"Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and first recorded by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1954. It was later adapted and re-recorded by Chet Atkins in 1956, and was a track on the LP Hi-Fi In Focus. This arrangement was covered by the Ventures in 1960 and achieved world-wide recognition, being regarded by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. (More from Wikipedia)
The band heard a track called "Walk, Don't Run" on an album by country guitar virtuoso Chet Atkins called Hi-Fi in Focus and decided that it would make a great single for the group. The Ventures released "Walk, Don't Run" on their Blue Horizon label in 1960; it rose to #2 on the charts, behind only "It's Now or Never" by Elvis Presley. With Howie Johnson as the group's new drummer, the band put together their excellent first album, also called Walk, Don't Run. When Mel Taylor joined the Ventures on drums in 1962, Nokie Edwards became the lead guitarist, with Bob Bogle moving to bass guitar.
The Ventures hit again in 1969 with the well-known theme "Hawaii Five-O" for the television show Hawaii Five-O. Allmusic lists an astounding 39 Ventures albums that were released between their albums Walk, Don't Run and Hawaii Five-O.
(December 2014)
