Gambler (Madonna song)

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"Gambler"

Single by Madonna
from the album Vision Quest Soundtrack
Released	October 3, 1985 (EU) October 21, 1985 (JP)
Format	Vinyl (12") CD Single Vinyl (7")
Recorded	1985
Genre	Pop
Length	3 m 55 s
Label	Geffen
Producer(s)	John "Jellybean" Benitez
Chart positions
#4 (UK Singles Chart) #10 (Australia)
Madonna singles chronology
"Dress You Up" (1985)	"Gambler" (1985)	"Live To Tell" (1986)

"Gambler" is the second single American singer Madonna released from the 1985 soundtrack to the film "Vision Quest".

It was not released in the United States but was in other parts of the world, notably in the United Kingdom where it was a top 5 hit. The single was the last of Madonna's commercially available songs to have been entirely self-penned. The majority of songs from her subsequent career have been co-written by her, and credited as such, though "Gambler" would be her last with a full songwriting credit.

The video for "Gambler" is similar to "Crazy For You", with Madonna singing the song along with clips culled from the film "Vision Quest". Another video was lifted from a live performance of her "Virgin Tour". Later, "Gambler" and "Crazy For You" would be released by Geffen Records as a 7" "back-to-back hits" single.

As the song was recorded on the Geffen label, it was rumored in the music press that a commercial issuing of the single in the US was suppressed at the request of Madonna's Sire records management. It was feared that commercial availability of yet another single by Madonna would have been detrimental to the other singles from the "Like A Virgin" album and the already available, Geffen-distributed "Crazy For You", all of which were performing well in the Billboard charts. Whether the song could have been another US Top 5 hit for the singer in 1985 will remain unknown, though in some other markets "Gambler" was Madonna's sixth consecutive Top ten hit in the space of just eleven months. At one stage, this was one of four of Madonna singles simultaneously in the Australian top 40, showing the singer's incredible international appeal at the time.

The UK 12" single (1985 Geffen Records UK #TA 6585) contained the extended dance mix, instrumental remix and the song "Nature of the Beach" by Black n' Blue. The 7" single (Geffen 42005 - 1985) had the original version and "Nature of the Beach" by Black n' Blue.

"Gambler" remains the only one of Madonna's singles never to have been made available on any of her albums, barring her guest appearance on Britney Spears' single "Me Against The Music".