1981-06-04 Wembley Arena, London, England

Scheduled: 19:30 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??

Info & Setlist | Venue

Show was rescheduled from April 4. An attendee recalls that "Prove It All Night" is included in soundcheck. Roy plays "Once Upon A Time In The West" as a prelude to "Badlands". Clarence sings the opening lines to Lloyd Price's "Stagger Lee" as an introduction to "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)", which also includes a snippet of "Sweet Soul Music" in the midsection. Epic 15-minute "Detroit Medley" includes "I Hear A Train", "Shake", and "Sweet Soul Music".

Dave Edmunds

It was the Fourth of July, 1981. I wasn't on the guest list or anything, but with my good friend Capital Radio DJ Roger Scott, we parked up at Wembley Stadium, London. Taking a deep breath, we surfed through the over-sold throng on Roger's 'all access' pass to witness Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band play their entire, exhilarating, three-hour-plus set to above expectations.

Shuffling our way towards the exits among the herds of thousands of exhausted Bruce-worshipers, I felt a firm grip on my shoulder: "Bruce wants to see you!" The firm grip belonged to a massive, heavily tattooed 'security' guy with an intense New Jersey accent who was yelling into his CB radio, "I'VE FOUND HIM!"

I'd never met Bruce Springsteen before and had no idea of what he knew about me (except, perhaps, for my recording of 'I Hear You Knocking' and a few others). How had he known that I was at the gig? The security guy led me through the backstage area to Bruce's dressing room, where he was sitting alone. Being careful not to blurt out, "Great show, man!" (you don't do that), and before either of us could say anything, a noisy E Street Band stormed through making their way towards the hospitality area: "Hi Dave, love your records!" And, "Hi Dave, you're terrific, man!" – and so on. And off they went.
We talked – about what I don't recall. He asked me if I'd been recording lately and I said, "No" – "Got anything…?" He strapped on his Fender Esquire and explained, "This is like a Chuck Berry thing that tells a story without repeating any of the lyrics, like The Promised Land." And he played 'From Small Things Mama Good Things One Day Come' (not the snappiest of titles) – from beginning to end. It was perfect for me! "It's yours, man!"

He hadn't recorded the song but promised he'd lay down a rough cassette with just guitar and vocal – for me! "Gimme a couple of weeks…," and I could pick it up at his manager's office, in New York. In such encounters, such promises can evaporate before you leave the room. The way things worked out, I needed to be in New York a few weeks later, and that's the truth. I went to his manager's office and, sure enough, there was a cassette of Bruce's song, with my name on it, awaiting me. That's class.

Six months later, midway through a US tour with my band, I was playing at the Peppermint Lounge in Manhattan. Bruce turned up — unannounced and alone but for his Fender Esquire. It was good to see him. He waited patiently in the dressing room until the end of my set, and then (although the audience knew something was cooking) he sauntered onstage — you can imagine. We played a load of Chuck Berry songs and ended with "Small Things." So, good things one day come.
^{Source: Facebook}

04.06.81 London, England, intro to ´´Follow That Dream´´
´´This is, uh, this is a song that was originally done by Elvis Presley, this is called ´Follow That Dream´….´´

04.06.81 London, England, intro to ´´Johnny Bye Bye´´
´´(someone yells ´´Jackson Cage´´) We´ll do that for you in a minute, alright?….(?)….this is, uh….there´s this book out, it´s called Elvis ´56 and, uh….it´s got a bunch of pictures of when he was first, first touring…..and when you look at ´em….when he was that young….he always seemed so, so sure of himself, looked like he had some secret that he wasn´t telling you about….and….after he died, it was hard to, hard to understand how, how somebody that once had been, been so rich inside could´ve….could´ve ended up so poor and…..he deserved a lot better, better than he got so….but, uh, this is called ´Johnny Bye Bye´….´´

04.06.81 London, England, intro to ´´Jackson Cage´´ (following ´´Johnny Bye Bye´´)
´´Alright, this is for that fellow over there, here we go (chuckles)….´´

04.06.81 London, England, end of ´´Sherry Darling´´ (before ´´Hungry Heart´´)
´´This is for my partner….´´

04.06.81 London, England, intro to ´´Backstreets´´
´´There´s a….one, two….there´s a Marvin Gaye and Tammy Tarrell song that says, there´s, that it takes one to dream but it takes two to make a dream come true…..and I guess….I guess that that´s what it´s all about…..so, Marc*, this is for, this is for you and June on your anniversary….´´
(* Bruce´s then tour lighting director Marc Brickman and his wife June Rudley, at whose wedding reception The E Street Band played a set on June 3, 1979 in Los Angeles).

04.06.81 London, England, middle of ´´Rosalita´´
´´To the far left of the stage….over that way, on the piano, Professor Roy Bittan….play it, Roy….on the guitar….the man that brought you such hits as….´I Don´t Wanna Go Home´…. ´Sweeter Than Honey´….´This Time It´s for Real´….´Some Things Just Don´t Change´…. ´Daddy´s Come Home´….Miami Steve Van Zandt….on the bass guitar, Mr.Garry W. Tallent ….on the drums, the Mighty Max Weinberg….on the organ, Phantom Dan Federici…..and….. last…..but not least….I´m talking about a man…..I´m talking about a great humanitarian….a great veterinarian….around home we like to call him ´the king of the world´….the master of the universe….the emperor of all things….the guy´s faster than a speeding bullet…..more powerful than a roaring locomotive….able to leap tall buildings in a single bound….I don´t care who you bring down here (?) none of these turkeys can stand to the power and the glory of, of, of…..Spotlight on the Big Man….´´

04.06.81 London, England, intro to ´´Jungleland´´
´´Thanks….I´d like….I´d like to….first I´d like to apologise for us having to cancel out on you the first time around and I hope it didn´t cause you too much inconvenience and….and I´d like to, I´d like to thank everybody, we haven´t been back here in such a long time and, and over the past five years I´d like to thank youse all for supporing the band and being such good fans for us….because we appreciated it….this is for you…..´´

04.06.81 London, England, middle of ´´Detroit Medley´´
´´I´ve got some good news and I´ve got some bad news….first the good news….I´m gonna be able to go home and catch Columbo tonight….now the bad news….I´m gonna go right now…. I´m out of gas, baby….I ain´t got none….Big Man, I´m out of gas….I got a gas crisis happening….I got a gas crisis….no, I got a gas crisis….that means I´m tired, that means I´m too tired to play any more….(?)….I got no gas now….(Clarence: ´´We don´t need no gas´´) we don´t need no gas? (Clarence: ´´We don´t need no gas, you know why?´´) ´cause somebody stole the car, that´s why (chuckles)…oh!….oh!….we don´t need no gas….because ….because….because….I see a train….´´

Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi

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