Nokie Edwards: Live at the Sunhouse (2002)

Nokie Edwards with Adventure

Live at the Sunhouse



Live at the Sunhouse by Nokie Edwards and AdVenture was recorded live at the Sunhouse - a small club in Amsterdam, the Netherlands - on 8 November 2002. The recording was released on DVD by Rarity Records in 2003. There are 21 tracks on this album (including a short introduction), and the total running time is ca. 64 minutes.

The DVD includes a brief interview with Nokie Edwards and a title track (Rarity Break) which is played by the Black Albinos while some technical information about the recording rolls across the screen.

The audio is excellent. The video is sharp and clear, but I do have some critical remarks about how the video was recorded and mixed (see more below).

The Dutch backing group (AdVenture) is:

** Albert van Prehn - guitar
** Hans Stevens - bass
** Harry Spies - drums
** Roy Henninger - guitar
** Lia van Prehn - vocals (on tracks # 8 and 9)

The special guest is Nokie Edwards, who played with the Ventures for many years (1960-1968, 1972-1984, and occasionally since then). Nokie Edwards died in 2018.

For general information about this band I refer to the biography by Del Halterman, Walk Don't Run: The Story of the Ventures, first edition 2008, second edition 2009. The concert in Amsterdam is mentioned on page 356.

For more information about Nokie Edwards, I refer to his official website on the internet, where you can find a list of his recordings as a solo artist.

Here are the titles of the 21 tracks (and the names of the composers):

01. Introduction
02. Walk Don't Run (Smith)
03. Slaughter on 10th Avenue (Rodgers)

04. Eight Days a Week (John Lennon // Paul McCartney)
05. Steel Guitar Rag (McAuliffe // Travis // Stone)
06. Orange Blossom Special (Rouse)

07. Tequila Sunrise (Henley // Frey)
08. I'm Walking (Domino //Bartholomew)
09. Driving Wheels (Harays)

10. Miss Judy (Nokie Edwards)
11. Alabama Jubilee (Chet Atkins)
12. The House of the Rising Sun (traditional)

13. Mrs. Robinson (Paul Simon // Art Garfunkel)
14. Driving Guitars (Bob Bogle // Nokie Edwards // Mel Taylor // Don Wilson)
15. I Got a Woman (Charles)

16. Secret Agent Man (Sloan // Barri)
17. Wipe Out // Let's Go (Surfaris // Duncan)
18. Pipeline (Spickard // Carmen)

19. Caravan (Ellington // Mills // Tizol)
20. A Whiter Shade of Pale (Reed // Brooker)
21. Bumble Bee Rock (Bogle // Edwards // Taylor // Wilson)

As you can see, some tracks are famous instrumental tunes that were played by the Ventures in the old days: # 2, 3, 17, 18, and 19. Two tracks are original compositions by the Ventures (# 14 and 21), while one (# 10) is an original composition by Nokie written for his wife Judy. Several tracks are instrumental versions of famous songs from the old days: # 4, 7, 12, 13, 16, and 20.

The quality of the music is high. AdVenture and Nokie play well together. Obviously, they had done some rehearsing before this concert. In fact, they have recorded a studio album, which is available on a CD known as the Studio Album. There is some overlapping here: a few tracks are found on both albums, but the two albums are not identical.

The concert was recorded by several cameras. The pictures are sharp and clear, but I am not so happy about how the video was recorded and mixed. Nokie is the star, the main attraction. Obviously, he will appear on the screen quite often, and more than the others. But we see him all the time. I want to see the whole stage with the whole band at least once in every song, and I want to see each member of the backing group for more than one second. But this almost never happens.

Moreover, when the camera focuses on Nokie, we see his face! I do not want to see his face; I want to see his fast finger work. When the camera focuses on his guitar, we see his right hand, but almost never the left hand! Apparently, the camera man and the editor in charge of mixing do not know much about guitars.

Having said this I can focus on the music, which is great. Every track on this album is a work of art. I like in particular tracks # 11 "Alabama Jubilee" and # 15 "I Got a Woman" because the guitar work is so impressive.

Nokie is famous for his fast finger work on the guitar, and during this concert he demonstrates his incredible talent again and again. The Sunhouse is a small club. The audience is small; as far as I can see, less than a hundred. The people who were present at this concert were lucky, because they had a chance to watch a world class musician in action.

Fortunately, the event was recorded and, even though I have some misgivings about how the video was recorded and mixed, this means that fans of Nokie and fans of the Ventures can enjoy the music that was played during this concert.
 
Live at the Sunhouse is a great album. If you like instrumental music, if you like the Ventures, if you like Nokie Edwards, you should buy this album. You will not be disappointed.

*****

*****

The Ventures (4) 45th Anniversary (2004)

The Ventures - 45th Anniversary Live



The Ventures - 45th Anniversary Live was recorded at Hibiya Kokaido, Tokyo, Japan, on 18 January 2004. This concert was released on DVD in 2009. The quality of picture and sound is excellent. The total running time is ca. 1 hour and 22 minutes.

On this album the line-up of the band is as follows:

** Bob Bogle (died in 2009) - lead guitar and bass guitar
** Leon Taylor - drums and vocals
** Don Wilson - rhythm guitar and vocals

** Nokie Edwards (died in 2018) - lead guitar and bass guitar (special guest)

For more information about the band I refer to Del Halterman's biography: Walk Don't Run: The Story of the Ventures (first edition 2008, second edition 2009).

There are 21 tracks on this live album. Here are the titles:

01. Walk, Don't Run // Perfidia // Walk, Don't Run
02. Pipeline
03. I Gotta Woman
04. Penetration
05. Runaway (vocal: Don)

06. Johnny B. Goode (vocal: Leon)
07. Slaughter on 10th Avenue
08. Stranger in Midosuji // Reflections in a Palace Lake
09. Kyoto Doll // Paint it Black
10. Walk, Don't Run '64

11. Wipe Out
12. Bull Dog
13. Sleepwalk
14. Bumble Bee Rock
15. Out of Limits

16. Driving Guitars
17. Black Sand Beach
18. House of the Rising Sun
19. Hawaii Five O
20. Diamond Head

21. Caravan

Having played track # 20 (Diamond Head) the band says goodbye and leaves the stage. But the applause is so strong that the band has to return to the stage for one more song: Caravan. This is a long track, because it includes a long drum solo by Leon Taylor, who plays with the same energy and power as his father Mel Taylor.

The concert runs for ca. 1 hour and 10 minutes. After the concert, at the end of the disc, there is a short interview with the members of the band. Bob Bogle and Don Wilson explain how the band was formed in 1958 and how they came to Japan for the first time in 1962.

For the Ventures making music is not a boring routine. When you look at them performing here, you can see that they enjoy making music. After 45 years, they still put their heart and soul into it. If you ask me, the result is excellent.

Bob Bogle played with the band until shortly before his death in 2009. He was replaced by Bob Spalding (who had, in fact, been filling in from time to time since 1981). Nokie Edwards had a solo career until his death in 2018. See, for instance, Live at the Sunhouse, a DVD from a concert in Holland in 2002 (released in 2003). See his website for information about his activities. When Nokie was not available, he was replaced by Gerry McGee (who played with the band 1968-1972 and again since 1984). Gerry McGee died in 2019.

The Ventures are still active. In 2013 they released two new studio albums:

** The Ventures Play Yuming

** The Ventures - Then, Now & Forever

If you like instrumental music, I think you will enjoy this concert which marks 45 successful years in the music business.

PS. Beloved invaders: The Ventures (1966): The Golden Era of the Ventures was recorded in Japan in 1965 and 1966. It was shown as a movie in Japan in 1966 (total running time 82 minutes). It was released on DVD in 2004 (EMI Toshiba, TOBW-3168).

*****

The Ventures (3) Live in Japan (1990)

The Ventures Live in Japan 1990



The Ventures were formed as a band in 1958. They made their first recording in 1959 and had their first major hit in 1960. Since then they never stopped playing. They are still playing today, more than fifty years after the band was founded.

Over the years they have given so many concerts in the US, Japan, and other countries that it must be difficult even for the members of the band to keep track of them. In addition, they have released more than 200 albums, including compilations and recordings of live concerts.

They have composed hundreds of original tracks; they have played traditional instrumental tracks and cover versions of popular songs performed by other bands or artists such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, etc.

The output is amazing. But this band is not just about quantity. It is also about quality. The members of the band are highly skilled. In 2008, fifty years after the founding of the band, the Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in recognition of their contribution to the world of popular music. John Fogerty - today a solo artist, formerly the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival - did the presentation. According to the fans, this recognition was long overdue.

For more information about the band, see Walk Don't Run: The Story of the Ventures by Del Halterman (2008, 2009).

The album under review here is a recording of a concert in Japan in 1990. It was released on a DVD by Toshiba-EMI in 2005. The total running time is about 51 minutes. The quality of picture and sound is surprisingly good, considering that the recording was done many years ago.

For this concert in 1990 the line-up of the band is as follows:

*** Lead guitar: Gerry McGee, who joined the band in 1968 when Nokie Edwards left the band to pursue other interests. Nokie came back in 1972 and left again in 1984. For a while both of them were members. They took turns on the lead guitar, with one standing in for the other. Nokie Edwards died in 2018. Gerry McGee died in 2019.

*** Rhythm guitar: Don Wilson, who was one of the two founders of the band in 1958. He is still with the band.

*** Bass guitar: Bob Bogle, who was one of the two founders in 1958. He played with the band until shortly before his death in 2009. He was replaced by Bob Spalding (who had, in fact, been filling in from time to time since 1981).

*** Drums: Mel Taylor, who joined the band in 1962. He played with the band until his death in 1996 (except for the years 1973-1978). He was replaced by his son Leon Taylor.

There are 16 tracks on the DVD, including the brief opening in which the Japanese announcer calls out the name of the band (which we already know). The remaining 15 tracks can be divided into five groups.

In the first group we find six traditional instrumental tracks:
 
03. Apache
04. Manchurian Beat
07. Diamond Head
08. Wipe Out
13. Slaughter on 10th Avenue
14. Pipeline

In the second group we find two cover versions of popular songs performed by other bands:

09. The House of the Rising Sun by the Animals
11. Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones

In the third group we find two tracks which deserve to be placed in a separate category, because they are really excellent:

06. Miss Brand-New Day
12. Seaside Story

In the fourth group we find two tracks which deserve to be placed in a separate category, because they stand out from the others, because they are acoustic or semi-acoustic:

05. Hokkaido Skies
11. Ellie My Love

In the fifth group we find some Ventures classics:

02. The opening track is a medley of three songs: Walk Don't Run, Perfidia & Lullaby of the Leaves.

15. The pen-ultimate track Stars on Guitars is in fact a medley of no less than twelve different songs, including Satisfaction, Apache, Out of Limits, Let's Go, Wipe Out, Pretty Woman, Secret Agent Man, and Walk - Don't Run.

[Walk Don't Run is the signature song of the Ventures, because it was their first major hit in 1960. They begin almost every concert with this song.]

16. The ultimate track is Caravan, which includes a long but brilliant drum solo by Mel Taylor. During one part of this solo, Mel uses his drum sticks to play on Bob Bogle's bass guitar, which gives a very special effect!

In 1990 the Ventures had been playing for more than 30 years. You might think that playing these tracks over and over would become just a boring routine. But when you look at them performing on stage, you can see that this is not the case at all. They enjoy playing these tracks, and they play them very well.

PS # 1. Some fans might be disappointed to learn that Nokie Edwards does not play on this album. Don't be. Enjoy Gerry McGee on the lead guitar. I recommend in particular tracks # 5 & 6, Hokkaido Skies and Miss Brand-New Day, where he really gets a chance to show his talent. If you want to see Nokie Edwards in action, turn to the following items:

* Hawaii Five-O (aka The Ventures in Concert), a concert recorded in Oklahoma City in 1984 and released on DVD in 2005.

* The 30th Anniversary - Super Session, recorded in New York in 1983 and released on DVD in 1989.

* 45th Anniversary Live, recorded in Tokyo in 2004 and released on DVD in 2009.

PS # 2. Beloved invaders: The Ventures (1966): The Golden Era of the Ventures was recorded in black-and-white in Japan in 1965 and 1966. It was shown as a movie in Japan in 1966 (total running time 82 minutes). It was released on DVD in 2004 (EMI Toshiba, TOBW-3168).

*****

The Ventures (2) In Concert (1984)

Hawaii Five-O - The Ventures in Concert



This concert was recorded live at Doc Severinsen's Music Showplace, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, on 31 March 1984. It was released on DVD by All Stars in 2005. The quality of the sound is excellent. The quality of the picture is not excellent, but acceptable, considering that the recording was done many years ago.

For this concert the line-up of the band is as follows:

* Nokie Edwards (died in 2018), lead guitar
* Paul Warren, bass guitar
* Mel Taylor (died in 1996), drums
* Don Wilson, rhythm guitar

Paul Warren stands in for Bob Bogle, who had a skiing accident shortly before this concert. Bob Bogle (co-founder of the band) died in 2009.

For more information about the band, see Del Halterman, Walk Don't Run: The Story of the Ventures (2008 2009). Paul Warren is mentioned on pp. 239, 270-274, 284.

There are two sets:

** The first set (tracks # 1-16) runs for about 45 minutes.

** The second set (tracks # 17-25) runs for about 25 minutes.

[On the back cover the total running time is listed as 82 minutes, but this is not true. As you can see from the above, the total running time is about 70 minutes.]

Both sets begin with the same song: Walk Don't Run. This is the signature song of the Ventures, because it was their first major hit in 1960. They (almost) always begin a concert with this song.

During the first set they play some famous instrumental tracks:

02. Out of Limits
04. Slaughter on 10th Avenue
07. Penetration
08. (Ghost) Riders in the Sky
14. Pipeline
15. Wipe Out

[On track # 8 there is an inset in the main picture with a close-up on the fingers of Nokie's left hand, which allows us to follow his fabulous finger work.]

Two tracks from the first set deserve to be placed in a special category, because they stand out from the others, because they are acoustic or semi-acoustic:

12. El Bimbo
13. Alabama Jubilee

In both cases Nokie does some incredible finger work on the guitar. And yet it seems so easy when he does it!

From the first set I also have to mention an excellent cover version of House of the Rising Sun by the Animals.

The Ventures seem to have a good sense of humour. They can make a joke about themselves, which is (in my opinion) an important quality. The first set includes a vocal track (Runaway) where Don is the singer. Introducing this song, Mel says:

"As most of you know ... we are basically known as an instrumental group, and we don't very often sing, and you are going to find out why right now!"

Actually, Don's voice is not too bad, and whether we like it or not, we can understand why the members of the band like to do a song like this on stage, just for fun, just to do something different.

During the second set they play a few more famous instrumental tracks:

19. Secret Agent Man
20. Tequila
22. Perfidia

Track # 23 (Hawaii Five-O) is the title song of the album. This is the theme song from an American police drama which ran on CBS for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980. It was the longest running crime show on American television, until Law & Order surpassed it in 2003. The Ventures recorded the theme song in 1968, and their version of the song was a great hit for them in 1969.

[The television show is named after a fictional police unit on Hawaii, which is the 50th state of the US, but the last character of the title is written with the capital letter O. In 2010 CBS started a new version of the old police drama, and this time the title is Hawaii Five-0. Now the last character is written with a zero.]

The second set of the concert ends with two encore numbers. Don explains that they were asked to play these tracks again, and it seems they are happy to comply. They play them with the same drive and energy which they showed the first time:

24. Pipeline
25. Wipe Out

In 1984 the Ventures had been playing for more than 25 years, but for some strange reason they did not want to draw attention to this fact. This is clear on at least two occasions:

(a) At the end of Walk - Don't Run, Don says: "That's our very first release back in 19..." and then he deliberately avoids saying 60, instead he says something else which is impossible to understand.

(b) Track # 12 (El Bimbo) was a number one hit for the band in Japan. Introducing this song, Don says: "You know we have had the pleasure of being in Japan almost every year for the past ... eh ... couple of years anyway ... give or take 15 eh..." Apparently, he does not want to say that the band has been going to Japan to give concerts there almost every year since 1965.

Twenty five successful years in the music business is an impressive accomplishment. There is absolutely no reason to be embarrassed about it and try to cover it up.

In 1989 the band could celebrate their 30th anniversary. To mark the occasion Toshiba released a DVD entitled The Ventures: The 30th Anniversary - Super Session. The super session, where the Ventures are joined by several other artists, was recorded in New York in 1983.
 
Hawaii Five-O (aka The Ventures in Concert) - the album under review here - is a great product. It is a good thing the concert in Oklahoma City was recorded, and even better that it is now available on DVD. If you do not know much about the Ventures, this album is a good place to start. If you already know and like them, you will enjoy this album where you can see one of their outstanding performances on stage.

PS. Beloved invaders: The Ventures (1966): The Golden Era of the Ventures was recorded in Japan in 1965 and 1966. It was shown as a movie in Japan in 1966 (total running time 82 minutes). It was released on a DVD in 2004 (EMI Toshiba, TOBW-3168).

*****

The Ventures (1) Super Session (1983)

The 30th Anniversary - The Ventures - Super Session




In 1989 the Ventures could celebrate their 30th anniversary as a band. To mark this occasion the Japanese company Toshiba-EMI released a DVD entitled Super Session. The super session, where the band is joined by several artists, was recorded in New York in 1983 (although this fact is not mentioned anywhere).

For more information about the band, see Del Halterman, Walk Don't Run: The Story of the Ventures (2008, 2009). The super session in New York is mentioned on pp. 268-269.

The quality of picture and sound is excellent, considering that the recording was done many years ago. The total running time is about 59 minutes. 

On this album the line-up of the band is as follows:

** Bob Bogle (died in 2009) - bass guitar
** Nokie Edwards (died in 2018) - lead guitar
** Mel Taylor (died in 1996) - drums
** Don Wilson (died in 2022) - rhythm guitar

The band and their guests perform in front of a small audience. Sometimes we see some people dancing to the music, sometimes we see some people watching the musicians in action.

There are 17 tracks, including the introduction which contains brief statements from band-member Bob Bogle and three persons who do not play on this album: the Italian-American guitarist Al Di Meola, Elliot Easton from the Cars, and Ray Ramone from the Ramones.

Throughout the album, between the musical tracks, there are brief statements from the other band-members, from some of the guests, and from four persons who do not play on this album: 

 

** Marky Ramone from the Ramones

** Jeff Cook, founding member of the country music super group Alabama

** Mike Kuhn, president of the Ventures fan club

** Gerry McGee, a former studio musician who was sometimes a member of the Ventures. He was in when Nokie was out (and vice versa). Gerry McGee died in 2019.

[During a live concert in Japan in 1984 Gerry and Nokie shared the stage when they played a cover version of Yesterday by the Beatles and other acoustic tunes.]

[If you want to see Gerry McGee in action, turn to this title: The Ventures: Live in Japan 1990.]

[Please note: the names of some persons are spelled one way on the album cover and another way on the screen. In this review I have tried to ignore the mistakes (or misprints) and to spell all names correctly.]

Four guests appear once on four different tracks:

# 05: Rick Derringer from the McCoys appears on Memphis where he plays the guitar and sings. The McCoys had several major hits in the 1960s with songs like Hang on Sloopy and Fever (of which the Ventures made excellent cover versions).

# 07: The Raybeats - an instrumental group from New York City - appear on Out of Limits.

# 10: American musician David Johansen - also known as Buster Poindexter - appears on House of the Rising Sun where he sings.

# 14: American musician (and actress) Josie Cotton appears on Secret Agent Man where she sings.

Five guests appear two times on nine different tracks:
 
# 02 & 15: American musician Max Weinberg appears on Wipe Out and Hawaii Five-O where he plays the drums. For many years Weinberg was the drummer of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

# 03 & 11: American musician Jeff Baxter appears on Tequila and Sleepwalk where he plays the guitar and the steel guitar. Baxter played with bands like Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers.

# 04 & 16: British musician Peter Frampton appears on Apache and Pipeline where he plays the guitar.

# 06 & 16: British musician Chris Spedding appears on Telstar and Pipeline where he plays the guitar.

# 08 & 12: American musician Robby Krieger appears on Perfidia and Bumble Bee Twist where he plays the guitar. Krieger was a member of the legendary band the Doors and composed some of their major hits.

In a brief statement Krieger notes that the Ventures have been around for a very long time, which is rather unusual in the world of rock and roll. He knows what he is talking about. The band he played with - the Doors - was an explosion of great ideas and great talent, but it did not last for long.

The Ventures play three tracks on their own: 

# 09 Slaughter on 10th Avenue
# 13 Let's Go
# 17 Walk - Don't Run
 
For the Ventures and their guests making music is not a boring routine. When you look at them performing here on this album, you can see they enjoy making music. They put their heart and soul into it. They give it all they've got, and they've got a lot to give. The title of the album is well chosen: it really is a super session.

In a brief clip placed just before track # 17 Bob Bogle says: 

"I guess as long as people love rock and roll, we will keep trying to play it for them."

He kept his promise. He played with the band until shortly before his death in 2009. He was replaced by Bob Spalding (who had, in fact, been filling in from time to time since 1981). Mel Taylor played with the band until his death in 1996 (except for the years 1973-1978). He was replaced by his son Leon Taylor. The Ventures are still playing today, more than fifty years after the band was founded. I think their fans are grateful for this.

PS. Beloved invaders: The Ventures (1966): The Golden Era of the Ventures was recorded in black-and-white in Japan in 1965 and 1966. It was shown as a movie in Japan in 1966 (total running time 82 minutes). It was released on a DVD in 2004 (EMI Toshiba, TOBW-3168).

*****