Moonlight Gambler

"Moonlight Gambler" is a song written by Bob Hilliard and Phil Springer and performed by Frankie Laine featuring Ray Conniff and His Orchestra. It reached #3 on the U.S. pop chart and #13 on the UK Singles chart in 1957.^[1]

"Moonlight Gambler"
Single by Frankie Laine
B-side	"Lotus Land"
Released	October 29, 1956 (1956-10-29)
Genre	Pop
Length	2:50
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Bob Hilliard, Phil Springer
Producer(s)	Mitch Miller
Frankie Laine singles chronology
"On the Road to Mandalay" (1956) "Moonlight Gambler" (1956) "Love is a Golden Ring" (1957)

The single ranked #32 on Billboard's Year-End top 50 singles of 1957.^[2]

The song begins with a spoken recitation by Laine saying:

"You can gamble for matchsticks,/ You can gamble for Gold,/ The stakes may be heavy or small,/ But, if you haven't gambled for love and lost,/ Then you haven't gambled at all"/ Which is repeated when sung in the Bridge section of the song. Laine's version also features a whistler and a clip clopping sound.

Other versions

• Gene Barry released a version of the song as the B-side to his 1962 single "Red Silk Stockings and Green Perfume".^[3]
• Winifred Atwell released a version of the song on her 2001 compilation album, Best of Winifred Atwell.^[4]
• T. Storm Hunter released a version of the song on his 2010 album, Airways Hotel.^[5]