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The River (album)

 

 
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The River is a double album
Double album

A double album is an sound album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold . A double album is typically, though not always, released because the recording is longer than the capacity of the medium....
 by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He has recorded and toured with the E Street Band....
 released in 1980
1980 in music

Events...
.

sources of The River go back into earlier parts of Springsteen's recording career. "Independence Day
Independence Day (Bruce Springsteen song)

"Independence Day" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River ....
", "Point Blank", "The Ties That Bind
The Ties That Bind (song)

"The Ties That Bind" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was the opening song on his fifth album, The River ....
", "Ramrod
Ramrod (song)

"Ramrod" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band for his fifth album, The River , released in 1980. It was recorded at Avatar Studios in New York City in June or July 1979....
", and "Sherry Darling" were leftovers from the previous Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darkness on the Edge of Town

Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1978 ....
 album and had been featured on that 1978 tour
Darkness Tour

Bruce Springsteen's Darkness Tour was a concert tour of North America that ran from May 1978 through the rest of the year, in conjunction with the release of Springsteen's album Darkness on the Edge of Town....
, as had parts of "Drive All Night" as a long interpolation within "Backstreets". "The River
The River (Bruce Springsteen song)

"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 some European countries....
" had premiered at the September 1979 Musicians United for Safe Energy
Musicians United for Safe Energy

Musicians United for Safe Energy, or MUSE, was an activist group 1979 in music by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, and John Hall of Orleans ....
 concerts, gaining a featured spot in the subsequent July 1980 No Nukes
No Nukes (film)

No Nukes is a 1980 in film documentary film and concert film that contained selections from the September 1979 Madison Square Garden concerts by the Musicians United for Safe Energy collective, with Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, and John Hall being the key organizers of the event and guiding forces behind the film....
 documentary film.

Originally, the album was going to be a single set entitled The Ties That Bind and released in late 1979, but Springsteen decided it was "too pop" and added darker material after he'd written "The River".






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Encyclopedia


The River is a double album
Double album

A double album is an sound album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold . A double album is typically, though not always, released because the recording is longer than the capacity of the medium....
 by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He has recorded and toured with the E Street Band....
 released in 1980
1980 in music

Events...
.

History

The sources of The River go back into earlier parts of Springsteen's recording career. "Independence Day
Independence Day (Bruce Springsteen song)

"Independence Day" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River ....
", "Point Blank", "The Ties That Bind
The Ties That Bind (song)

"The Ties That Bind" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was the opening song on his fifth album, The River ....
", "Ramrod
Ramrod (song)

"Ramrod" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band for his fifth album, The River , released in 1980. It was recorded at Avatar Studios in New York City in June or July 1979....
", and "Sherry Darling" were leftovers from the previous Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darkness on the Edge of Town

Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1978 ....
 album and had been featured on that 1978 tour
Darkness Tour

Bruce Springsteen's Darkness Tour was a concert tour of North America that ran from May 1978 through the rest of the year, in conjunction with the release of Springsteen's album Darkness on the Edge of Town....
, as had parts of "Drive All Night" as a long interpolation within "Backstreets". "The River
The River (Bruce Springsteen song)

"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 some European countries....
" had premiered at the September 1979 Musicians United for Safe Energy
Musicians United for Safe Energy

Musicians United for Safe Energy, or MUSE, was an activist group 1979 in music by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, and John Hall of Orleans ....
 concerts, gaining a featured spot in the subsequent July 1980 No Nukes
No Nukes (film)

No Nukes is a 1980 in film documentary film and concert film that contained selections from the September 1979 Madison Square Garden concerts by the Musicians United for Safe Energy collective, with Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, and John Hall being the key organizers of the event and guiding forces behind the film....
 documentary film.

Originally, the album was going to be a single set entitled The Ties That Bind and released in late 1979, but Springsteen decided it was "too pop" and added darker material after he'd written "The River". Indeed, The River became noted for its mix of the frivolous next to the solemn. This was intentional, and in contrast to Darkness, for as Springsteen said during an interview, "Rock and roll has always been this joy, this certain happiness that is in its way the most beautiful thing in life. But rock is also about hardness and coldness and being alone ... I finally got to the place where I realized life had paradoxes, a lot of them, and you've got to live with them."

"Hungry Heart
Hungry Heart

"Hungry Heart" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his fifth album, The River . It was released as the album's first single in 1980 and became Springsteen's first big hit of his own on the Billboard Hot 100 chart....
" was Springsteen's first U.S. pop singles chart
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
 top ten hit single, reaching #5. (Springsteen had not intended the song to be for himself, having initially written it for The Ramones; manager/producer Jon Landau
Jon Landau

Jon Landau is an United States music critic, Talent manager and record producer, most known for his association in all three capacities with Bruce Springsteen....
 convinced Springsteen to keep the song for himself.) The album hit number one on the U.S. pop albums chart
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
, a first for Springsteen, and sold 1.6 million copies in the U.S. between its release and Christmas. Sales faltered when "Fade Away
Fade Away (song)

"Fade Away" is a 1980 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It was contained on his album The River , and the second single released from it in the United States....
" was a disappointing follow-up single, only getting to #20; the decision to make it the second single has often been questioned.

The album was followed by a lengthy tour
The River Tour

The River Tour was a concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in 1980 and 1981, beginning concurrently with the release of Springsteen's album The River ....
 of North American and Western Europe during 1980 and 1981. Several of the album's up-tempo rockers became concert staples for decades to come, including "Cadillac Ranch", "Ramrod", and "Out in the Street" (a song so idealistic that Springsteen almost kept it off the album), as did "Two Hearts" (with sidekick Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt

Steven Van Zandt is an United States musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve....
 acting as the second 'heart').

"Stolen Car
Stolen Car (Bruce Springsteen song)

"Stolen Car" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River ....
" and "Wreck on the Highway", the closing tracks on the original LP's sides three and four, bore unusually quiet, haunted arrangements that presaged much of the musical direction Springsteen would take in the future.

Since its release "The River" has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA in the U.S., making it one of Springsteen's best-selling albums. In 2003, the album was ranked number 250 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J....
 magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003.Related news articles:* The list was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics and industry figures, each of whom submitted a weighted list of 50 albums....
.

"Drive All Night" and "Stolen Car" played a key role in setting the tone of the 1997 film Cop Land
Cop Land

Cop Land is a 1997 in film Cinema of the United States drama film written and directed by James Mangold with an Ensemble cast featuring Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Robert Patrick, Peter Berg, and Michael Rapaport....
.

"Drive All Night" and "Out In The Street" were used in the 2007 film "Reign Over Me", and the album was mentioned multiple times throughout the movie.

Track listing

All songs written by Bruce Springsteen

Side one

  1. "The Ties That Bind
    The Ties That Bind (song)

    "The Ties That Bind" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was the opening song on his fifth album, The River ....
    " – 3:34
  2. "Sherry Darling" – 4:03
  3. "Jackson Cage" – 3:04
  4. "Two Hearts" – 2:45
  5. "Independence Day
    Independence Day (Bruce Springsteen song)

    "Independence Day" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River ....
    " – 4:50


Side two

  1. "Hungry Heart
    Hungry Heart

    "Hungry Heart" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his fifth album, The River . It was released as the album's first single in 1980 and became Springsteen's first big hit of his own on the Billboard Hot 100 chart....
    " – 3:19
  2. "Out in the Street
    Out in the Street

    "Out in the Street" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band from the 1980 album The River . It was recorded at Avatar Studios in New York City between March and May 1980, as one of the last songs recorded for the album....
    " – 4:17
  3. "Crush on You" – 3:10
  4. "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" – 2:37
  5. "I Wanna Marry You" – 3:30
  6. "The River
    The River (Bruce Springsteen song)

    "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 some European countries....
    " – 5:01


Side three

  1. "Point Blank" – 6:06
  2. "Cadillac Ranch" – 3:03
  3. "I'm a Rocker" – 3:36
  4. "Fade Away
    Fade Away (song)

    "Fade Away" is a 1980 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It was contained on his album The River , and the second single released from it in the United States....
    " – 4:46
  5. "Stolen Car
    Stolen Car (Bruce Springsteen song)

    "Stolen Car" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River ....
    " – 3:54


Side four

  1. "Ramrod
    Ramrod (song)

    "Ramrod" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band for his fifth album, The River , released in 1980. It was recorded at Avatar Studios in New York City in June or July 1979....
    " – 4:05
  2. "The Price You Pay" – 5:29
  3. "Drive All Night" – 8:33
  4. "Wreck on the Highway
    Wreck on the Highway

    "Wreck on the Highway" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released as the final track on his fifth album, The River ....
    " – 3:54


Personnel


The E Street Band (in alphabetical order)

  • Roy Bittan
    Roy Bittan

    Roy Bittan is an United States keyboardist, best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, which he joined on August 23, 1974. Bittan, nicknamed "The Professor", plays the piano, organ , accordion and synthesizers....
     – piano
    Piano

    The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
    , organ
    Organ (music)

    The organ is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard played either Manual or Pedal clavier. The organ is one of the oldest musical instruments in the European classical music....
     on "I'm a Rocker" and "Drive All Night", background vocals
  • Clarence Clemons
    Clarence Clemons

    Clarence Clemons nicknamed The Big Man, is an United States musician, best known as the saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band....
     – saxophone
    Saxophone

    The saxophone is a conical-Bore transposing instrument musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a Single-reed instrument mouthpiece similar to the clarinet....
    , percussion
    Percussion instrument

    A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration....
    , background vocals
  • Danny Federici
    Danny Federici

    Daniel Paul "Danny" Federici was an United States musician, most known as the longtime organ , glockenspiel and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band....
     – organ
    Organ (music)

    The organ is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard played either Manual or Pedal clavier. The organ is one of the oldest musical instruments in the European classical music....
    , glockenspiel
    Glockenspiel

    File:Glockenspiel-malletech.jpgFile:GlockenspielSousaphone.jpgThe glockenspiel is a musical instrument in the percussion instrument family....
  • Bruce Springsteen
    Bruce Springsteen

    Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He has recorded and toured with the E Street Band....
     – Vocals
    Singing

    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the human voice, which is often contrasted with regular speech. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist....
    , electric guitar
    Electric guitar

    An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses pickup to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current, which is made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker....
    , harmonica
    Harmonica

    The harmonica is a free reed aerophone wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes....
    , piano
    Piano

    The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
     on "Drive All Night"
  • Garry Tallent
    Garry Tallent

    Garry Tallent , sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an United States musician and record producer, best known for being the longtime bass guitar player in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band....
     – bass guitar
    Bass guitar

    The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
  • Steven Van Zandt
    Steven Van Zandt

    Steven Van Zandt is an United States musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve....
     – acoustic guitar
    Steel-string acoustic guitar

    A steel-string acoustic guitar, is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound....
    , electric guitar
    Electric guitar

    An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses pickup to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current, which is made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker....
    , lead guitar
    Lead guitar

    Lead guitar refers to the use of a guitar to perform melody lines, fill , and guitar solos within a song structure.In rock music, heavy metal music, blues, jazz and fusion bands and some pop music contexts as well as others, the lead guitar lines are usually supported by a second guitarist who plays rhythm guitar, which consists of accompan...
     on "Crush on You", harmony vocals, background vocals
  • Max Weinberg
    Max Weinberg

    Maxwell Sachel Weinberg is an United States drummer and television personality, most widely known as the drummer of the E Street Band since 1974 and as the leader of The Max Weinberg 7, the house band for Late Night with Conan O'Brien as well as the upcoming The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien....
     – drums
    Drum kit

    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....


Additional personnel

  • Howard Kaylan
    Howard Kaylan

    Howard Kaylan is an United States rock and roll musician, best known as a founding member and lead singer of the 1960s band , The Turtles, and "Eddie" of 1970's rock band Flo & Eddie....
    , Mark Volman
    Mark Volman

    Mark Volman is an United States rock and roll singer, best known as a founding member of the 1960s band The Turtles. At times during his career he has used the pseudonym "The Phlorescent Leech" ....
     – background vocals on "Hungry Heart"


Production

  • Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Steve Van Zandt – production
    Record producer

    In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
  • Neil Dorfsman – engineering
  • Bob Clearmountain
    Bob Clearmountain

    Bob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, Production sound mixer and Record producer. He has worked with many prominent names in music including Bruce Springsteen , The Rolling Stones , Bryan Adams , Robbie Williams , Toto , Bon Jovi , Altered State , and many others....
     – mixing
  • Chuck Plotkin
    Chuck Plotkin

    Chuck Plotkin is a recording engineer and Record producer, best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan....
     – mixing
  • Toby Scott – mixing
  • Frank Stefanko
    Frank Stefanko

    Frank Stefanko is a fine art photographer with connections to New Jersey performers Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen 1. Stefanko's recently released photographs, taken in the 1960s through the 80s, shed new light on the early careers of the two musicians....
     – cover art


External links