A bit of ashcan soul by Springsteen, from which Johnny grabs the gritty realism, adds some soaring horns, cornball harmonica and a chorus of complementary voices and makes a bombastic kind of perfection. Me? I’ve had a fever for the last couple of days, so it got into my head.
Great song. Great album. Underrated blue-eyed soul artist. I’ve seen him many times and got to interview him once. What a delight!
One of my cherished memories was Doc Pomus’s birthday party at his apartment on West 72nd Street in the early 80s. A friend of mine had become friends with Doc, and we often went to see bands together at the Lone Star and Kenny’s Castaways and Tramps and other places. This birthday party was a blow out, Doc’s apartment was full and spilling out into Riverside Park. The music was rocking, the room was swaying, and Southside Johnny and I tended bar together for an hour or so, pouring beers and wine and making drinks, chatting up the gals, hamming it up for the guys, having a party.
Back when I was in college (78-82) at Moravian, many Jersey kids came over the border to attend and all they played was Springsteen and Southside Johnny – to death. We called them the clones.