Written by Ludwig Van Beethoven, adapted by the Ventures. Arranged and produced the Ventures.
Three tracks from the Ventures’ 1972 album, “Joy: Play The Classics”:
1. Sonata In C# Minor
2. Für Elise
3. Melody Of Joy (from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony)
Released in March, 1972, “Joy: Play The Classics” was the last charting album for the Ventures when it reached #146. The title track, “Joy” was also the group’s last single to chart, reaching #109. The group face competition from the British outfit, Apollo 100, whose version of “Joy” reached #6 in the US on the Mega label. (It was not a hit in the UK.) Apollo 100’s “Joy” album reached #47 on the US album chart.
The Ventures’ “Joy” album was their 37th to reach the US album chart. It contained updated versions of classics written by composers such as Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Mozart