Blending greasy '50s pop, Memphis-style rhythm & blues, and a punk rocker's casual spirit of experimentation and genre mixing placed the Compulsive Gamblers at the leading edge of Memphis roots punk alongside the Gibson Bros. and '68 Comeback, yielding a style that felt simultaneously sinister, comical, and groove-driven. Greg Cartwright and Jack Yarber launched the group in Memphis, TN, in 1990 after the pair had already performed together in several raw punk outfits across the deep south. The two guitarists, initially operating under the name the Painkillers, expanded in 1991 when Philip "Flipper" Tubb joined on keyboards, Rod "Bushrod" Thomas took the drum chair, and Greg Easterly added fiddle; at that point the band adopted the Compulsive Gamblers moniker. Working the local Memphis club circuit, they cut the four-song EP Joker in a kitchen during late 1991. Issued the following year, that release built a hometown audience, after which the singles Church Goin' and Goodtime appeared in 1994. Although those singles performed solidly and the group earned a strong live reputation on the road, Thomas and Easterly moved to New Orleans, making continued cohesion difficult; the band therefore split in 1995, and Sympathy for the Record Industry later gathered their early material on the CD Gamblin' Days Are Over. Cartwright and Yarber promptly formed the Oblivians, performing as Greg Oblivian and Jack Oblivian, yet after that project ended in 1997 the two decided to revive the Compulsive Gamblers as a trio with Thomas returning on drums. This lineup issued the album Bluff City in 1999 and recruited bassist Jeff Meier for a European tour later the same year. Keyboardist Brendan Lee Spengler joined in time to record Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing, and a live album followed in 2003. The Compulsive Gamblers also backed R&B legend Andre Williams on several tracks of his album The Black Godfather.
