1989 | Peak: #1
A Western Swing spin on “The Gambler.”
Not much to say about it beyond that. It bounces along pleasantly enough, and despite
the recycled life lessons, it still packs a little punch.
It also showcases Strait’s live sound better than most of his singles do, letting the band loose for a surprisingly long time, given the remarkably short 2:34 running time.
Fun fact: the B-side of the single was “Oh Me, Oh My, Sweet Baby”, which would be a top five hit for Diamond Rio a few years later.
Written by Dennis Adkins
Grade: B+
Next: Overnight Success
Previous: What’s Going on in Your World
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkAnOetp2Bs
Another fun fact: Even though co-producer Jimmy Bowen had allowed George Strait to use his road band (the Ace in the Hole band) for several tracks on this and Strait’s previous 2 albums, his road band didn’t go in the studio with George for this track. Former Bob Wills Playboy Johnny Gimble can be heard fiddling, though.
I always felt this was recorded purely because the name was the same as Strait’s band.