The Ventures first album, "Walk Don't Run" was released in 1960. The musicians pictured on the front of the original version are not the Ventures. The "story" is that they are stock room or mail room clerks that happened to be available for the photo shoot when the Ventures themselves were unavailable.

Cover slicks for the earlier Ventures LPs indicated either stereo or mono. All slicks were printed exactly the same but if the vinyl was a mono pressing, the words "visual sound STEREO" on the cover slick would be folded over the back of the lp and covered by the rear cover slick.

Rear cover slicks were also printed all with the word "Stereo" regardless of the format within. If the vinyl was mono, then the word stereo was clipped off the top of the slick. The exception to this rule was the "Walk Don't Run" album which actually had two seperate back slicks printed. One with the words "...visual sound STEREO" and another with the words omitted for mono pressings.

Initially the back cover featured a black and white photo of the Ventures. Soon it was changed to a line tracing of the same photo.


In the late '60's, Liberty figured they could continue to sell the Ventures catalog if they updated the cover photos featuring long-haired shades-wearin, tough-lookin' Ventures. These were the days of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The reflection on pop-culture was evident.


Below is the U.K. mono version of "Walk Don't Run". U.S. Ventures fans will be familiar with the U.K. front cover of the
"Walk Don't Run" album as it was reprinted on the See For Miles CD in the '90's.


 U.S. fans may not be familiar with the back cover of the U.K. version below. There would have been no reason to import
 this album from the U.K. to the U.S. in the '60's. Unlike U.K. vs U.S. versions of Beatles and Rolling Stones albums, all the
 tracks are the same.


Below are the front and back covers of a later '60's U.K. pressing with a "groovied-up" front cover.  This one is not easy to find.



Here's a few of the different labels found inside various pressings of the Walk Don't Run lp. Note that the label on
the very bottom right looks like the one on the very top right. The label on the bottom right differs in that it is a rare
pressing from Seattle Washington.