“Don’t know why I said no”: the rock legend who turned down Bruce Springsteen
The list of artists that inspired Bruce Springsteen is always getting longer, and that’s why he’s an artist who continues to remain relevant and in the hearts of listeners.
Perhaps the first band who truly inspired him to become a musician was The Beatles. When he heard their single, ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, similarly to everyone else who heard The Beatles in the States at the time, Springsteen was obsessed. This was his segue into rock music, and while he continues to hold The Beatles up as one of his biggest influences, they weren’t the only band that gave him guidance.
When it came to finding themes that he wanted to write about, on the other hand, it all came down to Bob Dylan. While he preferred the rock stylings of The Beatles, Dylan presented the world that Springsteen lived in, but in a completely new light. Suddenly, he was more aware of politics, family, relationships, emotions and society as a whole. He knew what kind of things he wanted to write about.
“I was very influenced by Dylan,” he said. “I always say he’s the father of my country. He initially provided me with a picture of a country that I recognised. One that feels real, feels like the truth.”
So, he had his style of music and the themes he wanted to discuss within that music in his mind, but there was still lots of room for influence. Where were the bands who were combining both of these things? Who were taking topics about politics and society, being conscious with their lyrics, and injecting those lyrics into a rock-heavy sound? Well, he managed to find it in The Animals.
‘The Boss’ was specifically drawn to their song ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place’, a track which saw singer Eric Burdon adopt an emotive vocal tone that acted as a precursor to punk. This was the kind of music that Springsteen wanted to embody, something which was emotive, had poignant lyrics, but that was also undoubtedly rock. He said so himself, as when discussing ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place’, Springsteen described it as the blueprint for his career, and subsequently, “every song I’ve ever written.”
Burdon knew that he was capable of such strong vocals, admitting that if The Animals had stuck together longer, they would have probably become a punk band. “I’ve always viewed myself as a punk. The Animals could have evolved that way,” he said. “We had the energy and the anger, but we didn’t stick together. When the punk scene became commercial, I was all for the politics of the movement, but the music didn’t really stand up, and ultimately, it was self-destructive.”
Springsteen was such a big fan of theirs and that song that he played it at South by South West with Eric Burdon on stage – Burdon said that the memory lingers in his mind, and he was flattered by the comments that Springsteen made and the fact that he covered the song, also being surprised by Springsteen’s kindness, given that years prior, he had asked Burdon if he’d like to work together, and The Animals singer had turned him down. The fact that ‘The Boss’ didn’t hold a grudge further emphasised, in Burdon’s mind, just how much of a good person he is.
“What was extra special about it, though, was years earlier he asked me to allow him to produce an album. I said ‘no’. I don’t know why I said no,” he said.
Concluding, “I thought he would have held that against me forever, but that’s the kind of guy he is, he doesn’t. When he said that about us on stage, I knew that this was really an outstanding guy.”
