[PDF v1.1] By Erik Flannigan and Christopher Phillips. A 12-page booklet, sized to fit the Tracks box set, originally bound and included with Backstreets Magazine #61 (Winter, 1998), now sold out.
From the 1998 introduction: "Beyond his insightful introductory note, Bruce Springsteen elected not to annotate the 66 songs included on Tracks. However, with the release of the box set, he did give an unprecedented number of interviews to publications like Billboard and MOJO which revealed fascinating background details about these songs, how he chose them, and why they were left off of the albums in the first place. Over the last 19 years that this magazine has been published, the editors of Backstreets have attempted to catalog Springsteen's recording and performance history from a fan’s perspective, albeit at times an obsessive one. This booklet takes a comprehensive look at all 66 songs on Tracks by presenting some of Springsteen's own comments about the material in context with each track's researched history (correcting a few Tracks typos along the way) and the editors' contemporary analysis. It is in no way intended to replace the Tracks booklet, nor is it meant as our statement as to what kind of liner notes should have been included in Tracks. In the purest sense of the word it is a supplement, one which we hope will broaden our readers' understanding and interest in 66 fascinating songs recorded over 27 years. If Tracks itself presented 'the alternate route,' consider this booklet the alternate road map." -- The Editors of Backstreets
If this sort of thing is up your alley, also see:
"The Video Anthology Viewer's Guide"(Video Anthology 1978-2000, video-by-video) by Christopher Phillips, in Backstreets #70
"The Devil's in the Details" (Devils & Dust, song-by-song) by Christopher Phillips, in Backstreets #83/84
[English] By Shawn Poole. "Didn't Have To Die: How an Encounter That Never Happened Might Have Helped to Change History If It Had" was originally published in Spanish in The Stone Pony Magazine issue 53, September 2009.
Happy 75th birthday, Elvis! 2010 marks the 75th anniversary of the birth of Elvis Presley, born on January 8, 1935. A few years ago, Backstreets Magazine celebrated the 50th anniversary of Elvis' first record with a massive fourteen-page, multi-author feature (in issue #80) on Elvis Presley's enormous and enduring influence on Bruce Springsteen’s career. One of our readers, Henry Klingeman, wrote us shortly thereafter to suggest a future exploration of what kind of album Bruce and Elvis might have made together if they had ever gotten the chance.
Shawn Poole, the main architect of our 2004 Elvis/Bruce feature, eventually took Henry's suggestion and ran with it. The result is a fun piece of speculative fiction that nevertheless concocts a very plausible scenario in which "The King" and "The Boss" cross paths and actually record together.
"Didn't Have To Die: How An Encounter That Never Happened Might Have Helped To Change History If It Had" was published recently in the Barcelona-based Springsteen magazine The Stone Pony, translated by Núria Gasca with graphics designed by "Juanito 99." To celebrate what would have been Elvis' 75th birthday, we present the complete English version of Shawn's essay here as a free PDF download. Posted with permission of Shawn J. Poole, with special thanks to Joan Colet and Xavier Agut at The Stone Pony Club in Barcelona for making it possible.
Photography Click thumbnail to download high-resolution image
Bruce Springsteen & Danny Federici November 14, 2007 - Pittsburgh, PA This photograph may be published at no charge on a non-exclusive basis to mark the passing of E Street Band organist/keyboardist Danny Federici on April 17, 2008.
Credit: Guy Aceto/Backstreets
Bruce Springsteen, Danny Federici & Roy Bittan November 18, 2007 - Boston, MA This photograph may be published at no charge on a non-exclusive basis to mark the passing of E Street Band organist/keyboardist Danny Federici on April 17, 2008.
Credit: A.M. Saddler/Backstreets
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"I've been blessed to be a part of Jason Heath and the Greedy Souls. It's a great band with a great heart. Our version of "Sandy" came about as a tribute to my father who loved that song. I hope you think of him when you listen to it and visit dannyfund.org to help us with the battle against melanoma." —Jason Federici
The lead, title track from Willie Nile's 2009 follow-up to the acclaimed Streets of New York, on River House Records. CD available now from Backstreet Records. For more information, visit willienile.com.
From his LP, Real World: The Bruce Springsteen Project
Mark Wright is a singer/songwriter who was one of the few artists from the UK to feature on the Light of Day tribute compilation, with his version of "Two Hearts." He has rooted himself in American music and has toured with folk legend and friend of Woody Guthrie, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, as well as recording at the birthplace of rock and roll, Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Now signed to indie label Revolver Records, Mark's second release for the label is a new album of ten Springsteen covers, now available from the Backstreet Records shop. This is the title track.
Spring's in the air today, feels like a good time for a doubleshot from our friends & neighbors at Merge Records. Superchunk has been known to break out "Born to Run" live; on record, Superchunk/Portastatic/Merge honcho Mac McCaughan offered up two Springsteen covers on Portastatic's 2003 EP, Autumn Was a Lark. "Growin' Up" is a full-band studio take (as Mac writes in the liner notes, the band was "undeterred by one punter's description of our cover of 'Growin' Up' as 'hilarious'"), and "Bobby Jean" is a solo acoustic version performed live on WPRB in Princeton, NJ.
In April of 2007, Josh Ritter was invited to participate in the Bruce Springsteen Tribute at Carnegie Hall in New York City. That night, before Bruce himself took the stage, Josh performed a chilling, solo acoustic version of "The River." Not captured in a recording, it has remained one of the most talked-about performances from that night. But while performing an encore in concert on September 12, 2007, Ritter broke out his rendition of "The River" again for the audience in Berlin. For more on Josh, visit his MySpace page and his official site at www.joshritter.com.
Bruce Springstone was created in the spring of 1982 by Baltimore musicians/songwriters Tom Chalkley and Craig Hankin. Bruce Springstone: Live at Bedrock was released in September '82 by Clean Cuts Records. The A-side features "Bedrock Rap/Meet the Flintstones," a parody of Springsteen singing the Flintstones theme; the B-side is a Springsteenesque arrangement of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," using the original 1908 lyrics. Chalkley does the lead vocals, Hankin plays rhythm guitar. Other musicians featured are John Ebersberger (drums), Ron Holloway (saxophone), Tommy Keene (lead guitar), Suzy Shaw (keyboards), and Gabor Lutor (bass). Hankin and Chalkley wrote the arrangements. Jack Heyrman produced the record which was engineered by Steve Carr at Hit & Run Studios in Rockville, MD. Chalkley and Ebersberger did the cover art. Both tracks are still in print on Rhino Records: "Bedrock Rap/Flintstones" on Dr. Demento's Greatest Novelty Records of All Time, and "Ballgame" on Baseball's Greatest Hits.
STILL IN STOCK! Didn't get one as a holiday gift? The official Springsteen calendar for 2010, from Thrill Hill, is still available!
Backstreet Records is the mailorder division of Backstreets, delivering Bruce Springsteen merchandise to fans for over 20 years. We carry numerous collectibles, tour shirts, books, fanzines, and imported CDs and records. The world's best selection of Springsteen collectibles, all available by mail.
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