Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches, and Encounters
Page 45
Charlie Rose has hosted his eponymously named PBS talk show since 1991. He also cohosts CBS This Morning and is a part-time correspondent for 60 Minutes.
Ed Sciaky was a pioneering Philadelphia FM disc jockey who played a major role in popularizing the early work of numerous artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Janis Ian, and David Bowie. He died in 2004.
Roger Scott was a British disc jockey who hosted a popular afternoon radio show on London’s Capital Radio from 1973 until 1988. According to a Web posting by a fan, “The guy was absolutely besotted by Springsteen…. [He] was probably the main catalyst for many listeners in and around London turning to Springsteen music in the early eighties.” Scott died of cancer in 1989, at age forty-six.
Frank Stefanko, whose photos appear in these pages, ranks among America’s leading rock photographers. He provided the cover photos for Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River and has produced iconic images for such artists as Patti Smith and Southside Johnny. Days of Hope and Dreams: An Intimate Portrait of Bruce Springsteen, a collection of Stefanko’s black-and-white photos from 1978 to 1982, was published in 2003. His website is stefankostudio.com.
Neil Strauss, a writer for Rolling Stone and a former columnist for the New York Times, is the author of seven New York Times bestselling books, including The Dirt, Emergency, The Game, and Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead.
Steve Turner, who has written for Rolling Stone, New Musical Express, and many other periodicals, is the author of such books as The Man Called Cash, Angelheaded Hipster (a biography of Jack Kerouac), and A Hard Day’s Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song.
Andrew Tyler has written for such leading British publications as the Guardian, New Musical Express, the Observer, and the Independent. Since 1995, he has been the director of Animal Aid, Europe’s largest animal-rights organization.
Judy Wieder is a former editor in chief of The Advocate. She spent seven years in that position and then became editorial director of that magazine as well as Out, the OutTraveler, HIVPlus, and Alyson books. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, she has been a Grammy-winning songwriter and a contributing editor at Creem. She is at work on a memoir that is scheduled for publication in 2014.
Brian Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News. He has been called “the Walter Cronkite of the Twenty-First Century” and was listed by Time magazine in 2007 as one of the world’s one hundred most influential people.
In 1966, Paul Williams founded the first national American magazine of rock criticism, the hugely influential Crawdaddy!. He has published more than two dozen books, including Outlaw Blues, Das Energi, and the three-part Bob Dylan: Performing Artist.
Former Melody Maker editor Richard Williams currently serves as chief sports writer for the Guardian in London. His books include The Man in the Green Shirt, about Miles Davis, and Out of His Head, about Phil Spector.
ABOUT THE EDITOR
Jeff Burger has been a writer and editor for more than four decades and has covered popular music throughout his journalism career. His reviews, essays, and reportage on that and many other subjects have appeared in more than seventy-five magazines, newspapers, and books, including Barron’s, the Los Angeles Times, Family Circle, Melody Maker, High Fidelity, Creem, Circus, Reader’s Digest, GQ, All Music Guide, and No Depression. He has published interviews with many leading musicians, including Tom Waits, Billy Joel, the Righteous Brothers, and the members of Steely Dan; and with such public figures as Suze Orman, James Carville, Sir Richard Branson, F. Lee Bailey, Sydney Pollack, and Cliff Robertson.
Burger has served as editor of several periodicals, including Phoenix magazine in Arizona, and he spent fourteen years in senior positions at Medical Economics magazine, the country’s largest business magazine for doctors. A former consulting editor at Time Inc., he currently serves as editor of Business Jet Traveler, which was a 2011 finalist for Magazine of the Year in the annual journalism competition sponsored by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
Burger lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey, with his wife, teacher and puppeteer Madeleine Beresford; his son, Andre; and his daughter, Myriam.
CREDITS
I gratefully acknowledge the help of everyone who gave permission for material to appear in this book. I have made every reasonable effort to contact copyright holders. If an error or omission has been made, please bring it to the attention of the publisher.
“Murphy on Springsteen,” by Elliott Murphy. Adapted by Elliott Murphy from “Bruce and Me,” an essay posted at Elliott Murphy.com. Copyright © 2012. Printed by permission of Elliott Murphy.
“Bruce Springsteen—Live!” by Bruce Pollock. Originally published in Rock, March 1973. Copyright © 1973. Reprinted by permission of Larry Marshak.
“Was Bob Dylan the Previous Bruce Springsteen?” by Steve Turner. Originally published in New Musical Express. Copyright © 1973. Reprinted by permission of Steve Turner.
“Bruce Springsteen: Say Hello to Last Year’s Genius,” by Jeff Burger. Originally published in Zoo World, March 14, 1974. Copyright © 1974. Reprinted by permission of Jeff Burger.
Excerpts from “Bruce: Under the Boardwalk,” by Jerry Gilbert. Originally published in Sounds, March 16, 1974. Copyright © 1974. Reprinted by permission of Jerry Gilbert.
“Bruce Springsteen: It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City,” by Jerry Gilbert. Originally published in Zigzag, August 1974. Copyright © 1974. Reprinted by permission of Jerry Gilbert.
“Lost in the Flood,” by Paul Williams. Originally published in Backstreets: Springsteen: The Man and His Music, 1989. Copyright © 1988. Reprinted by permission of Cindy Lee Berryhill.
“Bruce Springsteen and the Wall of Faith,” by Andrew Tyler. Originally published in New Musical Express, November 15, 1975. Copyright © 1975. Reprinted by permission of Andrew Tyler.
“Radio Interview,” by Dave Herman. Originally broadcast on KBFHFM, San Diego, July 9, 1978. Copyright © 1978. Printed by permission of David Herman.
“Bruce Has the Fever” by Ed Sciaky. Originally broadcast (excerpts) on WIOQ-FM and published in Backstreets: Springsteen: The Man and His Music, 1989. Copyright © 1978. Reprinted by permission of Judy Sciaky.
“Lawdamercy, Springsteen Saves!” by Robert Duncan. Originally published in Creem, October 1978, Copyright © 1978. Reprinted by permission of Robert Duncan.
“Bruce Springsteen: The Return of the Native,” by Mike Greenblatt. Originally published in The Aquarian, October 11, 1978. Copyright © 1978. Reprinted by permission of Arts Weekly Inc./The Aquarian (www.theaquarian.com).
“Bruce Springsteen Takes It to the River: So Don’t Call Him ‘Boss,’ OK?” by Dave DiMartino. Originally published in Creem, January 1981. Copyright © 1981. Reprinted by permission of Dave DiMartino. Additional material courtesy of Dave DiMartino.
“Bruce Springsteen: A Responsible Rocker,” by Richard Williams. Originally published in Sunday Times (London), May 31, 1981. Copyright © 1981. Reprinted by permission of Richard Williams.
“The Bruce Springsteen Interview,” by Don McLeese. Originally published in International Musician and Recording World, October 1984. Copyright © 1984. Reprinted by permission of Don McLeese.
“American Heartbeat: The Bruce Springsteen Interview,” by Roger Scott and Patrick Humphries. Originally published in Hot Press, November 2, 1984. Copyright © 1984. Reprinted by permission of Patrick Humphries.
“The ‘Boss’ Has Spoken.” Originally aired on Australia’s Seven Network and published in Sydney Morning Herald, January 5, 1986. Copyright © 1986. Printed by permission of the Seven Network.
“Bob Dylan Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Speech,” by Bruce Springsteen. Copyright © 1988. Printed by permission of Bruce Springsteen.
“The Q Interview: Bruce Springsteen,” by David Hepworth. Originally published in Q magazine, August 1992. Copyright © 1992. Reprinted by permission of David Hepworth.
&n
bsp; “Live Again, Springsteen Still Has Mettle,” by Gary Graff. Originally published in Detroit Free Press, December 9, 1992. Copyright © 1992. Reprinted by permission of Gary Graff.
“Radio Interview,” by Ian Dempsey. Originally aired on RTE 2FM (Ireland), May 14, 1993. Copyright © 1993. Printed by permission of Ian Dempsey.
“Human Touch,” by Neil Strauss. Originally published in Guitar World, September 1995. Copyright © 1995. Reprinted by permission of Neil Strauss. Additional material courtesy of Neil Strauss.
“Don’t Yell Broooce,” by Gary Graff. Originally published in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 12, 1996. Copyright © 1996. Reprinted by permission of Gary Graff.
“Bruce Springsteen Tells the Story of the Secret America,” by David Corn. Originally published in Mother Jones, March/April 1996. Copyright © 1996 by Foundation for National Progress. Reprinted by permission of Mother Jones.
“Hey Joad, Don’t Make It Sad … (Oh, Go On Then),” by Gavin Martin. Originally published in New Musical Express, March 9, 1996. Copyright © 1996. Reprinted by permission of IPC Media.
“Bruce Springsteen: The Advocate Interview,” by Judy Wieder. Originally published in The Advocate, April 2, 1996. Reprinted courtesy of The Advocate/Here Media Inc. Copyright © 1996. All rights reserved.
“Rock and Read: Will Percy Interviews Bruce Springsteen,” by Will Percy. Originally published in DoubleTake, spring 1998. Copyright © 1998. Reprinted by permission of Will Percy.
“TV Interview,” by Charlie Rose. Originally aired on The Charlie Rose Show on the PBS Network, November 20, 1998. Copyright © 1998. Printed by permission of The Charlie Rose Show.
“Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Acceptance Speech,” by Bruce Springsteen, March 15, 1999. Copyright © 1999. Printed by permission of Bruce Springsteen.
“New Glory Days,” by Gary Graff. Originally published in Oakland Press, April 1, 2001. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission of Gary Graff.
“Springsteen … The Boss Is Back,” by Vernell Hackett. Originally published in American Songwriter, March/April 2003. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission of Vernell Hackett.
“TV Interview,” by Ted Koppel. Originally aired on Nightline on the ABC Network. August 4, 2004. Copyright © 2004. Printed by permission of ABC Network.
“John Kerry Campaign Rally Speech,” by Bruce Springsteen. Copyright © 2004. Printed by permission of Bruce Springsteen.
“U2 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Speech,” by Bruce Springsteen. Copyright © 2005. Printed by permission of Bruce Springsteen.
“A Fan’s Eye View,” by Nick Hornby. Originally published in Observer Music Monthly, July 16, 2005. Copyright © 2005. Reprinted by permission of Nick Hornby.
“The Feeling’s Mutual: Bruce Springsteen and Win Butler Talk about the Early Days, the Glory Days and Even the End of Days,” by Steve Kandell. Originally published in Spin, December 2007. Copyright © 2007. Reprinted by permission of Spin magazine.
“New Jersey Hall of Fame Induction Acceptance Speech,” by Bruce Springsteen. Copyright © 2008. Printed by permission of Bruce Springsteen.
“Barack Obama Campaign Rally Speech,” by Bruce Springsteen. Copyright © 2008. Printed by permission of Bruce Springsteen.
“Brucie Bonus,” by Steve Turner. Originally published in RadioTimes (Glastonbury, UK), June 27, 2009. Copyright © 2009. Reprinted by permission of Steve Turner.
“Interview,” by Ed Norton. Copyright © 2010. Printed by permission of Bruce Springsteen.
“TV Interview,” by Brian Williams. Originally aired on the NBC Network, October 7, 2010. Copyright © 2010. Printed by permission of NBC News.
“TV Interview,” by Molly Meldrum. Originally aired on Sunday Night on the Seven Network (Australia), November 20, 2010. Copyright © 2010. Printed by permission of Sunday Night—The Seven Network Australia.
“Eulogy for Clarence Clemons” by Bruce Springsteen. Copyright © 2011. Printed by permission of Bruce Springsteen.
“Keynote Speech, “South by Southwest Music Festival by Bruce Springsteen. Copyright © 2012. Printed by permission of Bruce Springsteen.
Photos of Bruce Springsteen on pages 55, 125, 301, and 398 by Frank Stefanko. Copyright © 1978, 1982, 2004, 2012. Printed by permission of Frank Stefanko.
INDEX
All song and album titles were performed or written by Springsteen unless otherwise attributed. Page numbers in italics refer to photographs. References to footnotes are indicated by an italic n.
50 Cent, 327
“57 Channels,” 180, 186
50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Presley), 194
60 Minutes (TV show), 273, 326
914 Sound Studios, 23
AARP The Magazine, 364
“Across the Border,” 216
activism, 260–61, 300. See also political issues; social issues
Acy’s Pool Hall & Restaurant, 93
“Adam Raised a Cain,” 85, 86, 90, 210
Advocate article, 234–45
Aftermath (Rolling Stones), 30
Against Me!, 324 AIDS, 237–38
Alford, Zachary, 166, 181
“All Along the Watchtower” (Dylan), 162
Allen, Woody, 220
Alley nightclub, xii
Allman, Greg, 45
alternative music, 196–97, 217
America, future of, 361–62
America Come Together, 302
American Bandstand, 106
American dream, 143, 334–35, 362
“American Heartbeat” (Scott and Humphries), 141–54
American Hot Wax (film), 81
Americans, The (Frank), 248
“American Skin (41 Shots),” 290–91, 300–301
American Songwriter article, 293–97
Amnesty International Human Rights Now tour, 158, 289, 375
“Anarchy in the U.K.” (Sex Pistols), 392
“Angel, The,” 19, 24
Animals (band), 57, 102, 105, 249, 352, 391–92
Ann Arbor concert, 112–13, 119
“Another Thin Line,” 290
“(Antichrist Television Blues)” (Arcade Fire), 321
Appel, Mike
on Columbia Records, 49–50
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., 23
Hammond meeting, 11, 15
on hype, 51
introduction to Springsteen, 52
legal issues, 54, 74–75, 98–99, 124, 368
on media coverage, 19, 44, 45, 53
producing, 23, 27, 59
on Springsteen, 3, 9, 10, 12, 43, 339–40
Springsteen on, 11, 12, 98, 121, 284
Apples in Stereo, 324
Aquarian, 97–106
Arcade Fire, 321–22, 323, 324, 325, 328, 361
Armstrong, Louis, 9, 316
art
finding an audience, 254
purpose of, 252–53, 256, 258, 325
right-brain approach, 349–50
Scorsese on, 354
Asbury Park, New Jersey, xii, 6, 7, 13, 25, 61, 62, 87, 97, 104, 119, 132, 158, 199, 259, 272, 279, 290, 294, 323, 345, 351, 364, 365, 373, 377, 381
Atlanta, Georgia, 104, 219–20, 246, 291
“Atlantic City,” 132, 149, 157
audiences
at Ann Arbor concert, 112–13, 119
Brendan Byrne Arena concerts, 179
building relationships, 257, 260, 290, 314
connecting with, 66–68, 152, 156, 176, 220, 300, 326
dedication of, 126, 206, 290
enthusiasm, 99
excitement, 94–95, 95–96
fanatical nature, 113
Irish, 188
jumping onstage, 78–79
negative reactions, 300–301
relating to, 72–73
responsibility to, 119, 124–26
role of, 187, 220–21
size of, 34, 123, 175, 219, 340
variety of fans, 206–7
younger fans, 187, 318
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sp; Austin, Texas, 219, 386
Australia tours, 155, 377
“Backstreets,” 151, 320, 389
backup singers, 181
“Badlands,” 61, 156, 180, 181, 341, 392
Badlands (film), 348
Baerwald, David, 170
Baker, Danny, 166
“Balboa Park,” 221, 227, 239
“Ball of Confusion” (Temptations), 325
Band, the, 7, 306
Band of Horses, 324
bands, as a community, 205, 223, 258, 323, 324
Bangs, Lester, 8, 387, 397
“Barack Obama Campaign Rally Speech” (Springsteen), 333–35
Barsalona, Frank, 285
Batlan, Mike, 169–70
Beach Boys, 31, 159, 315
Beatles, 10, 11, 57, 92, 142, 150, 159, 163, 194, 342, 350, 355, 370, 385, 390–92
Beatty, Warren, 45
Beauchamp, Ed, 13–14
“Beautiful Day” (U2), 310
“Because the Night” (Smith), 61, 70, 75–76, 87, 105–6
Beck, Jeff, 76
Bedtime Stories (Baerwald), 170
Bell, Barry, 285
Berry, Chuck, 22, 26, 77, 98, 101, 105, 142, 230, 307, 316
“Better Days,” 191
Betteridge, David, 127
Between the Buttons (Rolling Stones), 30
Bianculli, Al, 15
“Big Muddy, The,” 164, 168