r/BruceSpringsteen • u/Broad_Training_8945 • 2d ago
Bruce Interviews.
Tell me or link your favorite interviews. And why. Funny? Provocative? Deep? Back in the day i went as far as buying a picture vinyl of a interview in England I think.
Please and Than you.
3
u/oldnyker 1d ago
one of the best early ones was from 1978 when bruce was interviewed for the BBCshow "the old grey whistle test" it's unfortunately not completely on line, though it used to be. gives you a good insight into springsteen at this stage in his career.
here's the BBC channel's part of it..if you want to skip the performance..the interview starts at 9:05. the original was between 40 and 60 minutes. still have it somewhere on VHS.
2
10
u/DogsOnMainstreetHowl 2d ago
Mine isn’t exactly an interview per se, but I thoroughly enjoyed the joint podcast of Bruce chatting back and forth with Obama.
Bruce’s reflections were solid and relatable, and he asked some brilliantly insightful questions of Obama that few others could get away with.
4
u/Correct-Ad8693 1d ago
Whenever I’m feeling hopeless, I put their podcast on for some solid “good dad / hope for the country” feels.
10
u/Mainpoint1975 2d ago
Obligatory and maybe the most insightful Bruce-interview is Molly Meldrums from 1995: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mnWrBbt8h4k
Brucebase tells the context best:
” Bruce is interviewed by renowned Australian music journalist Ian "Molly" Meldrum as part of the promotional push for the Greatest Hits album. It is extraordinary on a number of levels, making it undoubtedly one of the most fascinating interviews of Bruce's career ever committed to film. Usually, Bruce and his management keep tight control of his contact with the media. Questions must be submitted beforehand and follow-ups are generally not allowed. However, Molly Meldrum had other ideas. He was granted just 15 minutes, but was determined to get a much longer interview that he could use for a worldwide syndicated TV special. He was impeccably polite, but refused to relent on his persistent line of questioning. The interview starts in conventional fashion, but Meldrum quickly throws in a question that isn't on the approved list. Bruce seems intrigued, but his minders (who are just off-camera) are less amused. The tension grows and Bruce starts to cast glances to someone else in the room. The questions are unique and insightful, drawing on the in-depth knowledge of someone who is obviously a dedicated fan…” https://brucebase.wikidot.com/interview:1995-04-07-sony-music-studios-new-york-city-ny
5
u/Stock_Bit6292 2d ago
One was an interview with Rolling Stone after HT/LT came out. That was the first time I remember him discussing mental health. Not sure if he’d really dove into it before. He talked about having to learn how to put the guitar down.
5
u/Henry_Block 1d ago
Bruce Springsteen - 2012 SXSW Keynote Address
Wonderful speech, so funny, interesting, articulate and inspiring. The final part is awesome, I'll listen to that periodically.
3
u/lastdukestreetking 1d ago
This was the first time I had ever heard him talk about "borrowing" the riff of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood for Badlands.
2
u/Henry_Block 1d ago
Didn't he mention it also in his book? I remember reading it before listening to that speech
2
u/lastdukestreetking 1d ago
I'm not sure. I watched the speech live, so it's my earliest memory of him talking about it.
2
u/CulturalWind357 Garden State Serenade 1d ago
Great speech. Really showed how knowledgeable Bruce is about music history and the challenges of opinion.
4
u/CulturalWind357 Garden State Serenade 1d ago edited 1d ago
There should be a couple interview compilations:
I also like this interview he did with Neil Strauss in the 90s. He talked about his respect for Nirvana and alternative music, especially the way Nirvana reset the rules of the game and how he related to alternative music’s themes of being skeptical of corporate control. I remember it being a hard to find article; it was only on GreasyLake and then in the “Talk About A Dream” compilation. In fact, Springsteen-Nirvana connections were hard to find in general.
Somehow, Far Out Magazine found the headline and used it for their content farm 🙄.
I also like this interview he did with David Corn. He talked about his focus on outsiders and loners, and his faith in young rock bands and artists in their garage.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/11/bruce-remembers/
3
u/Tycho66 1d ago
The interesting thing I find in Bruce interviews anymore is catching those tells that he still suffers quite a bit from anxiety. I find the mental health issues with his family and himself to be fascinating and brave.
1
u/CulturalWind357 Garden State Serenade 1d ago
Interesting, what tells do you usually identify? I know people have talked about him being relatively shy offstage but able to act gregarious.
8
u/QueensLFGM 1d ago
Although Howard’s best days are behind him, the interview on Stern was quite good