Springsteen Releasing “Letter to You”

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are releasing a new studio album, “Letter to You.,” with the title track and a new video out now.

Here is some good news for 2020: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are releasing a new studio album, Letter to You. Springsteen also just released the title track and video.

According to the announcement for Springsteen’s twentieth studio album, it is a “rock album fueled by the band’s heart-stopping, house-rocking signature sound.” The album was recorded at Springsteen’s home studio in New Jersey.

Springsteen explained further about the album. “I love the sound of the E Street Band playing completely live in the studio, in a way we’ve never done before, and with no overdubs. We made the album in only five days, and it turned out to be one of the greatest recording experiences I’ve ever had.”

Letter to You includes nine new songs written by Springsteen, plus three previously unreleased songs from the 1970s. The track list is: “One Minute You’re Here,” “Letter To You,” “Burnin’ Train,” “Janey Needs A Shooter,” “Last Man Standing,” “The Power Of Prayer,” “House Of A Thousand Guitars,” “Rainmaker,” “If I Was The Priest,” “Ghosts,” :Song For Orphans,” and “I’ll See You In My Dreams.”

From my recollection of Springsteen’s unreleased back catalog, the three songs from the 1970s appearing on the new album are “Janey Needs a Shooter,” “If I Was the Priest,” and “Song for Orphans.”

The new black-and-white video for the title track “Letter to You” features Bruce and the E Street Band in the studio. The lyrics reveal an elder statesman of rock looking back on how his songs were all letters to his listeners. Check it out.

In my letter to you,
I took all my fears and doubts;
In my letter to you,
All the hard things I found out,
In my letter to you,
All that I found true,
And I sent in in my letter to you.

Letter to You hits the Internet on October 23, 2020.

Photo via YouTube. What do you think of the new Springsteen song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Capitol Theatre, Sept. 20, 1978

    Springsteen Capital Theatre

    In 1978, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band were touring to promote Darkness on the Edge of Town, creating many legendary performances. Among these was their appearance in September 1978 at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey. And now, you may watch the entire show.

    Through the magic of YouTube, the show is available to watch. Many consider it one of the greatest Springsteen shows, and now you may judge for yourself. Yeah, the video is in black and white and a little grainy, but it is still awesome. Check it out.

    What do you think of the show? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Living Colour: “American Skin (41 Shots)” (Cover of the Day)

    Living Colour 41 Shots

    When Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were closing out their 1999-2000 reunion tour with the E Street Band, Springsteen introduced a powerful new song, “American Skin (41 Shots).” The song, about an incident of police brutality, has prompted a few covers, none as powerful as one by Living Colour during the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 20, 2001.

    Springsteen had debuted the song in Atlanta on June 4, 2000. And before the band closed the tour at Madison Square Garden, some called for a boycott of the concerts or called Springsteen names because of the song. Springsteen wrote “American Skin (41 Shots)” about NYPD officers killing Amadou Diallo in February 1999.

    The police officers stopped Diallo at his front door because they thought he resembled a suspect. The immigrant from Guinea reached for his wallet and the four officers fired 41 shots, hitting Diallo 19 times and killing him. A year later, the officers were acquitted of second-degree murder and reckless endangerment.

    Although officers, the New York City mayor, and others criticized Springsteen for the song, time has been kinder to the writer than to the critics. The compassionate song was not vilifying anyone but highlighting the racism in society that has led to so many other killings just since Diallo’s.

    41 shots, Lena gets her son ready for school
    She says, “On these streets, Charles
    You’ve got to understand the rules
    If an officer stops you, promise me you’ll always be polite
    And that you’ll never ever run away
    Promise Mama you’ll keep your hands in sight”

    Springsteen’s live performances of the song are powerful, often bringing up each member of the band one-at-a-time for the repeated refrain of “41 shots.” Others have covered the song, including Jackson Browne.

    Living Colour performed “American Skin (41 Shots)” live at the Montreux Jazz Festival around one year after Springsteen had debuted the song. The band’s version is both powerful and heartbreaking, all the more painful because of its continuing relevance today with the deaths of those such as Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Bruce and Patti at Home in the “Land of Hope and Dreams”

    Springsteen Scialfa

    Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa are among the latest of artists working to help us through the coronavirus pandemic while we stay in our homes. As part of the Jersey 4 Jersey telethon supporting the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, the two sang “Land of Hope and Dreams” and Tom Waits’ “Jersey Girl.”

    Their performance of “Land of Hope and Dreams” was understandably more subdued than the versions on 2001’s Live in New York City and 2012’s Wrecking Ball. As we previously discussed in our analysis, the song reflects a long history of American music and has special resonance for Springsteen and fans. One of the themes of the song is one of hope, something we all really need right now.

    The tone of their performance, of course, is appropriate for the occasion as there is comfort in knowing other people connect to your suffering. But I cannot help just being more sad seeing Bruce and Patti looking forlorn singing a song that in the past has lifted my spirits. We need to believe Springsteen’s promise in the song, “Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine/ And all this darkness past.”

    Regarding the other song in the video, Springsteen always gives a great performance of Waits’ “Jersey Girl.” And here, that song gains added meaning as Springsteen sings it to his own Jersey girl and to those experiencing pain and heartbreak in New Jersey.

    Check out Springsteen and Scialfa performing “Land of Hope and Dreams” and “Jersey Girl” from their home.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Springsteen’s Harry Potter Song Finds a Home

    Chimesfreedom previously reported on how Bruce Springsteen was inspired by the Harry Potter books to write a song that he later offered to one of the films in the franchise. But, as fate would have it, director Christopher Columbus turned down the offer. But now the song, “I’ll Stand By You,” has finally found a movie home in the upcoming Blinded by the Light (2019).

    “I’ll Stand By You” is one of seven Springsteen songs that will appear on the soundtrack to the coming of age story in Blinded by the Light. Reportedly, in addition to some official versions of songs, the soundtrack will include some rarities (including the first performance of “The River” from the No Nukes 1979 concert at Madison Square Garden).

    For now, check out “I’ll Stand By You,” the song inspired by Harry Potter that found a home on the upcoming movie based on another book, Sarfraz Manzoor’s Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll.

    Blinded by the Light, directed by Gurinder Chadha, will hit theaters on August 16, 2019.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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