We’ve known that Bruce is a fan of The Drifters long before he namechecked Benny Ben E. King in “The Power of Prayer.”
He may not have played “This Magic Moment” in concert (yet), but he’s certainly played the group’s bigger hit from that year, “Save the Last Dance For Me.”
“Save the Last Dance For Me” was recorded before King left the group but released a few months after, in the summer of 1960. It reached the top of the Hot 100 and R&B charts in the U.S., peaked at #2 in the U.K., and became an enduring romantic standard.
Bruce was captivated by the song early on and has performed it at least once during every decade of his career. Capturing one of those performances on tape or video has proved elusive, however.
The first time Bruce performed “Save the Last Dance For Me” was all the way back in his Bruce Springsteen Band period; the next time was at Steve and Maureen Van Zandt’s wedding reception a decade later. Ten years after that, an incognito Bruce joined The Iguanas for it at a New Orleans bar. No public document circulates for any of those three performances.
But at the closing show of the Magic Tour in Kansas City in 2008, fans finally had a chance to hear Bruce perform “Save the Last Dance For Me” as a tender, acoustic introduction to “Dancing in the Dark.” (Technically, it’s not the whole song, but it’s a lot more than a snippet.)
The following year, Bruce debuted an E Street Band arrangement of “Save the Last Dance For Me” to say goodbye to the storied Philadelphia Spectrum, and this time we were treated to the whole song.
But Bruce’s definitive performance of “Save the Last Dance For Me” was his last one to date. Late on the High Hopes Tour, a young woman in the pit made a sign request asking Bruce to dance with her mom for Mother’s Day.
Bruce granted her wish and chose a perfect song for the occasion. Captured close up in perfect clarity, let’s watch Bruce give a lucky fan a magic moment.
Save the Last Dance For Me
First performed: 1971-1972 (exact date unknown) (Richmond, VA)
Last performed: May 13, 2014 (Albany, NY)
Ken, I had read somewhere, previously, that the narrator in the song, “Save the Last Dance For Me” (written by Doc Pumas), was crippled and could not dance with his date during the night’s entertainment, giving her his trust and green-light to dance with others, on the condition to save the “last dance” for himself.
Believing as much, I found this info from Wikipedia: Pomus said the song was written on the day of Pomus’ wedding while the wheelchair-bound groom watched his bride dancing with their guests. Pomus had polio and at times used crutches to get around.[6] His wife, Willi Burke, however, was a Broadway actress and dancer. The song gives his perspective of telling his wife to have fun dancing, but reminds her who will be taking her home and “in whose arms you’re gonna be.”[7] Hmm? What do you think? Thanks.
Your two included videos of Bruce and E Street performing the song are inspiring–especially the “Mother’s Day Dance” (without the use of the teleprompter)!
I’ve heard that story as well. I have no reason to doubt it, but I’m far from a Scholar on the subject.