2021-04-28 SiriusXM Studio, New York City, NY

Scheduled: 10:00 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??

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The 'From My Home To Yours' series continues with Episode 21, themed "Waiting On A Friend", which is about special rock 'n' roll friendships.

E Street Radio

Bruce Springsteen

Waiting On A Friend

"Greetings, creatures of Earth, fellow New Jerseyans, citizens of Mars, fans, friends and listeners from coast to coast and around the world. Welcome to Volume 21 of 'From My Home to Yours', titled 'Waiting on a Friend'. There is no friendship in the world like a rock 'n' roll friendship. Music is the unspoken language of companionship. When you find that soulmate who understands every note, every syllable of every lyric of every song that ever ripped a hole in your heart, you know you've found a friend for life. You are bonded forever through the magic, the mystery and the miracle of rock 'n' roll."

"That was Clarence. Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne on their big hit, 'You're a Friend of Mine'. Before that, of course, the Glimmer Twins, Mick and Keith, and the Rolling Stones, with Sonny Rollins on sax, and Nicky Hopkins, one of the great rock 'n' roll piano accompanists, on keyboards. And I started us off with 'Blood Brothers', the alternate, alternate track. We had three or four different versions of 'Blood Brothers' and we spent several days in the studio, trying to sort out which was the correct version. And we ended up with the version that was on our Greatest Hits album. And we left this one off, and I'm not sure we made the right decision. I love the one that's on Greatest Hits, but this thing really has something to it, too. So that was 'Blood Brothers', alternate version. The E Street Band."

"And this Alejandro Escovedo with 'Always a Friend'.

"That was 'Always a Friend' of Mine, live. I think we were in Austin, I'm not sure about that. Alejandro Escovedo and yours truly, and the E Street Band. And that was followed by The Kinks, with Ray Davies' 1965 composition, 'See My Friends'. I used to love this song. It was one of the first records to incorporate the modal Indian raga sounds, produced by Shel Talmy, who was a hell of a producer in the early '60s, and produced many, many classic records by The Kinks, The Who, as well as producing 'Friday on My Mind' by the Australian Easybeats. He was amazing."

"Here is Janis Joplin, 'Me and Bobby McGee'."

"That was Janis, with Kris Kristofferson's 'Me and Bobby McGee'. That song was released posthumously, and was quite a hit. It was only the second record released posthumously to become a hit. The other one, obviously, the great Otis Redding song 'Dock of the Bay'."

"Now, friendships, even among the best of friends, get complicated. Just ask Elmore James."

"And that was Bob Dylan, with the fabulous all-time kiss-off, 'Positively 4th Street'. Before that, 'Mixed Emotions', by Mick and Keith, the Rolling Stones. Before that, Steely Dan, who are 'Through With Buzz', and I don't blame them! Terrible behavior! And I started us off, up top, with Elmore James, who was having the problem of his lover being attracted to his best friend. Ouch! That does hurt."

"This MGMT with 'Me and Michael'."

"That was the beautiful 'Ramblin' Boy', by Tom Paxton. I have had a recent re-infatuation with folk music, and Tom Paxton is just, just great. Love that song. 'Ramblin' Boy'. Before that was the E Street Band with 'None but the Brave'. 'None but the Brave', I believe, was recorded for Born in the U.S.A., for which many, many, many, many other songs were recorded… for Born In The U.S.A., many of which could have come out, but did not, due to… insanity at the time, I suppose. Before that, MGMT with 'Me and Michael'.

"I played this next cut over and over, in my bedroom on South Street, as a teenager. The first rock song, I think, to try and contextualize the Kennedy assassination, which was a sacred subject in the early '60s. And it was on The Byrds' 1965 album, Turn! Turn Turn! Roger McGuinn has said he wrote this version of what was a traditional folk song in 1963, the night Kennedy died. I was 13 when Kennedy was assassinated. I always remember I was in gym class, playing soccer in the field. Someone came running out of the high school, slammed themselves up against the chain link fence and said, 'The President's been shot'. We all rushed inside, and the rest was history. Now this is just a lovely version of 'He Was a Friend of Mine'. The Byrds."

"That was 'Pal of Mine', by Joan Baez. Previous to that yours truly, with 'I'll See You in My Dreams', and of course The Byrds' 'He Was a Friend of Mine'."

"It's Been a Long Time," Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, with Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt

"And that was 'Two Lucky Bums', by Dave and Phil Alvin. Before that, the great Southside Johnny, with 'It's Been a Long Time', accompanied by Steve and myself. And… all right, let's go!"

"That's our show. May ye be wealthy with friends in this world. Hold them close to your heart. Give them a home in your soul. And don't sweat the small stuff. Until we meet again, go in peace."

^{By Bruce Springsteen via E Street Radio.}

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