Blood, Sweat & Tears – "Go Down Gamblin'" (1971)

I've been called a natural lover

By that lady over there

Honey, I'm just a natural gambler

But I try to do my share

Heaven help you if you’re a sports bettor – there are no sporting events to bet on these days.

Offshore betting sites are offering opportunities to bet on the weather – expected maximum temperature or the amount of rainfall in Houston on Saturday? – or who will win American Idol.  

That’s not quite as satisfying to your hardcore sports bettors as being able to bet on who will win the Masters or Wimbledon or the next Yankees-Red Sox matchup, but I suppose it’s better than nothing.

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I’ve had a lot of time to think deep thoughts over the last couple of weeks.

Here are a few of the questions I’ve been pondering, all of which are suitable for wagering on if you're a hardcore gambler:

1.  Will the American birth rate go up nine months from now, or will it go down?  (I’m guessing married women will give birth to more babies, but the birth rate for unmarried women may go down.  But I could be wrong.)

2.  Will the average American gain weight or lose weight over the weeks (months?) that we self-quarantine?  (No one’s ever lost money betting that Americans will get fatter, and that’s where I’m putting my money.)

3.  We are already up to our necks in Monday-morning quarterbacking about how we responded to the pandemic, and I don’t see any sign that the second-guessing curve will start to flatten any time soon.  (Some will say President Trump moved too slowly, while others will say he and the government overreacted.  Some will say that Governor Cuomo’s actions and words were admirable, while others will say that he screwed the pooch and was responsible for the disaster that is New York City.  Cuomo is blaming Mayor de Blasio, perhaps for good reason – de Blasio was awfully blasé about the pandemic.)  Let’s say the over/under for the number of commentaries on the pandemic relying on 20/20 hindsight that will appear in print by the end of the year is a million gazillion and one – do you take the over or the under?  (I take the over.)

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Today’s featured song was written by David Clayton-Thomas, who succeeded Al Kooper as the frontman of Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Clayton-Thomas’s lyrics are as phony as a three-dollar bill, and his lead vocals – he growls, he yells, he sings falsetto, he interjects “Lord, Lord!” when he can’t think of anything else to do – are waaaaay over the top.

David Clayton-Thomas

Despite that, the record is a stick of dynamite.  The members of BS&T's brass and rhythm sections are technically very accomplished, and they really cut loose on this recording.  The horns are used very effectively to fill in the gaps in the first two verses and choruses when Clayton-Thomas isn't singing.  

But all that is merely a warmup for the eight-bar bridge that begins at 3:08 and leads into the final chorus.  It’s barely 15 seconds long, but it may be the most powerful 15 seconds of horn playing I've ever heard on a rock record.

Click here to listen to “Go Down Gamblin’.”

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