Song: “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”
Bob Seger’s first hit from the late 1960s still crushes, despite the weird drums
Massively popular in the Detroit area before becoming a worldwide phenomenon and one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, Bob Seger performed and recorded with the groups Bob Seger and the Last Heard as well as the Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s.
He broke through with his first album, Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, in 1969 thanks to its title track, which reached #17 on the charts — the first of many Top 20 hits Seger would pen and perform.
In 1973, Seger put together the Silver Bullet Band, consisting of a group of Detroit-area musicians. They would break through permanently in 1976 with the release of their concert album, Live Bullet.
- Along with his other major live album, Nine Tonight, the heat of Seger’s live performances can still singe your eyelashes.
With an economical 2:23 runtime, “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” remained a stalwart in his live shows through 1983, when he retired it until bringing it back in 2006.
When you hear Seger sing, remember he was 25 years old at the time . . .
The original studio version, released in mono, wasn’t available until it was included on Seger’s 2011 compilation album Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets.
Seger has sold over 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. His farewell tour took place in 2018-19.
“Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” has also been performed in concert by such acts as Gov’t Mule, The Black Keys, The Guess Who, and Bruce Springsteen.
- Notice the weird toms above shoulder height for the drummer with their sound directed through conduit forward. Not something that has become standard . . .
Enjoy!
