1975 Bruce Springsteen – Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (US:#83)
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” is the second song on Bruce Springsteen‘s breakthrough album Born to Run, released in 1975.
The song tells the story of the formation of the E Street Band. The meaning of the title is unclear. Even Springsteen himself says in the Born to Run documentary Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run: “I still have no idea what it means. But it’s important.”
The song’s protagonist, “Bad Scooter”, is a pseudonym for Springsteen himself (as indicated by the initials they share). In the third verse, “Big Man joined the band” refers to the now deceased Clarence Clemons, the band’s long-time saxophonist.
As stated by Springsteen in the Wings for Wheels documentary, the idea for the composition of the horn intro was Steven Van Zandt’s. Despite all of this, the single was a chart dud, getting no higher than #83 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it has always had a strong following on album-oriented rock radio and amongst Springsteen’s fan base.
Album
Born to Run is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually selling six million copies in the United States. Two singles were released from the album: “Born to Run” […]
Musicians
| Bass | Garry Tallent |
| Drums | Max Weinberg |
| Guitar | Bruce Springsteen |
| Piano | Roy Bittan |
| Flugelhorn | Randy Brecker |
| Sax | Clarence Clemons |
| Sax | David Sanborn |
| Sax | Michael Brecker |
| Trombone | Wayne Andre |
| Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
| Vocals | Bruce Springsteen |
Produced By
Bruce Springsteen
Jon Landau
Songwriters
Bruce Springsteen
Charts
US:#83
UK:# –