1) Stranger was forme… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Stranger was formed in Florida, USA, during 1981 by Greg Billings (vocals), Ronnie Garvin (guitar), Tom (King) Cardenas (bass) and John Price (drums).
Named "Lynxx" and then "Romeo" before settling on Stranger, the band was discovered by record producer Tom Werman (Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent & Mötley Crüe among others) and recorded their first nationally released album shortly after being signed to Epic Records/CBS Records in 1981, but received little record company support, promotion or publicity. Their self titled first album contained the track "Swamp Woman" which arguably remains their most well known song which, along with the opening track "Jackie's So Bad," received moderate airplay on Florida radio and other markets throughout the U.S. The band toured the southeast and became the biggest drawing circuit club band ever. Stranger also opened shows nationally for Triumph, Quiet Riot, UFO, Skid Row, Aldo Nova, Eddie Money and many other big name acts of the time.
The group was paid to cease-and-desist while recording their second album for Epic, which was par for the course with many rock acts in the early '80s when pop, new wave and post-punk were the darlings of the record companies before hair-metal rock grabbed a foothold; a classic case of the right place at the wrong time.
During the interim period between the contract with Epic and their self produced and released second album No Rules, Stranger toured heavily throughout Florida. Stranger was "a Florida band" and gained a fanatical following throughout Florida. Fans became familiar with the songs on the second album long before its release. Other support and respect would come from the musicians who played with the band. In 1983, touring with Aldo Nova and UFO on the west coast for about five weeks, the rock acts Tesla and Kings X both saw the group and both bands became fans. Tesla actually covered a Stranger song "Jackie's So Bad" in their early days.[1]
Strong songwriting and better production values than their first release, No Rules contained the tracks "Gimmie The Rock," "Mama Mama," "Wrong Side of the Tracks," "We Were Wrong," "Swamp Woman," "Autumn Time Again," "No Rules," "Hit and Run," "3-D," "One More Night," "Alligator Joe" and "Thunder Bay." Stranger was a respected musical force during its time, often associated with more nationally known names such as Pat Travers, Molly Hatchet, Mother's Finest (which they would play at the opening of their live shows) and fellow Tampa band Outlaws.
Stranger was endorsed by Peavey Electronics, and developed a loyalty to Tampa music store Paragon. Bassist Tom King played Peavey foundation basses, including a "Gator Bass" designed to honor the University of Florida Gator football team through Peavey Megabass amplifiers. After the Peavey endorsement, guitarist Ronnie Garvin played Peavey VTM 120 amps and speaker cabinets live. John Price was endorsed by REMO Drums and received many shipments of drums and accessories from REMO. Ronnie and Tom were also endorsed by Dean Markley Strings, and the band was also endorsed by Viking Cases.
At the end of the decade, they were offered a new deal with Atlantic Records, but refused it after seeing the same dubious contract clauses and pending pitfalls they experienced with their previous contract. Also their previous manager helped put a monkey-wrench in the deal by declaring he still had ownership of management indirectly from the previous contract. Failure to find a major label deal didn't faze them much as the band release a series of self-distributed LP/EP releases on their own Thunderbay label and produced their own videos over a span of 15 years.
Their next album, No More Dirty Deals, was probably the best mixed album. This album contains the tracks "Let Me Rock 'n Roll," "She's A Dancer," "(This Time) Gonna Love You Baby," "I Know I Tried," "Okeechobee Whiskey," "Runnin In the Red," "No More Dirty Deals," "End of the Line," "Can't Keep a Good Man Down," "Long Gone," a Dedication to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stranger followed No More Dirty Deals with a live album We Be Live, the first album since their first not to contain Randy Holt on keyboards. This album contains the tracks "Intro/Bad Bad Day," "Get On Up," "Mama Mama," "Face To Face," "Shakedown," "She's A Dancer," "Okeechobee Whiskey," "Clear Blue Morning," "Wrong Side of the Tracks," "I Bark But I Don't Bite," "Gonna Love You Baby," "Play Somethin Good (Somethin I Can Dance To)," "Thunder Bay," "Dedication to Stevie Ray" and "Swamp Woman." Their final album, Angry Dogs, contained the tracks "Take Your Best Shot," "Red Light," "Girl That Bad (Should Never Look So Good)," "I'm The Man You're Looking For," "Play Somethin Good (Something I Can Dance To)," "Poke Salad," "She Just Can't Get Enough," "Never Look Back," "Clear Blue Morning," "Kid Gone Bad" and "#1 With A Bullet." The Stranger catalog has been re-released on retrospect records.
The fact that the band was able to survive and thrive for what was essentially a self-promoted local/regional club band at that time was no small feat prior to advent of the Internet.
Lead singer Greg Billings and Bassist Tom King are still performing together regularly under the name "Greg Billings Band". www.gregbillingsband.com
Discography:
1982 - Stranger - Epic/Sony Music
1989 - No Rules - Thunder Bay
1991 - No More Dirty Deals Thunder Bay
1993 - We Be Live - Thunder Bay
1995 - Angry Dogs - Thunder Bay
3) Deathrock/Punk band out of Boston. http://wearestranger.bandcamp.com
4) Stranger is 27 years old and started making strange sounds with computers 5 years ago after a short trip to Goa.He released some tracks with friends for Manic Dragon (Multiple Personalities) and Insomnia(Kindzadza and Friends)..and a solo track for Parvati Records(Psy Stories).
5) Stranger is a Reggae /Soul Rock band based out of San Diego California.
6) Stranger was a German Heavy Metal band formed in 1984 in Senden. They released 2 albums in their career.
The Bell Full-length, 1985
Pretty Angels Full-length, 1990
7) - Bedford, England based band, Stranger was the name of an early incarnation of the band Tobruk.
7) Stranger is a Rotterdam-based Techno DJ/Producer from The Netherlands. He surfaced musically in 2014 with his productions quickly being picked up by established names as Sven Vath, Dave Clarke, Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock, giving his career aswell as his own Self Reflektion imprint a major kick-start. Ever since, he's been responsible for the highly anticipated TAFKAMP project as well as several well received label-projects (Paling Trax, Perspektiv, Revenge Techniques). These days his name can be found on Techno line-ups worldwide, being a returning guest at some of its biggest clubs and events such as Unpolished, Awakenings, Tresor and many more. This is not your average 'unknown artist'...
wheels
Stranger Lyrics
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But never in the same place twice
Chase the thrill
Place your bets and spin the wheel
Finally the penny drops
Straight into a Vegas slot
Steal twenty quid from my son
Back a horse at fifty to one
Wonder where the money's all gone
What the hell have I done
Drink a bottle of rum
Poker Faced
Sleight of hand then play your ace
Hit the high
Take your chance and roll the dice
Finally the penny drops
Straight into a Vegas slot
I'm done
Steal twenty quid from my son
Back a horse at fifty to one
Wonder where the money's all gone
What the hell have I done
Drink a bottle of rum
Lightning strikes
But never in the same place twice
Chase the thrill
Place your bets and spin the wheel
Finally the penny drops
Straight into a Vegas slot
I'm done
Steal twenty quid from my son
Back a horse at fifty to one
Wonder where the money's all gone
What the hell have I done
Drink a bottle of rum
The song "Wheels" by Stranger revolves around the theme of gambling, risking everything for the chance of winning big. The first verse starts with the line, "Lightning strikes but never in the same place twice," which symbolizes the unpredictability and excitement of gambling. The second line, "Chase the thrill, place your bets and spin the wheel," further emphasizes the addictive nature of the game and how it gives people a sense of power and control over their own lives.
The chorus repeats the line "Finally the penny drops, straight into a Vegas slot," which is a metaphor for the inevitability of losing all one's money while gambling. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the idea of gambling being a never-ending cycle of winning and losing.
The second verse talks about different types of gambling such as playing poker and rolling the dice. The line "sleight of hand then play your ace" suggests the idea of cheating in gambling, which is not uncommon in the world of casinos.
The final verse echoes the same sentiments as the first verse, emphasizing the theme of unpredictability of gambling once again. The song ends with the line "drink a bottle of rum," which can be seen as a way to soothe the pain of losing.
Overall, "Wheels" by Stranger is a song about the highs and lows of gambling and how it can become an addiction that is hard to overcome.
Line by Line Meaning
Lightning strikes
The thrill of gambling is unpredictable and can deliver unexpected wins, just like lightning.
But never in the same place twice
This thrill cannot be easily replicated - there's always a risk involved.
Chase the thrill
Gambling is all about the rush and feeling of excitement it can provide.
Place your bets and spin the wheel
Gambling is about taking chances and making decisions that could change your life in an instant.
Finally the penny drops
After all the anticipation and buildup from gambling, there comes a moment of realization.
Straight into a Vegas slot
This realization can lead to losing everything that was just won or even more.
I'm done
The gambler has reached the end of their spree and likely has no more money left.
Steal twenty quid from my son
The desperation brought on by gambling can lead to unethical and harmful decisions.
Back a horse at fifty to one
The temptation to partake in high-risk betting can be too strong to resist.
Wonder where the money's all gone
After a gambling binge, it's common to feel lost and confused about where all the money went.
What the hell have I done
The guilt and regret of gambling can lead to self-blame and shame.
Drink a bottle of rum
Alcohol is often consumed during or after gambling to cope with the consequences and emotions.
Poker Faced
A term used to describe keeping emotions hidden while gambling to prevent giving away information about one's cards.
Sleight of hand then play your ace
Trickery and manipulation of cards or games can be used to gain an advantage or cheat.
Hit the high
The feeling of winning can lead to chasing more successes and betting larger amounts.
Take your chance and roll the dice
Gambling involves taking calculated risks and hoping for the best outcomes.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Darren Morris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Heybromn Crowley
Epic killer song!!!
ThrashMetalMassacre
Sounds amazing. Great job remastering this gem.