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1970 Steel Mill quickly gains popularity playing outdoor gigs for up to a few thousand people. Steel Mill take a trip to California were they record a few demos and are offered a record deal, but they surprisingly turn it down. In late January, Bruce breaks up the band after playing one last gig on January 23 at The Upstage Club in Asbury Park. 1971 Bruce experiments with different band formations and names including The Bruce Springsteen Jam, The Togues and Dr.Zoom and The Sonic Boom. The latter band would often have people on stage playing monopoly. 1972 Bruce has formed a band called The Bruce Springsteen Band and they play various gigs in New Jersey and Virginia before breaking up. May 1 Mike Appel introduces Bruce to John Hammond, a Columbia talent scout responsible for signing and discovering Bob Dylan and Bessie Smith amongst others. Bruce plays a short set in Hammond's office who is so impressed that he organizes a proper audition for Bruce for that same night at the Gaslight Club in New York. The audition is a success and Columbia offers Bruce a recording contract. The famous Hammond demos are recorded at the CBS Studios in New York. Two of the songs recorded, featuring Bruce (solo) on guitar and piano, will eventually be released on Tracks. Summer Bruce records his first record called “Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ”. Later Bruce would say the following about the title: “Like the main reason I put Asbury Park on the title of the album was because they were pushing for this big New York thing, this big town. I said, "Wait! You guys are nuts or something! I'm from Asbury Park, New Jersey! Can you dig it? New Jersey!” November 12 The E-Street Band plays its first official show with Bruce. The band consisted of Clarence Clemons, Garry Tallent, Vini Lopez and Danny Federici. David Sancious whom played on the Greetings album, joins the band in the summer of 1973. 1973 January 5 Bruce's debut album, "Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ" is released in the US. Spring Bruce and The E-Street Band tour the East and West Coast in the US in support of Bruce’s first album. In May and June they are the opening act at a few Chicago shows. The large arena crowds don’t give Bruce the response he’d been getting at his own shows and they are very indifferent to his playing. Bruce vows to never play arenas again. Summer Bruce and The E-Street Band record "The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle". November 5 Bruce’s second album, “The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle” is released in the US. Both “The Wild” and “Greetings” aren’t commercial successes, but Bruce does gain critical attention and acclaim. 1974 While on tour in support of “The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle”, Bruce fires Vini Lopez and replaces him with Ernest “Boom” Carter. May 9 Music critic Jon Landau, Bruce’s future manager, attends a show at the Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge, Mass. The show inspires Jon to write an article saying “I saw the future of rock and roll and its name is Bruce Springsteen”. A year later, the quote would be used in an extensive promotional campaign. September 9 Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan join The E-Street Band replacing Ernest Carter and David Sancious on drums and piano respectively. Both Max and Roy were hired after replying to an ad in the Village Voice. Fall Bruce goes on tour and Suki Lahav, a violinist joins the band until March 1975. 1975 March-July Born To Run, the album, gets recorded at the Record Plant in New York. During these sessions, Jon Landau, who has become Bruce’s friend, takes on a bigger role and slowly moves Mike Appel aside as Bruce’s manager. Steve Van Zandt sits in on a few sessions which leads him to join The E-Street Band. July 20 The release of Born To Run is still six week away, but Bruce goes on tour anyway. August 13-17 The famous Bottom Line stand takes place. These are regarded as some of Bruce’s (and The E-Street Band) most important shows of their careers. The shows were attended by many music critics and one of the shows was even broadcasted over the radio. Bruce won many fans with these shows and managed to convince many critics of his music abilities. September 1 Bruce’s third album, “Born To Run” is released. It will be Bruce’s first commercial hit LP with critics applauding his strong lyrics and playing. The LP would go on to make the top 10 and the title track would end up in the Top 40. October 27 Bruce appears simultaneously on the cover of “Time” and “Newsweek” and gets hailed as “the savior of rock ‘n’ roll”. November 18 Bruce and the band start their first ever European tour, playing in 3 different cities. Before the shows in London, Bruce runs through the city tearing down large posters claiming “Finally London is ready for Bruce Springsteen” December 31 The Born To Run Tour ends with one final show on New Years Eve. 1976 “The Chicken Scratch Tour” starts in the spring. The tour is called that way because there seems to be no logic behind the venues played and the tour crosses different states going back and forth between cities, mainly playing small and unlikely places. April 29 After a show, Bruce and Steve take a cab to Elvis’ house. Bruce decides to climb the gates and starts running up to the front gates when he’s stopped by a guard who escorts Bruce back to the gate. July 27 Bruce sues Mike Appel accusing him of fraud, amongst other things. Two days later, Mike Appel files countersuit. The lawsuit would last until the spring of 1977 and prevent Bruce from entering a studio. As Bruce is unable to record any new material, he decides to go back out on the road and spends the rest of 1976 touring. 1977 May Bruce and Mike Appel settle out of court. Bruce now has full control over his music, something which he did not have before the lawsuit. June 1 After being away from a studio for a long time, Bruce enters a studio in NY and starts recording his next album, "Darkness On The Edge Of Town". 1978 May 23 After having finalized the album in March, the Darkness tour begins in Buffalo, NY. The 1978 or “Darkness” tour is often claimed to be one of Bruce’s most legendary. June 6 Bruce's fourth album "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" is released. July Jon Landau is now officially Bruce's manager. August 24 Bruce appears on the cover of Rolling Stone for the first of many times. 1979 December 31 The Darkness tour comes to an end on New Years Eve with his up to then longest show. At one point during the show a fan threw a firecracker on stage hitting Bruce just below the eye. Despite his injury and nearly getting blinded, Bruce carried on with the show. April 3 Bruce and The E-Street Band are back in the studio to record what would become his next album, "The River". July Jon Landau, officially, becomes Bruce's manager. September 22-23 Bruce and the band join artists like Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Tom Petty for two “No-Nukes” shows at the Madison Square Garden in NY. Bruce performs two 90 minute sets both nights and the song “The River” sees its debut. On the second night, Bruce celebrated his 30th birthday. At one point he spotted his ex girlfriend, Lynn Goldsmith in the crowd and dragged her onto the stage humiliating her by telling the crowd how she’s his ex girlfriend. According to Bruce Lynn had violated an agreement they both had about her taking pictures of him (she came too close to the stage) Bruce also threw a birthday cake into the crowd. Part of Bruce’s performance would end up in the No Nukes movie and on the album. Fall "The River" sessions are still going on. Bruce nearly releases an album titled “The Ties That Bind” but at the last minute decides to keep recording new songs. |