Historical Society ventures onto new ground with surf band concert.

The reverberating electric guitar sounds of ‘60s surf music is coming to the aid of turn-of-the-century houses in Redondo Beach.

“We’re a small organization and we have to raise funds now,” said Candice Cox, fund-raising chairwoman of the Redondo Beach Historical Society, which is sponsoring “A Night With the Ventures”--one of the bands that pioneered surf music 25 years ago. The event is scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. in Redondo Union High School Auditorium.

Though the concert was planned months ago, it gained urgency last week when the City Council approved a plan to save two historic homes from demolition by moving them to a city playground. While the city is paying for the move, it’s up to the 6-year-old historical society and private donors to fund the restoration.

“We’ve never done a major fund-raiser before, but we seem to be in it now for life,” said Cox, explaining that restoring one of the homes--the rustic, wooden Craftsman-style Morrell House--will cost about $200,000. “The society will take the lead in raising restoration funds.”

Society President Jonathan Eubanks said the group hopes to make $15,000 through the sale of concert tickets, which are available through Ticketmaster or at the door on Saturday. “If this is a success, we’ll have more (concerts),” said Eubanks, adding that until now, the society has relied solely on a June historic home tour to raise money.

Eubanks said that when planning for the concert began in July, surf music and the Ventures were a natural.

“Surf music is a part of the South Bay culture, especially in Redondo Beach, which had the first surfer in the continental United States,” said Eubanks. He was referring to George Freeth, who was brought to Redondo Beach from Hawaii with his surfboard by Henry Huntington, builder of the “Red Car” interurban rail system, to attract tourists to Redondo Beach at the end of World War I, he said.

According to Alan Ostroff, owner of Go Boy Records in Redondo Beach, surf music--largely instrumental at first--emerged in the late 1950s and was strongly identified with the Southern California coast: “The South Bay, Santa Monica, Orange County, all along the coast where surfing was really big.”

It was characterized by reverberating electric guitars--which used rudimentary electronics to create an echoing effect. The music’s aim was to give “the feeling of riding a wave,” Ostroff said.

The Ventures were one of the early groups to begin riding the wave of surf music. It retains original members Mel Taylor on drums and Bob Bogle, Don Wilson and Jerry McGee on guitars. Pianist Wade Preston has joined them. The Ventures’ big hit, which they’ll play Saturday, was “Walk Don’t Run.” The group also played the theme to the television series “Hawaii Five-O.”

The Rolling Stone Record Guide says that original instrumental surf music was later augmented by songs that had lyrics. The Beach Boys--who came out of Hawthorne--created a national craze with such songs about youth, sun, cars, girls and the beach.

Now that the the two historic homes are saved, the historical society’s Cox said the group is thinking of ways to use the Morrell House, which will be moved to Perry Allison Playfield at 190th St. and Cluster Lane. She said the society’s museum may be moved there, and a research library and shop that sells historic memorabilia may be added.

The second home that was saved from demolition, the Queen Ann Cottage, also is being moved to the playground, and the society is trying to rescue a third, the Venable House. “It’s still up for grabs,” said Eubanks.

What: “A Night With the Ventures.”

When: Saturday, 8 p.m.

Where: Redondo Union High School Auditorium, Pacific Coast Highway at Diamond Street, Redondo Beach.

Admission: $12, $15. Available through Ticketmaster (480-3232) or at the door.