The Ventures in Space

Untitled

The Ventures in Space is an album by the guitar-based instrumental group the Ventures, released in 1964. Information on the slip cover states that all the unique, unworldly sounds featured in the album's tracks were made with musical instruments, rather than with electronic devices. It was one of the first albums on which the group played the new Mosrite brand guitars instead of their traditional Fender instruments. The album was released in 1964 on the Dolton label, and reissued in the late 1970s by Pickwick Records (with a new cover depicting an astronaut performing a spacewalk).

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

In his review for Allmusic, critic Richie Unterberger wrote of the album "Few listeners need to dig deeper than a greatest-hits collection for the Ventures, but this early effort is an arguable exception... The British instrumental group the Tornados (of "Telstar" fame) did this kind of stuff better, but Ventures in Space is a fun diversion from their usual sound that holds up well."

Track listing

Side one

1. "Out of Limits" (Michael Z. Gordon) – 2:14
2. "He Never Came Back" (Don Wilson, Mel Taylor, Nokie Edwards, Bob Bogle) – 2:06
3. "Moon Child" (Cissy Wechter, Julius Wechter) – 2:07
4. "Fear" (Harry Lubin) – 2:24
5. "Exploration in Terror" (Wilson, Edwards, Bogle) – 2:14
6. "War of the Satellites" (Danny Hamilton) – 1:57

Side two

1. "The Bat" (Lou Forbes) – 2:14
2. "Penetration" (Steve Leonard) – 2:10
3. "Love Goddess of Venus" (Wilson) – 2:35
4. "Solar Race" (Wilson, Edwards, Bogle) – 2:34
5. "The Fourth Dimension" (Gary Hodge, Terry Wadsworth) – 2:15
6. "Twilight Zone" (Marty Manning) – 2:36

Personnel

Ventures

• Don Wilson - guitar
• Nokie Edwards - guitar
• Bob Bogle - bass
• Mel Taylor - drums

Additional musicians

• Red Rhodes - pedal steel guitar

Technical

• Robert Reisdorff – producer
• Eddie Brackett – engineer