The 2,000 Pound Bee
The Ventures, 1962, from Going to the Ventures Dance Party!. Solo by Nokie Edwards.
One of the first records built around a fuzz tone, used here as a buzzing lead voice.
The 2,000 Pound Bee is an early and bold experiment with fuzz guitar, and the Ventures use it exactly as the title suggests: as a buzzing, insect-like lead voice. The distortion is thick and nasal, very different from the clean twang of the band's earlier records, and it turns a simple melody into something strange and slightly comic. At the time, fuzz was still a novelty, and hearing it front and centre on a record was a surprise. It points the way toward the heavier guitar tones that would take over rock later in the decade. Listen for the rasping, droning quality of the fuzz notes, and notice how the clean rhythm section makes the buzz stand out even more.
The 2,000 Pound Bee by The Ventures is featured in our Surf (#22) list. The solo is played by Nokie Edwards and the song was released in 1962.
In our lists
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on The 2,000 Pound Bee?
Nokie Edwards played the solo on The Ventures's The 2,000 Pound Bee (1962).