| Gangster of Love | |
| Cover: | JWGangsterofLove.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Johnny "Guitar" Watson |
| B-Side: | One Room Country Shack |
| Recorded: | 1957 |
| Genre: | Blues |
| Length: | 2:48 |
| Label: | Keen |
"Gangster of Love" is a blues song recorded by Johnny "Guitar" Watson in 1957. When he re-recorded the song in 1978, it became a hit. It is perhaps Watson's best known song and several artists have recorded interpretations.
Johnny "Guitar" Watson first recorded a demo version of "Gangster of Love" while he was with RPM Records in the mid-1950s.[1] In 1957, he recorded a version of the song, a mid-tempo blues shuffle featuring a stop-time arrangement, which was released by Keen Records.[1] The single did not appear in the record charts. However, with Johnny Otis producing, Watson re-recorded the song in 1963 for King Records. The newer recording gained wider exposure,[1] but again did not reach the charts.
In 1978, during his "flamboyant funkster" phase, Watson's recorded an updated "Gangster of Love" for DJM Records. It became a hit, reaching number 32 during a stay of thirteen weeks on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart.[2] The song was a feature of his live shows, with some performances playing up the gangster theme with a simulated siren and a mock police bulletin. Most versions open with:
Author David Ritz has identified "Gangster of Love" as Watson's "most famous song"[3] and the different recordings have been released on numerous compilations of Watson's music.[4] Additionally, the song has been adapted by a variety of artists.[5] The Steve Miller Band recorded it for their album Sailor (1968). In an album review for AllMusic, Amy Hanson commented:In 1973, "The Joker", written by Miller, was his first number one hit and included the line "some call me the gangster of love".