Our long-running Kingdom of Days, Roll of the Dice, Cover Me, Meeting Across the River, and Where the Band Was series have been so well-received that I’ve decided to launch a sixth series starting today!
Welcome to Hearts of Stone, in which we’ll explore the works of the lesser known but not lesser talent, Bruce Springstone.
Springstone had a brief but bright star turn back in 1982 with the release of his earnest cover of the perennial family favorite, “(Meet the) Flintstones.”
“(Meet the) Flintstones” became an instant hit upon its release. Some would argue that its viral success had more to do with the genuine confusion it caused among Springsteen fans across the nation, many of whom genuinely believed the song was actually performed by their hero, but that would be to deny Springstone due credit for his masterful performance. Fans can be forgiven for their confusion, however, as Springstone is clearly a Springsteen fan–you can even hear him pay homage to “Backstreets” if you listen closely.
However, it was actually the single’s B-side, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” that earned Springstone a spot in history, when an Akron, Ohio radio station played the song 57,161 times in a row during a baseball strike. That was enough to land the song in the Guinness Book of Sports Records for Longest Continuous Airplay of a Sports-Related Song.
But while “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was in constant rotation on Akron AM radio, “(Meet the) Flintstones” was flooding the FM airwaves. Hoping to capitalize on the craze, Springstone filmed a video for the song at a Baltimore rock quarry on December 6, 1982; unfortunately, Hanna-Barbera, owner of Flintstones-related trademarks, put the kibosh on it, and the video remains unseen to this day.
Bruce Springsteen, however, is known to be a fan: Mr. Springstone is the proud recipient of a hand-written, signed postcard from Mr. Springsteen that reads: “The record is great! I love it! Keep on rockin’!”
Meet the Flintstones
Recorded: 1982
Released: Live at Bedrock (1982)
