Your Friday Bruce Fix

Bruce Springsteen, The River, Under Review 1978 - 1982

Bruce Springsteen's biggest, most iconic albums were 'Born to Run'. released in 1975, and 1984's 'Born in the USA'. Sandwiched between these two albums were three extraordinary albums in their own right, 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' (1978), 'The River' (1980) and 'Nebraska' (1982). 

Those of us who follow Bruce closely have also long known that during this period, Bruce wrote and recorded many other songs that deserved to be released. We've discovered them on bootlegs and our patience has been rewarded with the release of the double CD 'The Promise' with 21 songs that didn't make it onto 'Darkness on the Edge of Town', and several songs from this period that were included on the 'Tracks' 4 CD box set.

In fishing around for clips to feature in this week's fix, I found a documentary called 'Bruce Springsteen: Under Review 1978 - 1982 Tales of the Working Man'. I haven't had a chance to watch the whole thing just yet but did enjoy watching what I've seen. For a long time fan, I don't think there will be much in this film to surprise you, but on the other hand there are some interesting insights and perspectives provided.

The documentary clocks in at an hour and twenty two minutes, so you may want to watch it at home over the long weekend.  However, since you need your Bruce Fix now to get you through your working day, I've also posted a video of one of Bruce's best and most important songs from this period.  Here is his first live performance of 'The River' in 1979, prior to it's release the following year.  The documentary follows.

 

Happy Friday!

 

Bruce Springsteen, Ballad of Easy Rider, Ballad of the Self-Loading Pistol, Ballad of Jesse James

Maybe it's the hot summer weather slowing me down, but I don't feel like rocking today.  I'm more in the mood for ballads. So, for this week's Friday Bruce Fix, we're going to take it slow.  It's an All-Ballad Friday Bruce Fix!

Those hard rockers get me moving too much, and combined with the heat, well, they just drain my energy and I don't accomplish enough during the rest of my day. I imagine it's much the same for you, so I'm doing this for all of us, so we can still be productive with the rest of our Friday.

Ballad #1 is 'Ballad of Easy Rider', a Roger McGuinn composition that he wrote for the soundtrack for the 1969 movie 'Easy Rider'. This is Bruce's only known live performance, from the Benefit for the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, on August 20, 1981 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, in of all places, Los Angeles.

Ballad #2 is 'Ballad of the Self-Loading Pistol', a Bruce original recorded February 20, 1973 that was considered for inclusion on both of Bruce's first two albums released that year. As suggested by www.springsteenlyrics.com, it would have been interesting to hear a full band version of this one, maybe a full on rocker, but then it wouldn't have qualified for All-Ballad Friday Bruce Fix.

Ballad #3 is 'Ballad of Jesse James", (aka 'Don't You Want To Be An Outlaw') another Bruce original, this time recorded with an early version of the E Street Band, likely known as the Bruce Springsteen Band in early 1972. This "ballad" actually does rock a bit. I didn't want you to fall asleep.

Happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, Santa Ana, She's The One

Continuing along with the matched pair theme from last week, here are two more Bruce Springsteen songs that share a lyric.  The songs and lyrics in question are:

'Santa Ana'

French cream won't soften those boots, baby
French kisses will not break your heart, oh

'She's The One'

Because French cream won't soften them boots
And French kisses will not break that heart of stone

'Santa Ana' was recorded during the sessions for 'The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle', which began a couple of weeks after today's first clip.  This recording is from April 24, 1973, the first of two nights at the Main Point in Bryn Mawr, PA.

Sometime in the next year, 1974, Bruce transplanted those two lines into a new song with a great deal more urgency.  'Bruce started playing 'She's The One' live in late 1974, before being recorded for 'Born to Run'. 

Here's a great clip from 8MM film shot at Auburn University on May 10, 1976.  Unfortunately it misses both the beginning and end of the song, but it's still fun to watch the newly beardless, shaggy haired Bruce giving it that old college try in front of what may have been about 300 people according to a commenter on YouTube.

Since that one kinda leaves us hanging, here's one that doesn't, from Landover, MD in 1978, including some fine eyebrow work from 1:48 to 2:05 courtesy of the best eyebrows in rock and roll.

Happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, Save My Love, Rendezvous, The Promise, Ed Norton Interview

If you were in Toronto earlier this week, there was just no way to escape the fact that Bruce Springsteen was in town.  While he wasn't here very long, he spent a fair bit of time in the spotlight at the centre of town.

Bruce was here to introduce his new film "The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town" at its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.  I'll keep my comments brief this week as this fact has already received so much coverage.  Instead I'll just share a few clips related to this event, the film itself and a couple of songs from those recording sessions.

I'll lead off with two songs that were among the 70 or so that Bruce wrote for the Darkness sessions.  They were recorded during these sessions, but didn't make the final cut for the album.  Both will be released on the audio CD called 'The Promise', which will be included in a package called 'The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story'.  First up is Save My Love, followed by Rendezvous.

Here are Bruce's comments to introduce the film at the premiere.  Ignore the ill prepared reporters who likely hadn't been born in 1978 and were failed by whoever prepared them for this challenging assignment.

This clip is a sneak peak at the film that premiered this past Tuesday evening.  Check out Bruce and Steve making magic.

And finally, here are some excerpts from Ed Norton's interview of Bruce as part of TIFF's Mavericks series.  This took place just prior to the film's premiere.

Happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, Girls In Their Summer Clothes, Racing In The Street

I can't believe that September is here, I'm already booking meetings in October and November, and I know that before long summer will be just a fading memory.  I'm not quite ready to let summer pass me by, and so with stubborn determination, I'm going to hang on just a little longer and play a couple of summer tunes for you.

'Girls in their Summer Clothes' is certainly a summer song that conjures up all sorts of lovely images, sung by a guy in the autumn of his years, who notices that those girls in their spring years don't seem to notice him anymore.  I wouldn't know anything about that. :)

In this clip from Sweden, Bruce makes a fine effort to speak a little Swedish in his intro. Also, check out the "we're not worthy" treatment these great fans give Clarence during his sax solo. I gather they were doing this all night.

Next up is 'Racing In The Street', an audio only recording from one of Bruce's great performances on the Darkness tour of 1978.  This clip comes from the first of two nights at San Francisco's Winterland Arena, on December 15, 1978.  I'm playing this because of the obvious summer references, and also because Bruce alters the final line from "Summer's here and the time is right..." to "Summer's gone and the time is right...".  It's not gone yet, but it's going fast.

I also chose a track from that tour to mark the occasion of the world premiere this coming Tuesday night of "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town'".  Bruce will be in town to introduce the film at the Toronto International Film Festival.  Welcome back to Toronto Bruce and, hey if you've got some down time and feel like getting caught up over a couple of pints, you know where to find me.

Happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, One Way Street, Preacher's Daughter

I suppose I do go on about the much anticipated 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' box set, which seems slated for a pre-Christmas release, but I just can't help myself.  I'm quite excited to see Thom Zimny's film on the making of that great album.  The buzz around it continues to build ahead of its world premiere in September at the Toronto International Film Festival, and its television premiere on HBO in October. 

I love the idea of going behind the curtain and getting a look at the creative and collaborative process involved in turning one of Bruce Springsteen's visions for a song into a great recording.  I expect it will stand up well to repeated viewings over the years and I hope we'll see how some songs evolved to become the recordings we know so well.

The other element that excites me is the possibility of finally obtaining high quality recordings of long ago discarded tracks that didn't make it onto 'Darkness', or 'Tracks', or '18 Tracks', or 'Essentials'.  From what I've read, it seems that the upcoming box set will include a disc of previously unreleased songs culled from the 'Darkness' recording sessions.  Bruce didn't call to discuss with me which songs to include on that disc, so I thought I'd speak to him through this blog, as we know he is an avid reader (as are Steve and Clarence, of course...).

I'm suggesting two songs that I haven't yet featured on Your Friday Bruce Fix.  The first is called 'One Way Street', which he recorded in June of 1977.  This recording sounds as though it may have been a first take and as such is a bit loose.  Perhaps a more complete recording was made later.

The second is called 'Preacher's Daughter'.  Musically, it has some elements that remind me of 'She's the One', and apparently Bruce occasionally worked bits of 'Preacher's Daughter' into his live performances of 'She's the One' during the 'Darkness' tour.  Some of the lyrics would later evolve into 'Ramrod'.

For two other 'Darkness' outtakes that I think Bruce should include on this disc, check out my January 29, 2010 post.

Happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, The Promise

Well, I certainly don't want to jinx anything, but it looks like we're getting ever closer that 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' box set.  Some people (not me, of course) have been lobbying heavily over the past two years for it to be released to his eagerly awaiting fans.  I on the other hand have been quietly and patiently minding my own business, keeping my thoughts on the matter to myself.  Bruce can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, providing he gives birth to that overdue baby immediately, or yesterday if he'd rather. 

Speaking of yesterday, yesterday the Toronto International Film Festival announced that on September 14, 2010, the festival's program would feature the premiere of "The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town".  Bruce Springsteen collaborated on this film with Grammy and Emmy award winning filmmaker Thom Zimny, using footage shot between 1976 and 1978, featuring home rehearsals and studio recording sessions. 

The inclusion of the song title 'The Promise' in the title of this movie is perhaps a nod to the fact that Bruce had planned to include 'The Promise' on the Darkness album, but pulled it at the 11th hour on concerns that people would misinterpret the song as being about his legal battles with Mike Appel.  'Racing In the Street' took it's place.

Our first clip today is a great early live performance on October 30, 1976, on the third of a six night stand at The Palladium in New York City. 

This is a studio recording from the fall of 1977.  This version was almost included on 18 Tracks, and then Bruce decided to instead release a new recording made in his home studio, accompanying himself on piano.

Be patient, the box set is coming,..... I think.  Happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, Human Touch, Lift Me Up

This week's Friday Bruce Fix is inspired by a request of sorts, and the fact that I really hadn't had much time to come up with a fix on my own.  There are some weeks where Friday morning rolls around and I've got nothing whatsoever written, no ideas of any kind, and so having a good request to fall back on, is something I'm grateful for.  So, if you've been thinking about sending me a request, by all means, send away and I'll do my best to work your request in somewhere along the way.

I sometimes refer to the '90s as Bruce's wilderness years, and I think he himself may have said something along those lines.  Yet, when you start to pick through the rubble of that wilderness, (Does wilderness actually have rubble?  I don't think so....) you'll find a collection of great compositions that could make for one whole and very successful musical career.  The following are just two examples.

'Human Touch' was the title track from one of Bruce Springsteen's two simultaneously released albums in 1992, the other being 'Lucky Town'.   'Human Touch' was the lead single off that album, and the official video which follows, was shot on the St. Charles streetcar line in New Orleans, in case you were wondering.

'Lift Me Up' just sneaks into the '90s (1999) and doesn't really belong in any serious wilderness years discussions (Just where do these serious wilderness years discussions happen?) as the E Street Band had reunited by this time.  Bruce wrote this song for the John Sayles directed movie 'Limbo'.  Bruce ran into the movie's producer Maggie Renzi at the airport and asked if there was anything he could do.  John and Maggie asked Bruce if he could write a song about healing and risk to play over the final scene and closing credits, and out of the Bruce Springsteen songwriting machine popped 'Lift Me Up'.  This is the audio of his debut and I believe only live performance of 'Lift Me Up' which took place on the 'Devils + Dust' solo tour in 2005.

Happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, Bob Harris Interview, Duane Eddy, Rebel Rouser, Born To Run, Pete Townsend, It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City

I enjoyed last week's interview so much, I thought I'd continue down the same path, this time Bruce Springsteen's interview with Bob Harris of The Old Grey Whistle Test.  This is also from the 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town' tour, although I can't place the date.  Since the tour never left North America, the interview likely took place after one of the shows in the USA.

In the interview, Bruce cited Duane Eddy and his rock and roll guitar sound as one of his early influences.  Have a listen to 'Rebel Rouser' and see if Bruce's breakout hit 'Born to Run' comes to mind. 

In case it didn't, have a listen to this.  This is a great rare film clip from 1976 on one of those four tours Bruce spoke of doing to keep the band afloat during the legal battles that kept him out of the recording studio and delayed the arrival of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'.  This song is definitely propelled by some fast and furious Duane Eddy twang.

Since Bruce mentioned Peter Townsend in the interview as another of his influences, here's a clip from Bruce's first trip across the pond to London to play the Hammersmith Odeon in 1975.  Pete was in the audience and perhaps he requested this backstage before the show, or maybe Bruce just knew Pete would like his guitar interplay with Steve.

Happy Friday!

Bruce Springsteen, Robert De Niro, You Talkin' to Me?, Raise Your Hand, Clarence Clemons

Well, the truth has finally come out.  Robert De Niro owes his fame, fortune and his stellar acting career to none other than Bruce Springsteen.  Why?  He built his career on a line he stole from Bruce.  Without that line De Niro would have been left to eek out a living through his meager acting talent.  That line of course, is "You talkin' to me?" from Martin Scorsese's 1976 film 'Taxi Driver'.

The New York Daily News reported on May 31st that 25 years ago, De Niro told Clarence Clemons this little secret while Clarence was coaching Bob how to play the sax for his role in 'New York, New York'.  Now Clarence is talking and the secret is out.  Apparently, De Niro had attended a Springsteen concert, I'm guessing in 1975.  In response to the audience yelling "Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuce", Bruce responded "Are you talking to me?".  At the time, this was part of Bruce's routine, particularly during frequent encore performances of Eddie Floyd's 'Raise Your Hand', which Bruce started performing on the 'Born to Run' tour in 1975.  I guess it made quite an impression on young Bob.

I would love to tell you that I happen to have the clip of the exact night and the exact moment when Bruce inspired Robert De Niro with the line that would change American movie history, but I don't.  As a reasonable facsimile of that great moment, I do have a clip from 1978 that is likely quite similar to how things unfolded on that fateful night.

Even if you've never seen 'Taxi Driver', there's a good chance you know the line.  Just in case you haven't seen the scene, I dug it up for you.  Apparently, De Niro ad libbed his way through this scene, and according to Clarence, was channeling Bruce for "the line".

Why is this news coming out now?  It's quite a coincidence, but it seems that Clarence has a book coming out this fall called, of all things, 'Big Man'.  I wonder how many other big secrets the Big Man has been keeping.  Maybe he knows the Caramilk secret, the formula for Coca-Cola or whether Lee Harvey Oswald was truly the lone assassin.  Since one short Bruce clip doesn't quite make a fix, here's a little Big Man for you.

Big line, Big Man, Big Happy Friday!