E Street Shuffle Archive

Be great or be different if you’re covering Bruce.

The Clarks’ version of “The River” is both.

The Pittsburgh-based band recorded their uptempo rock arrangement of Bruce’s classic but subdued reckoning of romance-meets-reality back in 2003. Originally released on the Light of Day Springsteen tribute album, The Clarks’ version of “The River” caught fire on local radio, and deservedly so: they managed to successfully translate it from ballad to full-on rocker without losing an ounce of its emotional power, something Bruce hasn’t ever attempted.

It works–better than one might imagine was possible. Take a listen.

You can find “The River” on the Light of Day tribute album, or on The Clark’s 2004 release, Strikes and Gutters 2: Doublewide.

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