Hard-working blues muso, heavily chronicled in the (brilliant) ‘Stranded in Paradise‘ book on kiwi music.
Gamble was an English Immigrant who settled in Whangerei in 1963 as an 11 year old, picking up singing as a member of the Pukeroa family group at Whangerei’s Portland Youth Club. For years Gamble practice guitar privately, eventually becoming a pick-up musician with local blues artists.
Gamble moved to Auckland in 1974 and established himself as a fulltime musician when he formed the popular group Street Talk – but the early years were turbulent, with Gamble breaking up and reforming the group several times.
Eventually the group would find some fame (one highlight is creating the soundtrack for the brilliant kiwi feature film Goodbye Pork Pie), but by 1980 Gamble was already releasing music under his own name, with major label backing. In 1984 the single ‘Midnight’ earned Gamble the famed APRA Silver Scroll.
Discography
- I Wish I’d Never Asked Her 7″ Single (1980, WEA, Z 10039)
- Hammond Gamble And Jaqui Fitzgerald – Till The Morning Comes Again 7″ Single (1982, Festival Records, K-8963)
- Every Whisper Shouts (1983, C.S.M.)
- Midnight (1983, C.S.M.)
- If You’ve Got Love 7″ (1983, C.S.M., CSM 702)
- Somewhere Somehow Someone Needs A Hand 7″ Single (1983, RCA Victor, 104137)
- Hamond Gamble and Beaver – Should I Be Good Should I Be Evil 7″ Single (1984, WEA Records Limited, 7259276)
- Jewel In The Sea 7″ Single (1986, WEA, AC 1)
- Photograph Of Your Heart 7″ Single (1987, WEA, HAM 1)
- Plugged In And Blue (1995, SDL Music, SCD025)
- Recollection (2006, Liberation Blue, BLUE089.2)
- Ninety Mile Days (2008, Liberation Blue, BLUE1602)
- Plugged In And Blue Live At The Gluepot (2012, Liberation Music, LMCD0203)