Fans Of The Ventures

Miscellaneous Instro and Other => Miscellaneous Instro and Other => Topic started by: cockroach on March 04, 2017, 07:48:39 am

Title: Jim Fuller RIP
Post by: cockroach on March 04, 2017, 07:48:39 am
Sad news..apparently he passed away a day or so ago..he was 69..

Jim was the original lead guitarist in The Surfaris and played on Wipe Out and a number of subsequent hits..
Title: Re: Jim Fuller RIP
Post by: Jeff Green on March 17, 2017, 10:19:52 pm
Sad news!
We Pickniks opened for The Surfaris at The Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom in 2004.
Paul Johnson was with The Surfaris and specifically asked us to play his classic, "Mr. Moto".
We really didn't think it was appropriate for us to play it at that show, but he insisted.
After hearing it, he said he was delighted that our arrangement incorporated some new ideas.
He told us that hopefully one of his future projects was to release an album completely of "Mr. Motos".
Ours was one he said he'd for sure want on it.

Some Bad Luck! Jim Pash's guitar was lost at Hopkin's Airport. 
So... Jim Pash borrowed my Black Jazzmaster, and used it to play "Wipeout!". Wow!
I took that same Jazzmaster as a backup to the 2013 Ventures Fan Fest, and Bob Spalding, who'd brought
an acoustic to The Fan Fest that year, no electric guitar, borrowed my Black Beauty to play that day.
Among the tunes he played was "Walk": Don't Run!" Wow again!
BTW, it's also the very same Jazzmaster that I had with me on the 2003 Cruise To Baja with The Ventures.
It's absolutely amazing, because other than the cruise, the other happenings were unexpected turns of events.

OK, on The Surfaris original recording of "Wipeout!", Jim Fuller did play the lead guitar, Jim Pash was the saxophone player.
But, Jim Pash was not present at the session when "Wipeout!" was recorded, so he's not on the group's biggest hit.
So what's up at The Beachland gig with Jim Fuller playing unplugged acoustic guitar, and Jim Pash playing lead guitar?
...Jim Fuller was having a too much of a good time drinking Wild Turkey, straight, no chaser!
Yet, I have to include that when they held a "Wipeout!" drum contest, led by Jim Pash,
it was Jim Fuller who picked up Don Ressler's Red DiPinto Galaxie, and played "Wipeout!" flawlessly!

The next morning I had breakfast with The Surfaris, and Jim Pash was not there. 
He had gone back to the airport after receiving the call that his missing Fender Stratocaster was found. Yay!
I was with Jim Fuller was at breakfast. Can you guess his breakfast?  It was Yogurt and fruit! Health foods!
Nice guy Jim Fuller signed my record sleeve for The Surfaris "Wipeout!"
Sad, about exactly to the day, a year later, Jim Pash passed away, and now Jim Fuller is gone.
I'm glad I met those guys. I was totally enthralled when I heard "Wipeout!", which I learned
to play in 1963 from my school classmate Bob Barner.(fine guitarist!)

Oh, and The Winner of The Drum Contest is...Sally West, drummer for The Surf Dawgs!===

Jeff Green