Bruce Springsteen’s debut album ‘Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.’ is 40 years old today.
Bruce Springsteen Greetings From Asbury Park NJ
Springsteen released his debut album when he was 23-years old.
Initially, the album was a failure. It only sold 25,000 copies in the first year and wasn’t really noticed until 1976 when Manfred Mann’s Earth Band rose the profile of the record when they covered ‘Blinded By The Light’. Their version of the Springsteen song is the only time Springsteen has been at number one in the American singles chart as a songwriter. (In 1979, Bruce’s ‘Fire’ covered by The Pointer Sisters, reached no. 2. ‘Dancing In The Dark’ also only reached no. 2 in the USA.
‘Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.’ was credited to Springsteen, not the E Street Band but it featured Clarence Clemons on sax and Garry Tallent on bass. Steven Van Zandt also played on one track ‘Lost In The Flood’.
‘Blinded By The Light’ was the first track on the first Springsteen album. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band not only covered it for their 1976 ‘The Roaring Silence’ album but they also covered ‘Spirit In The Night’ for the same album and ‘For You’ for their 1980 ‘Chance’ album.
David Bowie also covered two songs from the album. He recorded ‘Growin’ Up’ for the early sessions of ‘Diamond Dogs’. The song was eventually released on a reissue of his ‘Pin-Ups’ album and was also included on the 30th Anniversary edition of ‘Diamond Dogs’. Bowie’s version featured Ron Wood on guitar.
Bowie also covered the last track on the album ‘Its Hard To Be A Saint In The City’. The Bowie version was eventually released on his 1989 rarities box set ‘Sound + Vision’.
On November 22, 2009 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performed the album for the very first time in its entirety in Buffalo, New York.
The original tracklisting was:
Side One:
Blinded By The Light
Growin’ Up
Mary Queen of Arkansas
Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
Lost In The Flood
Side Two:
The Angel
For You
Spirit In The Night
It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
Personnel:
Clarence Clemons – clapping, saxophone, vocals
Vini ‘Mad Dog’ Loez – clapping, drums, vocals
David Sancious – keyboards, organ, piano
Bruce Springsteen – acoustic guitar, bass guitar, clapping, congas, electric guitar, harmonica, keyboards, piano, vocals
Garry Tallent – bass guitar
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