NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 28: Bruce Springsteen performs onstage at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2016 in New York City.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)It’s hard to believe that Bruce Springsteen was in danger of being released by his record company, Columbia Records, if it wasn’t successful. The first two albums, “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.” and “The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle,” were amazing. “Greetings” is one of my all-time favorite albums by any artist. Neither was commercially successful.
Regardless, it obviously didn’t matter because his third studio album, Born to Run, was unbelievably huge. The big hit he needed was the title track, and Freehold, New Jersey’s Bruce hasn’t worried about being fired since.
I was too young to remember its release, but my older brother Rob recalls buying it the day it came out. I would listen to his copy when he wasn’t home because he didn’t let me touch his things. Please don’t tell him.
Bruce Didn't Like the Album
According to People, Peter Ames Carlin, author of the book Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run, says that Bruce almost scrapped the entire album. Ames Carlin said, “Springsteen heard the final album for the first time. Part of the way through “Jungleland,” the album’s last track, Springsteen started analyzing the song, and he didn’t like it.” He suggested they start all over and release a live version instead because he thought the songs sounded better live.
Related: Bruce and JBJ Have Lunch in Freehold
It’s a good thing Bruce changed his mind. I guess we’d never know what we were missing, but we would be missing a lot.
Bruce was wrong because Born to Run wound up being hugely successful and introduced him to audiences who had never heard his music.
“Born to Run” has been certified seven times Platinum and was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
Happy anniversary, Bruce and "Born to Run!"
