Katmandu (song)

For the song by Cat Stevens, see Mona Bone Jakon.

1975 single by Bob Seger

"Katmandu"

Single by Bob Seger
from the album  Beautiful Loser
B-side| "Nutbush City Limits"
Released| 1975
Genre| Rock
Length| 6:09
3:16 (single edit)
Label| Capitol
Songwriter(s)| Bob Seger
Producer(s)| Bob Seger and Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Bob Seger singles chronology
| "Beautiful Loser"
(1975)  | "Katmandu"
(1975)  | "Nutbush City Limits"
(1976)

|
|

"Katmandu" is a song written and recorded by American rock artist Bob Seger. It was initially released on his 1975 studio album Beautiful Loser, which became the first of ten consecutive platinum albums for Seger.[1] The song was later featured on his live album Live Bullet. The single edit reached number 43 on the US chart, becoming Seger's most successful single since "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man".[2] The song was featured in the soundtracks of the 1985 film Mask, the 16th episode of Freaks and Geeks, the tenth episode of the eighth season of Supernatural, and in the 2009 documentary Journey to Everest.

## Content

[edit]

The song refers to the city Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, although there is no evidence that Seger visited Kathmandu before 1991.[3] After the Nepali earthquake of 2015, Seger said his "heart went out" to the city.

Seger said of the song:

> That’s kind of like "Turn the Page." It’s an exasperated song. It’s like: “I’m never gonna make it, I’m just gonna go to Katmandu”. I’d always loved the group Little Feat. They were on Warner Bros., and that’s why I wanted to be on that label. I was on the label for two years. Since then I’ve bought the catalog back from them. Talk about getting lost in the woods. They had so many acts on the label that you just got lost in the shuffle. I felt like a number. Katmandu was written at the end of that nine-year or 10-year period where I was going nowhere fast. Glenn [Frey] and Don [Henley] told me that the Beautiful Loser album was the first little step in the right direction for me. Then the next step after that was Live Bullet, which was a huge step. And the next step was Night Moves, which was an even huger step. By 1980 both records were at six million, and they kept selling continuously. Beautiful Loser was a transitional album, and in the song "Katmandu" I still had some of that defeatist mentality and you can hear it in there.[4]

## Reception

[edit]

Cash Box called it "fine, tight, rock and roll," saying the song "is punctuated with classic Chuck Berry-style guitar, down-home rockin' piano and fine vocal stylizing by Bob."[5]

Classic Rock History critic Janey Roberts rated it as Seger's 9th best song.[6]

## Chart performance

[edit]

Chart (1975)  | Peak
position

|

Canadian RPM Top Singles[7] | 57
U.S. Billboard Hot 100  | 43

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Bob Seger Highlights". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Inc. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Pop Songs: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 218.
3. ^ "Singer Gets 'Outta Here,' Visits Katmandu". Desert News. June 4, 1991. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
4. ^ Sharp, Ken (September 10, 2018). "How Bob Seger changed the face of American Music". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
5. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 26, 1975. p. 23. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
6. ^ Roberts, Janey (17 June 2022). "Top 20 Bob Seger songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
7. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - October 25, 1975" (PDF).

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Bob Seger

* Bob Seger
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* Drew Abbott
* Charlie Allen Martin
* David Teegarden
* Rick Manasa
* Robyn Robbins
* Dawayne Bailey

The System albums|

* Ramblin' Gamblin' Man
* Noah
* Mongrel

Seger solo albums|

* Brand New Morning
* Smokin' O.P.'s
* Back in '72
* Seven
* Beautiful Loser
* Face the Promise
* Ride Out
* I Knew You When

The Silver Bullet Band albums|

* Night Moves
* Stranger in Town
* Against the Wind
* The Distance
* Like a Rock
* The Fire Inside
* It's a Mystery

Live albums|

* Live Bullet
* Nine Tonight

Compilation albums|

* The Bob Seger Collection
* Greatest Hits
* Greatest Hits 2
* Early Seger Vol. 1
* Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets

Singles|

* "East Side Story"
* "Heavy Music"
* "2 + 2 = ?"
* "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man"
* "Lucifer"
* "Lookin' Back"
* "If I Were a Carpenter"
* "Who Do You Love"
* "Midnight Rider"
* "Turn the Page"
* "Beautiful Loser"
* "Katmandu"
* "Nutbush City Limits"
* "Night Moves"
* "Mainstreet"
* "Rock and Roll Never Forgets"
* "Still the Same"/"Feel Like a Number"
* "Hollywood Nights"
* "We've Got Tonite"
* "Old Time Rock and Roll"
* "Fire Lake"
* "Against the Wind"
* "You'll Accomp'ny Me"
* "The Horizontal Bop"/"Her Strut"
* "Tryin' to Live My Life Without You"
* "Feel Like a Number"
* "Shame on the Moon"
* "Even Now"
* "Roll Me Away"
* "American Storm"/"Fortunate Son"
* ""Like a Rock"/"Livin' Inside My Heart"
* "Shakedown"
* "The Real Love"
* "C'est La Vie"
* "Landing in London"
* "Downtown Train"
* "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey (Going Back to Birmingham)"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Gibson/Miller Band
* Punch Andrews

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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