On October 12 1985, Madonna’s Gambler debuted at #20 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was included on the Vision Quest soundtrack (along with Crazy For You) and released by Geffen Records. Madonna’s record company, Sire Records, prevented Gambler from being released as a single in the USA.
After two weeks on the chart, Gambler peaked at #4. It also reached #3 in Italy and #10 in Australia.
With Gambler‘s success, Madonna became the first female artist to rack up 8 UK top-ten singles in one calendar year.
Gambler was Madonna’s highest charting single in the UK that was entirely self-written. In the U.S. Lucky Star earned this distinction, reaching #4 on the Hot 100.
I would love to obtain Vision Quest someday-it’s on my Madonna wishlist-as Crazy for You and I’m a Gambler are great Madonna songs!
The photos look brillant. My favorite is the one showing Madonna holding the microphone cord with her left hand. I sang “Gambler” and “Crazy For You” at a music studio showcase where I am a student at. Both performances were very good. They can be seen on YouTube.