- A ringing guitar riff and a monstrously hooky chorus make for a long-lost Madonna classic, finally available again.
- The 1985 film Vision Quest featured one of Madonna's most iconic early songs, "Crazy For You," a single that has featured on almost every major compilation she's released. That one was written for her, but while she was working on those sessions, she wrote her own song, too: "Gambler," which played out over the film's opening credits. Due to the usual record label fuckery, "Gambler"—released on Geffen bacause of the film, while Madonna was signed to Sire—was never released as a single in the US, and languished in obscurity for nearly 40 years, with the import 12-inches remaining an essential collectors item for diehard fans.
Last month, at the request of Madonna herself, "Gambler" (and its fantastic extended mix) finally came to streaming in all its blustery mid-'80s glory. Musically, it's set almost perfectly between Like A Virgin and True Blue, a little rock and a little disco. But it would be a highlight on either of those legendary albums. Over a lunging beat that's the stuff of the best aerobics videos, Madonna inhabits a boastful, assertive character at least partly inspired by the film's older-woman protagonist. But the best thing, aside from Madonna's husky lower register on the chorus, is the sterling guitar riff, a four-note melody that has to be one of the catchiest in Madonna's discography, locking into Jellybean Benitez's excellent synthetic bass. Put aside "Material Girl," "Burning Up" and "Open Your Heart" for a second, and get a load of this one. Madonna's songwriting is rarely as championed as everything else about her, but this one proves that even back then, she could hold her own just fine.