The Folk Music of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen is one of the most popular and influential musicians of our time, and his music is often referred to as “folk music.” In this blog post, we’ll explore what makes Springsteen’s music so special and how it has helped to shape the folk music genre.
The Early Years
Bruce Springsteen’s music is often thought of as “rock and roll” or “heartland rock.” However, Springsteen’s roots are in folk music. Springsteen’s early years were spent listening to and playing folk music. In this article, we’ll explore Springsteen’s early folk music influences.
Springsteen’s musical influences
Bruce Springsteen’s musical influences are wide-ranging, but he is particularly indebted to the folk, rock and roll, and soul music of the 1950s and 1960s. Springsteen grew up listening to Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, and his early work was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and232 Joni Mitchell. As he developed as a songwriter, he drew from a wide variety of sources, including Bruce Hornsby, Woody Guthrie, James Brown, Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding.
The formation of the E Street Band
The formation of the E Street Band is a story of happenstance and serendipity that profoundly impacted both Springsteen and the band itself. In the summer of 1972, Springsteen released his first album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. The album was met with critical acclaim but commercial failure, selling only about 6,000 copies.
In need of a backing band for an upcoming tour, Springsteen approached former child actor and fellow New Jersey native Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez to be his drummer. Lopez recommended bassist Garry Tallent, who then recommended pianist David Sancious and guitarist Clarence Clemons. With the addition of singers/multi-instrumentalists Roy Bittan and Ernest “Boom” Carter, the E Street Band was born.
The chemistry between Springsteen and the band was immediate. “I knew when I met them that they were the ones,” Springsteen said in 2002. “And I didn’t have to look any further.” The band would go on to play a pivotal role in shaping Springsteen’s explosive live shows and would become one of the most popular and influential rock bands of all time.
The 1970s
The 1970s was a decade that saw a lot of change in the music industry. At the start of the decade, folk music was still popular, but by the end of the decade, disco had taken over. Bruce Springsteen’s music reflecte
The release of Born to Run
Born to Run was released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. Springsteen’s breakthrough album boosted his career and made him a superstar. It peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 album chart and wascertified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Seven of its twelve songs were released as commercial singles, including “Born to Run”, which went to number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album was Springsteen’s first to be recorded with the E Street Band, which featured Roy Bittan on piano, Clarence Clemons on saxophone, Danny Federici on organ, Garry Tallent on bass guitar, Stevie Van Zandt on guitar and Max Weinberg on drums.
Springsteen’s first tour
In the summer of 1972, Springsteen assembled a new band comprising David Sancious on keyboards, Garry Tallent on bass, Vini Lopez on drums, Clarence Clemons on saxophone and himself on guitar and vocals. They rehearsed intensely for three weeks and performed 188 gigs that year. This first tour took them from September 1972 to February 1973; according to Springsteen biographer Peter Ames Carlin, “For five months, they played seven nights a week in Jersey Shore honky-tonks like The Stone Pony, Little Danny’s Friar Tuck Inn in Neptune City (New Jersey), and Upstage in Asbury Park.”
The 1980s
When talking about the folk music of Bruce Springsteen, the first thing that comes to mind is his work in the 1980s. This was a time when he released some of his most iconic albums, such as “The River” and “Born in the USA.” Springsteen’s music in the 1980s was a perfect blend of folk and rock, and it helped to shape the sound of Americana for years to come.
The release of The River
In October 1980, Springsteen released The River, a double album that became his best-selling record ever. The first single from the album, “Hungry Heart”, was a top-ten hit in the U.S., and its follow-up “The Ties That Bind” was also successful. The album’s third single, “Cadillac Ranch”, was less successful but still managed to reach the top forty. “Fade Away”, which was not released as a single, remains one of Springsteen’s most popular live songs to this day.
The Born in the U.S.A. tour
In 1984, Springsteen embarked on the massive Born in the U.S.A. tour in support of the album of the same name. The tour was one of the most successful in rock history, playing to sold-out stadiums and arenas around the world for almost two years. Springsteen was now a global superstar, and his music was heard by millions of people.
The 1990s and Beyond
Springsteen’s folk music includes various traditional folk songs, as well as new compositions. His folk music has been influenced by both traditional and contemporary artists, and has itself influenced other musicians. The 1990s saw a resurgence in popularity for folk music, and Springsteen’s folk music was a big part of that. In the years since, folk music has continued to be an important part of his repertoire.
The release of The Ghost of Tom Joad
In 1995, Springsteen released The Ghost of Tom Joad, an album which signaled a shift in focus from his earlier work. The record was named after the character from John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, and it addressed the social and economic issues faced by America’s working class, much like the book did. TheGhost of Tom Joad is widely considered to be one of Springsteen’s best albums, and it helped him win his first Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance in 1996.
Springsteen’s continued influence on popular music
While Bruce Springsteen’s music has been influential to many artists who came after him, he has also continued to be a relevant and popular musician in his own right. In the 1990s and 2000s, Springsteen released a number of successful albums and toured extensively. His music from this period includes the albums “The Ghost of Tom Joad” (1995), “Devils & Dust” (2005), and “Magic” (2007). Springsteen has also continued to be an active supporter of social and political causes, using his platform to raise awareness about issues such as poverty, homelessness, and racism.
