HERC SR. has been a fan of The Ventures for as long as HERC can remember so they were an integral part of HERC's musical education. Often unfairly pigeon-holed as a surf instrumental group, The Ventures could certainly hold their own in the reverb and rhythm arena but they also released an average of more than three albums a year from 1960-1969, many held together with a thematic assemblage of songs, both cover versions and original compositions. But out of their entire catalog, the Ventures song that reminds HERC of an endless Summer is "Walk -- Don't Run".
After taking "Walk -- Don't Run" to #2 in 1960, the Ventures would record 13 more albums before revisiting the song in 1964 on an album titled Walk, Don't Run Vol. 2. Applying advances in recording technology along with a prominent organ track, the boys in the band ran the re-christened "Walk - Don't Run '64" all the way up the charts to #8 nearly four years to the day after the original version of the song peaked in 1960.
One song that always pops into HERC's head after hearing either version of "Walk -- Don't Run" is "Pipeline" by the Chantays. It's a relentless instrumental surf track that peaked at #4 in 1963. Within weeks, The Ventures had released their own version of "Pipeline".
Walk - Don't Run back tomorrow for #98
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