Before Bob Seger found success with his Silver Bullet Band and albums like Live Bullet and Night Moves, he was leading a hungry young band called the Last Heard, hitting Detroit rock ‘n’ roll radio with songs like “Heavy Music (Pt. 1)” and “East Side Story.”

Those songs and eight others have been compiled on Heavy Music: The Complete Cameo Recordings 1966-1967, which will be released on Sept. 7.

You can stream the song “Persecution Smith” and pre-order Heavy Music here.

According to ABKCO Records, Seger was writing material for another local band, the Underdogs, which had recorded his song “Get Down on Your Knees,” but had failed in an attempt to lay down another Seger tune, “Easy Side Story.” Edward “Punch” Andrews (who would one day become Seger’s manager and producer), encouraged him to record it himself, and Bob Seger and the Last Heard were born.

Over the course of the next year, the group recorded four more singles for Cameo Records, culminating with the raw but fine “Heavy Music,” which was a local hit and gained a bit of traction nationally, bubbling under the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at No. 103 and reaching No. 70 on the Cashbox singles chart.

Cameo Records’ parent company folded shortly after “Heavy Music” was released, and Seger signed with Capitol Records and hit the road, slowly building a following that would break big in 1976, when first Live Bullet hit the Top 40 on the Billboard albums chart in the spring, followed by Night Moves (which would reach No. 8) in the fall.

Seger will spend time this fall making up tour dates that were postponed last year, due to his back surgery. The first date will be Nov. 24, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Bob Seger, ‘Heavy Music: The Complete Cameo Recordings 1966-1967’ Track Listing
“Heavy Music (Part 1)”
“East Side Story (Vocal)”
“Chain Smokin’”
“Persecution Smith”
“Vagrant Winter”
“Very Few”
“Florida Time”
“Sock It To Me Santa”
“Heavy Music (Part 2)”
“East Side Sound (Instrumental)”

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