RAMBLIN: Springsteen releases first music from new soul album

Oct. 2—Performing on an album consisting entirely of cover songs can be a daunting challenge for many artists.

For one thing, such albums can vary. They can consist of many singers saluting one artist, such as the new tribute album to John Anderson, the focus of a previous "Ramblin' Round."

Or an artist might make a cover album consisting of a tribute to a single fellow musician, of which numerous examples abound.

Another album consisting entirely of covers might come as a nod to a particular musical genre — which is what Bruce Springsteen is doing on his new album of soul music covers "Only the Strong Survive," set for a Nov. 11 release by Columbia records.

Springsteen's website states he is celebrating "the sweet sounds of soul music" on his new album, which is an apt description. Don't look for any James Brown or Otis Redding covers here.

Springsteen, in most cases, also eschews what's considered some of the greatest soul songs of all time. Although he has plenty of hits included in the 15-track album, it's not always the artist's best-known song.

Springsteen's new album gets its title from the 1968 hit by Jerry Butler — whose cool nickname is utilized on the album from which "Only the Strong Survive" came, called "The Iceman Cometh." Yep, "The Iceman Cometh" is more than the title of that well-known 1939 play by Eugene O'Neill. Butler adapted it for the name of one of his best-known albums as well.

As part of the upcoming release, Springsteen issued a statement on his website saying what he's aiming for with his new album:

"I wanted to make an album where I just sang. And what better music to work with than the great American songbook of the '60s and '70s? I've taken my inspiration from Levi Stubbs, David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin, the Iceman Jerry Butler, Diana Ross, Dobie Gray, and Scott Walker, among many others. I've tried to do justice to them all—and to the fabulous writers of this glorious music," said Springsteen.

Springsteen's already released a cut from the album, his version of Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do.)"

Looking at a track list of the album, most of the songs were familiar, but there were a few I could not recall hearing before — with Wilson's "Do I Love You" among those I could not place.

It proved a happy discovery, at least where I'm concerned. Still, I wondered why Springsteen chose what I thought was a relatively obscure song for his first release from the album, which includes a number of soul and rhythm and blues gems, as he calls them.

Curious about why I wasn't more familiar with the song, I looked into its backstory, and what a story it has!

When I found out the song's tangled history, it's a wonder that anyone's heard it — but making it the first release from the album now looks like an act of genius.

Wilson, who wrote the song, worked primarily as a producer and writer for Tamla Motown's West Cost Division, far removed from the label's celebrated Detroit headquarters known as Hitsville USA. Wilson recorded what he considered a demo of "Do I Love You" in 1965 and traveled to Detroit to meet with Motown owner Berry Gordy.

Promotional copies of the record were produced and ready to release to radio stations around the nation, when Gordy asked Wilson if he really wanted a performing career, or would he concentrate on writing and producing?

When Wilson opted for the latter choice; the record was pulled from release and all but two of the promo copies were reportedly destroyed.

Here's where the mystery begins. Somehow — and no one can explain how it happened — one of those surviving 45 rpm vinyl singles made its way across the Atlantic to England.

Beginning in the 1970s a musical movement called Northern Soul began, with northern working class British youth relating to what many Blacks experienced in the Unites States during the civil rights era. They also favored 1960s soul music over the rock being released at the time.

Dee jays at a series of clubs in Northern England began spinning soul music records — but they didn't latch onto those soul super hits from the U.S. Instead, they preferred more obscure or below the radar recordings. That single release of Wilson's "Do I Love You" that had made its way across the Atlantic now found its way to one of those British soul music clubs, where it soon became one of the Northern Soul movement anthems.

While Northern Soul began in the 1970s, it continues to this day. The term Northern Soul derives from the music's popularity around Manchester and other parts of Northern England. A music writer supposedly came up with the term Northern Soul because of its geographical location and to try and keep the movement from being co-opted by London's musical establishment.

"Do I Love You (Indeed I Do") finally saw an official release in 1979 — 14 years after Wilson originally recorded it. It's considered a Northern Soul classic to this day and some in the United Kingdom now consider it the greatest Northern Soul song ever.

Not that the movement is confined to Britain. As recently as 2019, there were Northern Soul conventions scheduled in places such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and even Tokyo.

So while "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" at first glance seemed to me like an obscure choice for Springsteen's first release from "Only the Strong Survive," it's going to draw laser-like attention from Northern Soul enthusiasts around the world.

Whether they approve of Springsteen's version has yet to be determined — but I think its very good. Springsteen's not only released an audio version of the song, he's also released a video that's readily available for viewing on YouTube and other formats.

Awash in red and black lighting, it opens with a close-up shot of a musician playing a vibraphone, with a couple of violinists swirling in a few seconds later before Springsteen signals the drummer and then the entire band to come thundering in to join the performance.

Backed by a large band that includes horns and background singers, Springsteen delivers a soaring rendition of "Do I Love You." The video even includes go-go dancers on risers behind the musicians to complete that retro feel. Packed into the song's 2:24 running time is a tremendous instrumental break coupling an organ and a baritone saxophone.

The album's 15 tracks and the artists scoring the original hits with them include:

1 "Only the Strong Survive" — Jerry Butler.

2 "Soul Days" — Dobie Gray. It's one of two tracks on the album featuring the great Sam Moore, who sang, recorded and performed with Dave Prater as part of Sam & Dave.

3 "Nightshift" — The Commodores.

4 "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" — Frank Wilson.

5 "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" — The Walker Brothers.

6 "Turn Back the Hands of Time" — Tyrone Davis

7 "When She Was My Girl" — The Four Tops.

8 "Hey, Western Union Man" — Jerry Butler.

9 "I Wish It Would Rain" —The Temptations.

10 "Don't Play That Song" — Aretha Franklin

11 "Any Other Way" — William Bell / Jackie Shane

12 "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" — William Bell, featuring Sam Moore with Springsteen on the album.

13 "7 Rooms of Gloom" — The Four Tops

14 "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" — Jimmy Ruffin

15 "Someday We'll Be Together" — Diana Ross and the Supremes

In his statement about the forthcoming album, Springsteen outlined his goals and what he hoped to achieve with his shout-out to soul music.

"My goal is for the modern audience to experience its beauty and joy, just as I have since I first heard it. I hope you love listening to it as much as I loved making it."

If "Do I Love You" is any indication of what's to follow, Springsteen may very well achieve his goal.

I predict the first time Springsteen's version is played at one of those British Northern Soul Music clubs — or anywhere else for that matter — the dance floor will fill up fast.

I hope Springsteen includes "Do I Love You" on his upcoming 2023 world tour, which kicks off in February 1, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. Springsteen's tour with the E Street Band includes a Feb. 21 performance at the BOK Center in Tulsa. After Springsteen finishes the U.S. tour, he's heading to Europe.

I can already visualize his audience going into a frenzy whenever he and the E Street Band sing the musical question and answer "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do.)"

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.