THE RETURN OF THE MAN FROM ELEKI

His name came up,...wait. He came up in conversation tonight but I butchered his name. It's Takeshi Terauchi. I got the Terauchi right, but couldn't remember his first name, so I came here. After reminding myself what his name was I thought I's play one of his cuts. Right in the first few seconds of "Kanjinncyou" where he starts with a "Yooooo" I knew where this night was headed. Before I fly off to to the rabbit hole of Japanese instumental rock, here's some by what's his name. Dig it.

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Listen:
Takeshi Terauchi - Kanjinncyou mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi - Genruko Hanami Odori mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Teraushi - Sabre Dance mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - Flying Guitar mp3 at Radio Diffusion Intl
Full LPs:
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - Let's Go Classics LP (classical covers, 11 mp3s, right click song titles) at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - This is Terauchi Bushi LP (12 mp3s, right click song titles) at Beware of the Blog

THE MAN FROM ELEKI

After the Ventures toured Japan in 1962, the place went instro crazy. Electric guitar instrumental bands were crawling all over the place. They called these bands "eleki", which sure is a good compact way of saying "guitar based instrumental bands". Most of it wasn't really surf music because there wasn't a whole lot of dripping reverb, but there was a whole lot of great pickin', and in quite a few some comical yelps and such. Check the beginning of Takeshi Terauchi's "Kanjinncyou". Right out of the gates. "Yooo!!" is right! There's a lot of his stuff below because, in that scene, he was the man. That's him above, the man and his Mostrite.

Eleki lives on. Check the video linked at the bottom of the post. Go! Go! Tomoko!, that's the name of the woman guitarist. She's got a colorful way of interpreting some of the standards. I swear that lady has some kind of relationship with her whammy bar.

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Listen:
Takeshi Terauchi - Kanjinncyou mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi - Genruko Hanami Odori mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Teraushi - Sabre Dance mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - Flying Guitar mp3 at Radio Diffusion Intl
The Sharp Five - Golden Guitar mp3 at Radio Diffusion Intl
The Spacemen - Swim Swim Swim mp3 at Radio Diffusion Intl
The Spacemen - Che Che Che mp3 at Radio Diffusion Intl
Full LPs:
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - Let's Go Classics LP (classical covers, 11 mp3s, right click song titles) at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - This is Terauchi Bushi LP (12 mp3s, right click song titles) at Beware of the Blog
Video:
Go! Go! Tomoko w/Sapporo Chuck Berry Rock 'n' Roll Band at YouTube Assorted classics, maximum whammy bar.

ON THE LIST

Ooohh yeah, "Caravan", one of my favorite instrumentals of all time. When I first heard my brother's surf band play it back in the eighties, I had no clue who wrote it, or that its vintage predated surf music by decades. It was catchy and it fit their sound, and like "Miserlou", there was something about it's structure that landed it in that category of songs that are so good, it's damn near impossible to fuck them up. Years later I'd find out that it was first performed by Duke Ellington, and assumed that it was written by him. I found out later that it was written by Juan Tixol. Who? Shit, here we go again. I'll get to him in a few decades. Regardless, there you have it. I had my first favorite Duke Ellington song, and another name was added to the list. This is why it never ends. If you're a fiend, you know the feeling. The, "I'd been putting music of this alleged great off for so long, looks like there's no turning back now" feeling. You know as well as I, that list will never be completed. Shake it off. Bug out to these.

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Listen:
Duke Ellington - Caravan (1962) mp3 at Space Age Pop
Duke Ellington - Caravan (1947) mp3 at Space Age Pop
Thelonius Monk - Caravan (1955) mp3 at Space Age Pop

Takeshi Teruchi - Caravan (1965) mp3 at Beware of the Blog

Santo and Johnny - Caravan mp3 at Basement Rug

George Jenkins - Caravan mp3 at Diddy Wah Go there to get it.

The Strangers - Caravan (1970) mp3 at The Basement Rug

The Skatalites - Ska-Ra-Van (Caravan) mp3 at Tanyao (?)

WILD MAN

When the Ventures played in Japan in 1962, they probably never imagined what they would leave in their wake. Japanese kids went apeshit, ditching their formerly hip acoustic guitars in droves. Overnight there were all sorts of Ventures-like bands crawling out of the woodwork. And some of them were good, really good, particularly if you like your imitation Ventures a little over the top. Take a listen to a few of the Takeshi Terauchi cuts below. Clearly he can pick. After you hear a couple, you'll start to notice a bunch of other things. Things like the organ, which there is quite a bit of, really just an enjoyable diversion. There really isn't anything that can distract you from the fact that this guy loves his whammy bar. He also likes throwing an excited word in every now an then, often times a single "Yoo!!". I happen to like the beginning of "Caravan", an exchange that goes something like this: "Let's Go!" "Yeah, yeah, yeah!", "Heeyyyy" "Ya!!" Sparse as they are, I don't think you could possibly find more fitting lyrics.

To label Terauchi a Ventures imitator is selling him short. Sure, he's got some of that in there, but he's got Dick Dale and Chet Atkins in there too, whether he ever heard them or not. Phil Baugh or Jimmy Bryant? Hell, I'll throw in a Joe Maphis as long as I'm dredging my memory for hot shit pickers. He made not have ever heard any of them, but that'll give you an idea of what he sounds like. He's nuts. 

Beware of the Blog has posted quite a bit of his stuff over the past few years, but today I noticed one at Radio Diffusion International that I don't remember seeing, from the record awesomely titled Ultra Punch Deluxe. There's a few other Japanese eleki bands over there too. Though nowhere near as potent as Terauchi, they will give you an idea of why he stuck out like a sore thumb. Just plain nuts.

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Listen:
Takeshi Terauchi - Kanjinncyou mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi - Genruko Hanami Odori mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Teraushi - Sabre Dance mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi - Caravan mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - Flying Guitar mp3 at Radio Diffusion Intl
The Sharp Five - Golden Guitar mp3 at Radio Diffusion Intl
The Spacemen - Swim Swim Swim mp3 at Radio Diffusion Intl
The Spacemen - Che Che Che mp3 at Radio Diffusion Intl
Full LPs:
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - Let's Go Classics LP (classical covers, 11 mp3s, right click song titles) at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - This is Terauchi Bushi LP (12 mp3s, right click song titles) at Beware of the Blog
Video:
Yuzo Kayama and Takeshi Terauchi with  the Launchers - Black Sand Beach at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban From the 1965 film, Eleki No Wakadaisho. Dig the drummer, it's that goofy Masanari Nihei from the Science Patrol in Ultraman!

LUDWIG VON HAS A POSSE

Classical music has never been my thing, it's one of those "maybe I'll get to it later" genres that I've never hated, but has never really wound my watch either. More than a few people have tried to twist a classical piece into some sort of upbeat novelty instrumental, presumably for us low culture types, but I ain't buying it. That said, Diddy Wah just posted B.Bumble and the Stingers take on Beethoven's Fifth, and because he's someone I consider an musical ally, I gave it a listen. Gotta say, as hokey as the concept sounds, if you forget the source material it's not all that bad, just another faceless instrumental. I seem to remember Kim Fowley having something to do with the creation of that studio band, and I've always considered him an asshole blowhard, so I can't be completely objective. Here's that one and a few other rock-gone-classical anomalies.

Oh yeah, before I forget, Diddy Wah now has radio shows posted online that you can download as mixes. You can find them here (click on the small arrow on right of the streaming gizmo to download).

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Listen:
B. Bumble & the Stingers - Mashed #5 mp3 at Diddy Wah
Takeshi Terauchi & the Bunnys - Theme From Beethovens Fifth mp3 at Beware of the Blog
B. Bumble & the Stingers - Rockin-On-'N'-Off mp3 at Diddy Wah
Takeshi Teraushi - Sabre Dance mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - Let's Go Classics LP (classical covers, 11 mp3s, right click song titles) at Beware of the Blog
Bonus:
Diddy Wah's Radio Show at NTS Live Note: Click on small arrow on the right of streaming gizmo to download.
Video:
Dave Edmunds - Sabre Dance (Live) at YouTube

WAIT. HOW MANY?

Back a few months ago, I posted seven cover versions of Jorgen Ingmann's instrumental "Apache" and, although I knew that there were tons more, I considered that enough to demonstrate what one well written instrumental song was capable of in the world of covers. That said, I was totally unprepared for Version Galore's post of 60+ versions. When it comes to due diligence in tracking down covers, there really isn't a contender. Versions Galore is, hands down, the site that hosts the most comprehensive posts of single songs. (How about 80 versions of "Walk On By," including ten reggae versions?)

There was one that I posted that he didn't, probably because it wasn't a cover in the strictest sense. It was a bizarre medley of Captain Beefheart's "Dropout Boogie" and Ingmann's "Apache" by the Edgar Broughton Band. Here's that medley, along with the original and just a few that Versions Galore posted. You know, just to wet your whistle. Of those I listened to, the one I really dug is by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. Reggae, yeah, but with "sirens wail" backing vocals and either a sitar, or guitar played like a sitar. Oddball reggae, especially by an established name, is relatively rare. Listening is warranted.

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Listen:
Jorgen Ingmann and his Guitar - Apache mp (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
The Edgar Broughton Band - Apache Dropout mp3 at The Brobots
Dave Allan & the Arrows - Apache '65 mp3 (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – Apache mp3 (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
Takeshi Terauchi Apache mp3 (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
Le Par Bongo Rockers - Apache mp3 (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
Visit:
Apache and the Bronx - 60+ versions of Apache at Versions Galore
Related previous post:
Apache Mutations (7/15/2011)
Cover Orgy (3/6/11)

GOON CHORDS

To kick off the summer, here's a mix of surf instrumentals, oddballs and a couple of semi-related songs with vocals. First off, you have to begin with the man, Dick Dale, because he's the first to come to mind, and he's practically the template. From there, it gets a little mixed. There's a few second tier bands (the Lively Ones, Aki Aleong), a couple spaghetti western covers (Banzai Surf and the Ventures), session players (Al Casey, Sandy Nelson), a Martin Denny cover (the Astronauts' "Quiet Village"), an English band (the Shadows), a Japanese guitar player playing Beethoven (Takeshi Teruchi), contemporary bands (Los Sttraightjackets, Banzi Surf, Django Twango, the Surf Coasters), an unusual cover of "Pipeline" (the Incredible Bongo Band), a vocal number by the Sunrays (who were managed by Murray Wilson, after his sons were done with him), a Brian Wilson produced girl group (Spring, featuring his wife Marilyn and her sister), and the last song (in this house, unremarkable), by the 101'er's, Joe Strummer's pre-Clash band, (surf only in title, and vocals). Wax'em up.

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Listen:
Dick Dale - The Victor mp3 at Django Twango
The Lively Ones - Surf Rider mp3 at The California Girls
Aki Aleong & the Nobels - Panic mp3 at Probe Is Turning-On the People
The Astronauts - Baja mp3 at Django Twango
Sandy Nelson - Casbah mp3 at Django Twango
The Shadows - Perifida mp3 at Django Twango
Los Straightjackets - Tailspin mp3 at Django Twango
Django Tango - Goldfinger mp3 at Django Twango
The Surf Coasters - Miserlou mp3 at Django Twango
Banzai Surf - For A Few Dollars More mp3 at Django Twango
The Ventures - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly mp3 at Django Twango
The Astronauts - Quiet Village mp3 at Goof Spot
The Chantays - Pipeline mp3 at Rocky-52.net
Incredible Bongo Band - Pipeline mp3 at Paradise Soul
Takeshi Terauchi - Theme from Beethoven's Fifth mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Sunrays - I Live For the Sun mp3 at Pretty Goes With Pretty
Spring - Down Home mp3 at Obscure Sound
The 101'ers - Surf City mp3 at Math.Uni.Edu

PASS THE TERAUCHI

Takeshi Terauchi is a name that's probably only known to four types of people; guitarists, Ventures fiends, instrumental fanatics, and the people of his native Japan. Starting his career in a country and western band (Jimmy Tokita and The Mountain Playboys), he got the instrumental bug after the Ventures toured Japan in 1962, and left to start his own band, the Blue Jeans. In short order, he became Japan's first guitar hero. To the casual listener, his playing style is similar to the Ventures, but if you listen closely, there are a few quirks that set him apart. While his playing is exceptionally clean, he often squeezes in about four times the notes that are needed (think Dick Dale sans reverb), and he loves, loves, loves his whammy bar. His band has a cool farfisa thing going on as well. The hook? He's big on yelping things at the beginning of songs, and throwing in the occasional "yo!," which makes him just wacky enough to make it to the coveted Friday night slot here at Trastos HQ.

Someone at Beware of the Blog has it bad for Takeshi, because there's been a shitload of his stuff posted in the past few years, every one a hoot. Here's where:

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Takeshi Teraushi - Kanjinncyou mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Teraushi - Genruko Hanami Odori mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Teraushi - Sabre Dance mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi - Caravan mp3 at Beware of the Blog

Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - Let's Go Classics LP (classical covers, 11 mp3s, right click song titles) at Beware of the Blog
Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys - This is Terauchi Bushi LP (12 mp3s, right click song titles) at Beware of the Blog