It was in 1975 and I was sitting in my dad’s car returning to my summer job working in his warehouse. Born To Run came on the Johnnie Walker’s lunch time Radio One show. I was a little deflated to hear him describe it sounding as if ‘his mouth had been stuffed full of old socks’ at the time. I’ve had this out with Johnnie since then and he has no memory of it but as a 17 year old it left a mark. So too did the song. It was the first time I’d actually heard the music having read so much about this mythical New Jersey, new Dylan.
Within a few weeks I found myself lingering in Bruce’s Records in Reform Street in Dundee as they played the whole Born to Run album back to back. I was transfixed. As soon as I had the money together I asked a friend who was going into town to bring a copy back to me. I still remember the smell of the original gatefold sleeve…and what a sleeve. One Saturday I invited a pal over to listen and we got to the climax of Jungleland as the sax solo hit peak volume when my dad stormed in and told me to turn it down. It was peak humiliation, but nothing distracted from the album. A friend played football and was thrilled to discover that one of the lines from Meeting Across The River had appeared in the team sheet of their visitors; Eddie Mann played at left back.
By the Christmas of 75 I’d caught up on the back catalogue and convinced myself The Wild, The Innocent was the apogee of recorded and lyric history so the Springsteen albums were now good friends. However it would be three more years until the next album and at that age six months is an eternity. Punk, post punk and new wave all happened and it was hard to see how Bruce fitted into that world as Darkness on the Edge of Town arrived. It took my pal Doug’s party over the summer and Racing in The Streets when Gary W Tallent hits the first bass note to realise I need to own that album. In the couple of years that followed I started to hear the bootlegs of those endless tours between 75 and 78 which cemented all the myths. I heard the ‘Brooooces’ and thought it was booing, I heard the cover versions and I heard what Bruce did with ‘Because The Night’ even though…I know…he couldn’t find room for that song on an album.
By the time The River arrived Bruce Springsteen was on British radio and he had a hit record and as the eighties passed the same pattern would continue. I’d tell myself I was over Bruce Springsteen then something wonderful would happen and I’d fall back in love as surely as a smitten school boy. I’d hear Hungry Heart and life would be possible again then I’d meet my future wife who’d sing Used Cars and I’d realise that Nebraska was really all that could ever be important in music. Where I came a little unstuck was Born In The USA…hey, but I got over it and rejoiced into the live 75 – 85 album even though my true believer pals hated it for being so edited…they had all the bootlegs.
The arrival of Tunnel of Love however was love at first sight and our wedding band played ‘All That Heaven Will Allow’ as our first dance and I gleefully shuffled around the floor.
In the nineties I’d been a bit disappointed by the twin releases of the 92 albums but found so much to enjoy in ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’ and the subsequent release of the revitalised East Street Band’s Live album from NYC in ’99. Bruce was on fire.
I’d seen Springsteen a good few times by then, but one beautiful summer night at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in the early 2000s was perhaps the best show I’d seen up to that point. Springsteen – with a new producer in tow – was on a creative roll. Following on from The Rising he made album after album and even went touring and recording with his folk/big band too.
I’ve rejoiced as he finally came to Glasgow and the last time he visited was the perfect evening. Like any artist there are moments I’ve loved more than others and there’s albums I’ve never quite bonded with…but I’ve loved his music for nearly 45 years (a good rock n roll number) and I’m not going to stop now.
On this week’s Another Country we’re going to celebrate Bruce’s 70th birthday by having ‘a rock ‘n’ roll baptism, a rock ‘n’ roll exorcism and a rock ‘n’ roll Barmitzvah. We’re going to do it all.’
Join this Tuesday evening on BBC Radio Scotland.
A great wee insight into your Bruce journey, Ricky. I always find it funny how people have so many different approaches to The Boss and favourite choices. I know a couple of other folks who can take or leave Born in the USA yet I find it a truly emotive record. Only recently too, have I begun to appreciate his 90s records as I grew up with Britpop and nu-metal (cringe).
As a 57 year old looking back, I was a Punk who heard Springsteen on the Old Grey Whistle Test, loved the voice Bought Darkness on the Edge of Town and loved it so much bought the Back Catalogue as I could save the money for it, and everything since. Smoking Joints with My Best Mate Davey in his bedsit and crying to Racing in the Street happened more than I care to remember.Meat Loafs Bat Out of Hell and The Born to Run Albums were the favouirites to play on my little cassette player when a group of us got together for a fire and a Kerry Oot on Monifieth Beach.
I didnt get to see him until 2003 at Crystal Palace, but have seen him lots since I moved down south. Just standing watching Thunder Road and Jungleland will stay with me forever, and I shared the despair and disbelief on his face when the Jobsworth cut the power to spoil musical history at Hyde Park, I never really got the Born in the USA Album, it was my least favourite, so I didnt share the the Audience Elation when he said he was playing the full Album at Stratford Olympic Park, but we danced and sang along anyway. Watching the Blinded by the Light Movie, totally identified with the young guy……
Springsteen Songs never get old……unlike Me
Thanks Ricky
for me the shine went off of Bruce around about Born in USA, for me he stopped telling stories that had meaning, then recently he reminded everyone how he never really experienced a lot of the stuff he passionately sang about…I know that should be expected but somehow, all the hype that we got in 75 for born to run started to grate…….now to me it seems its all about selling tickets and bums on seats……soryy but I just don’t buy any of his albums anymore….sad as I was on board right from the start and went to Bruce Records, Listen Record and Virgin when they all sold great new stuff………….rant over
It’s been a long relationship, as with most of your and Bruce’s listeners.
Watching the Old Grey Whistle Test special with Dave Hepworth’s interview was my first real intro to Bruce, in (I think) ’85 and the performance of Quarter To Three they showed from the No Nukes gig had me absolutely transfixed. In a plastic decade filled with synth music and frilly shirts, this was blood, sweat and honesty.
First live gig was the ’88 Tunnel of Love tour at Wembley, and it was almost too much to bear. The ’90s were a dip, but there were still moments of transcendence (back-to-back Sheffield shows sleeping in my pal’s van, and Bruce’s performance of Many Rivers to Cross) but as a massive fan of Grapes of Wrath, Bruce pulled me back in with Ghost of Tom Joad.
I took a friend who had never seen Bruce to the last gig at Hampden, and it was almost as much fun watching my friend as it was watching Bruce.
After over 100 gigs, no other artist has come close to achieving what he can do when he walks onto that stage. Inclusivity, sensitivity and FUN!!!
Do him justice, Ricky!
I sat behind you and your bandmates at the Sheffield gig on the Tunnel of Love tour, although we nipped down to the front (you could do that in those days). I think you’re right that Old Trafford Cricket Ground was special too. I love your music, but Bruce is my obsession. Isn’t it fantastic that as he reaches 70 the autobiography, the Broadway show and now the Western Stars movie really explain what he was all about for all these years? He kept that contract with the fans. Faith is rewarded.
Great article and agree that Tunnel of Love is right up there in terms of his best and enduring work. It and Darkness are my go to albums. Sure theres been dips (Outlaw Pete, Sleepy Joe’s Cafe) but his standards are so much higher than most. Let’s hope we get another tour and E Street album in 2020.