Another geetar fella passed

I didn't know how popular the Ventures were in Japan. At a minimum, there would have been no problem translating or adapting lyrics.
 
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I didn't know how popular the Ventures were in Japan. At a minimum, there would have been no problem translating or adapting lyrics.

Beloved Invaders, a film from the 1965 Japan tour is a not-to-be-missed classic from the beginnings of when the Ventures became BIG in Japan....

Here are the live performances featured in Part 1 and Part 2 of Beloved Invaders. The opening credit sequence alone (starting st 0:26 on in part 1) is enough to make this memorable but the concert footage is the real archival draw. The Ventures Japan 65 live album is among the great rock live albums.

Beloved Invaders features the classic early line up so Nokie Edwards is the lead guitarist - the other members are Don Wilson (rhythm), Bob Bogle (bass) and Mel Taylor (drums). Only Wilson (born in 1933) is alive. Nokie Edwards and Gerry McGee alternated and sometimes performed together in various lineups of the Ventures after 1968.

Here is the Ventures with Japanese lyrics from the 1970's. For the Ventures' takes on Japanese folk and pop tunes, look for their Pops in Japan albums:
IMG_6551-2.jpegIMG_6550-2.jpeg
 
The Ventures - A classic, real bunch of guitar heroes. Yep. Japan Live '65 - ultimate early rock, stage instrumental album.

Gerry was from the bayou school of music. I hope I can just walk on & play this way when I'm 80.


 
The Ventures - A classic, real bunch of guitar heroes...
And a drum hero - Mel Taylor .

The drum solo in Caravan (a staple of their shows) which is mainly played behind off-stage footage (11:22) in Part 2 of the Beloved Invaders videos above is one of the highlights of japan 65 as his work on Wipe Out which is in the Part 1 video and also can be found as.a standalone here.

Here
is a version of Caravan from 1984 in a line up that has Nokie Edwards on lead and Gerry McGee on bass (drum solo begins at 1:22):
 
Thanks Izzy and Voosh. I always go back to music sites when either of you bring up the artists of the past. Graet memories.
 
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