"Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and originally recorded by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

guitarist

Johnny Smith Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote "Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great D ...

in 1954. It was later adapted and re-recorded by

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...

in 1956, and was a track on the LP ''Hi-Fi In Focus''. This arrangement was the inspiration for the version by

The Ventures 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 ...

in 1960 (though the Ventures'

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

is recognizably different from Atkins' finger-picked style) and achieved world-wide recognition, being regarded by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

The Ventures recording

After hearing a

recording of "Walk, Don't Run", the Tacoma-based

instrumental rock Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes musical instruments and features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style. Instr ...

band

released their version of the tune as a single in spring 1960 on Dolton Records. This version made the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 2 and kept out of the number 1 spot by "It's Now or Never" by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. "Walk, Don't Run" also made the US Hot R&B Sides chart, where it went to number 13. The instrumental reached number 3 on the ''Cash Box'' magazine chart for five weeks in August and September 1960. The Dolton release of this record had two backing sides, the first release (Dolton 25) had "Home", and after initial sales were so great, the B-side was replaced with a Bogle–Wilson original composition, "The McCoy" (Dolton 25-X), to gain royalties. Personnel on this record were

Bob Bogle Robert Lenard Bogle (January 16, 1934 – June 14, 2009) was a founding member of the instrumental combo The Ventures. He and Don Wilson founded the group in 1958. Bogle was the lead guitarist and later bassist of the group. In 2008, Bogle and oth ...

– lead guitar, Don Wilson – rhythm guitar,

Nokie Edwards Nole Floyd "Nokie" Edwards (May 9, 1935 – March 12, 2018) 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 'Ki ...

– bass, and Skip Moore – drums. It was recorded and engineered by Joe Boles, who had a basement studio in his home in Seattle, Washington, who also engineered their first two albums. This version of the song follows the musical structure known as the Andalusian cadence, which originated from

Flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...

, although the Ventures' version replaces the vi chord (relative to C major) with a VI chord, A major. This single, their first national release, became a huge hit and vaulted the Ventures to stardom. The song was recorded before the band officially had a drummer. The Ventures' website lists the drummer on "Walk, Don't Run" as Skip Moore. Moore was not interested in touring and never was a full-time member of the band. As payment for his session work, Moore was given the choice of $25 or 25% of any royalties from sales of the single. He took the $25. Bob Bogle played the lead guitar part on this first Ventures recording of the song. The band later rerecorded the song in 1964 (see below), and became the first band to score two top ten hits with two versions of the same tune. "Walk, Don't Run" was included on the compilation album ''15 Hits: The Original Recordings'' released by Liberty Records in 1962. And in 1991 the song was included on the compilation CD ''24 Greatest Hits of All Time'' in the EMI Legends of Rock n' Roll Series. In the UK, the tune was covered by the John Barry Seven, whose version, while only peaking at number 11 on the '' Record Retailer'' chart, compared to the Ventures' number 8, outcharted them by reaching the Top 10 on other UK charts, such as that of the ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

''. In July 2003, the tune was recorded by Ventures guitarist

and the

Light Crust Doughboys The Light Crust Doughboys is an American Western swing band from Texas, United States, organized in 1931 by the Burrus Mill and Elevator Company in Saginaw, Texas. The band achieved its peak popularity in the few years leading up to World War II. ...

for the album ''Guitars Over Texas''. This version is known for its jazz-inflected second verse and the use of keyboards in place of rhythm guitar.

Critical reception

'' magazine rated the Ventures' version of "Walk, Don't Run" as number 82 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

Walk, Don't Run '64

"Walk, Don't Run '64" is an updated

recording that features a guitar style more similar to that of "

Misirlou "Misirlou" ( el, Μισιρλού < tr, Mısırlı 'Egyptian' < ar, مصر ''Miṣr'' 'Egypt') is a folk song from the Eastern Mediterranean region. The original author of the song is not known, but Arabic, Greek, and Jewish musicians we ...

", and is notable for starting with a "fade-in" (as opposed to many songs of the era that ended with a "fade out"). In this version, the lead guitarist and bass player from the original switched roles, with Edwards handling the lead parts and Bogle the bass. It reached number 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and number 9 on the ''Cash Box'' chart in 1964. The B-side, " The Cruel Sea", was a version of

the Dakotas The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econo ...

' 1963 single. Both recordings featured Nokie Edwards playing the lead guitar part. The recording was used in 2000 for the dancing scene in the Australian movie ''

The Goddess of 1967 ''The Goddess of 1967'' is a 2000 Australian film directed by Macau-born Australian Clara Law, who wrote the script with her husband (and previous script collaborator) Eddie Ling-Ching Fong. The film is about a rich young Japanese man (Rikiya Ku ...

'' by

Clara Law Clara Law Cheuk-yiu (, born 29 May 1957 in Macau) is a Hong Kong Second Wave film director. Law currently resides in Australia. Early life Clara Law was born on 29 May 1957 in Macau. At the age of 10 she moved to Hong Kong. Law studied at the ...

Johnny Smith

"Walk, Don't Run" was written by Smith in 1954, who was inspired by the song " Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" by Romberg and

Hammerstein Hammerstein is a municipality on the river Rhine in the district of Neuwied in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous co ...

. Smith, a jazz musician who had backed singers such as

Patrice Munsel Patrice Munsel (born Patrice Beverly Munsil; May 14, 1925 – August 4, 2016) was an American coloratura soprano. Nicknamed "Princess Pat", she was the youngest singer ever to star at the Metropolitan Opera. Early years An only child, Patrice ...

performing the song, composed "Walk, Don't Run" as a

contrafact A contrafact is a musical work based on a prior work. The term comes from classical music and has only since the 1940s been applied to jazz, where it is still not standard. In classical music, contrafacts have been used as early as the parody ma ...

, using the chord progression from "Softly..." as the basis for his melody, which he keyed in D minor. Smith included the piece on his 1954 album ''In A Sentimental Mood'' using a title chosen by his producer, Teddy Reig. It was also on Smith's 1956 album, ''Moods''. In 1967, Johnny Smith recorded a new and more up-tempo arrangement with Hank Jones, George Duvivier, and

Don Lamond Donald Douglas Lamond Jr. (August 18, 1920 – December 23, 2003) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Born in Oklahoma City, Lamond attended the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore in the early 1940s, and played with Sonny Dunham and Boyd ...

on his album ''

Johnny Smith's Kaleidoscope Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females. Variant ...

''. In 1998 Smith was awarded the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal for his contribution to music; the citation singled out “the genesis of 'Walk, Don't Run',” as well as “his manifold accomplishments” and their “profound and pervasive influence on the role of the guitar in contemporary popular culture.”

Chet Atkins

In 1957

recorded a popular rendition of the song for his album ''

Hi-Fi in Focus ''Hi-Fi in Focus'' is the eighth studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1957. In the same year, "The Rhythm Rockers (featuring Chet Atkins)" released a single of "Tricky"/"Peanut Vendor". It did not chart. An EP was ...

''. He did so after discussing the matter with Smith, who was pleased with the arrangement. Atkins played his arrangement in A minor, using fingerstyle and including the bass notes A,G,F, and E. This later became the basis for the Ventures' arrangement. Other cover versions include those by

the Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...

, Agent Orange, Zapatón,

Steve Howe Stephen James Howe (born 8 April 1947) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock band Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, North London, Howe developed an interest in the guitar and began to le ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the ...

Tommy Leonetti Tommy Leonetti (September 10, 1929September 15, 1979) was an American pop singer-songwriter and actor of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. In Australia his most famous song was "My City of Sydney" (written by Leonetti & Bobby Troup) and was used by ...

, and the

Penguin Cafe Orchestra The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (PCO) were an avant-pop band led by English guitarist Simon Jeffes. Co-founded with cellist Helen Liebmann, it toured extensively during the 1980s and 1990s. The band's sound is not easily categorized, having elemen ...

Selected recorded versions

* 1954:

* 1957:

* 1960:

The John Barry Seven The John Barry Seven was a band formed by John Barry in 1957, after he abandoned his original career path of arranging for big bands. Origins Barry contacted three musicians with whom he had served in the Army and three local musicians and in ...

(featuring

Vic Flick Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...

on guitar) * 1960:

Les Fantômes Les Fantômes were a French rock guitar group formed in 1961. They were an instrumental group modeled on the English group The Shadows.Jean Chalvidant, Hervé Mouvet La belle histoire des groupes de rock français des années 60 2851572199 - Page ...

* 1963:

Bijele Strijele Bijele Strijele (trans. ''The White Arrows'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Zagreb in 1961. They were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. Bijele Strijele were one of first rock bands to be formed in Yugoslavia. The band's debut ...

* 1963:

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

(arraigned by

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

) * 1964:

(with new lyrics written by Dottie Faye) * 1965:

* 1965:

* 1967:

* 1972:

Pink Fairies Pink Fairies are an English rock band initially active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug use, and anarchy, and often performed impromptu gigs and other stunts, ...

* 1973:

Sha Na Na Sha Na Na was an American rock and roll doo-wop group. Formed in 1969, but performing a song-and-dance repertoire based on 1950s hit songs, it simultaneously revived and parodied the music and the New York street culture of the 1950s. After ga ...

* 1974:

Mike Auldridge Mike Auldridge (December 30, 1938 – December 29, 2012) was an American Dobro player and a founding member of the bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. The ''New York Times'' described Auldridge as "one of the most distinctive dobro players in the ...

* 1977:

The Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...

* 1981:

The Penguin Cafe Orchestra The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (PCO) were an avant-pop band led by English guitarist Simon Jeffes. Co-founded with cellist Helen Liebmann, it toured extensively during the 1980s and 1990s. The band's sound is not easily categorized, having eleme ...

* 1983:

JFA (band) JFA (Jodie Foster's Army) is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1981, with roots in Arizona and in Southern California skateboard culture. The original members include Brian Brannon (vocals), Don "Redondo" Pendleton (guitar), Michael Corn ...

(Jodie Foster's Army) * 1984:

Kazumi Watanabe is a Japanese guitarist. Other guitarists such as Luke Takamura and Sugizo have cited him as an influence. Career Watanabe learned guitar at the age of 12 from Sadanori Nakamure at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo. He released his first album ...

* 1992:

Those Darn Accordions Those Darn Accordions, commonly abbreviated as TDA, are an American accordion band from San Francisco, California, originally formed in 1989 by Linda "Big Lou" Seekins. Boasting several accordionists whose numbers have fluctuated over the years ...

, performed entirely on

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

s * 1993:

California Guitar Trio California Guitar Trio (CGT) is a band of three guitar players founded in Los Angeles in 1991 by Paul Richards, Hideyo Moriya, and Bert Lams around the concept of playing acoustic guitars in the New Standard Tuning taught by Robert Fripp on Gui ...

* 1994:

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...

(''

Little Big League ''Little Big League'' is a 1994 American family sports film about a 12-year-old who suddenly becomes the owner and then manager of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. It stars Luke Edwards, Timothy Busfield, and Dennis Farina. The film is direct ...

'' soundtrack) * 1998:

* 1999:

Johnny A. John Antonopoulos (born November 14, 1952 in Malden, Massachusetts, United States), known professionally as Johnny A, is an American musician, guitarist, and songwriter. Early life Johnny A. was born in Malden, Massachusetts, of Greek heritage ...

* 2003:

and the

* 2004:

Terrafolk 220px, Terrafolk in concert (2007) Terrafolk is a Slovenian folk band. Terrafolk were formed in 1999 at Festival Lent in Slovenia. They quickly rose to fame, performing at numerous festivals throughout Europe, including the Edinburgh Fringe and ...

(as a medley featuring also " Music for a Found Harmonium")

Appearances in feature length films

* 1988: ''

Aloha Summer ''Aloha Summer'' is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and starring Chris Makepeace, Yuji Okumoto, Tia Carrere and Don Michael Paul. The plot is about a group of teenagers and their experiences one summer in Hawaii. ...

'' * 1988: ''

Crocodile Dundee II ''Crocodile Dundee II'' is a 1988 action comedy film and the second of the ''Crocodile Dundee'' film series. It is a sequel to ''Crocodile Dundee'' (1986) and was followed by ''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles'' (2001). Actors Paul Hogan and Lin ...

'' * 1993: ''

Wayne's World 2 ''Wayne's World 2'' is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Stephen Surjik and starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a public-access television cable television show in Aurora, Illinois. The film is the sequel to ''Wayne's World'' ( ...

'' * 1993: '' Matinee * 1999: '' American Pie'' * 2000: ''

'' * 2010: '' Flipped'' * 2014: ''

Pawn Sacrifice ''Pawn Sacrifice'' is a 2014 American biographical drama film about chess player Bobby Fischer. It follows Fischer's challenge against top Soviet chess grandmasters during the Cold War and culminating in the World Chess Championship 1972 mat ...

References

External links

Walk, Don't Run
Documentary produced by '' Full Focus'' {{Authority control 1954 songs 1960 singles The Ventures songs Glen Campbell songs Instrumentals Surf music 1964 singles Rock instrumentals 1960s instrumentals Surf instrumentals