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The Times Of Israel have produced this long article as a result of an interview with Bruce's old manager Mike Appel, (who Bruce sued in late 1975/early1976 and the court case lasted until 1978.) The founding editor of The Times of Israel David Horvitz interviews him after wondering about Bruce an Israel after 10 years earlier he had interviewed Suki Lahav, an Israeli musician, actress and author who, for a few months in 1974-5, played violin in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Horvitz was intrigued about what it must have been like to work with Springsteen then, as he was climbing toward fame in the period between his most musically and lyrically inventive second and third albums. There are also discussions about Bruce never coming to Israel and Stevie got into a twitter recently about the middle east and Israel.
There is lot sof stuff I could quote but I will only quote thiese two bits from the last third of the article a) about what type of music Appel think's Bruce would have made if he stayed his manage, and b) the bit about their improved relationship Read the long article at;
Why Springsteen never made another album like ‘Born to Run,’ and other questions only Mike Appel can answer
The Boss largely stopped pushing music’s boundaries after his epic third album, which happened to be around the time he fell out, spectacularly, with his original manager. Coincidence? BY DAVID HOROVITZ July 19, 2016
........
What’s your relationship with Springsteen like now? I mean obviously you had some difficult periods.
He just called me a few days ago because he’s doing his memoirs. He forgot certain things. I didn’t even know it was him. Usually I recognize him right away. But I didn’t recognize his voice. (He said,) ‘It’s Bruce!’ Oh, oh, ok. To what do I owe the honor? He says, who was the disc jockey in Philadelphia… blah, blah? What was the radio station…? So we had to go through that whole process. I said, where are you? He said, well I’m in Barcelona. I said, how is it over there? He says it’s pouring rain. So I said, you had nothing better to do than call me?
So yeah, no, it’s fine.
A nice relationship. Oh yeah, for many, many years now.
......
If he’d stayed with you, it would have been different? His career?
Yes, it would’ve been different. It would have had to be different. I mean my head isn’t Jon Landau’s head. My head isn’t Bruce Springsteen’s head.
I’m talking about the music. The music would’ve been different?
I think the music would’ve been different because even when we recorded (the album) Born to Run, Bruce came to me with two songs, both he and Jon came to me. They had a song called, Linda, Let Me Be the One and (another one called) Lonely Night in the Park. And I said, those are the worst two songs I’ve ever heard in my entire life. They are not going on this album. I mean, over my dead body.
Because they were what?
They were poor examples of trying to do a pop song. They can’t be on this album.
Because they were more formulaic? Less creative and wild?
Absolutely.
So if he’d stayed with you, he would have made better music and he would’ve had less success?
He may very well have had less success, but I’m not a guy that is oblivious to pop songs. Remember, I come from that world and my attitude was there’s always a way to make great music. Aretha Franklin made great music and she wasn’t wildly poetic. I can still dance to her songs and still move to her songs. I can move to a hundred great songs that aren’t early Bruce Springsteen or Born to Run Bruce Springsteen. And they made hits and they were good. The lyrics were cool. I mean, listen to Goffin and King. Gerry Goffin was a great lyricist. A lot of the Carole King songs are good. Pop songs. Not bad.
So you’re saying if he’d stayed with you he could’ve made better music and had as much success?
I think so. I think so. I think so. Because he has it within him to do it for sure. He can do it. Bruce can do it.
And there are the later songs like Brilliant Disguise…
Now there’s a perfect example where, hey…
You would have been fine with that one?
I had no problem with that one. And then he had that other little song, If I Should Fall Behind. I love that song. That’s a great one, Bruce. It’s not that you’re writing graphic, killer, wildly poetic lyrics. But you’re writing lyrics that touch everybody’s heart.
........
Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen and Mike Appel, in November 2009
http://www.timesofisrael.com/why-sp...d-other-questions-only-mike-appel-can-answer/
There is lot sof stuff I could quote but I will only quote thiese two bits from the last third of the article a) about what type of music Appel think's Bruce would have made if he stayed his manage, and b) the bit about their improved relationship Read the long article at;
Why Springsteen never made another album like ‘Born to Run,’ and other questions only Mike Appel can answer
The Boss largely stopped pushing music’s boundaries after his epic third album, which happened to be around the time he fell out, spectacularly, with his original manager. Coincidence? BY DAVID HOROVITZ July 19, 2016
........
What’s your relationship with Springsteen like now? I mean obviously you had some difficult periods.
He just called me a few days ago because he’s doing his memoirs. He forgot certain things. I didn’t even know it was him. Usually I recognize him right away. But I didn’t recognize his voice. (He said,) ‘It’s Bruce!’ Oh, oh, ok. To what do I owe the honor? He says, who was the disc jockey in Philadelphia… blah, blah? What was the radio station…? So we had to go through that whole process. I said, where are you? He said, well I’m in Barcelona. I said, how is it over there? He says it’s pouring rain. So I said, you had nothing better to do than call me?
So yeah, no, it’s fine.
A nice relationship. Oh yeah, for many, many years now.
......
If he’d stayed with you, it would have been different? His career?
Yes, it would’ve been different. It would have had to be different. I mean my head isn’t Jon Landau’s head. My head isn’t Bruce Springsteen’s head.
I’m talking about the music. The music would’ve been different?
I think the music would’ve been different because even when we recorded (the album) Born to Run, Bruce came to me with two songs, both he and Jon came to me. They had a song called, Linda, Let Me Be the One and (another one called) Lonely Night in the Park. And I said, those are the worst two songs I’ve ever heard in my entire life. They are not going on this album. I mean, over my dead body.
Because they were what?
They were poor examples of trying to do a pop song. They can’t be on this album.
Because they were more formulaic? Less creative and wild?
Absolutely.
So if he’d stayed with you, he would have made better music and he would’ve had less success?
He may very well have had less success, but I’m not a guy that is oblivious to pop songs. Remember, I come from that world and my attitude was there’s always a way to make great music. Aretha Franklin made great music and she wasn’t wildly poetic. I can still dance to her songs and still move to her songs. I can move to a hundred great songs that aren’t early Bruce Springsteen or Born to Run Bruce Springsteen. And they made hits and they were good. The lyrics were cool. I mean, listen to Goffin and King. Gerry Goffin was a great lyricist. A lot of the Carole King songs are good. Pop songs. Not bad.
So you’re saying if he’d stayed with you he could’ve made better music and had as much success?
I think so. I think so. I think so. Because he has it within him to do it for sure. He can do it. Bruce can do it.
And there are the later songs like Brilliant Disguise…
Now there’s a perfect example where, hey…
You would have been fine with that one?
I had no problem with that one. And then he had that other little song, If I Should Fall Behind. I love that song. That’s a great one, Bruce. It’s not that you’re writing graphic, killer, wildly poetic lyrics. But you’re writing lyrics that touch everybody’s heart.
........
Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen and Mike Appel, in November 2009
http://www.timesofisrael.com/why-sp...d-other-questions-only-mike-appel-can-answer/
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