Adventurous arrangements of unexpected cover songs have been concert staples for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band since their earliest days. They don’t always work, though.
Case in point: Sam Cooke’s “Cupid.”
Peaking at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in spring of 1961 (and ranked years later by Rolling Stone as #452 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list), Cooke’s sweet love song was already a fascinating melange of R&B, pop, and Latin stylings.
But when Bruce and the E Street Band covered it several times in the autumn of 1974, they infused a ska arrangement of their own. Here’s the last of their known performances, from the Boston Music Hall on October 29, 1974:
Like I wrote at the top, I’m not a fan of the arrangement. To me, it sounds like there’s an abrupt shift from “Cupid” to “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da,” and the E Street Band is already a bit too muscular for the song’s sweet romance.
But their arrangement of “Cupid” is an early indication of greater successes to come. Bruce’s commitment to keeping classic rock and roll not just alive but fresh and vibrant would soon become a hallmark of his live performances.
Cupid
First performed: September 19, 1974 (Bryn Mawr, PA)
Last performed: October 29, 1974 (Boston, MA)
