On this day in music history: August 25, 1975 - Born To Run, the third album by Bruce Springsteen is released. Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Mike Appel, and Jon Landau, it is recorded at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, NY, and The Record Plant in New York City from January 1974 - July 1975. After the poor initial sales of his first two albums Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ and The Wild, The Innocent, And The E Street Shuffle, the critical third album will be Springsteens last shot to prove his commercial viability or be dropped by his label Columbia Records. Springsteen and his band will spend over fourteen months in the studio laboring over the album until he feels it is perfect. Even upon completion of the album, Springsteen will still be unsure and nervous about its chances in the commercial marketplace. His doubts will be quelled after he leaks an early version of the title track to rock radio. The positive response it receives will stoke demand for the album among the musicians loyal fanbase, and will finally attract the attention of radio. Upon its release, Born To Run will be a commercial and artistic triumph for the New Jersey born rocker, spinning off two singles including the title track (#23 Pop), with several other songs on the the album (Thunder Road, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, Backstreets, Shes The One) becoming rock radio staples, and highlights of Springsteens epic live concert performances. The albums iconic cover photo (taken by photographer Eric Meola), features Bruce holding his trademark 53 Fender Esquire while leaning on saxophonist Clarence Clemons shoulder. The picture is taken during a three hour long photo shoot, and is selected out of 900 frames shot by the photographer. The cover will become most of the most imitated and parodied images in rock history. In 2005, the album will be reissued as a three disc box set to commemorate its 30th anniversary. It will include a remastered version of the original album and two DVDs. The first being an extensive documentary about the making of the landmark album titled Wings For Wheels, which will win a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video in 2007. The third disc is a complete and previously unreleased live concert filmed at the Hammersmith Odeon in London in November of 1975, and additional footage from a show filmed at Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles in May of 1973. Born To Run will peak at number three on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified 6x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 22:00:13 +0000
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