“Heat Wave” was a massive hit for Martha and the Vandellas. Topping the Billboard R&B Chart for four straight weeks in 1963 (and peaking at #4 on the Hot 100), “Heat Wave” became one of Martha and the Vandellas’ greatest hits and an enduring Motown classic.
“Heat Wave” was such a smash, in fact, that it cracked the Top 40 in two subsequent cover versions as well. Linda Ronstadt’s version reached almost the same Hot 100 height as The Vandellas, peaking just one spot shy at #5 in 1975:
…and 35 years later, Phil Collins took his version to #28:
So it was probably only a matter of time before Bruce covered this Motown classic. We know it was on his radar as early as 1973 and 1974, because it occasionally popped up as an instrumental improv before or after a song.
Bruce didn’t break out a full version of the song until 2003, but that first performance was a special one: Late on the Rising Tour, Bruce invited original recording artist Martha Reeves to join him on stage. In the presence of a Motown legend, Bruce stepped to the background and joined the band in backing Reeves while she sang one of her greatest hits.
Fans who wanted to hear what Bruce’s treatment of “Heat Wave” would sound like had to wait more than another decade. On a scorcher of a day in Adelaide, Australia during the High Hopes Tour, Bruce acknowledged the weather by opening the show that night with the first true Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performance of “Heat Wave.”
It was worth the wait.
Is “Heat Wave” particularly well suited for the E Street Band? Not really. (Tom Morello in particular looks a little lost.)
Did Bruce and the band bring anything new and innovative to their arrangement? Nope.
But it’s hard to resist falling under the spell of the E Street Band having that much fun with their unique show opener.
Bonus: “Heat Wave” technically made a third appearance on Bruce’s E Street set lists, but it was an instrumental-only one. Here’s Bruce’s very recognizable sign-collecting background music from his Mansfield show on the Working on a Dream Tour in 2009.
Heat Wave
First performed: September 21, 2003 (Detroit, MI)
Last performed: February 2, 2014 (Adelaide, Australia)
