The Gamblers - Moon Dawg / LSD-25 Original 45 - 1st Surf Record, 1960 Acid cool

$

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The Gamblers - Moon Dawg! / LSD-25 Original 45 1st Surf record 1960
Label: World Pacific Records – X-815 Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM Country: US Released: 1960 Genre: Rock, Pop Style: Surf, Rock & Roll, Instrumental Side A - Moon Dawg! Writer – Derry Weaver - 2:15 Side B - LSD-25 Writers – Weaver, Taylor - 2:07 Published By – Niven Music
Arranged and directed by Nick Venet.
Picture Sleeve:  NO Promo Copy:  NO
General age, wear and use, minor scratches, detractions to the labels - average, Good to VG- 
 

The samples are from the actual record in the listing.

Side A

Side B

Review and Information:

The Gamblers were an American surf rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1959. Distinguished by their vocal harmonies and early instrumental surf songs, the Gamblers are one of the first influential musical acts that recorded surf music, a genre popularized initially in Southern California. 

The group, lead by primary songwriter Derry Weaver, recorded the "Moon Dawg!" single in late 1959, generally acknowledged as the first known surf record released, and covered by other West Coast groups. 

In 1961, the group disbanded but its members, including Elliot Ingber, Larry Taylor, Bruce Johnston, and Sandy Nelson, went on to have successful music careers of their own. 

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Please refer to all sound samples and photos included, which are of the actual item in the listing - These are an important part of the description.

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Further Information:

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The Gamblers recorded "Moon Dawg!" and "LSD-25" at American Recording and Radio Recorders. 

The eventual A-side of their debut single, "Moon Dawg!" is a surf instrumental written by Weaver who was inspired by Alan Freed's on-air nickname "Moondog". 

Another instrumental on the flip-side, titled "LSD-25", was written by Weaver and Sam Taylor after the pair read about the hallucinogenic drug in a magazine; the song marks the first time LSD is referenced in a musical recording. 

But as music historian Michael Hicks explained: "The title connotated nothing about the musical content, but only demonstrated that the term 'L.S.D.' was being assimilated into mass culture".

"Moon Dawg!" was released in February 1960. Despite failing to chart nationally, the single found an audience in Southern California where it reached No. 12 on AM station KFWB's music hits chart in July that same year. 

Although historians differ on the single's exact release date, "Moon Dawg!" is considered by most to be the first surf rock record [generally based on the actual recording date in 1959], serving as a template for acts that followed the Gamblers and recorded their own version of the song. 

As the first band to cover it, the Beach Boys helped solidify the track as a staple of surf music on their 1962 studio album Surfin' Safari, before more renditions by the Challengers [1963], the Tornadoes [1963], the Ventures [1962] , and others followed.

(source: Internets)

Profile:

American surf band led by guitarist-songwriter Derry Weaver and active from 1959 to 1961.

Members:

***Derry Weaver: lead guitar

****Elliot Ingber: rhythm guitar

*Bruce Johnston: piano

**Larry Taylor: bass

Rod Schaffer: drums [probably live appearances only, not the recording]

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*Bruce Johnston

Real Name: Bruce Arthur Johnston

Profile:

Vocalist, keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, drummer, composer and producer from Beverly Hills (CA, USA), born the 27th of June 1942 in Chicago (IL, USA).

His first band was Sleepwalkers together with Kim Fowley and Sandy Nelson. He got fame in the West Coast area of the USA and did several studio appearances. He played bass on Teddy Bears hit single "To Know Him Is To Love Him" and drummed in Ritchie Valens' live band. Then he formed the band The Surf Stompers. Late 1964 he joined The Beach Boys and had great success with the band. In 1972 he left the band and recorded a solo album. In 1979 he returned to The Beach Boys and produced, toured and collaborated with the band ever since.

**Larry Taylor

Real Name: Samuel Lawrence Taylor

Profile:

Larry Taylor, also known by his nickname “The Mole” (1942-2019) was an American surf and blues rock bassist and occasional lead guitarist. 

He is perhaps best known for his work as a long-time member of Canned Heat. He first joined the group in 1967 and after repeatedly leaving and returning he eventually stayed with them from 2009 until his death. 

He left Canned Heat for the first time in May 1970 to join John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. 

Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis. Taylor became a leading exponent and practitioner of the acoustic upright bass in the contemporary blues scene.

He is the younger brother of Mel Taylor, long-time drummer for The Ventures.

***Derry Weaver

Real Name: Derry J. Weaver

Profile:

Rock'n'roll singer - songwriter - guitarist

Born on 22 November, 1940 in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Relocated in California, while still a teenager.

He released two singles in about 1960, one on Vee Jay as "Barry" Weaver, and one on a different label as "Darry" Weaver.

Formed The Ascots, a surf-rock project, shortly after the The Gamblers. 

They released one single, Acapulco Run, in 1963. 

****Elliot Ingber

Profile:

Elliot Ingber played lead guitar with The Mothers around 1965 - 1966, but left shortly thereafter to form the Fraternity Of Man with Richie Hayward and Martin Kibbee. In the mid-seventies, Elliot Ingber played for a while with Captain Beefheart.

Before the Mothers, Elliot Ingber had played with the Moondogs and with the Gamblers.

Brother of Ira Ingber.

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