In the world of rock and roll, there is nothing that makes a record executive more nervous than the word “instrumental.” While a few artists have found success with instrumental recordings, forging vocals is a risky venture. There is one band, however, that never met an instrumental they didn’t like. The Ventures have enjoyed a 40-year career that has included the release of dozens of records, with nary a vocalist to be found on any of them. With songs like “Walk Don’t Run” and the theme to the television series, Hawaii Five-0, their guitar-based sound has influenced countless musicians and pleased herds of surfers, as well as international fans for literally decades.

Getting their start in Tacoma, Washington, the band was formed when two guitarists, Don Wilson and Bob Bogle had a chance meeting, while Bogle was at a used car lot, trying to purchase a vehicle from Wilson’s dad. Finding that they both had an interest in music, they formed a band called The Versatones, recruiting a local bass player named Nokie Edwards and drummer Skip Edwards, they achieved notoriety in the local Washington area for their instrumental sound. At the time, the band had become charmed by a Chet Atkins recording of a song called “Walk Don’t Run” and decided that their simplified, yet enthusiastic version of the song might make for a good single. They also decided to change their name to The Ventures.

Record labels showed indifference, but undeterred, the band opted to promote the single themselves. They got a copy into the hands of Seattle DJ Pat O’ Day and, liking what he heard, he decided to use the track as a lead-in to the news segment of his show.  Calls soon began flooding the station, with listeners demanding to know more about the origins of the song. It wasn’t long before The Ventures were signing a recording contract and watching the catchy song rise on the charts in 1960. Within a few weeks, it was #2 on the Billboard charts, quite a formidable feat for a song with no lyrics. Extensive touring followed, as well as some significant line-up changes. Drummer Skip Moore, who was always more of a studio guy, was replaced by the more touring-friendly Howie Johnson. More significantly, the band decided that bassist Edwards was actually a better guitarist than Bogle, so the two switched instrument duties.

In 1961, the band found a new forte, that of the concept album. The Colorful Ventures represented their first exploration into this new territory, an album featuring a collection of songs that each had a color mentioned in their name (“Blue Moon” and “Yellow Bird”, for example.) Also, taking notice that their music was becoming very popular at parties, they made the wise decision to create albums that were well-suited for this purpose, such as Twist With The Ventures and Twist Party, Volume 2.

The next year, 1963, brought The Ventures Play Telstar and the Lonely Bull, a collection of cover material that worked its way to the #8 spot on the Billboard Album charts. They followed its success with perhaps one of their most creative endeavors, The Ventures in Space, in which they achieved an otherworldly sound thanks to a bunch of high-tech studio effects. Up-and-coming bands like The Who lauded the album for its innovative approach. They would continue to release a steady string on singles over the years, including the release of a remake of one of their earlier hits, “Walk Don’t Run ’64,” which made it to the #8 spot on the charts. This would be their last Top-10 hit until 1969.

In 1965, they began to release a series of consecutive albums, seven in total, called Play Guitar With The Ventures. Accompanying each record was a series of guides that helped new guitarists learn the material more easily. These albums quickly found their way into the collections of many a blossoming musician and are fondly remembered by many who eventually found successful careers of their own. Other albums followed, such as Flights of Fantasy and Super Psychedelics, two records that gave a nod to the growing popularity of the psychedelic movement. Then came 1969, when they were asked to record the theme song for a new television series called Hawaii Five-O. The catchy horn-laden song quickly became an international hit for the band, rising to #4 on the charts and further cementing their rightful place in rock and roll history.

The Ventures popularity did eventually start to wane in the United States, so they simply moved to a country where they were practically worshipped as gods – Japan. Their instrumental sound, with no pesky lyrics to translate, was perfectly suited for their rabid fans and they extended their career by decades as a result of the relocation. They tackled every genre over the years, from disco to reggae to covers of folk singer Jim Croce, releasing an astounding string of albums over the next few decades, and endlessly touring for an adoring public.

The Ventures were rightfully inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, and recognized by the Smithsonian Institute for their contributions to the popularity of the electric guitar. To date, they are still recording and playing for loving fans the world over. For a band that never sang a song, that is an amazing accomplishment.