E Street Sound Bruce Springsteen Is Teaming Up With Former Bandmates To Record Greatest-Hits Album
Bruce Springsteen has reunited with his old group, the E Street Band, to record new songs for an upcoming greatest hits album, sources told The Hollywood Reporter.
The Boss is teaming with his former mates to record at least two new songs at a Manhattan studio. The group has reportedly been in the studio for a week, after an apparently spontaneous decision by Springsteen to pull them together.
The tunes would be included on what would be his first greatest hits album. Columbia Records said there was no planned greatest hits album on their release schedule, though a regular studio record was scheduled for this year. Insiders said Springsteen came up with the idea a week ago Saturday, pulled the band together in one day and told those involved it had to be the E Street Band as the rest of the songs were from the E Street era.
It was not clear at press time exactly what members of the E Street irregulars are in the studio with Springsteen, but over the years, he has recorded with sidemen including guitarists Nils Lofgren and Miami Steve Van Zandt, sax master Clarence Clemmons, drummer Max Weinberg, and keyboardists Danny Federici and Roy Bittan. Springsteen last recorded with most members of the group on “Tunnel of Love” in 1987, though Bittan stayed with the Boss.
Sources say the new album is on the fast track for release this spring. His last release was the “Human Touch/Lucky Town” combo in 1992.
Springsteen and the E Streeters join a growing number of superstars who are adding value to their greatest hits packages by recording new songs for them.
The Eagles put a fresh spin to their reunion by adding four new songs to an album of live classics, while Tom Petty did the same for his compilation.
In addition, Michael Jackson is currently busy adding new studio tracks to his first greatest hits release - and the number of fresh cuts keeps rising. Fairly recent reports said there were up to five new cuts, but the latest word is that the double album may end up as one whole album of new releases and one of past hits.