Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Class of 2008
Another Smash
Lullaby of the Leaves
was the fourth chart single for The Ventures.
Tom Wheeler (American Guitars, HarperPerennial 1990) stated 'this blasts out of the chute with a Walk Don't Run style intro and then kicks into an ascending melody that's topped off with a radical (for the time) whammy dip. One of the first hit instrumentals in which the whammy was integral to the melody, it also has a driving bass/guitar/drums unison 16th note chorus.
The Ventures Medley in live shows today often includes passages from Lullaby of the Leaves as well as Walk Don't Run and Perfidia.
Tom Wheeler (American Guitars, HarperPerennial 1990) stated 'this blasts out of the chute with a Walk Don't Run style intro and then kicks into an ascending melody that's topped off with a radical (for the time) whammy dip. One of the first hit instrumentals in which the whammy was integral to the melody, it also has a driving bass/guitar/drums unison 16th note chorus.
The Ventures Medley in live shows today often includes passages from Lullaby of the Leaves as well as Walk Don't Run and Perfidia.
Planned for release as The Ventures third album and numbered accordingly, Dolton 8006, Another Smash was actually released as the second set and charted second. It followed the Walk Don't Run album and was a second straight album chart top 40 entry.
The marquee cuts, in addition to Lullaby of the Leaves, are Ghost Riders In The Sky (Don Wilson lead), Wheels, Bulldog, Rawhide, Meet Mr. Callahan, Last Date, and Beyond The Sea. The band also pays homage to one of their influences, Chet Atkins, with a fine version of Trambone. There are several fine originals on the album; Lonely Heart, Ginchy (the B side to the Lullaby Of The Leaves single), and Josie.
Bob Bogle and Don Wilson wrote Josie as a tribute to Josie Wilson, Don's mom, who was so supportive and so key to The Ventures early success. There is anecdotal evidence that Carole King arranged the string background on Josie.