I usually start these pieces off with a bit of background on the singer and the song, but given the circumstances it seems more appropriate to let Bette Midler do the talking.
Let’s watch her induction speech for Darlene Love at the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction. (Keep an eye out for an E Street Band cameo!)
Dead center in that montage was one of those uncredited Darlene Love performances Midler alluded to in her induction speech: “He’s a Rebel,” a Number One hit for The Crystals in 1962.
Except, of course, that’s not actually The Crystals on that record.
Producer Phil Spector intended for The Crystals to record “He’s a Rebel,” but the group was on tour when Spector learned that Vikki Carr was recording it for another label. In order to beat Carr to the record store shelves, Spector called in The Blossoms, a local group fronted by Darlene Love.
It’s The Blossoms we hear on the studio recording of “He’s a Rebel,” even though The Crystals received the official credit. Love and The Blossoms eventually received their due recognition, and today “He’s a Rebel” ranks among Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. More significantly, the song introduced the “bad boy” anti-hero to pop music, and rock and roll would never be the same.
So it was only fitting for Darlene to perform “He’s a Rebel” at her Hall of Fame induction. The surprise was that it turned out to be a duet.
After Love performed “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” Bette Midler returned to the stage to join Darlene in a faithful rendition of her greatest and only #1 hit, backed by Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra. Oh, and a guest guitarist from New Jersey.
Bruce’s fondness for the girl groups of the 1960s is well-documented, and he’s clearly delighted to be on that stage. But if you were observant, you might have spied another E Street associate, too. That’s Curtis King (who joined Bruce on the Seeger Sessions, Working on a Dream, Wrecking Ball, and High Hopes Tours) on backing vocals.
That was the first and only time Bruce has ever played “He’s a Rebel” in concert, but more collaborations with Darlene lay ahead. including songs Bruce wrote just for her.
We’ll look at one of them in just a few days.
He’s a Rebel
First performed: March 14, 2011 (New York City, NY)
Last performed: March 14, 2011 (New York City, NY)
