Bruce Springsteen - The River

Sunday, time for a classic. Today there will be a bit special classic, considering that "The Boss" has visited Stockholm three times in a little over a week's time. He filled Friends Arena every night which is quite incredible that a man like this is so popular among Swedes.

The Bruce travels with the same stage setup as he have used during the previous years, shows how well oiled machine this production is, it all builds up smoothly by the same crew who rode with Bruce the last 10-15 years, I meet some familiar technicians that are very, i mean very friendly and always shares some wonderful stories.

Now I've seen Bruce on three occasions in almost a week, fun considering how flexible the guy is and how he will satisfy his fans by playing what they want to hear. It is enough that the guy sees a sign that has the text of a song and he goes on and plays it ... imagine what a tight band that knows the whole Bruce repertoire, that's the E Streetband.

Another cool thing was that he even chose a record from his long musical career and plays it from beginning to end, at first it was "Born to Run" that was played on Friday, then he dusted of "Darkness on the Edge of Town" on Saturday and last gig did he play "Born In The U.S.A" from beginning to end.

I wished that The River was played at the conclusion of Bruce Sweden visit, but you can not have everything, so there of we choose it as today's tune instead. So todays tune "The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It was the title track of his fifth album, The River, and was a hit single in parts of Europe. Its B-side was either "Independence Day" or "Ramrod," depending on the country.

"The River" was originally intended to be included on an earlier, one-record version of The River, tentatively called The Ties That Bind. The song itself was recorded at The Power Station in New York in July or August 1979. In the very first live performance of the song in 1979, Springsteen cited the inspiration as "my brother in law and my sister". In fact, the newly released biography "Bruce" by Peter Ames Carlin includes an interview with Bruce's sister Ginny in which she plainly states that the song is a precise description of her early life with her husband Mickey, to whom she is still married today.

"The River" became a centerpiece of shows on some Springsteen tours. On the Born in the U.S.A. Tour, it was often preceded by a long, intense story from Springsteen about his battles with his father growing up, that would sometimes conclude positively and sometimes not; the silence after the story would then be interrupted by the start of the harmonica part. One such story and performance, that also touched on the Vietnam War, was included on the 1986 Live/1975–85 set.

On later tours, especially in Europe, the song's outro was extended to great length, with audiences mass singing the wordless "oooh" parts at the end. On the 1999–2000 Reunion Tour, "The River" was cast in a different arrangement that featured a Clarence Clemons saxophone part; one such rendition was included on the subsequent Live in New York City album and DVD.

The song has been performed about 582 times through 2013.



Bruce Springsteen Setlist at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden 3rd of May

We Take Care of Our Own
Out in the Street
Wrecking Ball
The Promised Land
Death to My Hometown
Spirit in the Night

Born to Run from start to finish

Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Night
Backstreets (with a portion of Sad Eyes Interlude)
Born to Run
She's the One
Meeting Across the River
Jungleland
Darlington County
Pay Me My Money Down
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Rising
Badlands
Land of Hope and Dreams

Encore:

Mountain of Love (Johnny Rivers cover) (Bruce solo on acoustic guitar, sign request)
Born in the U.S.A.
Glory Days (With Elliot Murphy)
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)

Bruce Springsteen Setlist at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden 4th of May

My Love Will Not Let You Down
Leap of Faith
I'm a Rocker (Sign Request)
Better Days
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown
Hungry Heart

Darkness on the Edge of Town from start to finish

Badlands
Adam Raised a Cain
Something in the Night
Candy's Room
Racing in the Street
The Promised Land
Factory
Streets of Fire
Prove It All Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town

Open All Night
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Radio Nowhere
The Rising
Thunder Road

Encore:

Seven Nights to Rock (Moon Mullican cover)
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
American Land


Bruce Springsteen Setlist at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden 11th of May

The Promised Land
Out in the Street
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown
Spirit in the Night

Born in the U.S.A. from start to finish

Born in the U.S.A.
Cover Me
Darlington County
Working on the Highway
Downbound Train
I'm on Fire
No Surrender
Bobby Jean
I'm Goin' Down
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
My Hometown

Cadillac Ranch
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Rising
Radio Nowhere
Badlands
Thunder Road

Encore:

Raise Your Hand (Eddie Floyd cover)
Born to Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)

Upcoming Tour Dates:

14 May, 2013, Copenhagen, Denmark, Parken Wrecking Ball Tour
16 May, 2013, Herning, Denmark, Jyske Bank Boxen Wrecking Ball Tour, Sold Out!
23 May, 2013, Naples, Italy, Piazza Plabiscito Wrecking Ball Tour
26 May, 2013, Munich, Germany, Olympiastadion Wrecking Ball Tour
28 May, 2013, Hannover, Germany, AWD Arena Wrecking Ball Tour
31 May, 2013, Padova, Italy, Stadio Euganeo Wrecking Ball Tour
3 Jun, 2013, Milan, Italy, Stadio San Siro Wrecking Ball Tour
15 Jun, 2013, London, England, Wembley Stadium Wrecking Ball Tour
18 Jun, 2013, Glasgow, Scotland, Hampden Park Wrecking Ball Tour
20 Jun, 2013, Coventry, England, Ricoh Arena Wrecking Ball Tour
22 Jun, 2013, Nijmegen, Netherlands, Goffertpark Wrecking Ball Tour
26 Jun, 2013, Gijón, Spain, El Molinón Wrecking Ball Tour
29 Jun, 2013, Paris, France, Stade de France Wrecking Ball Tour
30 Jun, 2013, London, England, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Wrecking Ball Tour
3 Jul, 2013, Geneva, Switzerland, Stade de Genève Wrecking Ball Tour
5 Jul, 2013, Mönchengladbach, Germany, Borussia Park Wrecking Ball Tour
7 Jul, 2013, Leipzig, Germany, Red Bull Arena Wrecking Ball Tour
11 Jul, 2013, Rome, Italy, Rock In Roma Wrecking Ball Tour
13 Jul, 2013, Werchter, Belgium, Rock Werchter Wrecking Ball Tour
16 Jul, 2013, Limerick, Ireland, Thomond Park Wrecking Ball Tour, Sold Out!
18 Jul, 2013, Cork, Ireland, Páirc Uí Chaoimh Wrecking Ball Tour, Sold Out!
20 Jul, 2013, Belfast, Northern Ireland, King's Hall Wrecking Ball Tour, Sold Out!
23 Jul, 2013, Cardiff, Wales, Milennium Stadium Wrecking Ball Tour
24 Jul, 2013, Leeds, UK, Leeds Arena Wrecking Ball Tour, Sold Out!
27 Jul, 2013, Kilkenny, Ireland, Nowlan Park Wrecking Ball Tour, Sold Out!
28 Jul, 2013, Kilkenny, Ireland, Nowlan Park Wrecking Ball Tour, Sold Out!
21 Sep, 2013, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Rock In Rio Wrecking Ball Tour

More info @

Official Bruce Springsteen Web

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