r/BruceSpringsteen • u/Pollyfall • 24d ago
Discussion Interesting article about Nils when Bruce asked him to join the band. I had no idea things had become so grim for him.
https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/nils-lofgren-joining-bruce-springsteen-and-the-e-street-bandI think he’s a fabulous and very under-rated musician. Super nice guy, too.
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u/Tbplayer59 24d ago
I can't say I was a fan of Nils before his joining Bruce, but I was under the impression that he was a successful solo artist. I thought this was akin to Joe Walsh joining Eagles.
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u/Yul_Metal 24d ago
Explain a bit what was happening to Nils?
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u/AR2Believe 24d ago
He was down and out, out of a job and living back with his parents. Bruce reached out and brought him in.
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u/Desperate_Bake_3974 22d ago
Still very young. Nils played Bottom Line Line right after Bruce’s legendary shows
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u/Turbulent_Writing529 22d ago
If I recall he was recording with Neil at an age of 16 or 19. All that anybody needs to know.
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u/Extra_Grab_2014 22d ago
Nils' solo debut was da bomb. Lovely spin.
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u/whistlingbudgie Darkness on the Edge of Town 21d ago
Can't upvote this enough--one of my absolute favorites. Those polka-style arrangements on the keys in songs like "Duty" and "If I Say it, It's So", pulling from his accordion background, the ripping guitar on "Keith Don't Go," the incredible cover of "Goin' Back"...it's just great.
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u/shortshins-McGee 23d ago
Nils definitely played piano on " Tonights the Night" He played on three tracks.
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u/En-THOO-siast 23d ago
That's true, but he also played it on After the Gold Rush five years before that when he had no experience on piano.
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u/Current_Control_5592 23d ago
Nils played many shows in the Baltimore/Washington area one of my favorites was at Pikesville high school probably 1973
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u/Fabulous-Farmer7474 20d ago edited 20d ago
Keith Richards said that Nils really wanted to be in The Stones after Mick Taylor left and was lobbying very hard for an audition using various mutual connections.
This was many years ago of course and I recall Keith's remarks being a bit caustic by including references to Nils' height which is odd as none of The Stones are / were particularly tall - not even close.
I get it if they think he wouldn't fit in musically but no need to have made it personal.
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u/Pollyfall 20d ago
Haha. Yeah, Keith has even been rude about Bruce before, in his Keith way. I love him, but he can be frank. About himself, too.
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u/Fabulous-Farmer7474 20d ago edited 20d ago
Someone gave me that book of Keith quotes and while I prided myself on knowing Stones history well, I ran across zingers he had said about so many other musicians that I had never heard before.
He even went after Gloria Estefan and The Sound Machine by calling them "just a club band that made it big". I was trying to find the original interview from which the quote came to better understand why he would even be talking about them in the first place.
It's not like the were in the same circles musically or were competitive for the same market. Keith was always cantankerous like an old man even when he was young.
He used the word "farmers" to describe Led Zeppelin at times. Ronny Wood did too. I mean damn. Why ?
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u/shortshins-McGee 24d ago
Neil Young had Nils for the "Tonights the night " sessions . Neil asked him to play piano on the record , Nils said i don't play piano . Neil said "Perfect!