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Here it is...co-writer and musician Bob Bentley with his vocals, keyboards, and lead guitars on "Nature of the Game." He's from Wareham, England, in his 70s, and has that walked both sides of street wisdom in his vocals. I prefer how he sings it to the previous version I had with Jacob's polished pro vocals. I also like this mix I did better...has more punch.

https://www.johnwalradt.com/music/songs/natureofthegamebob-master_2026april.mp3

Key=F , Tempo 110, Length (m:s)=3:11
Style is _GLOW_UP.STY (Glow Up Honky Tonk Country Rock)

RealTracks in style: 2613:Bass, Electric, FunkPumpingOffbeat8ths Ev 100
RealTracks in style: 1687:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopPromiseGritty4s Ev16 100
RealTracks in style: 2634:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CountryBluesRock Ev 110
RealTracks in style: ~496:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm StoneZ Honky 1 Ev 120
RealDrums in style:BluesRockEv^1-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Open HiHat

|b) FMaj7| C7sus| Gm7| C7|
|a) F| Bb| Gm| C7| F| Bb| Gm7 C| F / Gm7 C|
| F| Bb| Gm| C| F| Bb| Gm7 C| F|
|b) Cm7| Bb| F| Fsus F| Cm7| Bb| C| C7|
|a) F| Bb| Gm| C| F| Bb| Gm7 C| F / Gm7 C|
|b) F|%| Gm| F| Cm7| Bb| Gm7| C|
|a) F| Bb| Gm| C7| F| Bb| Gm7 C| F / Gm7 C|
| F| Bb| Gm| C| F| Bb| Gm7 C| F|
|b) Cm7| Bb| F| Fsus F| Cm7| Bb| C| C7|
| C| C7|
|a) F| Bb| Gm| C| F| Bb| Gm7 C| F|
|a) Gm7 C| F| Gm7 C| Eb| Bb| F| F F...|%|end) F|

NATURE OF THE GAME
Words and music by John Walradt, Bob Bentley, Robert Quigley

It all depends on the cards you play
Sometimes you lose and you have to pay
Sometimes you just have to walk away
It's just the nature of the game.

'Cause if your hopes arise and then go bust
Just keep your dreams and shake off the dust
Your luck will change as you know it must
It's just the nature of the game.

Take a gamble on the next song by the band
Walk up and smile, put your future in the palm of her hand.

Country two-step or romantic slow
She might say yes or she might say no
You won’t find out ‘til the lights get low
It's just the nature of the game.

This is a life without guarantees
Can't always get just what you please
Sometimes this world drives you to your knees
It's just the nature of the game.

So leave your drink, give it a go
Get on your feet, let the good vibes flow
She could be your sweetheart, you just don't know
It's just the nature of the game.

So take a gamble on the song that the band will play
Place your bets and your dreams will be on their way
Oh, your dreams are on their way.

Tear up the floor, make sure you catch her eye
Don't miss your chance, don’t let your life go by
You might regret it if you just don't try
It's just the nature of the game, yeah.

It's just the nature of the game
It's just the nature of the game.

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Rockin' tune, John. Great theme and snappy arrangement. Like what Bob adds to the production. Especially love his lead guitar fills.

Great use of BiaB instruments. I've used those StoneZ RealTracks hundreds of times, and they always sound great.

This does, too.


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John,

Great song and great vocals by Bob. Love the big open mix. Sounds excellent!

Bob

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Hi John, Bob and Robert,

What a wonderful song! A real, unadulterated rocker with a very cool ending!
Bob's voice seems to swing more and more during the song (and he was already good!).

And in terms of lyrics, it really is a song about life! Well, isn't that just the nature of the game / or life?

The band plays along really well in this song. That’s all good, although personally I would have had the electric guitar add some accents in the choruses. It’s not necessary, but something like that immediately adds more dynamics to the song.

But really well done. I enjoyed it!

Hans


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Simple, raw and good old-fashioned rock.
I like the stripped-down arrangement, with only the elements the song needs and gives the singer plenty of room to rock.
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Good song, good vox, good use of BIAB.


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Hi John!
Oh yeah, I love that Cm7! The rest of the chord flow is pretty catchy as well. Bob does a good job on the vocals and guitar, as you do on the writing. Am I right in thinking you’ve told us you and Bob have collaborated on many songs? If this song is anything to go by, it sounds like a great partnership.
Andrew

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John and Bob, this is fantastic. A great vocal Bob. Your guitar chops are second to none. John, you did a fantastic job of blend Bob's tracks to your BiaB tracks. IMHO this is one of if not your best to date.


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Hey, DC. Two of us who use StoneZ can't be wrong! I really like that Glow Up Honky Tonk for a good rocking backing.

Hi, Bob. Thank you! Coming up with a catchy tune is the most exciting thing about songwriting. That big sound is what I was going for. I finally got it when this whole mixing thing I've been experimenting with the last five years finally came together and made sense.

Hi, Hans! Wonderful to see you! Yep, it was a fun rocker to put together! You're right about the lyrics, that's what life is. And I've noticed that Europeans, Australians, and Canadians really appreciate songs about real life that sometimes leave you up in the air or don't always have a happy ending, but express what life really is. Too many songs here in America are about being tough, getting drunk, getting laid, and everything has to be resolved...and it's getting worse.

Hi, Andrew! Yep, I've collaborated with Bob Bentley and Robert Quigley on several songs. Back in 2021, Robert and I were putting together a group of friendly supportive songwriters and we called ourselves The Rising Tide. We met Bob along the way. Our group has six members. Each of us writes words and music. Last year in April, I awoke early morning from a dream with the beginning verse melody and the title, "Nature of the Game." I got up and wrote it down right away, came up with a few words, put it into Band in a Box and sent it right off to Bob and Robert within the hour. They were excited about it. I came up with the rest of the melody, they got working on the lyrics. Bob started arranging and playing the instruments and composed the break. We had it completed that summer.

Yep, BD, only what the song needs! Bob had a great time playing guitars, keyboards, and adding vocals. He's humble about his vocals but I think they're much better and have the grit and honesty that a polished professional vocal just doesn't have.

Thank you, TuneM. I also saw that you're into green. I worked on a Democrat campaign here in Yucaipa and Redlands after seeing Jack Prosobiec start off the 2024 CPAC convention with a keynote that scared me 5hitl3ss! I told my wife we had to get to work right away. That's what my song, "Ride the Wave," is about. https://www.johnwalradt.com/music/videos/ridethewave.mp4. Long live democracy!

Mario, nice to see you! Yep, you're spot on. Bob is FANTASTIC! I love working with him. He is a true pro with his guitars and arranging. I'm happy you enjoyed it! Many thanks!

Sincerely to all, John

Last edited by John Walradt; 04/12/26 10:41 PM. Reason: Change url of song
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Superb on so many levels, John & Bob. I especially like "walked both sides of street wisdom..." description of Bob's vocal. I agree that his vocal is perfect. The lyrics are also perfect, and i like the feel. Everything is so well played and mixed. Very enjoyable listen!!


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

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Hi, Marty! Thank you very much! I forwarded your comments to Bob and he was very pleased. I told him he really underestimated the appeal of his vocals. He thought we should get a commercial vocal on it. Well, we did and it's nice ear candy, but I insisted that his vocals were perfect for the song and all I had to do was to bring out a raw live feel in the mix to compliment his vocals. I achieved it just about a week ago. As the melody goes, it's one of my most catchy and unique. It was in a dream I had in early morning just before I woke. I rushed to my guitar and computer to get it down. I've had a few other songs come from while asleep and those are usually very catchy.

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Hi John,

You, Bob and Robert have done a great song. These song lyrics are great and you've created an excellent backing to showcase them. You kept me involved and entertained every inch of the way. Bob's singing is terrific and it is a perfect fit for the music and words.

I really enjoyed this production a lot.
--Noel


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Catchy country rock song with an upbeat message. I really like the lyrics which contain so many nice facts "This is a life without guarantees/Can't always get just what you please" and on the other hand advices like "Don't miss your chance, don’t let your life go by", always nice to be reminded of these simple universal truths. The life experience expressed by the vocalist fits perfectly with the story. The band rocks and the mix is lush, great work!

Janne


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