The Ventures play a rousing version of “Sleigh Ride” on their 1965 album “The Ventures’ Christmas Album.” The band inspired untold numbers of guitarists in its time and was among the first to use fuzz-tones and special effects to enhance its guitar sound. While three of the original band members have died and the fourth has retired, the band continues to tour, especially in Japan where it is extraordinarily popular.

Unfortunately the video is only allowed to be watched on YouTube, which I don’t mind, but the warning is ugly on the blog, so I’ve switched the performance to the US Navy Band. Here’s a link to The Ventures’ video at YouTube.