Walk, Don't Run '64 guitar solo

The Ventures, 1964, from Walk, Don't Run, Vol. 2. Solo by Nokie Edwards.

The Ventures rerecorded their first hit with Edwards' faster picking and full surf reverb.

Walk, Don't Run '64 is the Ventures revisiting their first hit with a new lead guitarist and a new sound. Nokie Edwards plays the melody faster and with more flourish than the original, adding quick runs, bends and whammy-bar effects that reflect how much guitar had changed in just a few years. The arrangement is soaked in surf reverb, giving it a bigger, wetter sound than the 1960 version. The result became a hit in its own right and shows how the band evolved alongside the surf scene they had helped inspire. Listen for the dramatic descending run near the start, and compare the energy of Edwards' playing with Bob Bogle's cleaner, simpler original.

Walk, Don't Run '64 by The Ventures is featured in our Surf (#16) list. The solo is played by Nokie Edwards and the song was released in 1964.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Surf Guitar Songs — #16
• The Best The Ventures Guitar Solos — #2
• Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1964 — #11

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