During a conversation with Alan Ovington, Bruce Springsteen talked about his new album “Letter to You,” the guitar he used on the record, being in the rock world for over five decades, and more.
You can check out “Letter to You” here via Amazon.
When the interviewer said, “I read somewhere that you wrote all of the songs for this new album on a guitar that was given to you by a fan; is that right?”, Bruce replied (transcribed by UG):
“I was coming out of my play and there was a young man on the sidewalk holding a guitar, so I figured he wanted me to sign it, but he said, ‘No, no, I want to give it to you.’
“And I looked at it – I could tell right away that it was beautifully made. So I brought it home, I looked at it, and it played beautifully, it sounded gorgeous.
“It had a variety of different types of wood, it was a real piece of craftsmanship, so I left it in my living room.
“When I started to feel the urge to write, I just picked it up because it was such an easy play, you know, and most of the songs came pouring out of it.
“So I owe a debt to whoever that young man is, wherever he is. Instruments have power in and of themselves – guitars are inspirational, and they do hold songs within them, so it’s wonderful to discover them.”
You’ve been playing for 55 years now. What’s changed in rock ‘n’ roll since you started out?
“There were no 25-30-year-old guys playing rock ‘n’ roll music, there were only kids playing.
“It was a fascinating and sort-of a golden age where there were venues everywhere – there were so many places your band can play and hone its craft, so it was an amazing time.”
How special is it to have been playing with the same band for 50 years?
“The unusual thing about rock bands… Now, imagine you are in high school, and then imagine you are 70 years old – and imagine that you have worked with the same people your entire life…
“There’s no business in the world where that occurs, with the exception of a rock ‘n’ roll band. There’s no job in the world where that conditions… it’s inconceivable, with the exception of a rock ‘n’ roll band.
“So it’s a privilege and an honor and a miracle to have sustained all those relationships over that long period of time because it takes quite a bit of social skills and tolerance for the other guys’ point of view and their tolerance for mine.
“So it’s quite challenging, but if you can do it, it’s quite rewarding.”
When you’re working with the E Street Band, did you feel the presence of [the late sax player] Clarence Clemons and [the late keyboardist] Danny Federici in the studio?
“Yeah, of course. Once you’ve been 40 years with Clarence and Danny, that never goes away. They’ll always be a part of the band, and we carry them with us when we either go on stage or when we come into the studio.
“Their playing was unique and we’re lucky we have players who really do them honor both stylistically and spiritually. They’re missed, of course.”
Listening to the song ‘Ghost,’ I guess it’s important to you that there’s an element of realness in your songwriting – would you get along with that?
“In all writing, telling detail is fundamental to the believability of your story. And in the case of ‘Ghost,’ everybody has had a friend, where their jacket, their books, their records, all of these things have meaning, not just for them, but for you.
“And so, ‘Ghost’ is sort of a story of a young guy being left with those things from one of his friends, so it’s a bit of a list of items that work as talismans, commemorating someone’s life.
“The guitar, strapping it on, fingering a fretboard, the amp, where you got the amp, your clothes…
“Those were the things that our lives were made up at that moment, we were all about what we wore, how we wore our hair, the records we loved, the books we’ve read, the guitars and amplifiers we used… That was the totality of life in 1965 and ’66.”
Check out the latest Springsteen album “Letter to You” here via Amazon.
