On September 1, 1995, more than 10,000 people gathered for the dedication ceremony for the brand new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
The following night, all generations of rock and roll came together for the first-ever Hall of Fame concert.<\/p>\n
And who opened the six-hour-plus marathon concert? Chuck Berry, backed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.<\/p>\n
Bruce made several appearances that night, but none more anticipated than his lengthy (by the night’s standards, at least) reunion set with his erstwhile band. The reunited E Streeters played a couple of Springsteen originals that night, but their mini-set was primarily comprised of covers of seminal rock classics.<\/p>\n
First out of the gate: a cover of Big Joe Turner’s “Shake, Rattle and Roll.” Truth be told, it wasn’t a particularly impressive cover. The tempo was plodding, the band too muscular (it would be several years before they’d learn to swing), and the overall effect was one of sluggishness. It certainly didn’t convey the sexual heat of the original.<\/p>\n