weird). Mom and Dad loved the standards, from the crooners like Sinatra and Como to the orchestras like Lawrence Welk, Billy Vaughn and even Montovani and the 101 Strings. Yeesh…
Yet I developed a liking for it all. I was also a fan of TV and movies, and always listened to the soundtrack music. All of this was before I was 12 years old.
In 1960, I was home from school for two weeks with a double-whammy of the measles and mumps. My mom gave me a transistor radio (remember those?), and the first thing I heard while tuning in stations was “Walk, Don’t Run” by The Ventures. I was hooked.
It’s a long story, and (fair warning) I’ll probably tell most of it here eventually. Let’s just say my musical tastes are eclectic to say the least.
Those instrumentals, though… From soothing to stirring, from driving to relaxing, I love them all!