From first solos to collaborations: The guitarist Bruce Springsteen labelled “spectrally beautiful”
It’s funny to imagine those who would make us starstruck getting starstruck, but it’s easy to forget that all musicians are only in music because people who came before them were inspirations. As someone who is used to selling out arenas and making hit record after hit record, Bruce Springsteen would be the last person you would expect to be lost for words and intimidated, but you’d be wrong.
Anybody who has ever seen Bruce Springsteen live will be able to attest that what adds a lot to his performance is that he looks like he is having just as much fun as his fans. He watches the E Street Band with pure admiration, and what has driven him throughout his decades-long career shines through clearer than ever: an unparalleled love for music.
Yes, much of that love will come from what he and his band have achieved. A lot of that look will be Springsteen taking in the moment in a continued feeling of, “I can’t believe we’ve achieved this.” However, his love for music that came before and after him also contributes to his unwavering affection for his profession. As such, when he got the chance to meet and play on stage with the people he attributes to inventing his job, it’s not surprising he might have been a bit star-struck.
Bruce Springsteen has always been a big fan of The Rolling Stones, and he states that he learned his first guitar solo from Keith Richards. As such, when Springsteen was asked to perform on stage with the band, needless to say, he found himself fulfilling a childhood dream. They all came together on stage to perform their rendition of ‘Tumbling Dice’, and in doing so, Springsteen found himself in complete awe.
“There are few handlers, no entourage, and I am suddenly transported back to the little dining room I rehearsed in daily with the Castiles,” said Springsteen, reflecting on the occasion, “Except… these are the guys who INVENTED my job!” While playing that day, Springsteen undoubtedly saw Richards doing what he did best and was immediately taken back to the moment he was navigating a fretboard for the first time, trying to nail the solo for ‘It’s All Over Now’.
Going into detail about the gig, Springsteen says, “I take the right as [Jagger] counts off and Keith, the man whose recorded playing taught me my first guitar solo, slithers off into the opening riff of ‘Tumbling Dice’.” He describes Richards in the highest regard, “I’ve come across many spirit-filled folk in my travels, but no one as spectrally beautiful as Keith Richards.”
No doubt Springsteen attributes his ongoing success to his continued love for what he does, and musicians like Richards and moments like getting to perform on stage with him keep the initial fire burning. So long as that connection with sound is there for Bruce, it’s there for us as fans, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon for either party.
Listen to ‘Tumbling Dice’ below.
