Trivia Quiz about The Ventures: Kings of Electric Guitar
The Ventures are a guitar-driven instrumental band with worldwide recognition, and in Japan in particular they wield enormous influence.
Formed in 1959, they’re also a long-running band that remains active even now in the 2020s.
They visited Japan in the 1960s and sparked the eleki (electric guitar) boom; their works—complete with that distinctive guitar sound—are ones everyone has probably heard at least once.
But how much do you actually know about what kind of band the Ventures are?
We’ve put together trivia and fun facts about them in a quiz format, so be sure to check it out!
[King of Electric Guitar] Trivia Quiz about The Ventures (1–10)
When was the last time founding member Don Wilson toured Japan?
- the year 2012
- 2015
- 2018
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2015
As a founding member and the band’s leader, Mr. Wilson undertook the final Japan tour as The Ventures in 2015.
Songs composed by The Ventures that became hits for Japanese singers were also called “Ventures Kayō.” Which of the following three songs did they work on?
- Blue Sky of the Northern Land
- Slave of Love
- terminal station
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Blue Sky of the Northern Land
Back in the 1960s, Chiyo Okumura—who, along with Jun Mayuzumi and Tomoko Ogawa, was known as one of the “Toshiba Three Girls”—had a hit song, ‘Kuni no Aoi Sora,’ composed by The Ventures. Other hits such as ‘Futari no Ginza’ and ‘Kyoto no Koi,’ which won the 12th Japan Record Award, were also composed by The Ventures.
Speaking of The Ventures, there’s that familiar and striking “teke-teke-teke” phrase—what is the formal name of the playing technique?
- Chromatic run technique
- arpeggio technique
- Sweep picking
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Chromatic run technique
The phrase “teke-teke-teke” is produced by a chromatic run technique used by the Ventures’ guitarist. It combines alternate picking with glissando, and in Japan it’s so well-known that it’s commonly referred to as the ‘teke-teke technique.’
Jerry McGee, who joined The Ventures in 1968, also took part in recording sessions as a session guitarist for a certain famous group. Which group was it?
- Holly's
- The Monkees
- Zombies
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Monkees
Many of The Monkees’ songs—created as a band to rival The Beatles—were recorded by studio musicians. Jerry McGee was among them, and it’s said that the famous intro to their debut single, “Last Train to Clarksville,” was his work.
The album “Chameleon,” released only in Japan in 1980, features compositions by a certain famous group. Which group is it?
- Southern All Stars
- Y.
M.
O.
- P-MODEL
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Y.
M.
O.
"Chameleon" has Y.
M.
O.
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, and Yukihiro Takahashi each contributed as composers. The album was produced by Kazuhiko Kato and stands out as an unusual work that fuses technopop with the musical style of The Ventures.
As of 2024, how many original members are still in the group?
- 0 people
- 2 people
- 1 person
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0 people
All of The Ventures’ original members had passed away by 2024, so none of the original lineup remains. However, the band is still actively performing with new members.
Which of the following was the name of the band first formed by original members Bob Bogle and Don Wilson?
- Versatones
- The Shadows
- The Surfaris
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Versatones
Bob Bogle and Don Wilson, original members of The Ventures, named their first band "Versatones." This band later evolved into The Ventures, known as the kings of electric guitar.