Happy Birthday Bruce Springsteen! My Favorite Combinations

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By Anthony “Zute” George

September 23rd, 1949. This was an exceptional day in American history. In music history. In live performance history. In songwriting history. In humanity. Need I go on? If you have not guessed it by now, indeed, this is the day that Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born. He turns 71 years young today. If my opening appears that if I am spreading it on too thick, a bit ‘cringey’ as the young kids say today, it is because I genuinely do not know how to put into words what Bruce Springsteen means to me. Therefore, whenever I try, it may come across as a bit sensational. Still, these are my genuine feelings.

I would like to celebrate Bruce’s birthday and his upcoming new studio album, Letter to You, which will be released on October 23rd, by creating a list of my top ten Springsteen Combinations. A ‘Springsteen Combination’ is any two songs that appear back to back on an album. Perhaps a ‘Double Shot,’ or ‘one-two punch’ would be more appropriate nomenclature. Whichever way you phrase it, my rules are simple. The Combination can be any back to back songs appearing on any of Springsteen’s nineteen studio albums; Letter to You will be the 20th studio album released by this influential musician.

Here is the catch, you can only use an album once. However, I will make one exception. Since The River is a double album, a Springsteen Combination can be chosen from each part. I will release my top ten one article at a time, from number ten to number one. The complete top ten will be revealed on October 23rd to coincide with the new album. Keep in my mind the Springsteen Combinations I choose are my personal favorites, and in no way do I suggest that they are the ‘best.’ We all have our own taste, and it is erroneous to suggest anyone’s taste is wrong. Even if you may disagree with it. s So, here we go:

Number Ten:

Hungry Heart into Out in the Street- From the aforementioned The River album, which was Bruce’s first studio album to reach number one on the Billboard Charts. Hungry Heart is Bruce’s first top ten single. Double H was also the first time I ever heard of Bruce Springsteen. Actually, I knew of the song before I even knew of the man. I turned nine years old on September 29th, 1980, and Hungry Heart was released as a single in October of that year. At that time, all I knew as far as music was concerned was Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, anything played on the ‘Oldies Station,’ and pop music. I was well versed in the top singles in America, and when I first heard Hungry Heart on Top 40 Radio, I loved it. But I did not know who performed the song. I first heard the name, Bruce Springsteen, when my sister’s friend told me who sung Hungry Heart. The rest as they, well, what is it they say…

Hungry Heart is followed by Out in the Street, and I love that song even more. It is a mystery to this day why Out in the Street was not released as a single. While The River is a terrific album that is chock full of Rock ‘n’ Roll goodness, this Springsteen Combination is my favorite part of the album. It also plays as a great Springsteen Combination when The E Street Band performs it in concert. Fans received great exposure to it when The Band played the full album on tour in 2016. Even when Bruce scrapped the full album performance on the tour, this ‘Double Shot,’ remained on most setlists of the European/Stadium Leg of the 2016 tour.

Whether in your house, driving down that dusky road, or stomping your feet at a concert, Hungry Heart into Out in the Street a musical orgasmic sensation. There are nine more coming. See what I did there?

Our top ten Springsteen Combinations thus far:

1. TBA
2. TBA
3. TBA
4. TBA
5. TBA
6. TBA
7. TBA
8. TBA
9. TBA

10. Hungry Heart into Out in the Street from The River.

Once again, a very Happy Birthday to Mr. Bruce Springsteen. Until next time, when I release my number nine choice.

Anthony “Zute” George is the Author of Tough Man: The Greg Haugen Story, a new boxing book that covers the skilled champion from Auburn, Washington, as well as the scope of the times during his days of pugilism.

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