Your Friday Bruce Fix

Bruce Springsteen, Halloween, Brilliant Disguise

Today's Friday Bruce Fix takes its inspiration from the fact that tomorrow is Halloween.  I am a little too old to get dressed up and go out trick or treating, although for the right party invitation I might just dust off my legendary Christmas tree costume.  Actually, tomorrow night I'll be home handing out, to the monsters that come to my front door, whichever chocolate treats I manage not to eat between now and then.  Kids, you better hurry but remember, no costume, no disguise, no candy.

This week's first clip revisits a difficult period in Bruce's life when his marriage to Julianne Phillips was falling apart.  Bruce has always done a nice job of keeping the juicy details of his personal life fairly private, yet all the while writing about the things going on in his life.  We didn't really know why his first marriage wasn't working out, yet we knew it was happening by listening to the songs on 'Tunnel of Love'. 

'Brilliant Disguise' was the first single off the album.  As usual, it is full of great lines such as:  "I want to know if it's you I don't trust, 'cause I damn sure don't trust myself" and "God have mercy on the man, who doubts what he's sure of".  I love the live vocal track and the very slow zoom that lasts through the whole song in the official video, with Bruce looking very much like a man who doubts what he's sure of.

If for some reason the above clip gets removed from YouTube, you can always link here to watch it:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx0E6EbpSn0

The second clip comes from a performance years later, in October of 2007 at New York's Madison Square Gardens, with Bruce a lot more sure of the relationship he's in, and with a lot of distance from the relationship that inspired the song.  Same song, different context, and here it seems to mean something different, that perhaps while there are always going to be challenges, this relationship is and will always be much better.

Happy Halloween, happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, You Mean So Much to Me, Hearts Of Stone

After last week's mammoth Friday Bruce Fix featuring The Big Man (or is it Big Man?) himself, I've decided I need to pare this one down a little.  I just can't feature five clips every week.  That pace would kill me, and that wouldn't do any of us any good, would it? 

By the time Bruce Springsteen went into the studio to record his first album, 'Greetings From Asbury Park', he had been writing and performing his own songs for perhaps seven or eight years in a variety of bands.  He had amassed a wealth of material from which to choose featuring a range of styles and themes. 

When choosing tracks to include on any of his albums, Bruce is always careful to ensure that those he chooses work well with each other and form a coherent whole.  This sometimes means great songs are left off albums, and many of those found their way onto 1998's 'Tracks' 4 cd box set. 

Today's first clip features a song that didn't make it onto 'Greetings From Asbury Park'.  From a July 31, 1973 gig at My Father's Place in Rosalyn, NY, 60 minutes of which were broadcast on radio, here's a great version of 'You Mean So Much to Me'.  It was originally written for and performed with the Bruce Springsteen Band in 1971. 

Bruce never released 'You Mean So Much to Me' but later gave it to his Asbury Park buddy Southside Johnny who released it in 1976 on his first album 'I Don't Want to Go Home'.  For that recording, Southside shared vocal duties with Ronnie Spector of the "Ronnettes", and also the former wife of Phil Spector, he of the wall of sound and Russian roulette fetish.  Here's how it sounded with the Southside Johnny & Miami Steve wall-of-horns treatment.

The mid to late '70s were a particularly fertile song writing period for Bruce, with many outstanding songs being left off 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town' and 'The River'.  'Hearts Of Stone' is one such example.  He wrote it in 1977, quite possibly with the intention of giving it to Southside Johnny.  Whether or not that was his intent, this great song didn't really belong on 'Darkness'.  Instead, it became the title track of Southside's all-time best album in 1978.

Clip number three for this week is Bruce's original recording that was later released on 'Tracks', followed immediately by Southside's classic interpretation.  I think I hear Miami Steve singing background vocals on both tracks, and that's Stevie's fine lead guitar work on Southside's recording.

There, that wasn't nearly so mammoth, was it?  Well, maybe just slightly less mammoth.

Happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemons, David Letterman, Paradise By The 'C', From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come), Dave Edmunds, Big Man

This week, I'm proud to present what may be the biggest Friday Bruce Fix ever, if not in content, then certainly in spirit.  My inspiration comes from last week's big news that the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined Twitter.  The avid Bruce Springsteen community that exists on Twitter has happily welcomed Clarence Clemons, and since many of those fine folks have found their Friday Bruce Fix through my interactions with this community, I thought it would be a great idea to welcome Clarence through this huge blog post. 

Clarence, once you find your way here, please post a comment, or say hi on Twitter.  And, so long as I'm speaking to you directly, is it "Big Man" or "The Big Man"?  Perhaps "Big Man" when addressing you directly, but "The Big Man" when referring to you in the third person? 

This week's massive post is the perfect segue from last week's post that featured Bruce on David Letterman's show.  The thread that runs from last week to this week is David Letterman, but this week I'm supersizing Your Friday Bruce Fix by featuring the man Bruce has called many things including the King of the World, the Master of Disaster, and two of my personal favorites, the Duke of Paducah and the Mayor of Half of Bayonne.  I'll let Bruce handle the introductions.

Bruce frequently opened the second set of the 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town' tour with this original composition called 'Paradise By The C' or perhaps 'Paradise By The Sea'.  It certainly set the tone for the party that was the second set, and of course, Clarence's playing is brilliant.  Bruce, we are still waiting somewhat impatiently for the 'Darkness' box set with re-mastered audio and a full concert DVD.  Clarence, I'm hoping you could give Bruce a little nudge and set the whole thing in motion.  Much appreciated!

Now, on to the David Letterman thread.  Clarence appeared on Dave's daytime show prior to Dave's move to late night television.  The timing of this seems to be 1984 near the start of the massive 'Born in the USA' tour.  This was Clarence's take on Bruce's composition 'From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)'.  Crank up the volume and I defy you to sit still while watching this one.

Since this is Your Friday Bruce Fix, I thought maybe I should give The (?) Big Man's sidekick a little screen time. Here's Bruce's orginal recording of the same song, an outtake from the late 1979 recording sessions for 'The River'. He would eventually release it on the bonus third disc of the 'Essentials' box set.

Perhaps Bruce felt that a song this great needed to be heard. Since it didn't make the cut to be on 'The River', he gave it to Dave Edmunds who, in 1982, released what some say is the definitive version of this song.  Of course, I can't actually say that here on Your Friday Bruce Fix, where Bruce is better than everybody else, so I won't say that Dave Edmunds' is the definitive version.  What I will say is that I love the arrangement, the horns and how it really cooks.

I also wanted to highlight the fact that Clarence has recently released his new book 'Big Man'.  You can read more about it and order your very own copy here:  http://www.bigmanthebook.com/  Since the current tour is rapidly coming to a close, the Big Man will need a significant new source of income, so please, buy a copy, in fact buy several, and tell all your friends to buy copies, too.  Clarence needs our support in order to continue living the lifestyle to which he has become accustomed. 

An enormously Big and Happy Friday to all!

Bruce Springsteen, David Letterman, Lonesome Day, Glory Days

If you've caught Bruce Springsteen live, chances are you've learned he has a pretty good sense of humor.  It certainly came through in those early years in small clubs during the stories he used to tell in the introduction to or the middle of a song.  As he moved into the larger venues, into arenas and stadiums, the long rambling stories didn't work as well, and so the stories got shorter and Bruce evolved into doing more physical comedy.  You really see this now, as he and the band mug for the camera, fully aware their faces are being projected up on the big screen.  As always, this is all about connecting with the audience, and having fun.

If you see Bruce live with any frequency, you realize that some of these comedic efforts are to some degree scripted or part of the routine, while others are spontaneous in reaction to whatever else is happening at that moment, on stage or in the audience.  It isn't easy to think quickly on your feet in front of an arena full of people watching your every move (I know this from personal experience, of course) but I suppose Bruce has had some practice.

While we have seen a lot of Bruce's serioius, political side in the media in recent years, I prefer his more light hearted appearances.  Today's Friday Bruce Fix includes one of my favorites.  Bruce typically finds his way onto late night television to promote his latest CD release and tour and our first clip features an appearance with David Letterman as 'The Rising' CD had just been released, and that tour was about to begin.  Here are Bruce and Dave having a chat.

One of the clips Bruce played that night on Letterman seems rather fitting these days.  Dave is now going through some difficult and likely very lonesome days, particularly at home.  While I'm guessing that Dave's self-inflicted wounds aren't earning him a great deal of sympathy, he certainly is kicking some serious butt in the ratings, which maybe just says a lot about the general public's fascination with celebrity and scandal.  In recognition of David Letterman's lonesome days, here is 'Lonesome Day'.

Back in 1993, Dave left NBC to move over to CBS.  Bruce appeared as Dave's musical guest on his last show on NBC.  Bruce wasn't hanging with his E Steeters in those days and declined to bring those guys from that other band with him.  Instead he joined Paul Shaffer and the 'The World's Most Dangerous Band', who handled their supporting duties quite nicely in this blazing version of 'Glory Days'.

Happy Friday!

The Bruce Springsteen Band, Don't You Want To Be An Outlaw, I'm Into Something Good, Take Out Some Insurance

Today's Friday Bruce Fix features what was known as The Bruce Springsteen Band, which had at its core, Bruce, Steve Van Zandt, Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez, Gary Tallent and David Sancious.  Bruce formed this band in July of 1971, and the line-up would expand for gigs, perhaps depending upon the song, to include Bobby Feigenbaum on sax, and Harvey Cherlin on trumpet, along with Barbara Dinkins and Delores Holmes on backing vocals.  I believe that Danny Federici may have, at times, played some organ for this band. 

Our first clip features a song titled 'Don't You Want To Be An Outlaw', although its correct title may actually be 'Ballad Of Jesse James'.  I can't be sure.  Maybe Bruce will post a comment for us to clear up the confusion.  This recording appears to come from a March 14, 1972 rehearsal session at Challenger Eastern Surfboards in Highlands, NJ, featuring the five core band members and some nice dual lead guitar work by Bruce and Steve. 

And here's a live double shot, that starts out as a bluesy rendition of the Goffin/King composition, 'I'm Into Something Good', made famous by Herman's Hermits, and later segues into 'Take Out Some Insurance', a Singleton/Hall composition from 1959.  This live recording is from The Back Door Club in Richmond, Virginia, where The Bruce Springsteen Band performed nine nights over three of four weekends in February of 1972.  It's not clear which night this clip was recorded. 

I owe a special thanks this week to two websites, www.springsteenlyrics.com and www.brucebase.org.uk .  They enabled me to easily research the stories behind this week's clips, and are a wealth of information that I turn to regularly.

Happy Friday!