Tag Archives: Donna Summer

Unreleased – Bruce Springsteen – Protection

Bruce Springsteen 1981

The Unreleased series

This is a new series (hopefully). We we seek out and present unreleased songs by various artists. Check out the About Us page and you’ll get a picture of what artists we are concentrating this series on. This does not mean that we will only do songs by these artists/groups, but our focus will be on that list.

We will start with a Born in the U.S.A. outtake by Bruce Springsteen. We are eagerly waiting for Tracks part 2, The Boss have a lot of great songs that are still unreleased.

I stand alone at my window
I see you waiting in the shadows down below
I feel your fingers on my face
I know I want to stay, but I want to run away

Our first unreleased track is Protection, here in a studio version by Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band:

It was recorded in Jan-Feb 1982 at the Hit Factory in New York. “Protection” is written by Bruce Springsteen for Donna Summer. It was originally featured on the 1982 Donna Summer album which was produced by Quincy Jones.

Record executive David Geffen, a friend Jon Landau, asked Landau if his client could write something for Donna Summer who had joined his label Geffen Records. The idea was that Springsteen and Summer record the song as a duet, so Springsteen wrote Cover Me!

She could really sing and I disliked the veiled racism of the anti-disco movement
– Bruce  Springsteen (Songs)

However when Landau heard the result, Cover Me, he persuaded Springsteen to keep that song for himself. Bruce then wrote Protection.
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Today: Paul Westerberg is 53

Paul Westerberg 1

“Misdirection is my path. How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him lost? I’m there, baby.” – Paul Westerberg (2012)

Paul Westerberg (born December 31, 1959) is best known as the former lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter in The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band. In recent years, he has cultivated a more independent-minded approach, primarily recording his music at home in his basement.

Achin’ To Be by The Replacements:

I’ve always loved his music, both in the Replacements and as a solo artist, I like that rough “I really don’t care” attitude. But I, of course, also love his melodic sense and his songwriting talent. He doesn’t do bad music,  he’s always interesting, always on the move.

My favourite Westerberg solo song, Time flies tomorrow:

Paul Westerberg recently told Rolling Stone magazine that he’d reformed the Replacements,  and in late September, recorded four cover songs for an EP:

What brought you back together with Tommy Stinson?
The downfall of the slender one. Slim [Dunlap] had a wicked-ass stroke, he’s in rough shape. It’s difficult to go there: He can’t talk very much, he’s sort of paralyzed, he can move his leg a little bit. He speaks in a whisper. When I mentioned this [benefit record], it seemed like something he really wanted to happen. “You guys get together,” he said in a whisper. “Go play a song.” So I figured, “What the hell?”

Chris [Mars] really didn’t want any part of this. I was not surprised, but I was a little disappointed. I’d talked to him, I thought maybe he might come down and play with us. That’s fine, he’s totally into painting, and doesn’t want to return to the skins. All I’ll say is, it felt pretty natural. It felt very much like it used to.

After two or three hours, my voice was shot, but we were rocking like murder for a while. (Read more)

We hope for a tour, but take what we can get 🙂

Happy birthday Paul!

This day’s album is my favourite solo release from Paul Westerberg, Eventually:

Other December 31:

Continue reading Today: Paul Westerberg is 53