Months before his next tour starts in Spain, on April 28 and 30, 2023 at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, both with sold-out tickets, Bruce Springsteen returns with a new album of covers of soul and rhythm and blues classics, in which he makes some of the best legendary seal jewels such as Motown, Stax, Gamble and Huff, among others.
‘Only the strong survive’ will be published on November 11 in two limited editions on double vinyl with engraved inscription on the last side and poster included (one of them on orange vinyl), CD and Digital. Originally composed and released by Frank Wilson for Mowtown in 1965, the album is anticipated by ‘Do I love you (indeed I do)’. A true R&B classic that Springsteen gives a highly personal spin, projecting it into a new much more rock dimension.
Produced with your reference engineer, Ron Anielloon this album Springsteen pays homage to one of the most important genres in his palette of influences, making his own some of the wonders that were played on the radio during his adolescence and that were popularized in their day. The TemptationsAretha Franklin, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Commodores, The Four Tops, Elvis Presley, Cher, Grant Green, Al Kooper, Ben E. King, The Walker Brothers, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Tyrone Davis, Dobie Gray, Jerry Butler, Jimmy Ruffin, Joan Osborne, The Funk Brothers, William Bell, Jackie Shane, Bill Anderson & Jan Howard, The Marvelettes o Chuck Jackson, entre otros.
For all this, Springsteen has counted on the Sam Moore voice on a couple of songs, as well as with the invaluable help of Rob Mathes in the composition and direction of the orchestral arrangements, his faithful E Street Band in the horn section and a celestial choir section, made up of Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr, Fonzi Thornton and Dennis Collins.
Don’t play, just sing
Bruce Springsteen has commented on this release: “I wanted to make an album where I just sang. And what better music to work with than the great American songbook of the sixties and seventies? I was inspired by Levi Stubbs, David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin, Jerry Butler the Iceman, Diana Ross, Dobie Gray and Scott Walker, among many others. I have tried to do justice to all of them and to the fabulous writers of this glorious music. My goal is for modern audiences to experience its beauty and joy, just as they have since I first heard it. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I loved making it.”
‘Only The Strong Survive’ was recorded at Thrill Hill Recording in New Jersey under the command of sound engineer Ron Aniello, the ‘artwork’ is designed by Rob Lebret and produced by Jon Landau. This is the list of classics of the genre that shapes the repertoire:
1. ‘Only the Strong Survive’, de Jerry Butler. Perteneciente a su LP de 1968, ‘The Ice Man Cometh’.
2. ‘Soul Days feat. Sam Moore’ by Dobie Gray. From his 2001 album, ‘Ultimate Collection’.
3. ‘Nightshift, from The Commodores. Published in 1985 as a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson.
4. ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do), by Frank Wilson. Published as a single in 1965.
5. ‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore’, published by Frankie Valli in 1965) and by The Walker Brothers in 1966.
6. ‘Turn Back the Hands of Time’, publicada por Tyrone Davis en 1970.
7. ‘When She Was My Girl’, publicada por The Four Tops en 1981.
8. ‘Hey, Western Union Man,’ published by Jerry Butler in 1968.
9. ‘I Wish It Would Rain’, publicada por The Temptations en 1967.
10. ‘Don’t Play That Song’, by Ben E. King. From their 1962 self-titled album.
11. ‘Any Other Way’, published by William Bell in 1962.
12. ‘I Forgot to Be Your Lover feat. Sam Moore’, publicada por William Bell en 1968.
13. ‘7 Rooms of Gloom’, publicada por The Four Tops en 1967.
14. ‘What Becomes of the Brokenhearted’, publicada por Jimmy Ruffin en 1966.
15. ‘Someday We’ll Be Together’, publicada por Johnny & Jackey en 1961.
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band announced their return to the road in early February 2023, with a series of concerts in the United States followed by a European stadium tour beginning on Friday, April 28, 2023 at the Estadi olympic Barcelona, the only city where Bruce Springsteen will perform in Spain, being totally ruled out the addition of more cities in our country in this 2023 tour. The European tour will have stops in Dublin, Paris, Ferrara, Rome, Amsterdam, Landgraaf, Zürich, Düsseldorf, Gothenburg, Oslo, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Vienna, Munich and Monza. Additional cities and dates in the UK and Belgium will be announced at a later date.