MatR: Bruce Springsteen and Wolfgang Niedecken, Knockin' on Heaven's Door
The backstory is odd, but the performance is terrific: watch Bruce and Wolfgang Niedecken deliver a bilingual cover of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” in a German cafe in 1995.
Roll of the Dice: Girls in Their Summer Clothes
It won Bruce a Grammy he didn’t even know he was nominated for. It’s full of hidden callbacks to “Thunder Road” and echoes of “Born to Run.” It’s my favorite 21st-century Springsteen song, and it mystifies Bono with its relative obscurity. Listen to “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” like you’ve never heard it before inside.
Cover Me, Elvis Costello: Point Blank
One of the best performances from Elvis Costello’s Springsteen episode of Spectacle was never aired–but you can listen to that intense performance of “Point Blank” inside.
Cover Me: Rumble
Shortly after Link Wray’s death in 2005, Bruce paid homage by opening the final two shows of the Devils & Dust Tour with a bristling, menacing cover of Wray’s signature song, “Rumble.”
MatR: Nils Lofgren and Bruce Springsteen, Valentine
The E Street Band may have been on hiatus, but relationships endured. From 1991, here’s Nils and Bruce together again on Nils’ sweet love song, “Valentine.”
Cover Me, Hem: Valentine's Day
Indie-folk band Hem gave us a wonderful adaptation of “Valentine’s Day” on their 2002 EP of cover songs. Take a listen inside.
Cover Me/RotD: I Ain't Got No Home
Bruce follows in the footsteps of Woody Guthrie, recasting “I Ain’t Got No Home” for modern times. Listen to Bruce’s studio recording and watch the official video inside.
Roll of the Dice: Sell It and They Will Come
Bruce has written songs about some colorful characters, but none so much as the true ones in “Sell It and They Will Come,” an ode to The Stimulator, Flowbee, America’s Personal Trainer, and the Psychic Friends Network.
Blogger's Note: New Search by Date Feature
Greetings! Just a quick note to draw your attention to our new “Search by Date” calendar widget, a request/suggestion offered by several of you. It’s…
Cover Me, Kevin Rowland: Thunder Road
Quite possibly the worst Springsteen cover ever recorded, Kevin Rowland’s version of “Thunder Road” was blocked by Bruce shortly before its scheduled release. But you can hear it inside, if you dare.