Bill Justis Plays 12 More Big Instrumental Hits (Telstar/Lonely Bull) – Bill Justis

Bill Justis' second Smash long-player is blatantly patterned after the Ventures' 1962 album The Ventures Play "Telstar" and "The Lonely Bull." Both albums include the two songs mentioned in the titles, and also share a cover of the Mar-Keys' "Last Night." Justis delivers a remake of his most popular tune, "Raunchy," and covers other instrumental hits like "Wheels" and "Rebel Rouser." There is one vocal cut on which a girl group exhorts listeners to "(Dance With) The Guitar Man," even though Justis was a saxophonist. The guitar orientation of the album is probably because it was supposed to compete with the Ventures, but other sounds drift in and out, like the organ in "I Got a Woman." The instrumental rock & roll artists of this period constantly recorded each other's hits, and the results were often interchangeable. So even though these versions are not the originals, most teenyboppers won't mind and, in any case, the album is good for dancing. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide