Okay, you guys knew I was finally gonna get around to posting a Springsteen clip.
So here's one I'd never seen before -- a glorious version of Little Steven's classic r&b romance "I Don't Want to Go Home" done up live with ultimate bar band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, circa 1978. In case you're wondering, the funny looking guy playing trombone is now a late-night TV celeb. The shaggy-haired drummer in the back is Steve Becker, a lovely guy who ran a recording studio in Jersey that I did a bunch of demos at back in the day.
For an encore, here's a link to a piece I wrote about my first exposure to Bruce live occasioned by the 1999 publication of a huge coffee table book of Bruce's complete lyrics.
BTW -- although Bruce wouldn't necessarily be the first guy to spring to mind when the phrase power pop is uttered, he's actually got impeccable credentials along those lines. A lot of his roots as a songwriter involve 60s Brit pop classics, as anybody who's ever seen him cover Manfred Mann's "Pretty Flamingo" or the Searchers' "When You Walk in the Room" can attest. Plus, he wrote the often covered "Rendezvous," which is about as pure power pop as you can get.
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5 comments:
I don't actually have any problem considering Bruce PowerPop. When I was a soundchick, I worked for an alarmingly earnest band whose sound existed at the three-way intersection of Bruce, The Clash, and The sex Pistols. Worked for me.
Cool essay, Steve. Third paragraph and following really brings it all back home. And you a lapsed fan? Not sure I believe that.
I still remember your Simels Report on "Born to Run." Pinned it to my wall, I did.
Bonus points here for titling the post after a fine song by Marshall Crenshaw and Don Dixon on an album I liked a lot more at its release than you did (I wrote you about it): "Mary Jean and 9 Others." Have you come to like it over the years?
Gardner:
Thanks for the kind words on the essay.
Haven't re-listened to Mary Jean in years, so I have no idea how I feel about it now, but I heard Calling Out For Love on Rhino's Marshall best-of the other day and I realized I loved it.
Go figure.
My Springsteen moment came at Winterland in December '78... greatest live show ever. This was just before Springsteen really "broke," and people in crowd were still chanting "Spring-Steen!" instead of the "Broooooooce" calls they learned from "No Nukes."
Two incandescent moments: a rapid-fire one-two-three punch of "Fire," "Fever," and "Because the Night" that left the house in a frenzy, and the encore. The band came out to delirious applause, stood stock still and then hit a thunderous note. Everyone stood in stunned silence - it was familiar, but from where? And then it all became clear as Bruce and the boys launched into a fierce do-or-die version of "Devil with the Blue Dress On" - this in the days when covers of 10-year-old rock songs was hardly even heard of.
As both a Southside Johnny and a Bruce fan.... thanks for that link.
Steve, I'm emailing a music-related question to you at the addy in your contact info - (mrsteve) so please don't toss that email from "emma" in the trash file? Thanks in advance.
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