Bruce Springsteen has covered Motown’s first big hit several times over the years, but only two club performances from the eighties were caught on tape. Take a listen to both inside.
Category: Cover Me
One time only: Bruce Springsteen paid tribute to the recently departed George Harrison by performing Harrison’s greatest hit at Bruce’s first 2001 holiday show.
Brand new but instantly one of my top ten favorite Springsteen covers: take a listen to Danny Gone’s gorgeous rendition of “If I Should Fall Behind.”
Buried away on the bonus DVD that accompanied the original Seeger Sessions album release, Bruce’s arrangement of “How Can I Keep From Singing” was too beautiful to keep hidden away for long. Listen to beautiful choral performances inside.
Every once in a while, a beautiful Springsteen cover comes out of nowhere. Here’s one, from a busker on the streets of Dublin.
One time only: Listen in on a 1988 soundcheck, where Bruce and the E Street Band played their only known cover of Jimmy Reed’s “Big Boss Man.”
One time only: Bruce and Little Steven team-up for an encore of Marvin Gaye’s “Can I Get a Witness” at Steve’s Soulfire record release event.
There are lots of “Dancing in the Dark” covers out there, but this is one of the best. Gritty, earthy, and most of all: hungry.
In his earliest days of parenthood, Bruce donated a new recording for a benefit album to fight pediatric AIDS. Take a listen to Bruce’s first officially released children’s song, “Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips.”
One time only: Bruce Springsteen joins Stone Pony house band Cats on a Smooth Surface to cover a lost rockabilly classic.