The Silver Bullet Band was formed in 1974. Its original members were:
* Drew Abbott, guitar
* Charlie Allen Martin, drums
* Rick Mannassa, keyboards
* Chris Campbell, bass guitar
* Alto Reed, saxophones, flutes, acoustic guitar, keyboards and percussion.
Seger himself did all lead vocals and plays guitar and piano.
In 1975 Mannassa was replaced by Robyn Robbins on keyboards, who in 1980 was replaced by Craig Frost. Around 1977 Martin was replaced by Dave Teegarden on drums, who in 1983 was replaced by Don Brewer. In 1982 Abbott was replaced by Dawayne Bailey on guitar.
Seger has almost always used session musicians, most notably The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, on his albums as well.
In 1974 Seger formed the Silver Bullet Band and released the album Seven (credited to Bob Seger), which contained the Detroit-area hard rock hit "Get Out of Denver". This track that was a modest success and charted at #80 nationally.
In April 1976 Seger and the Silver Bullet Band had an even bigger commercial breakthrough with the album Live Bullet, recorded over two nights in Detroit's Cobo Arena in September 1975. The album stayed on the Billboard charts for 168 weeks, peaking at #34 which was Seger's highest charting album at the time. It also contained Seger's hit rendition of Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits" (#69 US) as well as Seger's own classic take on life on the road, "Turn the Page", from Back in '72. It also included his late 1960s successful releases — "Heavy Music" and "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man".
Critic Dave Marsh later wrote that "Live Bullet is one of the best live albums ever made ... In spots, particularly during the medley of 'Travelin' Man'/'Beautiful Loser', Seger sounds like a man with one last shot at the top." An instant best-seller in Detroit, Live Bullet quickly began to get attention in other parts of the country. In June 1976 he was a featured performer at the Pontiac Silverdome outside Detroit in front of nearly 80,000 fans. Only three nights before in Chicago, Seger had played before 50 people in a bar.
Seger and the Silver Bullet Band achieved a commercial breakthrough with their 1976 album Night Moves which featured several hits including the highly evocative title song. Subsequently Seger had success with rockers such as "Hollywood Nights" and mellower mid-tempo ballads such as "We've Got Tonight", "Fire Lake" (recorded 1979, and featured Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit, and Glen Frey on backing vocals) and "Against the Wind". His most recognizable songs are almost certainly "Old Time Rock & Roll" (featured in the film Risky Business) and "Like a Rock" (most familiar to many younger Americans through its association with a long-running Chevrolet ad campaign).
Seger and the Silver Bullet Band released The Distance in 1982. Critically praised for representing a tougher sound than some of Seger's recent material, the album spawned hits with Rodney Crowell's "Shame on the Moon" (which also did moderately well as a country music song), "Even Now", and "Roll Me Away". But perhaps because Seger and his band were ill-equipped to exploit the new MTV era, Seger's album sales dropped noticeably, with The Distance only selling approximately 1 million copies. The following year country music superstar Kenny Rogers would team up with pop singer Sheena Easton to cover "We've Got Tonight". This version was a world wide hit and was so successful Rogers used it as the title cut to one of his own albums. In 1984 Seger wrote and recorded with his band the power rock ballad "Understanding" for the "Teachers" movie soundtrack. The song was a mild Top 40 hit in 1985.
Seger and the Silver Bullet Band were no longer as prolific and four years elapsed before their next studio album, 1986's Like a Rock emerged. The fast-paced "American Storm" garnered both pop and rock airplay, and "Like a Rock" became yet another successful Seger ballad. Later it would become familiar to many Americans through its association with a long-running Chevrolet ad campaign (something Seger explicitly chose to do to support struggling American automobile workers in Detroit). Seger's 1986-1987 American Storm Tour was his self-stated last major tour, playing 105 shows over 9 months and selling almost 1.5 million tickets. Like a Rock sold over a million copies and went platinum.
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band's next record was 1991's The Fire Inside, at a time when glam metal, grunge and alternative rock were all taking the forefront. Seger's new music found little visibility on radio or elsewhere. The same was true of 1995's It's a Mystery, however the album was certified Gold (500,000 copies sold). In between, however, his Greatest Hits compilation was a major success, achieving sales of over 8 million units through late 2006. Seger did go back on the road again for a 1996 tour, which was successful and sold the fourth-largest number of tickets of any North American tour that year.
Seger and his band has recently released his first new album in 11 years, titled Face the Promise (credited to Bob Seger) (with guest appearances from Patty Loveless and Detroiter Kid Rock). In its first 45 days, the album sold more than 400,000 copies, according to Soundscan. The album has sold over 1 million copies to date and stayed on the Billboard chart for months. His supporting tour has also been eagerly anticipated, with many shows selling out within minutes. Showing that Seger's legendary appeal in Michigan had not diminished, all 15,000 tickets available for his first show at Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena sold out in under five minutes; three additional shows were subsequently added, each of which also sold out.
The Encyclopedia of Rock And Roll stated that "His throaty, authoritative delivery is a pleasure to listen to, and the Silver Bullet Band is superb."
Events in late March of 2007 suggested that Seger may move on from Capitol Records because those who had worked with him to this point are now gone from the label. The same press release also confirmed Seger's intention to release a live CD/DVD package chronicling his Face the Promise tour at some point in the fall.
"Face the Promise" Tour 2006-2007 Lineup:
# Chris Campbell, Bass Guitar, since 1969
# Alto Reed, Saxaphones, since 1972
# Craig Frost, Keyboards, Piano, 25 years
# Mark Chatfield, Lead Guitar (Rythm Guitar 1983, 1996 Tours)
# Shaun Murphy, Backing vocals, since 1973
# Laura Creamer, Backing vocals, since 1968
# Don Brewer, Drums, (also 1983 Tour)
# Jim "Moose" Brown, Guitar and Keyboard
# Barbara Payton, backing vocals
Shakedown
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No matter who you think you know you won't get through
It's a given L.A. law
Someone's faster on the draw
No matter where you hide I'm comin' after you
Yeah
No matter how the race is run it always ends the same
You can shake me for a while
Live it up in style
No matter what you do I'm gonna take you down
[Chorus]
Shakedown
Breakdown
Takedown
Everybody wants into the crowded line
Breakdown
Takedown
You're busted
Let down
Your guard
Honey, just about the time you're thinkin' it's alright
Breakdown
Takedown
You're busted
This is a town where everyone is reachin' for the top
This is a place where second best will never do
It's okay to want to shine
But once you step across that line
No matter where you hide I'm comin' after you
[Chorus]
The song "Shakedown" by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band is a commentary on the competitive and cutthroat nature of life in Los Angeles, particularly in the entertainment industry. The lyrics suggest that no matter how hard you try or who you know, success and happiness will often be elusive. The phrase "Shakedown, Breakdown, Takedown" reflects the feeling of constantly being under pressure and scrutiny, with failure looming just around the corner. The repetition of the phrase "No matter what you do I'm gonna take you down" adds to the sense of inevitability and hopelessness.
The verses also speak to the idea that success in L.A. can be fleeting, with people constantly being replaced and forgotten. The line "Another room without a view awaits downtown" highlights the transience of fame and fortune. The pre-chorus contains a warning that once you cross certain lines, there's no going back. The chorus serves as a kind of anthem for the never-ending struggle of trying to make it in a city that often doesn't care about the individual. The song ends on a melancholy note, suggesting that even when things seem to be going well, the other shoe could drop at any moment.
Line by Line Meaning
No matter what you think you pull you'll find it's not enough
No matter how much you try, you'll never be able to deceive me
No matter who you think you know you won't get through
You may have connections, but they carry no weight with me
It's a given L.A. law
In Los Angeles, the law is always enforced
Someone's faster on the draw
I'm quicker to react and take action than you are
No matter where you hide I'm comin' after you
You may try to evade me, but I will relentlessly pursue you
No matter how the race is run it always ends the same
No matter how the situation plays out, I will always come out on top
Another room without a view awaits downtown
Once captured, you will be taken to a holding cell with no windows
You can shake me for a while
You may be able to avoid me temporarily
Live it up in style
You may enjoy your freedom while you have it
No matter what you do I'm gonna take you down
Despite your efforts, I will ultimately capture you
Shakedown
I will take you into custody
Breakdown
You will crumble under pressure
Takedown
I will apprehend you
Everybody wants into the crowded line
Many people are involved in illegal activities and will eventually end up in custody
You're busted
You've been caught
Let down
You've disappointed those who trusted you
Your guard
You are vulnerable and unprotected
Honey, just about the time you're thinkin' it's alright
When you think you've escaped, that's when I will strike
Breakdown
You will crumble under pressure
Takedown
I will apprehend you
You're busted
You've been caught
This is a town where everyone is reachin' for the top
This is a city where everyone is striving for success
This is a place where second best will never do
In this city, only the best will succeed
It's okay to want to shine
Ambition is acceptable and even admirable
But once you step across that line
Once you break the law or engage in illegal activities
No matter where you hide I'm comin' after you
I will tirelessly pursue you, no matter where you try to hide
Shakedown
I will take you into custody
Breakdown
You will crumble under pressure
Takedown
I will apprehend you
You're busted
You've been caught
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: L RUSSELL BROWN, LARRY RUSSELL BROWN, RAYMOND BLOODWORTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind