Song of the Day: 'Answering Machine' by Bruce Springsteen

Today's pick -- described as Bruce Springsteen's terse, dark, unreleased companion piece to "Hungry Heart" -- would be the greatest thing ever if it weren't accompanied with the realization that there is a generation of people who don't know what an answer machine is! Read HERE.

P.S.. I remember my brother Bill getting one for his post-college townhouse in Chandler in about 1985 or so -- slightly before they became ubuquitous -- and all of us laughing at him, like he was "so important" that he needed a machine to take his calls!

Song of the Day: 'Pink Cadillac' by Natalie Cole

 

This one came on MTV Classic the other day and it led me to either learn -- or perhaps remember:

1. The song was written by Bruce Springsteen and his best-known version was recorded during "Born in the U.S.A." sessions but was left off the album. Instead, it was used as the b-side for "Dancing in the Dark." (The song received moderate airplay on album-oriented rock radio and appeared on the Billboard Top Tracks chart for 14 weeks, peaking at No. 27.) The song was also a prominent concert number during Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." tour.

2. Bette Midler had recorded the original gender flip cover in 1983, but The Boss refused to let her release it because he felt it wasn't a "girl's song." According to the Midler biography "Still Divine" by Mark Bego, Midler was severely disappointed by Springsteen's veto, which forced her to record a new track ("Beast of Burden") for "No Frills" at considerable expense. Midler's August 1984 video release "Art or Bust" video -- comprising footage from the two "De Tour" concerts at the University of Minnesota -- included "Pink Cadillac" as the opening number.

3. At some point Bruce decided to let the song be covered, and according to Cole, "word got back" to her that he "thought it was very cool that a woman could [sing "Pink Cadillac"] and it would come out so great." Cole's version drove to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988.

Princess and the Piece

This chick isn't really Harry's new squeeze. But it's still OK to hate her, right?

The Daily Mail writes: 

A teenager whose father plays with Bruce Springsteen sparked wild rumours online after joking that she was seeing Prince Harry. Olivia Tallent, whose father Garry in Springsteen's E Street Band, posted a snap of her and the royal on Instagram with the caption 'new boyfriend'. The 19-year-old later provoked even more speculation when she wrote: "Princess Olivia has a pretty nice ring to it, right?" Springsteen and his band were at Wembley Stadium last night for the latest leg of his The River world tour. Olivia posted the photo, showing Harry with his arm round her waist, on her Twitter and Instagram accounts, prompting lots of comments from jealous Harry fans. 

Imagine him on his WEDDING DAY ... and HONEYMOON.

Bruce Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Concert in Solidarity With LGBT Community

I love it when Bruce gets bossy:

As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards. 

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Sunday April 10th show is canceled. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.

Song of the Day: 'I'm on Fire' by Bruce Springsteen

   Although one of my best friends is the de facto president of his fan club, I remained a pretty casual fan of Bruce Springsteen most of my young life. I think one of my brothers had "The River," but it wasn't until "I'm on Fire" debuted on MTV that I really got on-board. Unlike "Hungry Heart" and the bombastic early singles from his breakthrough "Born in the U.S.A." album, from which this one came, "I'm on Fire" revealed a vulnerable side of The Boss, which quietly seduced my young heart in two minutes and 37 seconds flat. This quieter side of Bruce was fleshed out by getting the dark "Nebraska" and then reached a peak with the maudlin "Tunnel of Love," which is probably my favorite album of his to date. Still, you never forget your first love. And this song -- and video, when they truly were part of a song's DNA -- forever haunts me.

Fun Couples

Jersey super-couple Debbie Harry and Bruce Springsteen backstage during last night's Rainforest Fund's 21st birthday at Carnegie Hall in New York City. I'll have more from the surprisingly campy event later!

Lady Gaga, Debbie Harry, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Sting, Sir Elton John, Bruce Springsteen performing "Don't Stop Believin'" live at the Almay Concert to Celebrate the Rainforest Fund's 21st Birthday at Carnegie Hall in New York - 5/13/2010

Virgin Territory

While most people 40 and under have turned exclusively to music downloads I still can't get enough of those square plastic dust collectors. So I headed over to the Virgin Mega Store in Union Square last night after a low-key dinner with Michael (we're both recovering from being ill). I'd heard so many good things about Bruce Springsteen's new album, "Magic," that I had to have it. Turns out it doesn't come out until today, but a Starbucks we stopped at afterward had it out already and although they weren't allowed to sell it to me, they were allowed to charge me for another one of their collections and let me take "Magic" home (HUH? Sorry, no royalties for that one, Bruce!). I'm no Bruce expert. In fact, I'm obsessed with "Nebraska" and "Tunnel of Love" ("Tougher Than the Rest" rules) but have never even heard any of his other albums (well, not counting "Born in the U.S.A." 'cause virtually every song was released as a single). But every so often I get the urge for Bruce and it cannot be denied. I've only played "Magic" a couple times and I'm already really enjoying it. I was sort of startled that the opening track, "Radio Nowhere," doesn't even credit Tommy Tutone's "867-5309/Jenny" for a sample -- it's the exact same guitar riff -- but the rest of the album is all Bruce and casts a dark spell with an upbeat feel to it. "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," "You'll Be Comin' Down," "Long Walk Home" and "Livin in the Future" are my favorites so far.

I also picked up the Bat for Lashes album, "Fur & Gold," that includes the video I posted last week. I'm intrigued by the variety of the songs (none of the other tracks sound hardly anything like "What's a Girl to Do?"). Shades of Kate Bush?

I was listening to Lloyd Cole's charming collection of lost tracks and rarities from 2004, "Etc.," this afternoon and my disc started to skip, so I replaced it with a fresh copy.

And last but not least (don't laugh) I finally picked up "The Best of Corey Hart." A friend (Jen) at Kandy's wedding mentioned her girlhood crush on the pouty-lipped Canadian pretty boy and it really took me back. (I was smitten with him too.) I was devastated a year or two ago when VH1's promotional materials said Corey was going to be on "The Surreal Life" but it turned out to be the motocrosser Carey Hart. Although I could only think of "Sunglasses at Night" and "Never Surrender" by name, it's easy to forget that he actually had 10 great chart hits back in the day (While Bryan Adams may have had a bigger and longer career, Corey will never have pox marks). "I Am By Your Side," It Ain't Enough," "A Little Love" and his cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love" are instant iPod classics around my house -- and I certainly don't regret not just downloading this one: just look at that cover photo :-)

Read all Music Box posts HERE.