Bob Spalding (musician)

Last updated
Bob Spalding
Bob Spalding performing in Japan.jpg
Bob Spalding performing in Japan
Background information
Birth nameRobert Eugene Spalding
Born (1947-02-10) 10 February 1947 (age 77)
San Bernardino, California, USA.
Genres Instrumental rock, Rock music, surf, jazz.
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, arranger, and producer.
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • bass
  • banjo
Years active1962 – present
Member of The Ventures

Robert Eugene Spalding (born February 10, 1947) is an American musician, composer, arranger, and producer. He is best known for his work with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group [1] the Ventures and he has appeared on over 40 Ventures albums from 1980 through to the present. Spalding continues to tour, record, as well as produce with the Ventures as well as other artists.

Contents

Early career

Spalding saw the Ventures, Bob Bogle and Don Wilson, on stage on their first visit to Japan in 1962 and he was very impressed with their performance. This inspired him further in learning to play the guitar, while never imagining that he would, in the future, become a member of the Ventures and he would return to Japan many times on tour with them. His father had been posted to Japan with the Military and the Spalding family lived there for three years. After the family returned to the US later in 1962, Spalding played in his first band, the Nomads, all through High School in Austin, Texas. The Nomads were his first experience with recording and producing. The band, featuring his older brother Perry Spalding on drums, recorded several unreleased singles and one album. However, before the group could capitalise on their full commercial potential, Spalding was drafted into the army. After tour of duty in Vietnam, he enrolled in college where he received a major in business and a minor in Marketing. After graduating from college in San Bernardino, he continued to play with various California bands and to submit his original compositions to music publishing companies in Los Angeles. [2] [3]

Starting in the music business

Sweet Pain

In 1970, Spalding had an opportunity to join a group that was poised to sign a recording contract with Liberty Records. The group, Sweet Pain, [2] [4] completed their first album after Spalding joined the group and they toured the US as an opening act for many established artists. When the group was in Southern California they played regularly at the famous Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, where they often opened for established acts like Linda Ronstadt, War, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and where Spalding once had the experience of playing in the backup band for Chuck Berry. Sweet Pain recorded two additional singles as well as a second unreleased album before the band left United Artists Records. However, prior to them leaving, the group used the pseudonym Dolphin Market to record an instrumental entitled "Diego". [3]

Mel Taylor and the Dynamics

While working at United Artists, Bob had the opportunity to meet the Ventures and to attend some of their recording and rehearsal sessions. He became friends with Mel Taylor, drummer for the group, which would soon prove fortunate for Bob, as he had recently been released from a record company contract at United Artists and he was looking for another opportunity. Bob was then invited to join Mel Taylor, who had left the Ventures to pursue a solo career as Mel Taylor and the Dynamics, [2] with Bob playing rhythm guitar. The group toured Japan in 1973 and they recorded two albums with Bob playing both electric and acoustic guitars. By 1980, Mel Taylor had rejoined the Ventures and Bob Spalding was regularly asked to play additional guitar on recording sessions for the Ventures. [3]

The Ventures and beyond

Spalding's extensive recording studio work for the Ventures since 1980 resulted in him often being referred to as "The 5th Venture". He also deputised regularly on guitar or bass guitar for the Ventures on live concerts until 2005 when he joined the band permanently when Bob Bogle retired from touring. [5] On March 10, 2008, the Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Bob Bogle was unable to attend, so Spalding accepted the award on his behalf and he performed with the Ventures live on stage at the event. [1] Spalding had initially taken over from Bob Bogle in 2005 playing bass guitar for recording purposes and for their annual tour of Japan, but following the retirement of Gerry McGee in 2017, Spalding took over from him as lead guitarist of the Ventures with Leon Taylor (drums), Ian Spalding (rhythm guitar), and Luke Griffin (bass guitar) completing the band. [6] [7]

Recognition and awards

Original compositions

Spalding has composed over 45 songs. Many have been recorded by the Ventures and other artists.

Recorded by Bob Spalding

Recorded by the Ventures

Recorded by other artists

Discography

Bob Spalding solo record releases

Sweet Pain

Mel Taylor and the Dynamics

The Ventures

Related Research Articles

Apple Records is a British record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger and Billy Preston. In practice, the roster had become dominated by the mid-1970s with releases of the former Beatles as solo artists. Allen Klein managed the label from 1969 to 1973, then it was managed by Neil Aspinall on behalf of the Beatles and their heirs. Aspinall retired in 2007 and was replaced by Jeff Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ventures</span> American instrumental band

The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar across the world during the 1960s. While their popularity in the United States waned in the 1970s, the group remains especially revered in Japan, where they have toured regularly. The classic lineup of the band consisted of Wilson, Bogle, Nokie Edwards, and Mel Taylor (drums).

<i>Hawkwind</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Hawkwind

Hawkwind is the debut album by Hawkwind, released in 1970, originally on Liberty Records, later reissued on Sunset Records. This album is historic since it is one of the first space rock LPs.

<i>Carnival</i> (Duran Duran EP) 1982 EP by Duran Duran

Carnival is a dance music EP by British band Duran Duran, originally released in various markets around the world in September 1982 by EMI.

RC Succession was an influential Japanese rock band from Tokyo, formed in 1968. One of Japan's longest-running bands, it went through many line-up changes over the years with front man Kiyoshiro Imawano and bassist Kazuo Kobayashi the only constant members, before disbanding in January 1991.

<i>Stripped</i> (Rolling Stones album) The Rolling Stones 1995 live/studio album

Stripped is a live album by the English rock band The Rolling Stones released in November 1995 after the Voodoo Lounge Tour. It contains six live tracks and eight studio recordings. The live tracks were taken from four 1995 performances, at three small venues, and include a cover of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone", which was the first single from the album. The remaining eight tracks were acoustic studio re-recordings of songs from the Stones' previous catalogue, the exception being a cover of Willie Dixon's "Little Baby". The studio performances were recorded "live," i.e., without overdubs.

<i>Taken by Force</i> 1977 studio album by Scorpions

Taken by Force is the fifth studio album by German band Scorpions, released by RCA Records in 1977. This was the first Scorpions album to feature drummer Herman Rarebell and the final studio album to feature guitarist Uli Jon Roth. Roth left the band in 1978 following the end of the album's tour, and was at first replaced by Michael Schenker and later by Matthias Jabs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokie Edwards</span> American musician (1935–2018)

Nole Floyd "Nokie" Edwards was an American musician and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was primarily a guitarist, best known for his work with The Ventures, and was known in Japan as the 'King of Guitars'. Edwards was also an actor, who appeared briefly on Deadwood, an American Western drama television series.

The Ventures have released over two hundred fifty albums beginning with Walk Don't Run (1960), and over 150 singles. The original US albums and singles are indicated by their catalog numbers and Billboard (BB) and Cashbox (CB) chart peak positions

<i>Starkers in Tokyo</i> 1997 live album by Whitesnake

Starkers in Tokyo is a live acoustic album and video recording by English rock band Whitesnake, released only in Japan on 10 September 1997. It is performed in the style of the Unplugged series and simply features David Coverdale on vocals and Adrian Vandenberg on acoustic guitar.

"Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and originally recorded by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1954, which achieved worldwide fame when The Ventures recorded a cover version in 1960.

<i>The Ventures in Space</i> 1964 studio album by The Ventures

The Ventures in Space is an LP album by the guitar-based instrumental group the Ventures, released in 1964. Information on its jacket states that "All of these unusual & other-worldly sounds have been created with musical instruments rather than electronic gimmicks". It was one of the first albums on which the group played the new Mosrite brand guitars instead of their traditional Fender instruments. The album was released in 1964 on the Dolton label, and reissued in the late 1970s by Pickwick Records.

<i>Real to Reel</i> (Marillion album) 1984 live album by Marillion

Real to Reel is the first live album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in November 1984. It was co-produced by Simon Hanhart who had mixed the first two studio albums and co-produced the studio version of "Cinderella Search".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Wilson (musician)</span> American guitarist (1933–2022)

Don Wilson was an American guitarist who, with Bob Bogle, was a founding member of the instrumental surf-rock group the Ventures. In 2008, Wilson and other members of the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Performer category. Wilson was the last surviving member of the classic lineup of the Ventures following the death of Nokie Edwards in 2018, before Wilson's own death in January 2022.

<i>The Ventures Play Telstar and the Lonely Bull</i> 1963 studio album by The Ventures

The Ventures Play Telstar and the Lonely Bull is an album by the band the Ventures, released in 1963. It consists entirely of cover versions of popular instrumentals from the late 1950s to early 1960s and became their highest charting album, peaking at #8 on Billboard and earning the band a gold record for over 500,000 copies sold.

<i>Walk, Dont Run</i> (The Ventures album) 1960 studio album by The Ventures

Walk, Don't Run is the debut studio album by American instrumental surf rock band The Ventures, released in 1960 by Dolton Records. It features cover versions of well-known songs as well as original compositions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borderline (band)</span> American country music band

Borderline was an early-1970s band from Woodstock, New York, that fused elements of folk, rock, country and jazz. Consisting of brothers David Gershen and Jon Gershen as well as Jim Rooney, the trio recorded two albums, the second of which was not officially released until 2001, and then only in Japan, due to record company problems. Though the group did not enjoy a great deal of commercial success, it was part of the "Woodstock scene" of the early 1970s that included Van Morrison and the Band. Borderline was a forerunner of musical artists who would eventually be grouped under the "Americana" genre. Also notable is that their two albums featured some well-known backing musicians including members of the Band. After Borderline broke up in 1974, the Gershen brothers pursued various projects while Rooney became a successful producer in Nashville, working with artists including Iris DeMent, Nanci Griffith and John Prine.

<i>Wild Things!</i> 1966 studio album by The Ventures

Wild Things! is a 1966 studio album by American band the Ventures, released on Dolton Records BLP-2047 (mono) and BST-8047. A 4-track reel-to-reel release was subsequently issued by Music Tapes, Inc. The album is noted for its marked turn towards a heavier sound in comparison to earlier Ventures releases, and the standout track Wild Child which was prominently featured as a sample in "Start the Commotion" by The Wiseguys.

<i>The Ventures a Go-Go</i> 1965 studio album by The Ventures

The Ventures a Go-Go is the seventeenth studio album by the band The Ventures; released in 1965 on Dolton Records BST 8037 (stereo) and BLP 2037 (monaural). It consists mostly of instrumental covers of popular tunes from the late 50s and early 60s, with a few original compositions. It was on the charts for 35 weeks and it peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200. This album was the fourth highest charting album that The Ventures released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More Than I Needed to Know</span> 2000 single by Scooch

"More Than I Needed to Know" is a song by British pop group Scooch. The song was written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Steve Crosby and was produced by the former two. It was released on 10 January 2000 as the group's second single from their debut album, Four Sure (2000), and reached number five on the UK Singles Chart the same month, becoming the band's highest-charting single in their home country. It also reached number 50 in Ireland and number 62 in the Netherlands. A music video made for the song features the four band members searching for pieces of their logo.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Ventures". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
  2. 1 2 3 "TheVentures – BOB "ZONK" SPALDING".
  3. 1 2 3 Del Halterman (2008). Walk don't Run – The Story of the Ventures. Lulu. pp. 202–. ISBN   978-0-55704-051-3 . Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  4. 1 2 "Sweet Pain". Discogs.
  5. "Sandcastle V.I. - The Fabulous Ventures - Band History". www.sandcastlevi.com.
  6. "<M&I>ベンチャーズ". M&I COMPANY OFFICIAL WEB.
  7. "TheVentures – News".
  8. US Army DD Form 214 - Robert Eugene Spalding 25 August 1969
  9. fox23stormchaser (11 November 2011). "The Ventures Bob Spalding 'Walk Don't Run' LIVE at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame 11-10-11" via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. "Tacoma band The Ventures receives award from Emperor of Japan". The Seattle Times. 28 June 2010.
  11. 1 2 "Sandcastle V.I. - The Fabulous Ventures - Graphic Chronology / Solo 2". www.sandcastlevi.com.
  12. "Sandcastle V.I. - The Fabulous Ventures - Graphic Chronology / 1980s". www.sandcastlevi.com.
  13. "Sandcastle V.I. - The Ventures Cover Art" (PDF). www.sandcastlevi.com.
  14. "Sandcastle V.I. - The Fabulous Ventures - Graphic Chronology / 1990s". www.sandcastlevi.com.
  15. "Sandcastle V.I. - The Fabulous Ventures - Graphic Chronology / 2000s". www.sandcastlevi.com.
  16. "Sandcastle V.I. - The Fabulous Ventures - Graphic Chronology / 2010s". www.sandcastlevi.com.