Totally Nifty Albums 3: Bert Weedon Gold
By Tyler Zahnke
@mininifty (160)
Belmont, Michigan
June 2, 2026 8:27pm CST
Though many Americans don't know it, Bert Weedon was often nicknamed "the man who taught the world to play guitar", despite really only being known in England. His successes in the world of instrumental electric guitar music span many decades, starting in the early 1950s, and he helped invent the genre that came to be known as surf rock, along with having the first rock instrumental on a UK chart. This 2003 compilation by KPM Music spans from the early 50s to the mid 70s, though they are listed in a purely aesthetic order, not chronological.
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4 responses
@FourWalls (86793)
• United States
3 Jun
Yeah!!! That’s what I’m talkin’ about!!! Great stuff!!! Thanks for shining the light on him!
2 people like this
@mininifty (160)
• Belmont, Michigan
3 Jun
Thanks. This is the kind of music that really brought my inner musician out, even though I've always been a musician!
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@FourWalls (86793)
• United States
3 Jun
@mininifty — that’s the kind of music that makes me think my guitar is better suited for toothpicks and dental floss. (Felt that way after I saw Richard Thompson in Bloomington, Indiana in 2012.)
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@mininifty (160)
• Belmont, Michigan
3 Jun
Yes, I first got the album around this time nine years ago, right around the time I graduated high school. So this album reminds me of a graduation party, especially the first few tracks.
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@mininifty (160)
• Belmont, Michigan
3 Jun
This music is the gateway to the rock 'n' roll soul!
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@Traceyjayne (11437)
• United Kingdom
3 Jun
I love your post. Mainly as Bert was a dear family friend, we were very close to him and his lovely wife Maggie.
His book ‘ play in a day ‘ became very famous.
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@mininifty (160)
• Belmont, Michigan
4 Jun
Wow, I better check into that book! I only really know about this album because I saw it nine years ago when browsing the KPM Music record company catalogue, and that inspired me to look at some more of his albums out of curiosity. But I think it's really cool that you actually know him! I feel lucky to be an American who knows about him.
@mininifty (160)
• Belmont, Michigan
4 Jun
@Traceyjayne He sure seemed like it. He had a spirit that reminded me of Eric Kershaw meets Martin Kershaw; I think Eric had a similar book, but it was more of a simple chord book.
@Traceyjayne (11437)
• United Kingdom
4 Jun
@mininifty I’m afraid I don’t know the people you mention.
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