Do you remember this TV theme song? Of course, you do. It’s one of the best themes ever, from the 1968-1980 CBS crime drama Hawaii Five-O. But the bigger question is, do you remember what band made its name by recording that surf-rock piece, the work of Emmy-winning composer Morton Stevens? It was The Ventures, formed in 1958 by a couple of Tacoma, Washington, masonry workers--the same group that today will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, located in Cleveland, Ohio. According to a report in The Seattle Times, “The Hall of Fame calls the group the most successful instrumental rock band in history.”
Also being inducted today will be Madonna, Leonard Cohen, John Mellencamp, songwriter-producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and the Dave Clark Five.
For The Ventures, this honor has been a hell of a long time coming, and its members and Washington fans are definitely in the mood to celebrate. To that end, reports Seattle Post-Intelligencer music critic Gene Stout, a public viewing of the induction ceremony will be held tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Liberty Theater, 116 W. Main Avenue, in the town of Puyallup, just five miles east of Tacoma. “Host of the viewing party,” adds Stout, will be KBSG-FM disc jockey Mark Christopher, “who waged a long campaign to get the veteran group inducted. Christopher addressed the Washington Senate, collected signatures and was host of a nomination party in 2005, all aimed at getting the deserving and influential group ensconced in the Hall of Fame.” Stout notes that “The Ventures are only the second Northwest rock act to be inducted, after Jimi Hendrix.”
Wanna hear that Hawaii Five-O theme again? Well, here it is, with the main title sequence from the Jack Lord/James MacArthur series. Definitely something to get your motor running on a Monday morning.
Monday, March 10, 2008
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4 comments:
The Ventures are still performing with the two founding members leading the way.
For a long time "Walk Don't Run" was the best-selling rock instrumental, and I like the Venture's version of "Green Onions" better than Booker T.'s.
This theme doesn't sound like the Ventures. Are you sure it's not the CBS Orchestra? The Ventures only did a cover, according this fan site: "The song was composed by Morton Stevens and performed by the CBS Orchestra. A later variation of it was recorded by The Ventures and reached #3 on the Billboard record charts"
Hey, Jack:
I didn't say that the version being used with the HAWAII FIVE-O introduction was performed by The Ventures. Though their version does not sound appreciably different, and can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgHced1hpBk
Cheers,
Jeff
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