“Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” is likely one of the most vital songs in Bob Seger’s illustrious catalog. An exhilarating blast of hi-octane rock ‘n’ roll, it supplied Seger together with his first nationwide U.S. High 20 hit and led to the album of the identical title making the High 75 of the Billboard 200 within the spring of 1969.
On reflection, the industrious, Detroit-born singer-songwriter was lengthy overdue some recognition. Gigging tirelessly with acts equivalent to The Decibels and The City Criers throughout the 60s, Seger scored a giant native hit together with his crunching garage-rocker “East Side Story” in 1966 – and he regarded like he was about to safe some Billboard chart success with ‘67’s “Heavy Music” till his label, Cameo-Parkway, out of the blue went out of enterprise.
Hearken to Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man now.
Lesser performers may need thrown within the towel at this level, however Seger was manufactured from sterner stuff and he saved proper on believing. “In that period, even though we were playing like 250 nights a year, we killed it every night,” he advised Basic Rock in 2017. “I could tell I had something because the audiences wanted me back.”
Seger was proper to stay to his weapons, for the Cameo-Parkway collapse led to Capitol providing him and his newest band, The Bob Seger System, a brand new deal in 1968. One other cult stage hit adopted within the form of the offended, anti-war protest tune “2+2=?” and the band then scored a significant breakthrough with “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”: an lively, dancefloor-friendly rocker pushed by Seger’s hovering vocals and Bob Schultz’s dynamic organ riffs.
“I’ll never forget hearing “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” for the primary time,” Don Brewer from Michigan contemporaries Grand Funk Railroad advised Basic Rock in 2017. “I was saying, ‘man, listen to this – listen to that B3 [Hammond organ]’, ‘cos we were totally R&B guys. [That song] was so cool!”
Rock followers of all stripes agreed and “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” climbed the Billboard Sizzling 100, finally peaking at No. 17. Its success prompted Capitol to launch a Bob Seger System album, with the file – additionally titled Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man – showing in April 1969. A proto-punk basic with a compelling, but primitive energy, the album included among the most aggressive songs Seger ever put his title to, together with “Down Home” and the sprawling, bass-heavy “Black Eyed Girl,” nevertheless it once more discovered an viewers, making No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and gaining additional publicity for the System.
Whereas there’s little doubt Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man supplied an important spark for Seger, it might take seven extra years of fixed touring and a number of studio album releases earlier than he returned to the Billboard Sizzling 100 together with his 1976 launch, “Night Moves”.
Hearken to Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man now.
