Did You Know? Bruce Springsteen Quickly Wrote “Blinded By The Light” and “Spirit In The Night” To Be His Debut Singles

Bruce Springsteen‘s Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. was a thunderous debut from the young artist. Soon Springsteen would become the voice of the state of New Jersey, and has been since. Known as “The Boss,” his success dates back to his debut release and how it came to be. Bruce Springsteen had played in a few local New Jersey groups, including Steel Mill with future members of his E Street Band.

In May 1972, an A&R scout named John Hammond brought Bruce Springsteen into a meeting with Columbia Records president Clive Davis. Springsteen was a nervous 22-year-old, and he intimately performed acoustic songs for Davis. He performed the songs “It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City” and “Growin’ Up.” Davis was impressed with Springsteen’s songwriting, which contained lyrical density and remarkable imagery. Springsteen was signed and given an advance, while Mike Appel was set to produce the debut record. Additionally, Appel was also Springsteen’s first manager.

In June 1972, the debut was recorded on a low budget. This was so they could save the majority of Columbia Records’ advance. Springsteen brought in a group of local musicians and friends to record full band versions of the songs. Mike Appel and John Hammond favored Springsteen’s solo versions, while Bruce preferred the full band. Ultimately, they decided to record five solo songs and five full band tracks for the debut.

Columbia Records President Clive Davis Rejected the Album

Initially, Clive Davis wasn’t thrilled with the result and rejected the album. He didn’t think the album contained a single. In response, Bruce Springsteen quickly wrote two tracks to be released as singles. On September 11, 1972, Springsteen quickly recorded “Blinded By The Light” and “Spirit In The Night” and sent the result back to Davis. Columbia accepted the singles, and the album was set for release. Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. was released on January 5, 1973. It peaked at No. 60 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 41 in the UK.

“Blinded By The Light” became Springsteen’s first single release of his career. Initially, it failed to chart, but became a No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976 when Manfred Mann’s Earth Band recorded a cover of the track. It would be Springsteen’s only No. 1 on the Hot 100 as a songwriter. Although “Spirit In The Night” also failed to chart, the track became a staple of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’s live performances.

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