1971
Springsteen says Steel Mill earned as much as $3,000 a night despite having no recording contract.
“we had made as much as $3,000 a night with no recording contract”
Topic
Bruce Springsteen
24 facts from 1 episode, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
1974
Springsteen's relationship with Jon Landau began around the time he was working on Born to Run.
“This is the beginning of his relationship with John Landau.”
1975
Springsteen almost refused to release Born to Run and threw the master recording into a hotel swimming pool in front of Jimmy Iovine.
“refusing to release it, and finally throwing it into a hotel swimming pool in front of a panicked Jimmy Iovine.”
1975
After Born to Run's release, Springsteen appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines.
“The record goes everywhere. They put him on the cover of Time and Newsweek magazines.”
2008
Springsteen worked with psychiatrist Dr. Wayne Myers for about 25 years, until Myers died in 2008.
“over many meetings and long-distance phone calls during the next 25 years, Doc Myers and I would fight many demons together until he passed in 2008.”
Undated
Bruce Springsteen wrote the manuscript of his autobiography Born to Run by hand and rewrote it repeatedly in longhand.
“He hand wrote the entire manuscript in his notebook, and then he rewrote it again and again in longhand.”
Undated
Springsteen describes his Italian grandfather as having served three years in the Navy, had three wives and spent three years in Sing Sing prison.
“served three years in the Navy, had three wives, spent three years in Sing Sing prison”
Undated
Springsteen's musical life began when he first saw Elvis Presley perform on television.
“His life begins when he sees Elvis Presley perform for the very first time on TV.”
Undated
Springsteen's mother helped him rent his first guitar from a small store the day after he saw Elvis on TV.
“The next day, I convinced my mom to take me down to this small store. There, with no money to spend, we rented a guitar.”
Undated
Springsteen's first bandmates voted him out because his guitar was too cheap and would not stay in tune.
“Very shortly after that, his bandmates decide to vote him out of the band. They said his guitar was too cheap and it wouldn't stay in tune.”
Undated
After being kicked out of his first band, Springsteen taught himself the guitar solo from the Rolling Stones song It's All Over Now in one night.
“put it on and taught myself the guitar solo from the song, It's All Over Now.”
Undated
Springsteen met Steve Van Zandt at about age seventeen, beginning a long friendship.
“Remember, he's, I think he's like seventeen years old when we're at in the story. He meets Steve Van Zandt.”
Undated
Springsteen's early band was first called Child, then became Steel Mill, then the Bruce Springsteen band, and eventually formed the core of the E Street Band.
“that would initially call itself Child, then morph into Steel Mill, then the Bruce Springsteen band, and eventually become the core of the original E Street Band.”
Undated
Springsteen avoided drugs and alcohol after seeing a former roommate and others ruined by them, and because he feared losing control.
“I'd seen that, and I wanted no part of it. I didn't do any drugs or drink.”
Undated
With his band Steel Mill, Springsteen drew crowds of up to 3,000 people before releasing any album.
“We would draw up to 3,000 people at our concerts with no album to our name.”
Undated
When Springsteen's band went to California to audition, they found other unknown bands that were better than them.
“they go to California, they start doing auditions, and they realize there's other bands, undiscovered bands, better than them”
Undated
Springsteen's contract with manager Mike Appel split income fifty-fifty but charged all expenses to Springsteen's half.
“we would split everything fifty fifty. The problem is that all expenses would end up coming out of my half.”
Undated
Springsteen signed to Columbia Records, the same label as Bob Dylan.
“And so he actually gets signed to the same record label as Dylan's Columbia Records.”
Undated
Springsteen says he was twenty-three and earning a living from music when his first album was released.
“I was twenty three and I was making a living playing music.”
Undated
Springsteen had a dispute with his record label over his musical direction, and the label stopped promoting him.
“He has a big fight with his record label. They don't like the direction he's taking his music. They stop promoting him.”
Undated
Springsteen proposed to actress Julianne Phillips six months into dating, and they married.
“Six months into dating, I proposed and we were married.”
Undated
Springsteen's father was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
“His dad is gonna wind up being diagnosed later on as a paranoid schizophrenic.”
Undated
In a Howard Stern interview, Springsteen said his greatest achievement was not passing his family's problems to his children, rather than his Hall of Fame induction or selling 150 million records.
“he said that his greatest achievement was not going into the rock and roll hall of fame, was not selling 150 million records”
Undated
At a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, Springsteen sang on one microphone between Mick Jagger and George Harrison.
“I stood on stage between Mick Jagger and George Harrison, all of us together on one mic, singing.”
Episodes