The Gamblers (American band)

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The Gamblers were an American surf rock band led by guitarist-songwriter Derry Weaver and active from 1959 to 1961. Their best known record was the 1960 instrumental "Moon Dawg", sometimes regarded as the first surf music single.

The group's lineup featured Derry Weaver on lead guitar, Elliot Ingber on rhythm guitar, Larry Taylor on bass, and Bruce Johnston on keyboards.[1] They recorded "Moon Dawg" in the fall of 1959, which was produced by Nick Venet and released on World Pacific Jazz Records in 1960 with the B-side carrying another surf instrumental, "LSD-25".[2][3] The piece's title made reference to a character from the 1959 beach film Gidget.[4] "Moon Dawg!" was well-received in California and almost entered the Billboard Top 100.[5] At the time, the B-side, "LSD-25", did not have the connotations that would later be associated with LSD and psychedelic music.[6] Its use, which the group adopted after seeing the term mentioned in the title of a newspaper article, nonetheless demonstrated that the phrase was in the consciousness of the American public and anticipated the more explicit lyrics to come.[7] It was covered by The Beach Boys on their album Surfin' Safari in 1962.[8][9] A second 1961 single was A: "Teen Machine" B: "Tonky". The group broke up in 1962.

Bruce Johnston went on to join the Beach Boys. Elliot Ingber later played guitar with various acts such as Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, Fraternity of Man, and Captain Beefheart's Magic Band. Larry Taylor went on to become a member of Canned Heat.

References

  1. Domenic Priore Riot on Sunset Strip: Rock'N'Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood -2007 Page 59 BassistvLarry Taylor later joined Canned Heat, while future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston played keyboards. Released on the jazz label World Pacific, 'Moon Dawg' set the pace for an onslaught of surf-related material.
  2. Philip Lambert Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and ... - Page 50 1441107487 2007 - “Moon Dawg,” which some consider to be the “very first surf record,” has an uncertain history but eventually emerged as an ... It was probably recorded in the fall of 1959 and released in 1960 (b/w “LSD-25”) by the Gamblers, a group of studio ...
  3. Bruce Pollock Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs -1135462968 - Page 245 2014 "MOON DAWG Artist: The Gamblers Written by: Derry Weaver Label: World Pacific Produced by: Nik Venet Year: 1959 ... "
  4. Domenic Priore, Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks Smile: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece "In 1960, The Gamblers recorded a local instrumental hit titled 'Moon Dawg' that was based on a character from the 1959 beach flick Gidget. 1961 brought a rapid succession hits by LA outfits such as the Frogmen ('Underwater'), Dick Dale And ..."
  5. R.U. Sirius - Everybody Must Get Stoned: Rock Stars On Drugs: 0806536004 2009 ""LSD-25," The Gamblers (1962) The flip side was another surf instrumental. "Moon Dawg!" was popular in southern California and almost entered the Billboard Top 100."
  6. Michael Hicks Sixties Rock: Garage, Psychedelic and Other Satisfactions -0252069153 2000 Page 59 "A surf group named the Gamblers issued a single entitled "Moon Dawg" in 1960; its B- side bore the title "LSD-25." The title had none of the connotations it might later have had.11 The authors of the tune, Sam Taylor and Derry Weaver, read it ..."
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  8. Andrew Hickey The Beach Boys On CD vol 1: The 1960s - Page 18 1447542339 "Moon Dawg A cover of a track by The Gamblers. The original is interesting for several reasons, as it features both ..."
  9. Jim DeRogatis Turn on Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock 0634055488- 2003 -- Page 33 "(The Beach Boys had covered the A side of the Gamblers' "Moon Dawg" b/w "LSD-25" single, and they knew Johnston socially.) "