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"The Phantom" (left, R.I.P.) and "Mad Dog" (right) flank their friend, bandmate, and boss - THE "Boss" - on the Jersey Shore back in the Summer of '73 (cropped photo by David Gahr/Getty Images; courtesy of The Estate of David Gahr; used with permission) January 22, 2025 Happy back-to-back birthdays to former E Street Band drummer Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez (born on January 22, 1949) and the late, great E Street Band keyboardist "Phantom Dan" Federici (born on January 23, 1950.) Vini and Danny - who also are both Rock and Roll Hall of Famers , of course - are the only E Streeters to have celebrated back-to-back birthdays over the years. To honor and remember each of them on their respective special day this year, we're sharing above a rarely seen photographic image of the two E Street Band members flanking their bandleader Bruce Springsteen - on the Jersey Shore, no less - in an outtake from photo-sessions for The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle photographed by the late, great David Gahr on August 29, 1973. We've cropped this image from the full photographic image that we've licensed from Gahr's estate, which also can be seen below: photo by David Gahr/Getty Images; courtesy of The Estate of David Gahr; used with permission Happy Birthday today, Vini, and many, many more to you in the years to come, good sir. And Happy Birthday tomorrow to you in Rock and Roll Heaven, Danny. Much love and thanks to you both for all of the great music you've made. May it continue to be heard, appreciated, and enjoyed forevermore.

January 22, 2025 On Monday, in one of his final acts as outgoing President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. issued an Executive Grant of Clemency for the remainder of Leonard Peltier's prison sentence, allowing Peltier to leave prison and serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement, effective February 18.  "Tell everybody in Indian country and all the supporters around the world... I am very, very grateful for what you've done," said Peltier in his first public statement after Biden's action was announced. "You got me one step home. Home confinement is gonna be a million times better than what I'm living in. And I'll be able to get good medical treatment... I'll be able to see my friends... I'll be able to get my shoulders fixed. I can start painting again... It'll be just as good as freedom." One of Peltier's longest and strongest supporters has been Stevie Van Zandt, who as Little Steven wrote, recorded, and released his song "Leonard Peltier" in the late 1980s. During that same time period, Van Zandt also could be seen wearing "Free Leonard Peltier" clothing in several photos and videos. Below he can be seen wearing such apparel in screenshots from the 1985 Artists United Against Apartheid "Sun CIty" music-video and in journalist David Hepworth's 1987 BBC documentary Glory Days : More recently and much more important, of course, Van Zandt was scheduled to speak at Peltier's June 10, 2024 Parole Commission hearing, but the Commission ultimately cut the number of witnesses permitted to speak on behalf of Peltier. A few weeks later, however, Van Zandt contributed an op-ed piece to CNN . It focused mainly on responding to F.B.I. Director Christopher Wray's statement at the June 10 hearing urging the Parole Commission to deny parole to Peltier, and it's entitled, "I deeply respect the FBI. It’s in that spirit that I say they’re getting this very wrong." Van Zandt also told The New York Times  that the F.B.I.'s handling of Peltier's case was “really, really disturbing, and I think hurts the credibility of the F.B.I. to even try and defend it.” Stevie added that denying parole to Leonard Peltier would be “the final terrible chapter in one of the worst, most terrible chapters of American history.” Nevertheless, at that time parole was denied to Peltier yet again. Just a few months after our website launched, we at Letters To You began covering this struggle, Stevie Van Zandt's involvement in it, and how we and our readers could support the struggle, as well. You can click the links below to read any and all of what we've posted previously: For Native American Heritage Day 2023... [November 24, 2023] Where's the justice for Leonard Peltier... and "justice for all?" Say goodbye; it's Independence Day [July 4, 2024] For Native American Heritage Day 2024, tell President Biden to free Leonard Peltier; "Clemency Now!" [November 29, 2024] On Monday, Nick Tilsen, Founder and CEO of NDN (Native Indian) Collective , said, "Leonard Peltier’s commutation today is the result of fifty years of intergenerational resistance, organizing, and advocacy. Leonard Peltier’s liberation is our liberation – and while home confinement is not complete freedom, we will honor him by bringing him back to his homelands to live out the rest of his days surrounded by loved ones, healing, and reconnecting with his land and culture. “Let Leonard’s freedom be a reminder that the entire so-called United States is built on the stolen lands of Indigenous people – and that Indigenous people have successfully resisted every attempt to oppress, silence, and colonize us. The commutation granted to Leonard Peltier is a symbol of our collective strength – and our resistance will never stop.” “Today’s decision," added Holly Cook Macarro of NDN Collective's Government Affairs, "shows the combined power of grassroots organizing and advocacy at the highest levels of government. We are grateful to President Biden and the leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland. All of us here today stand on the shoulders of three generations of activists who have fought for justice for Leonard Peltier. Today is a monumental victory – the day that Leonard Peltier finally goes home.”

photo by Mark Krajnak January 21, 2025 There was a lot going on during Light of Day 's WinterFest weekend this year, including a U.S. Presidential Inauguration weekend and predicted inclement weather, so it definitely was easy for one to be preoccupied. But Saturday night's Main Event (aka "Bob’s Birthday Bash") at Red Bank, New Jersey’s Count Basie Center for the Arts was its usual sold-out, energetic self, with a “surprise” appearance by Bruce Springsteen after a four-years absence and the return of Jesse Malin after a long recuperation from a spinal stroke highlighting the evening. photo by Mark Krajnak The show began with Remember Jones – a newly minted Light of Day board member and emcee for the evening – covering Sheryl Crow’s “Every Day is a Winding Road,” and his hardworking band blasted out a couple originals as well as a stealth, funkified rendition of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” that oddly did not seem to register with the audience despite the recent resurgence of interest in Bob Dylan. Jones and his band always bring the party vibes, though, and it was a lively start to the proceedings. photo by Mark Krajnak photo by Mark Krajnak Jesse Malin - fresh off a pair of sold-out shows at New York’s Beacon Theatre – was an early standout. A fair number of folks in the audience had been in attendance at one or both of the New York events, but it was still quite a dramatic moment as the curtain rose to reveal a seated Malin at center stage, prompting the audience to rise and give him a standing ovation. He was able to stand for several songs during the set, and did briefly mention his lengthy rehab stint in Argentina, thanking folks for their messages of support. photo by Mark Krajnak About mid-set, Malin mentioned that he was bringing out a guest whom he first met working on his Glitter in the Gutter record , whereupon said guest - namely Bruce - walked onstage and duetted with him on “Broken Radio.” As per usual in the age of social media, the latter’s presence in the building was not much of a surprise, but there was still the usual hubbub of cell phones being rummaged for and folks rushing toward the front of the orchestra area, where ushers permitted many to lean against the wall on both side aisles – normally the exclusive turf of working photographers. Other notable performances included Brit-pop purveyors The Weeklings – who always seem to have a song on Little Steven's Underground Garage ’s “Coolest Song in the World” list — and Willie Nile , who also brought his "friend Bruce” to the stage to assume guitar and backing vocal duty on the anthemic “One Guitar.” photo by Mark Krajnak Adam Ezra ’s powerful, understated acoustic performance of the Leonard Cohen classic “Hallelujah” – played in honor of a friend whom he had just learned had passed away – was also memorable, and one of the few times during the course of the evening when there did not seem to be loud, intrusive chatter coming from the lobby. Also turning in a strong acoustic performance was John Rzeznik , who played a heartfelt set that included lesser known material like “Sympathy” (written during and after his journey to sobriety about ten years ago), as well as Goo Goo Dolls classics like “Iris.” photo by Mark Krajnak photo by Mark Krajnak photo by Mark Krajnak Closing out the night were, of course, Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers (augmented by Asbury Jukes keyboardist extraordinaire Jeff Kazee ,) who played a one-song teaser before calling Bruce out again for a brief set that included chestnuts like “The Promised Land” and “Darkness on the Edge of Town.” The set started off fairly perfunctorily, but Bruce really seemed to loosen up for “Savin’ Up” – preceded by a de rigueur rant in mock preacher mode – and “Pink Cadillac,” which he introduced by saying he originally wrote it as a joke and admonishing the band to come in on the chorus: "Do NOT disappoint me!" They didn't (despite Bruce himself flubbing a bit,) nor did Danny Clinch , who added some tasty blues-harmonica licks to the proceedings. "That's pretty good for a photographer, and for a concert promoter," Bruce stated with a smile. photo by Mark Krajnak photo by Mark Krajnak photo by Mark Krajnak Everyone trooped back onstage to join Bruce, Joe, and the Houserockers for the obligatory celebration of Light of Day founder Bob Benjamin’s birthday and an all-hands-on-deck concluding performance of the event’s namesake song. Benjamin was wheeled out and presented with a birthday cake – some of which ended up on Bruce’s face – and the evening drew to a close after Bruce performed his typical set-closer, an acoustic singalong version of “Thunder Road.” photo by Mark Krajnak This was the 25th official Light of Day event to be organized around Bob Benjamin's birthday, and now 26 years have passed since the very first Bob Benjamin birthday celebration to raise money for The Parkinson's Disease Foundation, held back in 1998 at Red Bank’s Downtown Cafe. Many miles have since been traveled by all, but as devices and media suck people’s attention elsewhere, and folks are increasingly loath to leave home, it was nice to see yet another sold-out house gathered for such an important and meaningful birthday party. All photos are by Mark Krajnak and used with permission. Click here to donate whatever you can to The Light of Day Foundation, Inc.

photo by Mark Krajnak January 19, 2025 Last night, after a four-years absence and for the thirteenth time in the quarter-century history of official Light of Day events, Bruce Springsteen was an unbilled addition to the performers at the 2025 edition of "Bob's Birthday Bash" - The Main Event, held in Red Bank, NJ's Count Basie Center for the Arts. He performed with Jesse Malin on "Broken Radio," with Willie Nile on "One Guitar," and then closed the evening with Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers on an extended set of Grushecky and Springsteen songs, followed by a full-audience-and-all-performers sing-along to "Happy Birthday" (belatedly celebrating Light of Day founder Bob Benjamin's birthday) and "Thunder Road." photo by Mark Krajnak photo by Mark Krajnak photo by Mark Krajnak photo by Mark Krajnak We'll soon post here Lisa Iannucci's full report of the evening, along with more of Mark Krajnak 's photos. Stay tuned!

January 15, 2025 Saturday night's Light of Day Winterfest "Main Event" - aka "Bob's Birthday Bash," saluting Light of Day founder Bob Benjamin - will mark a quarter-century of Light of Day concerts, raising funds to fight Parkinson's disease, ALS, and PSP. What started as a single Light of Day concert at The Stone Pony on Benjamin's birthday (November 3, 2000) has since grown into a multi-day festival of musical events in the New Jersey region each January, accompanied by a yearlong calendar of Light of Day events at other locations in the U.S., as well as abroad. To help our readers and us in gearing up for Winterfest 2025, we at Letters To You were pleased and honored to speak yesterday with two of the musicians who, along with Bruce Springsteen and others, performed at that very first Light of Day concert back in 2000 and have remained strong Light of Day supporters since then: the great rockers and songwriters Joe Grushecky and Willie Nile . Grushecky and Nile shared with us their memories of and reflections on their involvement with Light of Day through the past quarter century, as well as this year's Winterfest and their plans to continue their involvement until the day that the battle against Parkinson's disease, ALS, and PSP is won at last. In the course of the conversation, they each discussed experiences and insights that were interesting, moving, funny, inspiring, heartbreaking, and ultimately filled with hope for the day when the horrible effects of these neurological diseases will be no more. Below are embedded links for our conversation with Joe Grushecky and Willie Nile, which is available on our SoundCloud and YouTube platforms: And just in case you haven't yet finalized your Light of Day Winterfest 2025 plans, click here for a complete guide and ticket-links for all Winterfest 2025 events , including tonight's first official Winterfest 2025 event at City Winery New York City, featuring Willie Nile . (If you can't attend any of the events, you still can click here to donate whatever you can to Light of Day .) Finally, stay tuned for more coverage of Light of Day Winterfest 2025 from Letters To You in the days to come.

January 15, 2025 With 2025 only two weeks old, The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University (BSACAM) already has some important circled dates and activities on its calendar for the new year. In fact, the first one takes place online tonight. The January 2025 installment of BSACAM's ongoing and online series Conversations with our Curator will start tonight, January 15, at 7pm ET. Archives curator Melissa Ziobro will conduct a conversation with June Skinner Sawyers, author of the recently published We Take Care of Our Own: Faith, Class, and Politics in the Art of Bruce Springsteen . As usual, after the conversation, members of the online audience will be able to participate in a Q-and-A session, as well. Click the image below and/or scan its QR code for more information and for event registration, which is free to all who are interested. And if you can't catch tonight's conversation live online, you'll still be able to watch it later. All past Conversations with our Curator  events also are archived at BSACAM's YouTube channel, so you always can catch up on any event that you might have missed, or re-watch any event. Click here to view the Archives' Conversations with our Curator   YouTube playlist. BSACAM also has just announced its Second Annual President’s Lecture on Music History and Contemporary America . On Thursday, January 30, beginning at 3pm ET, BSACAM Board of Directors member and Princeton University Professor of American History Sean Wilentz, who also has written the acclaimed book Bob Dylan in America , will present “‘I Don’t Write Protest Songs’: Bob Dylan, 1963” in Pollak Theatre on the campus of Monmouth University. The lecture is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required to attend. Click here for more information, and to register. Also recently announced was the date for the Archives' planned scholarly conference centered around the 50th anniversary of Born to Run later this year. The conference is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 7, presumably at Monmouth University. No further details have been announced yet, but a call has been issued for all scholars to submit their paper and panel abstracts no later than Saturday, March 5. Click here for detailed submission guidelines. And finally, while they haven't been announced just yet, before January is over we should know all of the details on the 2025 honorees and presenters, as well as ticketing information, for the Archives' 3rd Annual American Music Honors , to be held Saturday, April 26 at the University's Pollak Theatre. Stay tuned!

January 11, 2025 NOTE: Click here for the version of Bruce Springsteen's memorial tribute to Sam Moore on Springsteen's official website, which includes the extended cut of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concerts performance of "Hold On, I'm Comin'"/"Soul Man." For more on the immortal artistry of the late, great Sam Moore and its enduring impact on the music of Bruce Springsteen, click here to check out or re-read Lisa Iannucci's great Letters To You feature from last June, "Soul Man Speaking: Lisa Iannucci's 'lost' Sam Moore interviews."

Clarence Clemons, Jr.; Maryland State College, Class of 1964; Major: Music Education (of COURSE!) - photo from the 1964 Maryland State College yearbook ( The Hawk ) January 11, 2025 Happy Clarence Clemons Day 2025! Today we have something extra-special for everyone to enjoy, as we remember and celebrate our beloved Big Man on what would have been his 83rd birthday. Our editor/publisher Shawn Poole has managed to track down some great images, stories, and even some recorded music from Clarence Clemons' college days at Maryland State College (a historically Black, land-grant institution now known as University of Maryland Eastern Shore,) where he also joined his first professional band, The Vibra-Tones. To date, the most commonly known information about Clarence's college experiences has to do with his having played college football, most notably serving as offensive lineman for Maryland State's star running back Emerson Boozer, who went on to play with the New York Jets during their Joe-Namath-led glory days. The Big 5-0 - Offensive lineman Clarence Clemons suited up and ready to play for the Maryland State Hawks - photo from the 1964 Maryland State College yearbook ( The Hawk ) Clarence became good friends with Boozer, and the Big Man himself was offered a tryout with the Cleveland Browns, but an injury, sustained in an auto-accident on the day before his scheduled tryout, derailed any chance of a professional football career. The legend is that his no longer being able to play professional football is what led Clarence to pursue a career in music, but in reality music already was an essential part of who Clarence Clemons was. Music Education was his major at Maryland State College, and, as stated above, Maryland State was also where he got to play R&B-style saxophone in The Vibra-Tones, his first professional band. The Vibra-Tones was a floating assemblage of musicians that was started and led by Robert Batson, another Music Education major at Maryland State. Clemons and Batson had met previously as high-school students, when the director of Clarence's Chesapeake, Virginia-based high-school band, who had been a student of the director of Batson's Cambridge, Maryland-based high-school band, arranged a visit to Batson's high-school for a meeting between the two bands. Batson remembered how impressive Clemons' high-school band was, and how much Batson's high-school band began to improve after the encounter. When Batson, a year younger than Clarence, arrived at Maryland State College in 1962, the two students quickly reconnected and their friendship grew stronger, especially since they both were Music Education majors. Together they often were active in various music-oriented programs at the college, including the college's choir. Clarence (on sax, of course) in action as a freshman Music Education major - photo from the 1961 Maryland State College yearbook ( The Hawk ) A full page from the 1963 Maryland State College yearbook ( The Hawk ,) focused on the college's choir - In the top photo, college junior Clarence Clemons and his friend college sophomore Robert Batson are on opposite ends of the choir's fifth row. In the bottom photo, Clarence is the second choir-member visible from the left, as the choir makes a television appearance. Eventually Batson decided to take all that he was learning about music to another level, and founded the R&B-focused group The Vibra-Tones (not to be confused with any of the several other musical groups formed over the years under the moniker The Vibratones or The Vibra-Tones.) Batson played bass, and Clarence Clemons became one of the earliest members of the band's impressively large horns section. Last September, Letters To You editor/publisher Shawn Poole met with Robert Batson and another surviving member of The Vibra-Tones, trumpeter Orlando Spry. Batson and Spry shared their memories of playing with the Big Man in his first professional band. left to right: Orlando Spry (Maryland State Class of 1963, Social Sciences major, and trumpeter for The Vibra-Tones,) Shawn Poole (Letters To You editor/publisher,) and Robert Batson (Maryland State Class of 1965, Music Education major, bassist and founder of The Vibra-Tones) - September 2024, Delmarva Community Services Building, Cambridge, MD Batson initially formed The Vibra-Tones (with the group's name chosen by Batson's roommate Gerald Baltimore, who never played in the band) as just a fun little way for him and some of his like-minded classmates to apply all that they knew about music, and to enjoy playing the hits of the day, especially on the R&B charts. They quickly became good enough, however, to start scoring professional gigs locally: not just private parties and dances, but eventually nightclubs, outdoor beach clubs in the warmer months, etc., especially on "The Chitlin' Circuit," the historical network of venues that offered performance opportunities for African-American musicians and entertainers while racial segregation still operated so strongly and openly in the U.S. The Vibra-Tones, with founder and bassist Robert Batson on the far left, and Clarence Clemons standing directly next to him - image courtesy of Gayle Morrison of the Clarence Clemons Trust "We got in a cycle," recalled Batson, rattling off the names of some of the towns and venues where they scored regular gigs: "Snow Hill... The Chicken Shack in Pocomoke..." They never scored any big money or fame, of course, and in fact sometimes their "pay" consisted mainly of free food and beverages at whatever venue they played that night. Nevertheless, this was a group of young men who were bonding, learning, having fun, and creating some great memories while delivering some exciting live, local music for folks to enjoy. Members floated in and out of the group, as folks graduated and/or followed other paths. (Below is Robert Batson's handwritten listing of all people - both those who've passed and those who are still with us - who were Vibra-Tones members at one time or another during the group's history, totaling forty members in all:) The lead singer or drummer might change from night to night, from gig to gig. And while the whole enterprise only lasted for a few years, it still was a very special time for many - if not all - of those involved. Membership in The Vibra-Tones could sometimes have its privileges, too, as Robert Batson and Orlando Spry recently recalled amidst some laughter on the edge of tears. In the 1960s, as the Vietnam War raged on, Maryland State required its male students to take Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) courses, as so many colleges and high-schools did, during their first two years of college. It was yet another covert way to prepare the next round of potential draftees. "I was so glad to get out of it," said Spry about the end of his required two-year ROTC run, "that I didn't know what to do." But in Year Two of Batson's training, when one Clarence Clemons became an ROTC Flight Commander, and all of The Vibra-Tones' members still in ROTC ended up in the same Band Flight, to quote Batson, "Oh, we took advantage of that!" Suddenly, some previously mandatory tasks became a bit more... er, optional at times for Vibra-Tones members. The Vibra-Tones even managed to do a bit of professional recording "up North" in Baltimore and New York City. Even if none of what they recorded ever saw any serious or even regional chart action, having a 45RPM vinyl single or two that could be handed easily to a local disc-jockey, venue owner, or promoter still could be an effective aural calling-card in helping to secure some more and better gigs for the band. The Vibra-Tones, featuring founder Robert Batson on bass, Clarence Clemons on sax, and Orlando Spry on trumpet - image courtesy of Robert Batson In the mid-1960s, Clarence Clemons participated in one of those New York City Vibra-Tones' recording sessions, and even played a sax solo on the song they recorded in that session, "I'm Begging You Baby," sung by the late George Johnson, who is given the official songwriting credit on the record (though Orlando Spry maintains that he actually was the writer, gladly allowing George Johnson to take the official credit out of a desire to avoid any potential music-business hassles.) The result, released by Candi Records in 1965, is the earliest known recording to feature a Clarence Clemons saxophone solo, and right now - on Clarence Clemons Day 2025 - you can click below to enjoy it, as embedded from our SoundCloud platform : IMPORTANT NOTE: Just as we did last month with our special "Santa Big Man" Christmastime streaming treat , we are again asking our readers and listeners to, in lieu of paying anything to hear this music, please instead donate whatever you can to HomeSafe , a Florida-based child-abuse/domestic-violence-prevention organization that was strongly supported by Clarence Clemons for many years. Please click this link to learn more about HomeSafe and to make your donation. The Vibra-Tones ended as the late 1960s approached. Orlando Spry continued his career as a social-studies teacher (which he had begun after graduating Maryland State in 1963, while still occasionally playing and recording with The Vibra-Tones through the rest of the band's duration,) and Robert Batson (Maryland State, Class of '65) eventually became a longtime, beloved music educator and bandleader for Maryland's Cambridge-South Dorchester High School. Of course, readers of this website are already well aware of what Clarence Clemons (Class of '64) went on to do in his post-college, post-Vibra-Tones years. Happy Clarence Clemons Day 2025, everyone! Big Man forever!

January 8, 2025 Merry Elvismas! Today marks the 90th anniversary of the birth of Elvis Presley . If you're looking for a Springsteen-connected way to commemorate and celebrate the lasting impact of "The King," perhaps you're considering the latest Presley documentary in which Bruce Springsteen appears: Netflix's Return of The King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley , which has been streaming on Netflix since last November. Ostensibly, the documentary's subject is Presley's famous 1968 "comeback" television special, but it explores the significance of the special in the context of Presley's entire career preceding it, and even - to a certain extent - following it. Unfortunately, undertaking such an exploration - all while trying to combine it with at least a decent amount of footage from the television special itself - is an impossibly tall order for a documentary that is only ninety minutes long. Not surprisingly, among the best parts of Jason Hehir's film are Springsteen's interview segments, recalling what the 1968 special meant to him as a first-generation, die-hard Presley fan. Of course Bruce has talked about this subject (and many more Elvis-related things) many times before, but here he offers some interesting new wrinkles, especially about Elvis rediscovering his authentic self. One of Bruce's best lines in the film, which also appears in the trailer embedded above, is "I felt like my team came back, and they're winning again!" Also featured is interview footage featuring insights from the great Darlene Love, who was one of Presley's backing singers on the 1968 special. (The film's credits thank Stevie Van Zandt, Marc Ribler, and Rich Russo, presumably for helping to arrange the Darlene Love interview.) The main problem with this film, however, is that it stands in the very tall shadow of Thom Zimny's definitive two-part documentary Elvis Presley: The Searcher . Return of the King even uses the same 1956 Presley B-side for its opening credits that Zimny's 2018 film used in its opening credits: "My Baby Left Me." The uniquely presented heard-but-never-seen-onscreen insights of Bruce Springsteen that were offered in Elvis Presley: The Searcher were accompanied by similarly perceptive and presented insights from a slew of famous and not-so-famous folks who were close to Presley and/or deeply affected by his music. What Return of the King has to offer in its interview segments - with Love's and Springsteen's newly filmed interviews joined by new/original footage of Billy Corgan, Ernst Jørgensen, Baz Luhrmann, Conan O'Brien, Priscilla Presley, Robbie Robertson, Jerry Schilling, and Wright Thompson, some of whom also contributed interviews/insights to Zimny's film - simply cannot compare or compete with the appropriately epic scope and amount of the interviews in Elvis Presley: The Searcher . (By the way, you can click here and here to read my archived Backstreets coverage on the making of Elvis Presley: The Searcher , featuring exclusive conversations with Thom Zimny, Priscilla Presley, and Jerry Schilling.) Of course, both films also feature archival commentary from Elvis Presley himself, but Elvis Presley: The Searcher relies strictly on actual recordings of things that Presley actually said in his lifetime, in order to convey his own voice and perspective. Return of the King , on the other hand, greatly utilizes newly recorded and mixed-in voiceovers from an Elvis impersonator reading scripted lines based on speculations of what Presley might have thought or said in private. It's a controversial approach in documentary filmmaking, to say the least, though it's also one that was utilized in This Is Elvis , Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt's 1981 documentary that at one time was the greatest Presley documentary in existence... until the arrival of Elvis Presley: The Searcher , that is. But inarguably the worst part of Return of the King is its propagation of the argument that the '68 Comeback Special represents the single greatest peak - and the final one - of Elvis' achievements as an artist. As great as the television special was, however, it was followed by his triumphant 1969 return to live performance in his Las Vegas residencies, the string of late-1960s/early-1970s hits that began with "In The Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds," and his still-highly-underrated 1970s recordings and concerts. As Dave Marsh wrote in his liner notes for the still-essential 1995 five-CD boxed-set Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters , "Elvis' Seventies music has been picked at and picked over, issued and reissued, discussed, dissected, distorted, displayed and dismissed. But it's only now, gathered into one place, that it kind of makes you gulp a bit to realize how productive he was in the last six years of his life. Especially given that health problems dogged him through much of this time, Elvis created a really remarkable batch of recordings...Elvis continued to be a great popular singer, able to tackle all manner of songs and, in fact, left behind a legacy that few, if any other, artists of his era could hope to match...[A]s he matured. Elvis' music became more and more personal and revealing, so that even while he seemed utterly immune to any influence from the personalized and confessional approach of rock singers like John Lennon and Bob Dylan, he managed in his own fashion to use the additional artistic space their work opened to expose deeper and more intimate parts of himself." (Incidentally, if you're seeking a literary way to celebrate Elvis@90, you simply can't do any better than Dave Marsh's 1982 book Elvis . Highly recommended reading for all Presleymaniacs.) So while it may be somewhat disappointing to learn that the latest Presley documentary involving Bruce Springsteen isn't anywhere near as good as that 2018 doc was, at least you also know that the 2018 documentary remains readily available to watch . Oh, and how appropriate that right in time for this year's Elvismas celebration, it's just been announced that Bruce Springsteen will make his first official appearance on Elvis Presley's original record label, Sun Records, come April. Stay tuned for more from us on that later... Merry Elvismas to all, and to all a good night!

December 31, 2024 Just as we did last year , and now hope to continue doing as an annual year-end tradition, Letters To You editor/publisher Shawn Poole, contributing writers Caroline Madden and Joyce Millman , and Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Podcast host Jesse Jackson recently got together to review and discuss how the year 2024 shaped up for Springsteen fans. We spoke for almost three hours, and Jesse had the unenviable job of editing our yakking down to a more manageable and listenable two-hour podcast. (If, however, you're a Patreon supporter/subscriber of Set Lusting Bruce or wisely sign up to become one, you can click here to hear our full, unedited conversation.) Click on the image below to hear the edited two-hours version of our conversation, which was recorded on December 19, 2024 and is now available to everyone for free listening: Also, for your easy reference here's a handy-dandy time-marker listing of various selected highlights in the conversation: 01:10 Countdown to the New Year 02:16 Meet the Hosts and Panel 04:21 Springsteen Tour Highlights 06:01 Reflecting on Set Lists and Performances 10:49 Adele Springsteen's Passing 15:26 Greatest Night in Pop Documentary 22:32 Bruce on Curb Your Enthusiasm 25:24 Collaborations and Guest Appearances 46:47 Springsteen's Return to Touring 64:19 Reflecting on Bruce Springsteen's Decisions 65:12 Theories on Born in the USA , Live Performances 66:21 Stevie Van Zandt: A Fascinating Career 72:06 Bruce Springsteen's Future and Health Concerns 77:40 Tribute to Charles R. Cross and Backstreets Magazine 82:07 Jesse Mallon's Tribute Album and Road Diary 90:02 Bruce and the E Street Band's special Sept. 16, 2024 Asbury Park show 95:16 Bruce@75 97:03 Bruce Springsteen's Political Involvement 104:02 Howard Stern Interview and Stand Up for Heroes 111:49 The Return of the King Elvis doc, the Santa-hats Surprise, and Final Thoughts While you're at the Set Lusting Bruce site, be sure to also check out its many other interesting new and archived conversations (currently 1300 of 'em!,) all hosted by Jesse Jackson. Jesse is apparently inexhaustible, regularly discussing all things Springsteen-related with a variety of interesting folks holding many different perspectives and opinions. One of his more recent and most impressive undertakings was his "30 Days of Springsteen" series, recording at least one Bruce-related podcast discussion per day during last November for National Podcast Month 2024. Happy listening and Happy New Year to all! And here's to whatever lies ahead for all of us fans on E Street in 2025. We'll be seein' ya there, fellow fans; lookin' forward to it!

photo by Dan Reiner (Toronto; November 6, 2024) - used with permission December 24, 2024 Well, it's not Easter, and it's not Thanksgiving, so it must be... CHRISTMASTIME! Whatever you may celebrate or not celebrate this month, if you're a fan of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, this has turned out to be a very good time of year indeed. In the past week, Bruce, Stevie, and the rest of the E Street Band have delivered some choice musical treats to help get many of us through the winter days ahead, along with a promise of some more "never-before-heard material" coming in the new year. Let's review... Last Wednesday, Stevie Van Zandt got things started on the Christmastime musical treats front by reassembling Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul to back Darlene Love for her triumphant return to the tradition of singing her classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on late-night tellyvision, this time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . Darlene, Stevie, and the Disciples were joined by special guest Paul Shaffer, who led all of the backing bands for Love's original set of annual late-night performances of "Christmas..." on David Letterman's NBC/CBS shows, spanning from 1986 through 2014. Click below to watch (or re-watch) this year's performance (and yes, as per Darlene , she's already been invited back for Christmastime 2025:) Then on Friday, another annual yuletide tradition continued, with this year's special holiday release from Bruce Springsteen's ongoing live archival series: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Toronto 1975 . Jon Altschiller & Co. deliver yet another superb mastering of Jimmy Iovine's professional recording of Springsteen's first-ever Toronto show, performed on December 21, 1975 at Seneca College's Field House. It's a real kick to hear Bruce and the band slowly win over 3,000 or so politely curious Canadians, most if not all witnessing their first Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band concert. Among the highlights: a version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" featuring the band hilariously feigning some truly bad guesses - Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. - when asked by Bruce, of course, what time of year it is. Check out the official YouTube posting of "Santa Claus..." below: And click here to purchase your copy of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Toronto 1975 , as well as here to read archivist Erik Flannigan's essay about the release . On that same Friday, in the evening, Springsteen called in to Jim Rotolo's The Wild and the Innocent weekly request show on E Street Radio . In memory of rocker and ex-Replacements member Slim Dunlap, who died last Wednesday , Bruce shared a yet-to-be-officially-released recording of Dunlap's song "Girlfiend" (misidentified by both Rotolo and Springsteen as "Girlfriend,") excellently performed about a year ago by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band for what Bruce called a "covers record." They also briefly discussed last Wednesday's Shore Fire Media press release , which ended as follows: "Upcoming releases in 2025 will include a look back at Springsteen’s storied recording career, featuring never-before-heard material." Surprisingly, while Springsteen confirmed that there will indeed be some new music to hear next year, he also told Rotolo, "I didn't know they [Shore Fire] put anything out about it. I read it in the papers myself and I said, 'Oh...' I don't want to get into it too much, because we're not ready to completely talk about it yet, but there will be... yeah, we've got a nice release... for next year." (SiriusXM subscribers can listen to the entire brief conversation, including the on-air debut of "Girlfiend," on-demand in the E Street Radio section of the SiriusXM app .) And so, fellow fans, "we've got a nice release... for next year" is certainly a promise even sweeter for our Christmastime dreams than even visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads. Happy Christmahanukwanzakah to all, to all a good night, and here's to whatever lies ahead for us in 2025. See y'all a bit further on up the road!

December 24, 2024 Hands down, thanks especially to his crucial role in "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" over the years, the immortal Clarence "Big Man" Clemons remains and will forever be the greatest representation of the spirit of Santa Claus on E Street. Clearly, he was destined for this role, having received his first saxophone as a childhood Christmas present from ol' St. Nick himself. Heck, even Big Man's middle name was A nicholas ! (The name for his credits on the back-cover of The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle reads, "Clarence 'Nick' Clemons.") This holiday season, thanks to the generosity of our friend Mark Fromm , we're pleased to welcome back exclusively for our readers "Santa Big Man" in a... well, a BIG way, of course. Earlier this year, for Clarence Clemons Day 2024, Mark, who is a California-based psychologist and musician, shared with us the very interesting story of how he and Clarence came to collaborate on some of Mark's music back in the 1990s. (You can click here to read more about that.) One of the tracks they recorded together was "What Can I Give For Christmas?", which also featured the late, great Rick Danko - with whom Clarence previously had worked in the original lineup of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band - and Maria Muldaur. It's a fun, upbeat song about how giving can be just as important and rewarding as receiving during the holidays. In addition to lending some of his powerfully stellar sax-playing, Big Man also provided the singing/speaking voice of Santa Claus, of course. "What Can I Give For Christmas?" was released on a 2002 CD-EP entitled What Can I Give? , which has long been out-of-print and hard to find, and the track hasn't been made available officially in any other form since then. Until now, that is. For this 2024 holiday season, Mark has agreed to allow Letters To You to present an exclusive limited-time streaming EP of "What Can I Give For Christmas?", along with two other Mark Fromm tracks featuring Clarence Clemons and two previews of new Mark Fromm tracks that have yet to be released officially. Furthermore, "What Can I Give For Christmas?" is presented here in never-before-heard form, with a special "Happy Hanukkah" message from "Santa Big Man" - recorded during that same recording-session - tagged on to the end of the track. The other tracks in the EP are: "People Come Back Home", which also was part of that 2002 What Can I Give? CD-EP. It's a song that, much like Springsteen's "Long Walk Home", has grown greatly in its meaning and relevance, given current events. And just as he did on "Long Walk Home", Clarence Clemons delivers another crucial saxophone solo that gives the track such an intense emotional punch. Next up is "Keys", a track from Mark's 2023 album Preparation of the Bridegroom that he also shared with us as a limited-time download earlier this year. It again features Maria Muldaur along with Clarence, who provides a bit of a rapping-style vocal along with his sax work. Finally, Mark allows us an advance listen to two tracks from the album on which he's currently working: "Telegram" and "Something That Matters". Here for your holiday listening pleasure is the embedded What Can I Give For Christmahanukwanzakah 2024? 5-track EP, presented as a playlist on our SoundCloud platform : For this holiday season, Mark Fromm has generously shared all of this music for our readers to stream free of charge through early January, but is also asking all of us who are streaming to please donate whatever you can to HomeSafe , a Florida-based child-abuse/domestic-violence-prevention organization that was strongly supported by Clarence Clemons for many years. Please click this link to learn more about HomeSafe and to make your donation. Remember, good people, the important question that Santa Big Man reminds us to ask ourselves, this year and every year... "What can I give for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.?" Happy Holidays, peace, love, fun, and good will to all. All images above courtesy of Mark Fromm and used with permission; to learn more about Mark Fromm and his work, including his music, visit MarkFromm.com Special thanks to Gayle Morrison of the Clarence Clemons Trust