After his monumental Born To Run was released in 1975, Springsteen was sent on a whirlwind tour of publicity, including being on the cover of Time and Newsweek. A legal battle with then-manager Mike Appel ensued, which kept Bruce and the E Street Band out of the studio and the publicity circuits for two years. With the release of 1978's Darkness on the Edge of Town, Springsteen was under the management of John Landau and seemed entirely rejuvenated.
This interview, recorded with Dave Herman when the band was in San Diego during the Darkness tour,…entire summary
After his monumental Born To Run was released in 1975, Springsteen was sent on a whirlwind tour of publicity, including being on the cover of Time and Newsweek. A legal battle with then-manager Mike Appel ensued, which kept Bruce and the E Street Band out of the studio and the publicity circuits for two years. With the release of 1978's Darkness on the Edge of Town, Springsteen was under the management of John Landau and seemed entirely rejuvenated.
This interview, recorded with Dave Herman when the band was in San Diego during the Darkness tour, is a reflection of Springsteen's coming to terms with the need for album promotion. Seemingly distracted and nervous at first, he talks about why he stayed out of the limelight over the past few years. After calming down a little, the chat hits a great groove, with insights into the making of the album, how the E Street Band was formed, and some hilarious stories about the current tour (including the infamous spray painting on the Sunset Strip). Throughout, Bruce comes across as a regular guy trying to stay grounded amidst the chaos of being a star. For those not too familiar with him, this will make you a fan; for all others, this is Bruce exactly as you would expect.
00:16 - A "recluse" since 1975 / new attitude
01:21 - Promoting the new album
02:40 - Being frightened by the Born To Run experience
04:18 - Bruce Springsteen the person vs. Bruce Springsteen the product
05:01 - Standard distractions of the rich and famous
06:10 - Discovering how to live
06:58 - Getting into rock and roll / Mrs. Springsteen the Elvis fan
08:11 - Losing control during Born To Run
09:06 - Emotional attachment to Darkness on the Edge of Town
10:07 - Meeting John Landau
10:56 - "I saw rock and roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen"
13:31 - Creative problems in the studio before Born to Run
15:28 - The barriers that John Landau broke through for Born to Run
16:50 - Timelines for releasing albums
17:41 - Opinion of Darkness
18:16 - Extra songs that didn't make the album ("Fire," "Because the Night," 30 others)
18:58 - Hardest track to record for the album: "Badlands"
The E Street Band
20:16 - Meeting Danny Federici and Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez / the Upstage / who joined whose band
22:29 - Garry Tallent / the New Jersey coast / the original bassist
25:06 - The revolving door policy
25:40 - The band on Greetings from Asbury Park
26:24 - Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg
28:07 - Clarence Clemmons
29:20 - Having a terrific time on tour
29:54 - The Phoenix show (8/7/78) / a tooth-smashing kiss
31:42 - Spray-painting the sign on the Sunset Strip
34:39 - The origins of "The Boss"
35:25 - Life away from rock and roll
36:54 - Caring about his fans
37:59 - The traps of being a rock star
39:36 - Aversion to being the center of attention / paradox of increased popularity
Read more about Bruce Springsteen in Crawdaddy!:
"Was Bob Dylan the Previous Bruce Springsteen?"
"God Bless Bruce Springsteen"
"Dear Bruce, It's Not You, It's Me"
"Bruce Springsteen: Magic"
"The Wild, the Innocent, and the Craig Finn Shuffle"
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