1 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: All right, everybody, welcome back to the Shirley You Can't 2 00:00:11,359 --> 00:00:15,679 Be Serious podcast. We have just ended our series on 3 00:00:15,759 --> 00:00:19,239 the best golf Comedies of all time, and now we 4 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,079 are about to begin a new series. 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,199 Speaker 2: We are starting one of the coolest six week deep 6 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,079 dives that I can think of. It's going to be 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,000 all about the summer of nineteen eighty four. 8 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: We have frequently talked about what year is the most 9 00:00:31,559 --> 00:00:35,159 eighties year of all eighties years, and Jason, I think 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:36,759 you have said nineteen eighty four. 11 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 2: I am spiking the football. It's nineteen eighty four. 12 00:00:39,079 --> 00:00:41,039 Speaker 1: Okay, So if we go back in times in nineteen 13 00:00:41,079 --> 00:00:43,320 eighty four, from a kid in nineteen eighty four, I 14 00:00:43,399 --> 00:00:46,719 could have gone to the movie theater and watched Sixteen Candles, 15 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:51,799 h Grimlins, Top Secret, Romancing the Stone, Red Dawn, Revenge 16 00:00:51,799 --> 00:00:54,079 of the Nerds, Beverly Hills, Cop Police Academy. I mean 17 00:00:54,079 --> 00:00:58,240 these are the most iconic of iconic Terminator, the Last Starfighter, 18 00:00:58,759 --> 00:01:03,000 I mean Last Last. I mean, it's the most iconic 19 00:01:03,079 --> 00:01:03,799 eighties movies. 20 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you're talking music wise, You're talking about When 21 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,439 Doves Cry by Prince, You've got what's love got to 22 00:01:09,439 --> 00:01:12,359 do with it? From Tina Turner. You've got Footloose, You've 23 00:01:12,359 --> 00:01:14,680 got Against a Lodge, You've got the Van Halen albums. 24 00:01:14,719 --> 00:01:17,760 I mean, you've got Huey Lewis Sports. That whole summer 25 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:18,599 was amazing. 26 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,359 Speaker 1: So our attempt today will be to take you back 27 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,040 to that time as we begin by comparing two albums 28 00:01:25,079 --> 00:01:28,680 that were at the top of the charts in the 29 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:33,159 summer of nineteen eighty four, Huey Lewis and The News Sports. 30 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:48,079 Speaker 2: And Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. 31 00:01:42,439 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: Two super iconic albums. Yeah, so here we are. We're 32 00:01:46,159 --> 00:01:50,439 comparing these two incredible albums of two guys whose names 33 00:01:50,439 --> 00:01:55,159 are followed with and the band. Right, you've got Huey 34 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,680 Lewis and The News, and you've got Bruce Springsteen and 35 00:01:58,879 --> 00:02:02,120 the East Street Band. Yes, right, they both got sexophone players. 36 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:07,519 They're both gravelly voiced, not traditional of the time sounding guys, 37 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:09,919 but they were killing it at the time. 38 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:11,159 Speaker 2: That's exactly right. 39 00:02:11,199 --> 00:02:15,759 Speaker 1: And these albums were their biggest success of their recording 40 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:16,879 career up until that point. 41 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, biggest sellers for sure. 42 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: Okay, this episode, our executive producers are Chris and Jeanie Alexander. 43 00:02:24,599 --> 00:02:26,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, Chris and Jeannie are some of my oldest friends 44 00:02:26,479 --> 00:02:28,479 in the world. Chris was the best man at my wedding, 45 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,560 he was in the nursery with me at my church. 46 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,879 And Jeanie is one of my wife's oldest friends, her 47 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,639 college roommate, and so we ran around together at ou 48 00:02:37,759 --> 00:02:39,680 and some of my dearest friends in the world. Chris 49 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,120 and Jennie, thank you so much for being Patreon and 50 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,560 just supporting our podcast. We love you, guys and are 51 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:45,599 very very thankful. 52 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:47,319 Speaker 1: Genie came up in the youtubo episode, right. 53 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 2: She knows her stuff, man, she knows her stuff. She 54 00:02:50,479 --> 00:02:51,599 is a big YouTube fan. 55 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: Well, if you want to be an executive producer of 56 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,120 our podcast, be sure and visit our Patreon page. It's 57 00:02:57,159 --> 00:02:59,080 as cheap as a cup of coffee a month to 58 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:01,800 become an executive producer of one of our episodes. To 59 00:03:01,879 --> 00:03:04,360 be sure and go check that out. All right, We're 60 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,599 going to start off this comparison by talking about Bruce 61 00:03:07,599 --> 00:03:10,840 Springsteen and Born in the USA, and the next we'll 62 00:03:10,879 --> 00:03:12,680 talk about Huey Lewis and the news in sports. 63 00:03:12,759 --> 00:03:13,319 Speaker 2: I can't wait. 64 00:03:13,599 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: Okay, do you have any personal feelings about Born in 65 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:17,240 the USA? 66 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,479 Speaker 2: So I was one of those kids who thought originally 67 00:03:20,479 --> 00:03:22,479 that Born in the USA is like this big fist 68 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,479 pumping patriotic I love America songs. 69 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: Wrong, I know, I know, right. Yeah, Well, it's not 70 00:03:29,879 --> 00:03:31,479 like they were. I mean, they did everything they could 71 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,280 to fool you about the content of the song. But yeah, 72 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,120 that's I was in revisiting. I'm like, oh, well, big 73 00:03:38,159 --> 00:03:39,120 misunderstanding here. 74 00:03:39,479 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so I definitely knew this album. I was familiar, 75 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:44,599 especially with the videos. 76 00:03:44,919 --> 00:03:45,039 Speaker 1: Huh. 77 00:03:45,159 --> 00:03:47,759 Speaker 2: So for me, I grew up a baseball player. I 78 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,039 love Glory Days. I love that video. The idea of 79 00:03:51,199 --> 00:03:53,639 being a rock star baseball player is very appealing. 80 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, talk about reaching your target audience by 81 00:03:57,599 --> 00:04:00,080 being the guy who's just throwing some balls at a 82 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,120 board at the local park. He nailed it. He nailed 83 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,039 his blue collar demographic. 84 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:06,159 Speaker 3: Yeah. 85 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: Before we get going, I just want to point something out. 86 00:04:09,199 --> 00:04:12,159 We have been talking to each other now for a 87 00:04:12,159 --> 00:04:15,599 couple of years, face to face, and one of the 88 00:04:15,599 --> 00:04:17,519 reasons that I can do that is because you don't 89 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:20,639 have nose hair. Have you been talking to people and 90 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:22,680 like you can't even concentrate on what they're saying because 91 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:23,279 of their nose hair. 92 00:04:23,319 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 2: Absolutely, they like tucked you. 93 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,439 Speaker 4: It dangles, yes, it wiggles, it's it's a total distraction. Absolutely, 94 00:04:29,439 --> 00:04:31,040 And so let me let me say, if you are 95 00:04:31,079 --> 00:04:33,160 one of those guys, we have a product that is 96 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:35,680 supporting the podcast that you need to check out. Is 97 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,839 called the weed Whacker, and it is from Manscape. 98 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: It is an amazing product. It trims your nose hair. 99 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,920 It's not embarrassing. You just stick it up there. It 100 00:04:43,959 --> 00:04:44,560 takes care of it. 101 00:04:44,639 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: You're not gonna look at people and bother them, right, 102 00:04:46,639 --> 00:04:48,560 And I'm one of those guys who's self conscious about 103 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:50,720 my nose hair. So somebody that you're gonna see me 104 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:52,360 and I'm gonna be like yanking them out and wincing 105 00:04:52,439 --> 00:04:55,319 in pain, don't do that. There is a special thing 106 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,399 that they make and they've also just released. In addition 107 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,480 to the weed Whacker, they have just something called the lawnmower. 108 00:05:01,519 --> 00:05:04,279 If you have other areas of your body that you're 109 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,519 looking to trim up. And I'd like to point out 110 00:05:06,519 --> 00:05:09,120 that a giraffe is easier to see in the planes 111 00:05:09,319 --> 00:05:11,920 than it is in the forest. So that's that's wonderful. Yes, 112 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:12,800 yes it is. 113 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,759 Speaker 2: So it's very it's very good around sensitive areas if 114 00:05:15,759 --> 00:05:16,399 you know what I'm saying. 115 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, they have also an entire shavekit called the Ultra 116 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:25,199 Smooth Package package. You get the idea. 117 00:05:25,319 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: So who doesn't want their package Ultra Smooth? 118 00:05:27,879 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: Right? Right? So don't forget to go to manscapes dot 119 00:05:32,199 --> 00:05:36,240 com and use the promo code fan sided twenty to 120 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:39,360 get twenty percent off your order and free shipping. 121 00:05:39,439 --> 00:05:44,439 Speaker 2: Whack it. 122 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: Perfect time. So let's talk history of mister Springsteen, shall we? 123 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:51,959 Speaker 2: Yes, let's go. 124 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,439 Speaker 1: Okay. So September twenty third, nineteen forty nine, Young Bruce 125 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,480 Springsteen is born in Long Beach, New Jersey. His family 126 00:06:05,519 --> 00:06:08,439 is a blue collar family, scraping by. His dad goes 127 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:12,920 through multiple jobs. He's a prison worker, he's a bus driver, 128 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,399 he works at a factory. And knowing this kind of history, 129 00:06:16,639 --> 00:06:18,480 to say that Bruce is kind of political in his 130 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,560 songs might be a bit of an understatement. Yeah, he 131 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,319 definitely is, and we don't get political on this podcast, 132 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:28,240 but you can certainly tell that his upbringing formed his politics, 133 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:32,199 which then formed the stories behind a lot of these songs. 134 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:36,160 But interestingly, Bruce himself never worked in a factory, never 135 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,120 worked on a highway, never had a real job in 136 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:43,160 his life. He was always a musician, yeah, and he 137 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,959 was inspired to do that back in nineteen fifty five 138 00:06:46,079 --> 00:06:49,040 ish six, maybe when he saw a guy on TV 139 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,120 swinging his hips and girls screaming their heads off, mister 140 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,160 Elvis Presley. Yes, yeah, So he decides at that moment, 141 00:06:56,399 --> 00:06:58,439 I've got to be a rock and roll star, and 142 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,680 he convinces his mom to rent him a guitar. They 143 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,480 do not have enough money to buy a guitar, so 144 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,160 she rents him a guitar for something like twenty five 145 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,560 bucks a week. And he's terrible. I mean, he's just 146 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,360 a little kid. He's like he's six seven years old 147 00:07:13,399 --> 00:07:15,879 at this point, and so she rents him this kind 148 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,759 of crappy guitar, and it quickly becomes a parent that 149 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:21,800 he needs to get rid of the guitar, like there's 150 00:07:22,079 --> 00:07:24,120 that he's not learning to play it. And so he 151 00:07:24,199 --> 00:07:26,120 knows at some point that he's got a part with 152 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,160 this thing that he's treasured for these two weeks, right, 153 00:07:29,199 --> 00:07:31,480 and so he goes out in the backyard and does 154 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,519 a concert for his you know, nine and ten year 155 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,319 old friends and swings his hips and shakes his booty 156 00:07:38,439 --> 00:07:42,639 and plays not chords and everybody's laughing and loving it, 157 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,879 and he's like, someday, someday nice. So someday comes. A 158 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,920 few years later, at the age of sixteen, he tells 159 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:52,959 his mom this, by the way, we've hit the British 160 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,160 invasion at this point. Okay, you got the Beatles, you 161 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,959 get the Stones. Yeah, And so he tells his mom, 162 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,680 if you can get me an electric guitar, I can 163 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:02,639 get a job. He and his dad didn't really get 164 00:08:02,639 --> 00:08:06,040 along very well. He and his mom got along much better, 165 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:11,680 and Christmas Day she ends up buying him a cheap Japanese, 166 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:17,079 fairly tunable, one pickup electric guitar a Kent. Yeah, I've 167 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:17,920 never heard of it either. 168 00:08:18,199 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 2: I'm sorry, Kmarts something like that. 169 00:08:22,439 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: And it is the greatest Christmas present he has ever got. 170 00:08:25,639 --> 00:08:28,839 Speaker 2: I heard him talk about this. He said, the immense 171 00:08:29,279 --> 00:08:32,399 investment that it took to buy this guitar. He said 172 00:08:32,399 --> 00:08:36,279 it cost sixty dollars and he had never seen sixty 173 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,679 dollars in one place at one time. 174 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, it blew his mind, right, and so he's determined 175 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,320 to make this a success. He immediately joins up with 176 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,960 a band called the Castiles, and they pretty quickly record 177 00:08:49,159 --> 00:08:52,399 a forty five couple of songs. Okay, he and one 178 00:08:52,399 --> 00:08:54,879 of the other band members right as they're driving to 179 00:08:54,879 --> 00:08:55,840 the recording studio. 180 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:57,919 Speaker 2: Nothing like pressure. 181 00:08:58,039 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, you know, hey work for any excess, right Yeah. 182 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,440 And by the time he's eighteen, the Vietnam War is 183 00:09:05,519 --> 00:09:08,759 in full bloom and he gets his draft card, right, 184 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,399 and so he has to go to the local doctor, 185 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,120 and his dad in his past when they would have 186 00:09:14,159 --> 00:09:15,960 their fights, he's like, boy, I can't wait till the 187 00:09:16,039 --> 00:09:17,440 army gets a hold of you. They're going to make 188 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:19,759 a man out of you. And that was kind of 189 00:09:19,759 --> 00:09:23,519 before all of Vietnam was happening. And so he comes 190 00:09:23,519 --> 00:09:26,279 back from his doctor visit. His dad's like, well, hot 191 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,360 to go, and he says, well, I'm afore F, which 192 00:09:29,399 --> 00:09:32,440 means he failed it, like he deliberately gave him answers 193 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,120 that he knew would cause him not to be draftable. 194 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,279 His dad's response is, well, I think that's probably good. Yeah. 195 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:42,559 So a year later, his family decides to move out 196 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,879 to California for better job prospects, and Bruce stays in 197 00:09:46,879 --> 00:09:49,960 New Jersey. He thinks, if I can play at these 198 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,840 clubs in Asbury Park, I can make a name for myself, 199 00:09:53,159 --> 00:09:56,679 and so he stays. Unfortunately, at that time, the clubs 200 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,279 in Asbury Park only wanted bands that were playing top 201 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,320 forty music, and Bruce is trying to write original stuff. 202 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,679 They weren't really interested in original work. The exception to 203 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:09,759 this rule was this place called the Upstage Club, and 204 00:10:09,799 --> 00:10:13,159 it's this place that welcome musicians playing original music. And 205 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,919 so you could go in start playing at nine, probably 206 00:10:15,919 --> 00:10:18,759 not get done play until five am, and you'd get 207 00:10:18,759 --> 00:10:21,320 a whopping five dollars. 208 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 2: See per hour. That would be yeah, not very much. 209 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: Not very much, right, And I don't know what it 210 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:30,240 was back then. I don't know what minimum wage was 211 00:10:30,279 --> 00:10:32,120 back then, but that's not even an hour of minimum 212 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,879 wage now, right. And so if you happen, though, to 213 00:10:36,039 --> 00:10:39,120 get a job there as a club musician, then one 214 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,039 night of play could get you fifteen dollars woo. Yeah. 215 00:10:42,399 --> 00:10:45,200 So one of the club musicians was this kid named 216 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,679 Steve van zandt little Stevie van Zant. He managed to 217 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,279 get a job as a club musician there, and that's 218 00:10:52,279 --> 00:10:56,240 where he and Bruce ultimately cross paths. So Bruce has 219 00:10:56,279 --> 00:10:59,639 several bands during this time, one called Earth, one called Child, 220 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:03,080 one called Steel meal one called the Doctor Zoom and 221 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:06,559 the Sonic Boom, and so that's how he and Steve 222 00:11:06,639 --> 00:11:10,039 crosspaths in nineteen seventy two. So just a couple of 223 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,799 years later he's been playing the music scene. This guy 224 00:11:12,879 --> 00:11:16,879 named Mike Appel notices him and thinks he's got potential, 225 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,080 and Mike has him sign in like parking lot sign 226 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:23,879 on the hood of a car, a management agreement. Mike's 227 00:11:23,879 --> 00:11:25,600 claim to fame up to that point is that he 228 00:11:25,639 --> 00:11:28,720 had written a song for the Partridge Family. That was 229 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,279 his big connection with the music industry. But it's bigger 230 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,879 than anybody else had that. Bruce knew, so he was like, 231 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,480 you know, why not. So he's a twenty one to 232 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,279 twenty two year old kid signing this multipage agreement with 233 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,960 this guy. Yep. But Mike Appel does get Bruce an 234 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,039 audition with John Hammond, who's one of the key management 235 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:52,480 at Columbia Records. Bruce goes in and sings Mary Queen 236 00:11:52,519 --> 00:11:53,720 of Arkansas. 237 00:11:55,360 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 2: Bruce Springsteen Columbia Pop Audition job number seven nine eight two, 238 00:12:01,519 --> 00:12:03,279 Mary Queen of Walkin Saw Take. 239 00:12:03,159 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 3: One, Mary Queen margin song, It's not Tooly Dream. 240 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,879 Speaker 1: And John says you belong on Columbia Records. So they 241 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,919 go through this and at some point John Hammond pulls 242 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,919 Bruce aside and he says, listen, this deal that you've 243 00:12:40,919 --> 00:12:44,440 got with Michaeppel is not a good deal. You need 244 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:46,799 to try to get out of it. But out of loyalty, 245 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,960 Bruce stuck with Mike. He would regret that decision. Yeah, yeah, 246 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,080 So Columbia thought that Bruce was kind of a folk singer. 247 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,320 He has very Bob Dylan style. I mean, if we 248 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,919 want to talk about word smith ory, if that's a word, 249 00:13:02,159 --> 00:13:05,159 he's got it right. I mean, he has an amazing 250 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:11,440 way to find those words that trigger nostalgia, emotion, just 251 00:13:11,799 --> 00:13:15,480 an amazing ability with words. But he wanted to record 252 00:13:15,519 --> 00:13:17,519 a rock record. He didn't want to be a folks singer. 253 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:18,759 He want to be a rock singer. Right. 254 00:13:18,879 --> 00:13:21,039 Speaker 2: I can see where people would be like, hey, this 255 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,159 guy reminds me about Dylan. Yeah, there are similarities there. 256 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,080 I'm glad that he decided to go, let's make a 257 00:13:27,159 --> 00:13:27,919 rock and roll record. 258 00:13:28,039 --> 00:13:30,919 Speaker 1: Right. So what he decides to do is go back 259 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,519 to Asbury Park, pick up some friends from Jersey that 260 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:38,679 included Vinnie mad Dog Lopez, Gary Tallent Danny Federici and 261 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:43,960 Dave Sanchez and future most Important person in the World Clarence. 262 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 2: Clemens Flashback Bill and Ted episode. 263 00:13:47,879 --> 00:13:50,759 Speaker 1: Yeah, so here's the story on Clarence Clemens, right, Yeah, 264 00:13:50,879 --> 00:13:54,200 So Clarence Clemens had been playing in the same area 265 00:13:54,279 --> 00:13:56,440 of town that Bruce had been playing in Kay for 266 00:13:56,519 --> 00:13:59,919 a while. He had gotten easy jobs as soul musician 267 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:01,840 and it was you know, black and white were very 268 00:14:01,879 --> 00:14:04,159 separate at that time, and he didn't really want to 269 00:14:04,159 --> 00:14:06,320 play that. He was a rocker. He wanted to play 270 00:14:06,399 --> 00:14:08,600 rock music. He ended up with this other band and 271 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,120 was playing rock music covers with them, and a girl 272 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:12,799 in the band was like, you've got to meet my 273 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,399 friend Bruce. You guys would get along so well and 274 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,279 you need to play together. And so he'd heard that 275 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,960 for several months, but they were always playing at the 276 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:21,879 same time, never got a chance to meet each other. 277 00:14:21,919 --> 00:14:24,200 And one night, this big storm happens. I think it 278 00:14:24,279 --> 00:14:26,320 knocks out the power at the club that Clarence is 279 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,440 playing at, and he thinks, Okay, I'm going to go 280 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:30,559 down and see if I can meet this Bruce guy. 281 00:14:30,919 --> 00:14:34,720 So it's pouring down rain, lightning, wind is horrible. He 282 00:14:34,799 --> 00:14:37,279 walks the few blocks down to the club. He opens 283 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:39,360 the door, and as he opens the door, the wind 284 00:14:39,559 --> 00:14:43,840 like blows the door. Okay, so that's his perspective on it. 285 00:14:43,879 --> 00:14:46,879 But I can imagine the perspective of everybody inside the 286 00:14:46,919 --> 00:14:50,559 bar when this six foot four giant black man at 287 00:14:50,559 --> 00:14:54,519 this white club opens the door to thunder and lightning 288 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,440 blasting behind him, and it looks as like he's ripping 289 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,879 the door off, throwing it down the street. And so 290 00:15:01,039 --> 00:15:02,960 he comes in and he's like, I want to sit in, 291 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,919 and Bruce says okay, and they fall in love with 292 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:06,320 each other. 293 00:15:06,519 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 2: That's fantastic. Let's talk about how they got the band name, 294 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,799 the EA Street Band. Okay, one of the guys in 295 00:15:11,879 --> 00:15:13,200 the band lived on Eas Street. 296 00:15:13,879 --> 00:15:17,759 Speaker 1: Yes, I don't remember who it was. It was Dave Santius, 297 00:15:17,799 --> 00:15:19,519 but I don't really, I'm not sure one of those 298 00:15:19,559 --> 00:15:21,399 guys lived on East Street. So why not call it 299 00:15:21,399 --> 00:15:22,080 the East Street Fan. 300 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,799 Speaker 2: I'm just here to pass on knowledge. It's a great 301 00:15:24,799 --> 00:15:27,120 band name, the Eas Street Band. Yeah, I mean, as 302 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:31,559 long as there's somebody before it. Huey Lewis and the 303 00:15:31,559 --> 00:15:33,799 East Street Band. Hey, I grew up in a town 304 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,159 where he had a street b Street, C Street, I 305 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:39,639 swear yeah, D Street, so I understand. 306 00:15:39,639 --> 00:15:42,639 Speaker 1: There you go. And their first album was appropriately called 307 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:52,720 Greetings from Asbury Park, New Jersey. Of course, immediately comparisons 308 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,720 start getting made between Bruce and Bob Dylan and music 309 00:15:55,759 --> 00:15:58,000 reviews right, but the critics kind of tear it up 310 00:15:58,039 --> 00:16:00,240 and it's not a big commercial success. Later that year 311 00:16:00,279 --> 00:16:02,159 they come out with their second album, which is called 312 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:14,720 The Wild, the Innocent, and the East Street Shuffle. And 313 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,519 this one actually got rave reviews by the critics, so 314 00:16:17,559 --> 00:16:23,360 they really loved it. But it's long and not remotely commercial. Yeah, 315 00:16:23,639 --> 00:16:25,559 nothing is going to be getting played on the radio, 316 00:16:25,639 --> 00:16:27,200 which means you're not going to have a lot of 317 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:30,960 album sales. Yes, so record company of course starting to 318 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:35,159 scratch their head a little bit and tap their fingers. Fortunately, 319 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,919 Bruce has the ability to put on an incredible live show. 320 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,000 He is notorious even still for doing like three hour 321 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:46,279 long shows that are full energy the whole time. He 322 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,639 would do these live shows and his fan base keeps 323 00:16:48,679 --> 00:16:53,039 on growing and growing, and at some point, this music 324 00:16:53,039 --> 00:16:56,600 critic from Rolling Stone magazine named John Landau comes in 325 00:16:56,639 --> 00:16:59,320 to see one of his shows, and after seeing his show, 326 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,559 he writes and Rolling Stone. I've seen the future of 327 00:17:02,679 --> 00:17:05,200 rock and roll and it is Bruce Springsteen. 328 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:07,400 Speaker 2: That's fantastic. I think we need to put a pin 329 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,720 in that guy's name because he's going to show up later. 330 00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:13,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, he is, importantly Yes, So at that point, 331 00:17:13,519 --> 00:17:18,000 Bruce is really struggling, but he writes and records this 332 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:28,400 song called Torn to Run. Everyone sees the potential for 333 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:32,119 this to be an incredible hit, Like it's his style 334 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,839 is not one that's radio friendly, but this song definitely is. 335 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:40,839 And Micah Pell even like sneaks copies of this song 336 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,279 to pro Bruce Springsteen radio stations there in New Jersey. 337 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:47,640 And the following continues to grow and grow, but he 338 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:49,680 doesn't have an album to go along with it, and 339 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,559 then his team starts to fall apart. Mad Dog leaves, 340 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,839 he's replaced by this guy named boom Carter, but then 341 00:17:57,079 --> 00:17:59,960 Dave Sanchez, who is probably the best musician in the group, 342 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,559 leaves and he takes boom Carter with him. So he's 343 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:06,000 lost two drummers and his best musician in a span 344 00:18:06,079 --> 00:18:09,240 of just a few months. And then he runs across 345 00:18:09,279 --> 00:18:12,359 this guy who I think is a key to the 346 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:14,680 album that we're going to talk about in just a bit. 347 00:18:15,319 --> 00:18:19,079 His name is Max Weinberger. Okay, so you've heard the 348 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,839 name Max Weinberger before, Yeah, because you probably have seen 349 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,960 him on Conan O'Brien, right, right, So that guy was 350 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,960 the replacement drummer that ended up being the drummer for 351 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,720 the East Street Band. He had been playing with this group. 352 00:18:32,759 --> 00:18:35,119 He's just in college at the time and still living 353 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,400 at home, but he had been playing for this group 354 00:18:37,519 --> 00:18:40,480 called the Jim Morino Band that was a support for 355 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:45,039 Springsteen's band at Seaton Hall. So when Bruce puts out 356 00:18:45,079 --> 00:18:48,359 an ad of hey, we need a new drummer, he's 357 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,960 all about it, right, And this is what it says 358 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,880 in the newspaper ads. It says no junior Ginger Bakers. 359 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:58,720 So Ginger Baker was the drummer for Cream and he 360 00:18:58,759 --> 00:19:02,319 was notorious for like these really long drawn out, big, nice, 361 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,279 blamey solos. And they were like, we don't want that guy. 362 00:19:05,319 --> 00:19:08,559 We want straight and narrow drumming. Max is a guy 363 00:19:08,559 --> 00:19:12,720 who likes simplistic and ordered drumming. Right. He is in 364 00:19:12,759 --> 00:19:15,079 a big show. Vote. By the way, I sent you 365 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,480 a video where it's Max Weinberg in a drum off 366 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:21,720 with his son, Jay Weinberg, and Jay's the he's the 367 00:19:21,759 --> 00:19:24,759 drummer for Slipknot. That's not Max Weinberg kind of drumming. 368 00:19:24,839 --> 00:19:27,839 That's that's big, big, showy drumming. Yes, And they do 369 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,680 a swing song in this drum off and it is fantastic. Yeah, yeah, 370 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,440 you should check it out anyway, So he answers the 371 00:19:34,519 --> 00:19:36,880 Village Voice ad he knows he's going to keep his 372 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:41,119 drumming condensed contained, and Bruce offers them the job at 373 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:43,039 one hundred and ten dollars a week, and so he 374 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,640 quits college just a few credit shy of degree and 375 00:19:47,039 --> 00:19:48,079 joins the eas Street band. 376 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:48,799 Speaker 2: Good choice. 377 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: So they go to the studio. They start trying to 378 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,480 put the album together to go with this song Born 379 00:19:54,559 --> 00:19:59,519 to Run, and Michapel insists on producing, but they can't 380 00:19:59,519 --> 00:20:01,720 make it sound like it is in Bruce's head, and 381 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:05,319 Bruce is starting to doubt Mike's abilities. So at some 382 00:20:05,519 --> 00:20:08,640 point Bruce has his old friend Steve van Zant come 383 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:10,799 by and he's like, hey, you want to work with us, 384 00:20:10,799 --> 00:20:12,559 and you know, they're just hanging out initially, it's like, hey, 385 00:20:12,599 --> 00:20:14,400 do you want to help us put this album together? 386 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,160 And it's like sure, and that becomes him becoming a 387 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,000 member of the East Street Band. As time goes on, 388 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:21,839 right right, he also brings in put a Pen in It, 389 00:20:22,039 --> 00:20:24,000 John Landau, who had said that he was going to 390 00:20:24,039 --> 00:20:25,680 be the future of rock and roll, to help them 391 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,480 get the right sound because they're just struggling. And Landau 392 00:20:28,559 --> 00:20:30,319 ends up breaking down a lot of the barriers that 393 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,160 were slowing down the progress of the album, and Bruce 394 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,960 makes him a co producer with him and Bruce and 395 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,240 Mike Appel, and Mike is pissed. 396 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 2: He is not pleased. 397 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,279 Speaker 1: Right, he thinks he's being replaced, and as it turned out, 398 00:20:44,279 --> 00:20:46,839 he was right about that. Yep. The record company starts 399 00:20:46,839 --> 00:20:49,640 putting pressure on them because they've been working on this 400 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:53,880 for months. They've already put out promotions and advertisements and books, 401 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:58,119 tour and so ultimately they forced this album out. July twentieth, 402 00:20:58,279 --> 00:21:01,720 nineteen seventy five, finished recording Born to Run. 403 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 2: Okay, So, one of the things I found interesting about 404 00:21:04,039 --> 00:21:06,920 the story behind Born to Run. So Bruce is out 405 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:09,480 to make this great rock song and he wants something 406 00:21:09,839 --> 00:21:12,640 radio friendly, something to please the record company, and so 407 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,359 he comes up with Born to Run. He thinks, man, 408 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:16,119 I've knocked it out of the park with this one. 409 00:21:16,279 --> 00:21:18,880 This is a great song, and when he puts it out, 410 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:23,160 it doesn't really catch fire like he wanted it to. Now, 411 00:21:23,279 --> 00:21:25,319 if you are a long distance runner like you and 412 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:27,759 I have been in there past, yeah, Born to Run 413 00:21:27,839 --> 00:21:29,720 is a part of your playlist. That's just how it 414 00:21:29,799 --> 00:21:31,599 is if you're a runner, right, and it gives you 415 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,119 extra legs and it's a great song. But at the 416 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,200 time when it came out, it wasn't really. 417 00:21:36,039 --> 00:21:37,880 Speaker 1: That big of a hit. Yeah, it wasn't as big 418 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:39,799 as he wanted it was. Still it was a career 419 00:21:39,839 --> 00:21:40,359 maker for him. 420 00:21:40,599 --> 00:21:42,799 Speaker 2: It was he thought it would be like the best. 421 00:21:42,599 --> 00:21:45,279 Speaker 1: Song, number one song. Yeah, it didn't even crack the 422 00:21:45,279 --> 00:21:48,519 top ten. It's crazy. Yeah, so it's a success. I mean, 423 00:21:48,559 --> 00:21:52,039 he does have a great deal of success because of 424 00:21:52,079 --> 00:21:55,240 this album Born to Run. A few weeks after it 425 00:21:55,279 --> 00:21:58,440 gets released, they play a sold out show in New 426 00:21:58,519 --> 00:22:01,039 York at this club called the bottom Line Line. There 427 00:22:01,079 --> 00:22:04,279 were reporters there, music critics there, new fan base there, 428 00:22:04,599 --> 00:22:08,079 and he dazzles them all and within a few weeks 429 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,960 he becomes a superstar. He's on the cover of Newsweek 430 00:22:12,279 --> 00:22:16,039 and Time, magazine in the same week. Same week, calls 431 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:17,319 up his dad. He's like, I'm gonna be on the 432 00:22:17,319 --> 00:22:20,160 cover of Newsweek and Time at the same time, Dad, 433 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,200 and he's like says, like, well, it's better than another 434 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:23,000 picture of the president. 435 00:22:23,039 --> 00:22:26,519 Speaker 2: I guess I heard him talk about this. He said 436 00:22:26,519 --> 00:22:28,920 that when he called, he was like, basically it was 437 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,400 the equivalent of telling his dad that he had taken 438 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:33,319 Santa Claus's job at the North Pole. 439 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:41,160 Speaker 1: So the album reaches number three, but Bruce realizes he 440 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:42,920 is not making very much money. 441 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 2: Yes, this is a problem, curious. 442 00:22:45,039 --> 00:22:47,839 Speaker 1: So he hires an attorney in an accountant to check 443 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:52,119 the books, and he finds out that he doesn't really 444 00:22:52,279 --> 00:22:56,839 own the rights to his own songs. Michappel, his company 445 00:22:57,039 --> 00:23:00,359 owns those and Mike is taking a majority of the 446 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:04,160 profits for his company. So Bruce sues Mike yep, and 447 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:08,279 then Mike counter sues Bruce, and Bruce does not record 448 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:12,359 another album for about three more years. And I mean 449 00:23:12,519 --> 00:23:15,319 he's shooting up like a rocket. Yeah, cover of two 450 00:23:16,079 --> 00:23:21,039 Pinnacle magazines and then Crickets, and then the magazines start 451 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:24,799 to publish whatever happened to Bruce Springsteen articles, Yeah, that 452 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,559 must be very hard, but he wasn't willing to give 453 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,400 up control of his music, and so they just continued 454 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,119 to fight and he refused to record. Michappel stopped him 455 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,720 from recording with John Landau through the lawsuit, and so 456 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:41,160 finally on May twenty eighth, nineteen seventy seven, at three 457 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:44,480 o'clock in the morning, Bruce and Mike settled their lawsuit. 458 00:23:44,559 --> 00:23:47,119 Bruce gives up a lot of money, Mike gives up 459 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:50,359 control of the music. Bruce makes John Landau his new manager, 460 00:23:50,559 --> 00:23:53,519 and they quickly produced an album, and this album details 461 00:23:53,519 --> 00:23:57,559 the difficulties and lessons from that point in life. And 462 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:01,000 that album was called Darkness on the Edge of Top. 463 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:18,000 So he plays countless shows and the three hour long shows, 464 00:24:18,319 --> 00:24:21,880 and a mass is an incredible fan base. He graduates 465 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:25,960 from theaters into playing arenas, and then he goes and 466 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,880 he plays the No Nuke's Benefit with some giants from 467 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:32,400 the seventies like Crosby, Stills and Nash and Carly Simon, 468 00:24:32,519 --> 00:24:34,680 but he is the one that steals the show. So 469 00:24:34,759 --> 00:24:39,559 he manages to revive his struggling career. Then, in nineteen 470 00:24:39,599 --> 00:24:42,759 eighty records the album The River that has a song 471 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:47,480 called The River which was inspired by his sister's planned pregnancy. 472 00:24:47,559 --> 00:24:51,799 Good song, but it also interestingly, up to this point, 473 00:24:51,839 --> 00:24:54,160 as we said, he hasn't cracked the top ten, but 474 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,240 there's a song on this album that breaks that streak. 475 00:24:56,400 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 2: He's got a great top forty song that's called Hungry Heart. 476 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 1: I mean, so good, so great song. So here's it's interesting. 477 00:25:16,519 --> 00:25:18,480 You listen to that song, you're like, man, he sounds younger. 478 00:25:18,519 --> 00:25:20,720 He's a voice a little bit higher. Yeah. Yeah, they 479 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:25,559 sped up a song. They actually sped up the tempo, 480 00:25:25,799 --> 00:25:27,839 like not just the temple, like, they sped the recording 481 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,160 up so that his pitch actually increased. He's saying it lower. 482 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:35,039 They sped it up to be higher, faster, and it worked. 483 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,960 Sound great. Yeah. So then we've got some time where 484 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,759 it's very prolific songwriting time for him. But he's like 485 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:46,319 he's recording with a cheap tape recorder and a guitar 486 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:50,359 and his garage and like he'll keep these tapes in 487 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,200 his pockets for weeks at a time, and then he 488 00:25:54,279 --> 00:25:57,720 meets this producer named Chuck Plutkin, and he's like, here 489 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,000 are my tapes, and so Chuck pluckin incredibly I mean 490 00:26:01,039 --> 00:26:03,359 he hasn't really done much of until this point. He 491 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:08,720 engineers these pocket tape kruddy recorder in the garage songs 492 00:26:09,079 --> 00:26:14,680 into professional sounding produced songs for the Vinyl LP. And 493 00:26:14,799 --> 00:26:23,799 that is what you get on the album Nebraska. 494 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,279 Speaker 2: Wow, that's incredible. I've not ever heard this story. 495 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:31,519 Speaker 1: Yeah. So he goes on a songwriting spree. Yeah, he does, 496 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:37,039 and puts together something like eighty songs, and they whittle 497 00:26:37,079 --> 00:26:40,759 it down to eleven songs, and he presents those songs 498 00:26:40,799 --> 00:26:43,640 to John Landau and John Lando says, you don't have 499 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:46,880 a hit, right, right, right? How many times have we 500 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:50,759 said the same story over and over right? And I 501 00:26:50,799 --> 00:26:54,440 mean eighty songs that he's whittled down to eleven, And 502 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:57,640 the guy that you've trusted with everything, your manager, your 503 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,039 go to guy, says you don't have a hit. You 504 00:27:00,039 --> 00:27:03,160 to write another song. They have a bit of a battle. 505 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:05,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, he gets mad at him. He says, look, dude, 506 00:27:05,319 --> 00:27:08,039 I've written seventy songs. If you want to hit, you 507 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:08,880 write the hit. 508 00:27:09,039 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, And so Lando gets pissed and he walks out. Yep, 509 00:27:12,319 --> 00:27:15,400 Bruce is pissed and he's walking around blowing off steam. 510 00:27:15,799 --> 00:27:18,559 But of course, as all musicians do. He ends up 511 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:22,519 sitting down with the guitar, strums out a chord, strums 512 00:27:22,519 --> 00:27:25,519 out another chord, and sings and get up in the 513 00:27:25,559 --> 00:27:30,880 evening and I ain't got nothing to say. And to 514 00:27:31,279 --> 00:27:35,640 hear that story behind that song. It elevated that song 515 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,759 on my I Love this Song list because if you 516 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,240 know the story behind a song that he's been working 517 00:27:42,279 --> 00:27:45,359 and working and beat down and has made himself a 518 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:49,200 prisoner of the career that he longed for and loved, 519 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,319 and these are the words that come out from that song. 520 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:56,640 Speaker 2: Oh man, so powerful, that's right, it is, It absolutely is. 521 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,720 And the fact that this creativity can come out of 522 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,359 a I mean, he had a two year battle with 523 00:28:02,599 --> 00:28:05,000 his former manager, plus he just had a fight with 524 00:28:05,079 --> 00:28:07,680 his new manager, and he's done all this work and 525 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:12,440 he had written like Prince levels of songwriting, right. 526 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, songs. He'd even considered doing a double album on 527 00:28:15,519 --> 00:28:19,599 the deal, Yeah, with Nebraska and Born in the USA, 528 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:21,559 all those songs that they were putting together. He had 529 00:28:21,559 --> 00:28:22,880 thought about doing a double album. 530 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 2: Yes, so most of the songs from the Born in 531 00:28:25,279 --> 00:28:29,880 the USA album were written and recorded in nineteen eighty two. 532 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:35,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, Yes, like seven of the seven of the twelve, yeah, 533 00:28:35,279 --> 00:28:38,559 were recorded together at the same place, and then they 534 00:28:38,599 --> 00:28:42,319 recorded the other four and then finally ended up recording 535 00:28:42,319 --> 00:28:43,920 the Dancing in the Dark class. 536 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:47,039 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, I thought it was interesting. The name for 537 00:28:47,079 --> 00:28:50,039 the album that he had in mind, Murder Incorporated. 538 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. Interesting. Interesting. I don't know what that means, but 539 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,559 right there you go. Okay, and so now he's got 540 00:28:56,559 --> 00:28:59,240 these songs. He feels like they've got a hit, potential 541 00:28:59,319 --> 00:29:02,160 hit on their hand. Little they know what's about to come, 542 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:05,599 and so they need a cover for the album, right right, yep. 543 00:29:05,759 --> 00:29:09,279 So you know the photographer Ann Leebowitz, Annie Leebowitz, Okay, 544 00:29:09,319 --> 00:29:13,279 she is a world famous photographer of musicians, and the 545 00:29:13,279 --> 00:29:16,519 picture of Bruce's butt comes from her pictures of him 546 00:29:16,599 --> 00:29:19,960 and in front of this flag. Yes, some people thought 547 00:29:20,039 --> 00:29:24,480 that the cover was depicting Bruce urinating on the flag, 548 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,079 but he said, no, that was unintentional. We took a 549 00:29:27,079 --> 00:29:29,480 lot of different types of pictures and in the end, 550 00:29:29,759 --> 00:29:31,599 the picture of my ass looked better than the picture 551 00:29:31,599 --> 00:29:33,920 of my face, and so that's what we went with 552 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:36,279 on the cover. I didn't have any secret message. I 553 00:29:36,279 --> 00:29:37,519 didn't do that very much. 554 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 2: Now here's the rumor, right right, Actually this is an 555 00:29:40,799 --> 00:29:44,640 unconfirmed rumor that when she showed in the picture, he said, no, no, no, 556 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,640 see I want to change my clothes, my hair, my face, 557 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:49,319 and she said, okay, let's take a picture of your butt. 558 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:52,119 That is not true. 559 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,119 Speaker 1: That's jo Okay, all right, So I'm gonna talk about 560 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:58,640 James Buckley. James Buckley is one of our top top fans, right. 561 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 2: James Buckley has become a friend of ours. 562 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:04,279 Speaker 1: Yes, he's one of our Patreons executive producer. By the way, 563 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,240 check out Patreon if you want to be an executive 564 00:30:06,279 --> 00:30:09,079 producer of an episode. But James is an attorney and 565 00:30:09,119 --> 00:30:11,519 also a drummer, and so I just threw out to him, 566 00:30:11,519 --> 00:30:13,599 I'm like, hey, we're comparing Hue Lewis and Bruce Springsteen. 567 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:17,160 What are your thoughts? And he gave his opinion on it. 568 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,960 But we started talking about Max Weinberg, right, because he's 569 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:23,359 a drummer, and he notes, you know, not only does 570 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:25,759 he gives up the legal career in order to become 571 00:30:25,799 --> 00:30:28,480 a rock musician and then you know, go on to 572 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:31,160 be the musician for a couple of different late night shows. 573 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,599 But in listening to the album again, I think Max 574 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:37,440 Weinberg is the key to the success of this album 575 00:30:37,519 --> 00:30:42,759 because you have this loud, popping, hooky drum beat that 576 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:48,279 goes along with all of Bruce's somber, dark, deep lyrics, 577 00:30:48,519 --> 00:30:53,119 and together you have a balance that strikes a chord 578 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:56,200 with a swath of people around the country. 579 00:30:56,359 --> 00:31:03,319 Speaker 2: Nice like it a swath a swath. Wow. All right, 580 00:31:03,359 --> 00:31:05,000 before we do track by track, I've got a couple 581 00:31:05,039 --> 00:31:06,559 more things I just want to throw out there while 582 00:31:06,559 --> 00:31:09,599 we're talking about it. Okay, So in the mid eighties, 583 00:31:09,599 --> 00:31:12,319 you had this thing called boss Mania, like people went 584 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:16,799 crazy for Bruce Springsteen. Yep, Okay, I sent you a 585 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,039 video of a clip from Growing Paints. 586 00:31:19,319 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, do. 587 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 2: You remember this? 588 00:31:20,799 --> 00:31:24,559 Speaker 1: Yes? Okay, So just and I remember the episode is 589 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,000 really Oh yeah, I totally remember the episode. I was 590 00:31:27,039 --> 00:31:29,960 a Growing Pains fanatic. So yes, I remember. 591 00:31:30,359 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 2: So Mike Seaver and his dad Jason Seaver, huh, go 592 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:37,559 to a Bruce Springsteen concert together and they it's funny 593 00:31:37,559 --> 00:31:41,720 because they're both really into it. And then on national TV, 594 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,599 Jason Seaver gives Mike a big hug and like this 595 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:46,720 is my guy and gives him a kiss. 596 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: And it embarrasses. 597 00:31:48,119 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, but they're having such a good time at the 598 00:31:51,039 --> 00:31:53,079 Bruce Springsteen concert. I thought that was really fun. 599 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:56,079 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, now I will say this. They have a 600 00:31:56,079 --> 00:31:59,359 big discussion about this and how his dad has embarrassed him, 601 00:31:59,359 --> 00:32:00,519 and he's like, what I thought, we're just having a 602 00:32:00,519 --> 00:32:02,839 good time. There's a big converse that you could that 603 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:04,759 I could have with my kid at this sure, sure, 604 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:07,400 And so you kind of get the idea. And then 605 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:08,960 at the end of the episode, Mike is in this 606 00:32:09,079 --> 00:32:11,119 room with all of his friends and they're listened to 607 00:32:11,119 --> 00:32:14,160 the stereo pretty loud, and Jason comes in and is like, 608 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:15,599 you guys need to turn it down. We're in the 609 00:32:15,599 --> 00:32:17,559 next room. You know, there's a reasonable level. And it 610 00:32:17,599 --> 00:32:19,240 kind of gives him a wink and walks out the 611 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,720 door and he starts dancing in the kitchen with Maggie. 612 00:32:23,079 --> 00:32:25,920 And the funny thing is is the song that they're 613 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:30,920 playing on the radio sounds exactly like Footloose, which we 614 00:32:31,039 --> 00:32:33,720 will be covering in our Summer of nineteen eighty four. 615 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 2: Can't wait for that. 616 00:32:35,119 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay. 617 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 2: So one of the things I wanted to throw out 618 00:32:37,759 --> 00:32:40,119 here this is this is a tidbit that I learned 619 00:32:40,359 --> 00:32:43,519 that was like, WHOA, I can't believe this Okay, Born 620 00:32:43,519 --> 00:32:48,160 in the USA became the first compact disc manufactured in 621 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:50,359 the United States for commercial release. 622 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:51,119 Speaker 1: Crazy. 623 00:32:51,319 --> 00:32:54,799 Speaker 2: It was manufactured in Tera Hoode, Indiana, in September of 624 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:59,000 nineteen eighty four. Before that, CDs had been imported from Japan. Wow, 625 00:32:59,119 --> 00:33:03,559 first CD manufacturers in the US. It was literally born 626 00:33:03,559 --> 00:33:04,240 in the USA. 627 00:33:05,039 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: Wow. Good one, man, good one. Thank you. So tune 628 00:33:10,759 --> 00:33:13,519 in next week we will cover Born in the USA 629 00:33:13,759 --> 00:33:17,359 track by track as we plow into our Summer of 630 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,079 nineteen eighty four series. 631 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 2: It's going to be amazing comeback with This. 632 00:33:24,279 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 3: Was a big baseball where. 633 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:41,279 Speaker 1: That scene ball by Boom, but the critics kind of 634 00:33:41,279 --> 00:33:45,519 tore it up. It was not a big commercial success either. Okay, 635 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:51,519 you want to say it with Obsberg? Yeah, uh, save 636 00:33:51,599 --> 00:33:58,519 that for the outtakes. The okay,