That was the letter Bruce Springsteen sent when he declined an interview with the Los Angeles Times on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster. There were sides, you see, and Bruce had long ago declared his allegiance to the other camp.
But that didn’t stop him from covering one of the definitive Stratocaster instrumentals early on in his career.
The Shadows were the most successful British instrumental group of all time. Their lead guitarist Hank Marvin was the first British musician to adopt the Stratocaster, wielding his red ’59 Strat in recordings like their 1960 single, “Apache.”
The unique sound of the Stratocaster enabled Marvin to infuse “Apache” with a sound somewhere between a classic western soundtrack and modern surf rock, and the combination proved to be a hit. “Apache” had already charted in the U.K. earlier in the year in its original incarnation by Bert Weedon, but The Shadows’ version topped the U.K. Singles chart for five weeks.
It didn’t chart in the U.S., but within four months a cover version by Jörgen Ingmann would reach #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
If you came of age a generation or so later, though, it’s probably the Sugarhill Gang’s version that you’re more familiar with. That one became a hit in 1982, peaking at #53 on the Hot 100, but I’ll let you go seek it out if you’re so inclined–it’s not particularly culturally sensitive.
As for Bruce, when he first covered “Apache” in 1973, it was reportedly the Ingmann version that influenced him. Unfortunately, no recording survives for us to verify.
However, we do have one recording from five years later–it’s muddy and distant, and it’s from a soundcheck rather than a proper concert, but it’s the only recording we have of Bruce and the E Street Band covering “Apache.”
Apache
First performed: March 13, 1973 (Boston, MA)
Last performed: November 12, 1978 (Troy, NY) – soundcheck only
