The S4L Interview: Mike Aquilina

To follow on from the big post about Dion I thought it would be really good to get a perspective on the songwriting of Mr DiMucci and there's probably no one better to ask about that than Mike Aquilina, who just happens to be the Co-writer of many of Dion's songs since 2011. I'm grateful to Mike for taking some time out of his day to do this interview. There's some links throughout the interview that will lead you to some music, click on them to enjoy the sound of Dion.

S4L: I've been browsing your website and biography on Wikipedia and even from a casual glance the title Songwriter doesn't really stand out. So before we get to that c'mon, and don't be shy, and let us know what your daily profession is.

Mike: I'm a freelance writer, and that's what I've been doing since 1996. Before that, going back to 1983, I had writing jobs in newspapers, tech, advertising, marketing. As a freelancer I've taken on all sorts of work, from ad copy to television scripts. But it's all writing. Songwriting is writing.

S4L: You have written a lot of books and it's quite interesting gazing through the list on Amazon because there in the middle of all these books on various aspects of Catholic History is Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth (stories, humor & music)! Are people surprised that you have written a book with one of Rock 'n Roll's great legends?

Mike: They are! I often boast that I'm the only guy in Catholic media who's had Lou Reed write a foreword to one of my books. 

I'm known to my friends as a rather extreme nerd, so I often play up the incongruity for comic effect.

Even Dion makes fun of me for it. He calls me "Clark Kent," because I can disappear into a phone booth and come out with a song sung from the perspective of a man having an alcoholic blackout.

S4L: I'm interested how and when you first met Dion? Was it when you teamed up to write the book? Were you aware of who he was and his place in the history of Rock 'n Roll music or was it at first "just another job"?

Mike: I met Dion years before the book, closer to the turn of the century. We were both on a religious pilgrimage in Italy, visiting the tombs of Peter and Paul, the sites associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and eating a lot of pasta and gelato together. We hit it off and stayed in touch after we got back home. We have many common interests — the Bible, early Church history, rock and roll music, Italian food, and the meaning of life.

Dion is an early-morning walker, and when he walks he thinks, and often when he thinks he wants to talk. So we spent a lot of time on the phone, and we got to know each other very well. He also lives pretty close to my brother, so I was able to visit him when I was in town.

When he was asked to write a memoir, he got me to collaborate. That was around 2011. I was thrilled to do it. It was certainly different from anything else I'd done. And by then I considered him one of my closest friends. He's like a brother to me. In fact, he's like a brother to my siblings. By now they probably prefer him to me.

S4L: A question I'm sure the readers of this blog will find fascinating is how a Catholic Hiistorian, author, speaker, journalist ends up becoming a Co-songwriter for Dion DiMucci? Did you tell him that you were into writing poetry and songwriting? Did you just turn up on his doorstep one day and say, "Hey Dion, I've written a couple of songs that you might want to record"? I know that might sound daft but I'm genuinely interested how the whole thing came about.

Mike: Dion had been writing for decades with Bill Tuohy, but Bill's health was failing. So Dion made the decision to stop doing original music and just do covers and tributes.

One day, though, on a whim, he called and left a message on my answering machine. He recited a line and then repeated it, and then said: "I want to sing that line in a song, and you're gonna write that song." And he hung up.

I saw what he was doing. He was daring me to write a song. It's Italian-American machismo. I had to prove myself.

By then I'd done a lot of writing with him — his book and some other small things. I guess he saw potential in all that.

S4L: Do you recall the first song you co-wrote with Dion, was it one that ended up on the 'Tank Full of Blues' album, which I think was the first time your name pops up on the songwriting credits on any of his albums?

Mike: It was "I Read It in the Rolling Stone," which was our first single from TANK FULL OF BLUES. The title was the line he had recited into my answering machine.

It worked out well. Rolling Stone magazine took notice. We didn't make it to the proverbial cover, but we were featured on page 3. I couldn't buy five copies for my sainted mother because the other thing on page 3 was a nice young woman who was wearing nothing but her tattoos and a gigantic snake.

Jann Wenner sent Dion an email saying that our tune was now his favorite song that namedrops his magazine. So I guess that puts us ahead of Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, and the Rolling Stones on at least one chart.

S4L: I have known and know quite a number of songwriters who also write with other folks who are usually in the music business and so forgive me for sounding a bit basic here, how does the whole thing of co-writing a song happen when one of the writers is not a full time musician? Can you pick a song from the many you have co-written with Dion and give us an insight into how it came together? Does it happen the same way every time or is each song unique in its creation?

Mike: I think of our songs as an expression of our friendship. We've known each other a long time. I know his life, I know his memories and experiences. I know his concerns for the future. Songwriting has become just another avenue we take in our conversations.

But there's no one-and-only way we write. There's no process. Sometimes we start with a line of lyric, as we did in "Rolling Stone." Sometimes we start with a melody. Sometimes one of us will come up with a melody and lyric that are almost finished, and we'll just touch it up together. We tend to work fast. We like to ride the momentum of that first creative moment. And I have to admit the initial impulse is usually Dion's. His creative energy is astonishing. 

S4L: You have co-written with Dion now on five albums, is there a level of trust that goes into writing with someone, like you know how he might be thinking or feeling about the subject of the song and so you don't, for want of a better phrase, "cross any lines"? Does he challenge you to write better?

Mike: Absolutely. The fields where I do most of my work are history and theology. I've published poems that are in my voice, and sometimes I wax cerebral. If I'm writing a song and I slip into that kind of talk, Dion's standard response is: "We don't say that in the Bronx."

Listen, I love writing songs with him, but he's the one who's going to sing the song, and it has to be in his voice. By that I mean his literary voice, his performer's persona — the guy who sings "The Wanderer" and "Runaround Sue." I'm not there to indulge my own inclinations. But, really, I love those constraints, and I love Dion, and I love the on-stage character he inhabits.

It helps that our friendship predates our professional relationship by many years. I can anticipate his reactions while I'm writing a song. If I type the word "erstwhile" or "albeit," I know immediately I should back up.

S4L: Now, this is a part you might struggle to answer (or maybe not if you are extremely confident), can you name five songs that you have co-written with Dion that you think are your finest?

Mike: I tried. I can't. I'll give you nine, in no particular order:

I'm Your Gangster Of Love
Can't Go Back To Memphis
New York Is My Home
Blues Comin' On
Can’t Start Over Again
Song For Sam Cooke (Here In America)
There Was A Time
Angel In The Alleyways
An American Hero

S4L: A thing a like to do with everyone who I interview on Soundtrack4Life is to ask my guests to name a number of songs or albums that you would say are part of your very own Soundtrack4Life?

Mike: Dion's "The Night Stood Still," from his 1989 album YO FRANKIE!, still captures the feelings of love I have for my wife of thirty-nine years. It also happens to be my wife's favorite Dion song.

John Michael Talbot's music is a big part of the soundtrack to my spiritual life. I cannot hear or sing "Holy Is His Name" without weeping. Recently I led the retreat at John's monastery, and he'd walk into my conferences with his guitar, and I just knew I'd be a puddle before the hour had passed.

I appreciate you giving your time to doing this Mike, many thanks and as you will have noticed I borrowed a few of your pictures from your FB page. Hope that's okay?

 

Dion DiMucci - The King of the New York Streets Into The 21st Century

I hadn't intended that this would be a big post spotlighting the whole career of Dion but that's how it turned out. I've spent the last three days listening to every album by Dion and The Belmonts and then Dion's Solo albums through all phases of his almost seven decade career. I got a bit overly excited as I listened and thought why not share this music because there's bound to be folk out there who have never heard of Dion DiMucci (I'm being realistic when I say that) and I can't think of a better way to rectify that than by sharing as much of the music as I can. I grew up listening to him and there's rarely been a moment in my life that his music has not been there.

 

Before getting to the 21st Century a brief musical history of Dion DiMucci in the 20th Century is worth mentioning seeing that he has enjoyed a long career in music dating back to 1957 and he's released albums and singles in pretty much every decade since (40 albums and numerous singles). There's lots of links to the music so click on them to enjoy. Pretty much every album released has a link so there's a lot of music to get through. Hope you enjoy it.

Dion DiMucci released his first ever record way back in 1957 ("The Chosen Few" credited to Dion and The Timberlanes) and within a short space of time he recruited some friends who became The Belmonts (named after their neighbourhood, Belmont in the Bronx). Two singles were released on the Mohawk label ("Santa Margarita" and "Tag Along") but never troubled the charts. The breakthrough came in 1958 when "I Wonder Why", released on Laurie Records, charted at #22, followed by "No One Knows" (#19) and "Don't Pity Me" (#40). Other hits would follow like "Teenager In Love" (1959 #5) and "Where or When" (1960 #3). 

1959 saw the release of their debut album 'Presenting Dion and The Belmonts'. Other Dion and The Belmonts albums were 'Wish Upon A Star' (1960), 'Together Again' (1967) and 'Reunion - Live at Madison Square Garden 1972' (1973)

By 1960 Dion had gone solo and began consistently to have a chart presence for a few years (though not all were Top 40). A wee glimpse at some of those will give you a wee taster: "Lonely Teenager" (1960 #12), "Runaround Sue" (1961 #1), "The Wanderer" (1961 #2), "The Majestic" (1961 #36), "Lovers Who Wander" (1962 #3), "(I Was) Born To Cry" (1962 #42), "Little Diane" (1962 #8), "Love Came To Me" (1962 #10), "Ruby Baby" (1962 #2), "Donna The Prima Donna" (1963 #6), "Drip Drop" (1962 #6). After 1964 he wouldn't grace the singles charts again until 1968 when he released "Abraham, Martin and John" (#4), a song that became a hit for Smokey Robinson and The Miracles and probably the most well known version by Marvin Gaye.

 Dion's 1960's albums include the Solo Debut 'Runaround Sue' (1961), 'Alone With Dion' (1961), 'Lovers Who Wander' (1962), 'Dion Sings To Sandy' (1963), 'Ruby Baby' (1963), 'Donna The Prima Donna' (1963), 'Love Came To Me' (1963), 'Dion' (1968) and 'Wonder Where I'm Bound' (1969).

 In the 1970s Dion would release albums that were a bit more contemplative: Sit Down Old Friend (1970), You're Not Alone (1971), Sanctuary (1971), Born To With You (1975), Streetheart  (1976), and Return Of The Wanderer (1978). Out of these 'Born To Be With You' is one of standouts. It was produced by Phil Spector and although it was shelved until 1975 and sort of disowned by Dion, it has been cited as an an influential album by Bobby Gillesepie of Primal Scream and others. 

From 1980 through to 1986 Dion recorded six Gospel Orientated albums: Inside Job (1980), Only Jesus (1981), I Put Away My Idols (1983), Seasons (1984), Kingdom in the Streets (1985) and Velvet & Steel (1986). 

By 1989 he was back in the Rock 'n' Roll world celebrating his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and one of his best albums in years, Yo Frankie (1989). It was produced by Dave Edmunds and featured the likes of Edmunds on guitar, Bryan Adams, k.d. lang, Lou Reed, Paul Simon and Patty Smyth. Of all Dion's releases Yo Frankie is one of my most favourite ones. 

Three more albums followed in the nineties, a previously unreleased Fire In The Night (which was originally due for release in 1979 but shelved until 1990 and issued by ACE), the exceptional Dream on Fire (1992) which kicks off with an amazing Doo Wop version of Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind" (a lot of folks have covered Springsteen over the years and I view this as one the best covers out of all of them!) and Rock 'n Roll Christmas (1993), which I'm not keen on...but I don't like a lot of Christmas albums anyway.

Now we reach the 21st Century. Fourteen albums have been released over the course of 24 years, a few of which are older recordings but I'm including them in this section as well. Dion was heading towards his 61st birthday as the year 2000 rolled around and this year he will turn 85 in July. He's making some of the best music of his life, as I hope you will see and hear when we get up to date. There are links for every album so click on them to enjoy the music.

Déjà Nu
Collectables (US)/Ace (UK)
2000

 "Déjà Nu has eleven songs which could be right out of the late fifties or early sixties, Dion has intentionally kept the production technique to a bare minimum to capture the original spirit of the songs that made him famous like Runaround Sue or The Wanderer... yes it's a modern recording, and yes he uses modern equipment but he has a feel for the "oldies sound" without using the "remember the old days" lyrics and sentiments you hear so often from his contemporaries. It oozes class and that's something you always get from a Dion album - CLASS!" - Gordon Watson for Doo Wop Magazine

New Masters
Collectables
2003

 Dion and his music represent a special time and place... a moment when a song could mean so much and a singer could sum up what it means to be young, in love and on top of the world. Today, Dion's songs grow more important and valuable to his fans, himself and to a whole new generation of believers. 'New Masters' contains all-new versions of Dion's classic hits, a few tributes to other pioneers of rock's first generation, and some brand new songs including a beautiful ballad Dion composed for his wife ("Behind Susan's Eyes") and a stunning response to the terrorist attacks of September 11th ("Come Heal This Land").

 

 "Among the parade of great talent from the dawn of the rock era, Dion alone has remained a creative force, a street poet giving voice to all that makes our hearts light and sets our spirits free." - David Scott

Dion and Friends Live New York City
Collectables
2005

 Recorded in 1987 but only released in 2005. 

The encore on this one is"Runaround Sue," which includes a host of special guests including Paul Shaffer, Little Steven, Felix Cavaliere, and Darlene Love.

Bronx In Blue
Razor & Tie/Dimensional Recordings
2006 

As doo-wop giant Dion points out in the liner notes to Bronx in Blue, there was no rock & roll back when he was growing up in New York, and so it was the Southern sounds of the blues and country coming over the radio that set him off on his brilliant musical career. On Bronx, the former Belmonts frontman delivers deeply felt, stripped-down takes on some of his favorite songs from the likes of Robert Johnson ("Walkin' Blues," "Travelin' Riverside Blues" and "Crossroads"), Jimmy Reed ("Baby, What You Want Me to Do") and Howlin' Wolf ("How Many More Years"). Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and a little percussion, Dion delivers stunning versions of Hank Williams' "Honky Tonk Blues" and Jimmie Rodgers' "You're the One." - David Wild for Rolling Stone

Son of Skip James
Verve Forecast
6th November 2007

 The album "does not fall short when it comes to ass-kicking" - Tony Sclafani of PopMatters

Heroes: Giants Of Early Guitar Rock
Saguaro Road Records
2008

 On the album Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock, Dion shares some of the songs of his own Heroes - Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Ritchie Valens, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Johnny Cash, the Everly Brothers and more. All the artists represented are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Bronx Blues: The Columbia Recordings (1962-1965)
Columbia
1991/2010 Reissue

"Rock ‘n’ roll started as rebellious music. It had an attitude, and in that attitude was a lot of stuff: anger, frustration, joy and that whole sense of really shakin’ things up.
When it first exploded, it happened in a whole lot of different places at once. In Lubbock, Tex., it was Buddy Holly. In the San Fernando Valley, it was Ritchie Valens. And the brand of it that I made comes from where I come from. That’s why they call it the Bronx blues." - Dion

Tank Full of Blues
Blue Horizon
2011

 "Tank Full of Blues is a stunning musical statement delivered by an artist who has lived and breathed the blues for decades... Throughout Tank Full of Blues, Dion’s powerful vocals are matched by his fierce, unbridled guitarplay and an uncanny songwriting sense. Those who dismiss Dion as yesterday’s news display their own ignorance, as Tank Full of Blues is one of the most soulful blues albums that you’ll hear this year…or any other." - Blues Review

Recorded Live At The Bitter End, August 1971
Omnivore Recordings (US)/Ace (UK)
2015

"There’s a boldness and confidence on these voice-and-guitar performances (well-mastered by Duncan Cowell for crisp sound throughout), as well as an innate gentility and searching quality that makes Dion’s connection with the audience palpable...With seventeen tracks touching on folk, blues, rock and roll, and pop from a national treasure of American music, Dion: Recorded Live at the Bitter End, August 1971 is one of the year’s happiest vault finds." - Joe Marchese for The Second Disc April 9th 2015

New York Is My Home
Instant Records
12th February 2016

 "All hail Dion, the real link between Frank Sinatra and rock 'n' roll." - Bruce Springsteen

"Dion comes from a time when so-so singers couldn't cut it - they either never got heard or got exposed quick and got out of the way. To have it, you really had to have it, no smoke and mirrors then - not a minute to spare - rough and ready - glorious and grand - grieving with heartache and feeling too much but still with the always "better not try it" attitude." - Bob Dylan 

Kickin' Child (The Lost Album 1965)
Norton Records
2017

 "Sonically, these remasters are full of life and a youthful, vibrant crispness that make you wonder why it took 50 years for the bulk of them to make an appearance. The version of Dylan’s It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (also recorded in 1965) is stunning and shimmering. And even if the title track is a little too Dylan sounding, Dion has every right to recreate a style he was reportedly at the crossroads of inspiring." - Hal Horowitz for American Songwriter

 Blues With Friends
Keeping The Blues Alive Records
5th June 2020

"Coming off my last album I was productive, and I ended up with a great batch of songs. I ran one by Joe Bonamassa, who said right away he wanted to play on it. And that’s how this album came about. Joe inspired me to invite others. I had songs that were strong and told good stories.
I wanted the best musicians alive like Jeff Beck, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Van Morrison and more to take them in unexpected directions. Wayne Hood, my producer, brought out the best of them. We have amazing songs and great guitars" – Dion 

1 Blues Comin' On - With Joe Bonamassa
2 Kickin' Child - With Joe Menza
3 Uptown Number 7 - With Brian Setzer
4 Can't Start Over Again -With Jeff Beck
5 My Baby Loves To Boogie - With John Hammond
6 I Got Nothin' - With Van Morrison & Joe Louis Walker
7 Stumbling Blues - With Jimmy* And Jerry Vivino
8 Bam Bang Boom - With Billy Gibbons
9 I Got The Cure - With Sonny Landreth
10 Song For Sam Cooke (Here In America) - With Paul Simon
11 What If I Told You - With Samantha Fish
12 Told You Once In August - With John Hammond* & Rory Block
13 Way Down (I Won't Cry No More) - With Stevie Van Zandt
14 Hymn To Him - With Patti Scialfa & Bruce Springsteen 

Stomping Ground
Keeping The Blues Alive Records
5th November 2021

"Many collaborative albums fall into the trap of fighting tooth and nail to find marketable gimmickry that might appeal to the masses, or bring an older artist back into the spotlight. On Stomping Ground it feels like the goal is to create some classic, high-quality tunes for the sake of the music itself. It might not be the most original of concepts, but it is one of the best examples of serious musicians coming together to make an album whose varied strengths reveal themselves with each subsequent listening."- Willie Witten for Blues Rock Review

1 Take It Back - With Joe Bonamassa
2 Hey Diddle Diddle - With G.E. Smith
3 Dancing Girl - With Mark Knopfler
4 If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll - With Eric Clapton
5 There Was A time - With Peter Frampton
6 Cryin' Shame - With Sonny Landreth
7 The Night Is Young - With Joe Menza & Wayne Hood
8 That's What The Doctor Said - With Steve Conn
9 My Stomping Ground - With Billy F Gibbons
10 Angel In The Alleyways - With Patti Scialfa & Bruce Springsteen
11 I've Got To Get To You - With Boz Scaggs, Joe Menza & Mike Menza
12 Red House - With Keb' Mo'
13 I Got My Eyes On You Baby - With Marcia Ball & Jimmy Vivino
14 I've Been Watching - With Rickie Lee Jones & Wayne Hood

Girl Friends
Keeping The Blues Alive Records
8th March 2024

Legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dion delivers a new album that transcends generations: Girl Friends. His latest from KTBA Records sees him collaborating with a stellar lineup of female artists including the soulful Susan Tedeschi, powerhouse Shemekia Copeland, icon Carlene Carter, virtuoso Joanne Shaw Taylor, and the versatile Maggie Rose, among others. Dion's timeless voice, and the distinct styles of these acclaimed artists, create a fusion celebrating the rich tapestry of American music.

1 Soul Force - Featuring Susan Tedeschi
2 I Aim To Please - Featuring Danielle Nicole
3 Stop Drop And Roll - Featuring Valerie Tyson
4 Do Ladies Get The Blues - Featuring Christine Ohlman & Debbie Davies
5 An American Hero - Featuring Carlene Carter
6 Don't You Want A Man Like Me - Featuring Rory Block
7 Sugar Daddy - Featuring Christine Ohlman
8 Endless Highway - Featuring Randy Fishenfeld
9 I Got Wise - Featuring Maggie Rose
10 Hey Suzy - Featuring  Sue Foley
11 Mama Said - Featuring Shemekia Copeland
12 Just Like That - Featuring Joanne Shaw Taylor

 

Between the 'Tank Full of Blues ' album and 'Girl Friends' Dion had a new Co-writer by his side, Mike Aquilina. The next post here on Soundtrack4Life I'll be interviewing Mike Aquilina about his role as a Co-writer with Dion. Be prepared to be a little surprised by Mike because songwriting is not his sole profession.

December - The S4L Interview

I have been wanting to try and get an interview with Glasgow based band December for ages but for one reason or another I never followed through with it. With the relaunching of the blog after a hiatus, one of my first thoughts was to contact December and see if they would be interested in doing an interview for Soundtrack4Life.  I am so grateful to them for taking some time out of their busy schedule and spending it answering some questions about their life as a band, their influences, the songwriting process they have and more besides.

Before we get underway let me introduce you to the band:

Scott: guitars
Ails: vocals
Paul: guitars and harmonica
Graeme: drums

All the links as to where December can be found on Social Media (Click Here).

 

S4L: How long have you been together as a band? Any tales about your first live performances good or bad that have stuck with you? 

 

Ails: So we’ve been in a version of this band since 1993. We’ve been in an out of record deals along the way and now run things independently. We’ve spent half our lives touring the UK. 

Our highlights have come more recently when we played the U240 (click to see full set) event in Dublin in 2016. That was a fan organised celebration of U2’s 40th birthday and it led to a whole series of opportunities for us and to gigs in Brazil and Japan amongst others.  

Lowlights have been many as it can be hard going in the music industry. A major low was when our new manager (who had signed us to his record company just a month before) couldn’t afford his own hotel room in London and pretended to be drunk pulling out a blockbuster video card to pay; needless to say we stepped in and covered his room but we parted company soon after!

 

S4L: Did you set out as a band to do a lot of cover versions or had you always, once you felt were capable that you would begin writing your own material? Or was it the other way around that you wanted to write your own songs but somehow you got gripped by interpreting other people's songs in your own unique way and your own stuff was put on the back burner?

 

Scott: We used to hate covers and we were suspicious of anyone who dared to cover U2 in particular. We kind of fell into it in 2017 when someone suggested to cover a U2 track. 

We are primarily songwriters and an original material band. 4 albums of original material in the last 8 years isn’t too bad! But people buy into our covers more than they do the originals and we decided to lean into that a bit. Covers have allowed us to be very productive through our sponsored songs initiative and it is an amazing thing to cover the bands we admire.

I Will Not Run

1st September 2023

Digital Release

Listen To The Album Here

 

S4L: I really love your latest album (see above), which is mostly your own songs, and I'm fascinated by how you wrote many of the songs. I don't know a lot bands that would sit and listen to a lifestory from a fan and then go and write a song about it. Can you maybe share one of those stories that is close to your heart and how the song came into being?

Scott: There’s a song called I See You In Valour on our album that is Christopher’s story. Christopher, (pictured above) was born with a serious condition that means he will always be in a wheelchair and he faces challenges every day that most of us would really struggle with. We see him every day showing courage in the hardest of times. We’ve never seen him in a bad mood or unkind even though he must have low moments. The song pictures him as a soldier and the imagery was chosen deliberately with that in mind.

 

S4L: We seem to have an affection for similar artists (U2, The Alarm, Big Country, JAMC and Springsteen) and I'm always struck by your choices of cover songs. With your U2 covers for instance, you haven't always gone for the big hit U2 song but the B-side or an album track. Has that been intentional on your part? I quite enjoyed your latest one,"Rejoice" and "Exit", which is a favourite U2 track of mine.

Paul: To be honest we’ve really just gone for songs we like. We like the hits too but there is something more interesting in bringing something new to a lesser known album track. We are particularly into U2’s October and The Unforgettable Fire albums and when you add it up we have covered quite a lot of the songs from these works.  

S4L: One of the first videos I saw of yours was "In A Big Country" and found myself stunned by the sheer beauty of it. I have to say that in the videos that followed I've always been impressed by the imagery you use. Are you all involved in that creative process or is there just one of you who is "the gifted one" when it comes to that side of things? I also noted that you don't appear a lot in your videos, Are you an "International Band of Mystery" that prefers the music do the talking?

Scott: I guess I take the lead on the visuals and we are lucky to have some amazing visual artists who work with us: BK Garceau in Los Angeles, David Barry formerly of Hawaii now in Las Vegas and Johnny Vanderlyle of Hamilton, Scotland. They each bring a unique sensibility to the videos and we trust them completely. So it is easy to let go of a bit of control and to see what they come up with.  As to your second question, a couple of things: first we’ve never been that comfortable with seeing ourselves in video, also sometimes we think it’s a more creative choice to leave the band out. There are a few videos out there with us playing or making cameo appearances but it’s a fair observation that we tend to avoid it where possible!
 

S4L: I watched a couple of live sets that you have on your YouTube channel and they were pretty cool seeing you in action. I know you do a lot of studio work as a band so is it a thrill to get out and play live? I believe you were recently playing in Las Vegas, how did that go? I'm guessing you took time to see U2 at their residency while you were there?

Ails: It’s great to play live for sure. The songs always take on a different dimension when you play them in public. We tend to be more studio based and a bit more choosy about gigs these days and we only do the ones that we think we will be really enjoyable and add to our experience.

(December at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas - photo from their FB page) 

Ails: Vegas was awesome. We played a very loud Irish bar courtesy of a very generous band called The Black Donnellys who allowed us to support them and then the next day in the Hard Rock where our gig was streamed onto the Las Vegas strip outside - it was unreal. And yes we caught the U2 show. It was ok...No it was amazing, like nothing anyone has seen before! Bono said they’d bring a cathedral to the desert and that’s exactly what they did. We love them for their ambition, their music and their heart.

S4L: Is there any artist that you would really love to cover in the future but are maybe a bit warying of doing so for one reason or another? 

Ails: Maria McKee/Lone Justice or Sinead O’Connor. They’re almost impossible to do justice to because of how good they are vocally.

S4L: If I were to ask you what your three favourite December Originals or Cover Songs were, what would they be?
Scott: Ok I think the band would probably agree with this but let’s see:

Originals:
Alison Stewart
Mike Scott
God is not a man 

Covers:
In a Big Country - Big Country
A Sort of Homecoming - U2
The First Time (Ails favourite of our U2 covers)

S4L: Between you as a band could you come up with a 10 song playlist that would perfectly describe your own Soundtrack4Life?

Scott:

U2
Bad
With or Without You
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
A Sort of Homecoming  

Bruce Springsteen
Stolen Car
No Surrender
Born To Run
The Silencers - Walk With The Night
Lone Justice - Shelter 

The Big Dish - Life

***********

A huge thank you to December for doing this. To finish up here's just a few other links for Tracks/Videos by the band that are worth checking out:

Originals:

 Danielle

North Wales

Apostles and Prophets

I Was The Lion

George Jones (with JJ Gilmour)

Battle For Your Sacred Heart

 Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish

Covers:

When I Look At The World  (U2)

Tougher Than The Rest (Bruce Springsteen)

Belfast (Energy Orchard)

Maggie (BA Robertson)

God Part II (U2) 

 

Bruce Springsteen - The Compilations

With Sony just announcing this week a "new" 'Best of Bruce Springsteen' album and it not being so warmly received by a number of Bruce fans (almost every Springsteen group I am a part of on Facebook there were many expressing their displeasure about the news). A lot of the Music Media announced that Springsteen himself was the source of the news, whereas on Springsteen's own website the announcement was credited to Sony. Remember that on December 16, 2021, Springsteen sold the masters of his entire catalog and the coinciding music publishing rights to Sony Music for $500 million. So, my take on the release of this new compilation is Sony wanting to claw back some of the money spent and maybe too much breath is being wasted on calling out Springsteen himself as the instigator of "a cash grab"!  I guess as well with the 2024 Tour being underway by the time this album is released it's another revenue stream while they await the second volume of 'Only The Strong Survive' or a 'Tracks 2' or even the much spoken about 'Born In The U.S.A.' boxset.

What I'll try and do in this post is look at the Compilations that have been released including the first 'Greatest Hits' album back in 1995. Although the 'Tracks' set and '18 Tracks' are considered "compilations" they are not really considered as a 'Best of'. I will include 'Chapter and Verse' (2016) because I think it sort of does fit the mould of a 'Best of'. We will do it in reverse order of release and along the way point out the benefits or even the poor points of a particular compilation (hopefully not too much negativity).

I will also try and add as many links as possible without too much repetition. Click on them to listen to the Music.

Best of Bruce Springsteen 1973-2020
Columbia
Released 19th April 2024
Formats: 18 Track 2LP Set and CD, 31 Track Digital Edition

 Side A
 1 - Growin’ Up
 2 - Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
 3 - Born To Run
 4 - Thunder Road

Side B
   1 - Badlands
   2 - Hungry Heart
   3-  Atlantic City
   4 - Dancing in the Dark
   5 - Born in the U.S.A.

Side C
  1 - Brilliant Disguise
  2 -  Human Touch
  3 -  Streets of Philadelphia
  4 -  The Ghost of Tom Joad

Side D
   1 - Secret Garden
   2 - The Rising
   3 - Girls In Their Summer Clothes
   4 - Hello Sunshine
   5 - Letter To You

 

Best of Bruce Springsteen - Deluxe Digital Edition  

1 - Growin’ Up
2 - Spirit In The Night
3 - Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
4 - 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
5 - Born To Run
6 - Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
7 - Thunder Road
8 - Badlands
9 - Prove It All Night
10 - The River
11 - Hungry Heart
12 - Atlantic City
13 - Glory Days
14 - Dancing in the Dark
15 - Born in the U.S.A
16 - Brilliant Disguise
17 - Tougher Than The Rest
18 - Human Touch
19 - If I Should Fall Behind
20 - Living Proof
21 - Streets of Philadelphia
22 - The Ghost of Tom Joad
23 - Secret Garden
24 - The Rising
25 - Long Time Comin’
26 - Girls In Their Summer Clothes
27 - The Wrestler
28 - We Take Care Of Our Own
29 - Hello Sunshine
30 - Ghosts
31 - Letter To You

 I realise when the label are trying to scan through a career that has spanned 50 years that the choices they make for a new compilation are going to be difficult and not necessarily appealing to all listners and that's clearly the case with 'The Best of Bruce Springsteen'. The Vinyl version, whilst containing many of Springsteen's most iconic songs, sort of grinds to a halt come Side D. Yes, "The Rising" and possibly "Letter To You" should be there but the absence of a track like "A Long Walk Home" or even "Radio Nowhere" representing the 'Magic' period is a terrible mistake (and even worse they are not even included on the Expanded Digital version!). Also the fact that not a single song from one of most successful albums in 'Wrecking Ball' is included on the Vinyl release is a terrible misjudgement on part of the label (they do include one track on the Digital version but that doesn't appease me). The other glaring absence from both versions is anything from The Seeger Sessions period. The 'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions' album was a #3 album both sides of The Atlantic and the fact that they couldn't come up with even one song to include on the Digital version is laughable. If I had a choice "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live" or "American Land" would have been on it.

Chapter and Verse
Columbia
23rd September 2016
US Charts #5
UK Charts #2
 
1  The Castiles – Baby I (previously unreleased)
2  The Castiles – You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover (previously unreleased)
3  Steel Mill – He's Guilty (The Judge Song) (previously unreleased)
4  The Bruce Springsteen Band – The Ballad Of Jesse James previously unreleased
5  Bruce Springsteen – Henry Boy (previously unreleased)
6  Bruce Springsteen – Growin' Up
7  Bruce Springsteen – 4th Of July, Asbury Park
8  Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run
9  Bruce Springsteen – Badlands
10 Bruce Springsteen – The River
11 Bruce Springsteen – My Father's House
12 Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A.
13 Bruce Springsteen – Brilliant Disguise
14 Bruce Springsteen – Living Proof
15 Bruce Springsteen – The Ghost Of Tom Joad
16 Bruce Springsteen – The Rising
17 Bruce Springsteen – Long Time Comin'
18 Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball

This one was released as a companion piece to Springsteen's autobiography 'Born To Run' and in a way it's a great album because Bruce hand picked all the songs that almost seem like a chapter of his story. Every album is represented by a song but the thing that makes this album such a good compilation is the inclusion of the opening five previously unreleased songs. Firstly, two songs from Bruce's first band The Castiles from 1966. Although they only lasted a couple of years and not many would have heard anything but these two songs it was a good insight into what Springsteen would go on to become. Then in 1968 Springsteen formed Child who later changed their name to Steel Mill. I have few Steel Mill bootlegs. In these early days Springsteen was already playing with future E Street Band members like Steve Van Zandt, Danny Federici and Vini Lopez."He's Guilty (The Judge Song)" was recorded for Bill Graham in 1970 and the band rejected the offer of a contract from him. During the early 1970s Springsteen, Lopez, Federici and Van Zandt would go on to play together in several short-lived bands based out of the Upstage. These included Bruce Springsteen & The Friendly Enemies, The Sundance Blues Band, Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom, which once opened for the Allman Brothers at the Sunshine Inn in Asbury Park, and The Bruce Springsteen Band, which often played at the Student Prince in Asbury Park. These bands eventually evolved into the E Street Band. I like the jump from playing with the bands to just him and his guitar on the next couple of songs and then begins the journey as a major label signed atist. A perfectly crafted album, mainly due to Springsteen himself picking the songs.

Collection: 1973–2012
Columbia
8th March 2013 (Australian Limited Tour Edition )
15th April 2013 (Europe)

I must admit that this is one I didn't purchase. As an avid fan I would often go out of my way to get a "new" Springsteen record but I just couldn't part with the cash on this one. I got a little excited at first when I saw in the title the word "Collection",  drumming up all kind of crazy ideas exactly what it might be BUT, and a BIG BUT (calm down Sir Mix-A-Lot! 😅 ) indeed, once I saw it was only 18 tracks and nothing to even tease you into maybe buying it, even two tracks ("Badlands" and "The Promised Land") newly remastered for this compilation couldn't tempt me! Infact, I would actually question the legitimacy of that claim as the album had actually been remastered in 2010 for the 'The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town' boxset and that remaster didn't make the album sound better (I still listen to the original version)!

Greatest Hits (American Edition)
Columbia
13th January 2009
Wal-Mart Exclusive
US Charts #43
1  ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)
2  BORN TO RUN  
3  THUNDER ROAD  
4  DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN  
5  BADLANDS  
6  HUNGRY HEART
7  GLORY DAYS          
8  DANCING IN THE DARK  
9  BORN IN THE U.S.A.  
10 THE RISING  
11 LONESOME DAY
12 RADIO NOWHERE

Bruce took a lot of heat for this one being a "Wal-Mart Exclusive" with criticism coming from the media and with Wal-Mart being known as very Anti-Union it seemed to go against everything Springsteen had stood for in support of Unions and workers rights previously. A writer for the Huffington Post, Tony Sachs, pronounced the release one of the "top five boneheaded music industry moves" of the year. Jon Landau tried his best to paint a good justification for it but the last word went to Bruce saying that they "dropped the ball" with the association with Wal-Mart, and attributed it to insufficient vetting due to too many activities going on. There were no new songs included on it!

Greatest Hits (European Limited Tour Edition)
Columbia
1st June 2009
UK Charts #3
1  BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
2  ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)
3  BORN TO RUN
4  THUNDER ROAD
5  BADLANDS
6  DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
7  HUNGRY HEART
8  THE RIVER
9  BORN IN THE U.S.A.
10 I'M ON FIRE
11 GLORY DAYS
12 DANCING IN THE DARK
13 THE RISING
14 LONESOME DAY
15 RADIO NOWHERE
16 LONG WALK HOME
17 BECAUSE THE NIGHT (Live)
18 FIRE (Live)

Six months after shambolic American release came a European Limited Tour Edition. I have never actually seen a physical copy of this (just spotted copies on Discogs for £1, so maybe I might get it). I have no idea how "Limited" it was and interestingly considering it was a "Tour Edition" there wasn't a single track from the Working On A Dream album that they were touring in support of, you'd expect at least one. The European version had been extended to 18 songs and if we are being honest here, the record label were playing with the truth a bit calling it "Greatest Hits" as apart from 6 that actually reached the Top 30 in the UK and another 6 that were in the lower reaches of the Charts that means a third of album were not really "Greatest Hits" at all, good songs yes, but not hits!

The Essential Bruce Springsteen 3CD*
Columbia
11th November 2003
US Charts #14
UK Charts #28
Disc 1
1-1 Blinded By The Light  5:04
1-2 For You 4:40
1-3 Spirit In The Night 5:00
1-4 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) 5:37
1-5 Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) 7:04
1-6 Thunder Road  4:51
1-7 Born To Run  4:32
1-8 Jungleland  9:36
1-9 Badlands 4:04
1-10 Darkness On The Edge Of Town  4:31
1-11 The Promised Land  4:31
1-12 The River  5:00
1-13 Hungry Heart  3:20
1-14 Nebraska  4:29
1-15 Atlantic City  3:56
Disc 2
2-1  Born In The U.S.A.  4:42
2-2  Glory Days  4:17
2-3  Dancing In The Dark  4:03
2-4  Tunnel Of Love  5:12
2-5  Brilliant Disguise  4:15
2-6  Human Touch  6:31
2-7  Living Proof  4:48
2-8  Lucky Town  3:28
2-9  Streets Of Philadelphia  3:18
2-10 The Ghost Of Tom Joad  4:23
2-11 The Rising  4:49
2-12 Mary's Place  6:01
2-13 Lonesome Day  4:07
2-14 American Skin (41 Shots) (Live)  7:52
2-15 Land Of Hope And Dreams (Live)  9:22
Disc 3 Bonus Disc    
3-1 From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)  2:42
3-2  The Big Payback   1:58
3-3  Held Up Without A Gun (Live)  1:21
3-4  Trapped (Live)  5:10
3-5  None But The Brave  5:35
3-6  Missing  5:04
3-7  Lift Me Up  5:16
3-8  Viva Las Vegas  3:10
3-9  County Fair  4:50
3-10 Code Of Silence (Live)  4:33
3-11 Dead Man Walkin' 2:43
3-12 Countin' On A Miracle (Acoustic) 5:00

 

I like what Bruce had to say about the 2003 version, "We saw a lot of new faces on our recent tour and we put this collection together with them in mind. We selected material from over the full span of our recorded work...The idea was to present a little bit of what each album has to offer."  

I'm going to say that both versions of 'The Essential Bruce Springsteen' are probably worth getting hold of and would be a great introduction for someone new to Springsteen's music (these days people just stream it on one platform or another) from some of the earlier works and right up to the 2014 'High Hopes' album (if you get the 2015 version). The 3CD version from 2003 is worth finding for the Bonus Disc which has a mix of songs from various Soundtracks, B-sides, multi-artist album projects, outtakes and live material.

*A Newer Version of The Essential Bruce Springsteen was released 15th October 2015 with a  different tracklist. I'll add links for the tracks that I haven't previously.

Disc 1
1-1  Growin' Up
1-2  Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
1-3  4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
1-4  Thunder Road
1-5  Born To Run
1-6  Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
1-7  Badlands
1-8  The Promised Land
1-9  Prove It All Night
1-10 The River
1-11 Hungry Heart
1-12 The Ties That Bind
1-13 Out In The Street
1-14 Atlantic City
1-15 Johnny 99
1-16 Glory Days
1-17 Born In The U.S.A.
1-18 Dancing In The Dark
Disc 2
2-1  Tougher Than The Rest
2-2  Brilliant Disguise
2-3  One Step Up
2-4  Human Touch (Single Edit.)
2-5  Better Days
2-6  If I Should Fall Behind
2-7  Streets Of Philadelphia
2-8  Murder Incorporated
2-9  The Ghost Of Tom Joad
2-10 The Rising
2-11 Lonesome Day
2-12 Devils & Dust
2-13 Long Time Comin'
2-14 Radio Nowhere
2-15 Working On A Dream
2-16 My Lucky Day
2-17 The Wrestler
2-18 We Take Care Of Our Own
2-19 Hunter Of Invisible Game

Greatest Hits
Columbia
27th February 1995
US Chart #1
UK Chart #1

1  Born To Run
2  Thunder Road
3  Badlands
4  The River
5  Hungry Heart
6  Atlantic City
7  Dancing In The Dark
8  Born In The U.S.A.
9  My Hometown (Early fade-out)
10 Glory Days (Early fade-out)
11 Brilliant Disguise
12 Human Touch (Edited Radio Version)
13 Better Days (Edited Version)
14 Streets Of Philadelphia (Single Edit)
15 Secret Garden*
16 Murder Incorporated*
17 Blood Brothers*
18 This Hard Land*

* New songs 

 

We arrive at the first 'Greatest Hits' from Mr Bruce Springsteen to end this post. 

 

Let me bore you with some statistics courtesy of the page on Wikipedia for this album:

In the States the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 the week of March 18, 1995, with more than 250,000 copies sold, it remained on the chart for 43 weeks. As of March, 2009 it has sold over 4,092,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was certified six times platinum by the RIAA on May 25, 2022, for shipments of 6,000,000.

In the United Kingdom the album entered at number one on March 11, 1995, and topped the chart for two non consecutive weeks. It was present on the chart for 134 weeks. It was certified four times platinum by the BPI on March 21, 2014, denoting shipments of 1,200,000 units. It was number one in a further 16 countries!

 

The album wasn't universally loved by the Music Critics, but remember they get free copies sent to them whilst the rest of us go out and spend our hard earned cash (and by the look at the numbers above quite a few million folks bought it and continued to buy for ages). 

Excuse me a moment as I go all "fanboy" about why I absolutely treasure this album. I was totally estatic when it was released because of one song! Yep, I mainly bought it for just one new recording of a song I had been listening to on a pretty rubbish cassette since 1984 (I still have that cassette today) , of course it was nice that there were three other new songs (another of which had also been on the same cassette and recorded around a similar time in 1982 as part of the Born in the U.S.A. Sessions), but only one had captivated me for more than a decade. That song was "This Hard Land".

Almost two years before the 'Greatest Hits' album was released I went see Bruce play at the SECC in Glasgow and he played an acoustic version of it! Up until 2018 he has played the song live 272 times, but back then, in 1993 he had only ever played it once on 23rd March 1993 at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey, eight days later he's standing on a stage in the city where I lived and he's playing it for only the second time live ever..."gonna do this for all the, uh ….fanatics out there". Wow, that was a moment I won't forget in a hurry! I would have to wait another until 1995 for a newly recorded version and then a further three years for the 'Tracks' set to be released to finally get the version of "This Hard Land" I had been listening to on cassette for 14 years!

Oh, there's also a few actual hit singles as well as a few popular album tracks for good measure and some newly recorded songs...did I mention "This Hard Land" yet? 😉

I'm not always a fan of Compilations and if there's one thing that drives me nuts it's when a band/artist has maybe only had one or two albums released and yet there's loads of Compilations (Buddy Holly is a good example here, 3 albums released but 29 Compilations!). I hope that Sony don't go too crazy with Springsteen's back catalog in the years to come. I'm not totally convinced we need this new one coming out in April but that's the music business for you!