Cover Me: Sweet Soul Music

“Sweet Soul Music” was one of Bruce’s set list staples during the 1980s. He first performed it way back on the River Tour, debuting it in Paris on the evening of April 19, 1981.

Following that first performance, Bruce absorbed the song into “Detroit Medley,” where it became a standard nightly encore throughout the remainder of the River Tour.

“Sweet Soul Music” resurfaced a few times (still as part of “Detroit Medley”) during the Born in the U.S.A. Tour and then returned with a vengeance in 1988 on the Tunnel of Love Express Tour, where it eventually spun out of “Detroit Medley” into a slot of its own.

With its instantly recognizable opening horn riff, lyrics that pay tribute to several of Bruce’s musical heroes and influences, and a chorus made for singing along, it’s easy to see why Bruce gravitated to it and why fans ate it up in its nightly encore appearances.

But while most long-time fans recognize “Sweet Soul Music” within the first few notes, not all are aware of the song’s lineage. You’re probably familiar with Arthur Conley’s original 1967 hit (co-written with Otis Redding, which is a bit narcissistic given that the lyrics of the song also pay tribute to Redding), which peaked at #2 on both the U.S. Hot 100 and R&B charts (and #7 in the U.K. Singles chart).

But the foundation for “Sweet Soul Music” had been laid long before. On Sam Cooke’s last album, released shortly after he passed away in late 1964, there’s a song called “Yeah, Man” that bears some similarity to Arthur Conley’s song.

How similar? Well, take a listen and decide for yourself:

Oh and that famous opening riff? It goes back a few years farther. Listen to the first thirty seconds of the score to The Magnificent Seven:

Given that its lyrics consist entirely of tributes to other artists, it probably should surprise us that the song’s melody was lifted as well. Conley and Redding eventually gave Cooke co-songwriting credit (after Cooke’s business partner inevitably sued), so today almost everyone has received their due.

But Bruce made sure of it: When “Sweet Soul Music” returned on the Tunnel of Love Tour, Bruce had updated the lyrics. Instead of name-checking Lou Rawls, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, and Otis Redding, and James Brown, the first luminary Bruce saluted was Sam Cooke. And perhaps in a nod to Redding’s self-congratulatory reference, the rest of the song shone the spotlight on Clarence, Bruce himself, and the audience:

When Bruce put the E Street Band on hiatus after the Tunnel of Love Tour, “Sweet Soul Music” went into hibernation, too. It would be two full decades before we’d see it again (unless you were lucky enough to attend Bruce’s private benefit show at The Stone Pony in 2004, where he played it next).

For most of us, our next opportunity to see Bruce perform “Sweet Soul Music” live was at Bruce’s now-legendary Working on a Dream show at Madison Square Garden, on November 8, 2009. Most of us rightly remember that show as the first time Bruce ever performed The River start to finish. But an old favorite made its long-awaited return (with original lyrics and then some) in the encores as well:

Alas, unlike the full album performance of The River, “Sweet Soul Music” was destined to remain a one-off. Since that night, it’s surfaced only twice–the first was at a tribute concert to the late Clarence Clemons at the Wonder Bar in 2011, where “Sweet Soul Music” was one of several songs Bruce played with J.T. Bowen & The Sensational Soul Cruisers. (The song starts at about the 2:30 mark below.)

…and the most recent outing was in Kilkenny on the Working on a Dream Tour, where Bruce played the song by request, the crowd helping the band with the riff:

We likely haven’t heard the last of “Sweet Soul Music.” With another E Street Band tour on the horizon, odds are good for at least one more outing for this fan and artist favorite.

Sweet Soul Music
First played: April 19, 1981 (Paris, France)
Last played: July 27, 2013 (Kilkenny, Ireland)