13 Comments

The Bruce stories are priceless, and since I live right around the corner from Asbury Park, the locations are familiar.

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Greg, Your "Running With Bruce Down Thunder Road" piece is fantastic. Memories and details as these--the Jaguar vs. Galaxy race; genesis of the "Born To Run" guitar sound; lending Bruce your Roy Orbison Greatest Hits L.P.; etc.--are legends not widely known in the Springsteen fan community.

On another note, I recently read your name being dropped in two Springsteen texts. One was in Ryan White's Album by Album book, in which Mike Appel, describes himself to Crawdaddy as "John The Baptist, heralding Bruce's coming into the world", etc. The second mention is in Clinton Heylin's, E Street Shuffle, where he writes, "Thankfully, Crawdaddy's ex-editor Paul Williams and current editors Peter Knobler and Greg Williams were almost in competition to see who could be more effusive about this New Somebody (Bruce)". Your work and passion continue.

I'll be sharing this site with two people tomorrow, thinking of more to add.

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Mark, thanks so much. Was not aware of those two citations. Mike was a real trip--his old Marine helmet on his desk and all--and still a Facebook friend. Yes, Paul Williams climbed on board before most but still well behind Peter and I. It was pretty lonely out there for awhile (except for those who saw him live).

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Good stuff, man. Bruce is one of my all-time favorites.

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You mean I breathed the same smoke in the hallowed back room of our Fifth Avenue office?

If I could go back to that room again, to quote another bard.

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thanks, oh doobie brother

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Excellent piece! I look forward to the weekends and these profiles, love the backstories. Keep up the wonderful work.

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thank you

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Great article about Bruce, just love to read your early connections to rock stars. I’m wondering if you still have any connections to Bruce, or if he still remembers your stories of his early career?

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Paul, thanks. I would guess that he does remember our early stories and crucial boosts, though left out of his memoir. I last talked with him about 20 years ago after a show and a few years later he wrote the brief preface to my book "So Wrong for So Long" on Iraq and the media. And throughout, Landau and team have always provided special access to tickets for various things, free or paid. He even got me 4 free tix for Bruce concert in Berlin about 5 years ago, for myself, wife, daughter and her husband plus access to the "E Street Lounge" in the arena. So, overall, there is "recognition" even after 50 years...

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Thanks for the input Greg.

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Wonderfully and passionately written. Indeed a memory worth sharing; thank you for doing so.

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thanks as always for your support

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