Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes
"The only white kid on the Jersey shore that you could stand to hear sing straight R&B five sets a night." - Bruce Springsteen
Boss fans will, or should, know the connection: Steven Van Zandt was producer, manager and writer for SJ&tAJ, a Jersey shore barband.
Their first album featured a couple of Springsteen/Van Zandt songs and some R 'n' B covers from their bar set, with guest appearances from R 'n' B legend. Lee Dorsey and soul queen, Ronnie Spector. Best-known was Springsteen's 'The Fever', which didn't fit with the songs on Bruce's own debut album so he gave it to Johnny:
[video=youtube;5aDLeWoxbms]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aDLeWoxbms[/video]
The 2nd album, 'This Time It's For Real', featured more Van Zandt/Springsteen songs and harked back to their love of Motown. It was soaked in reverb with a number of the 4-on-the-snare songs (ref. World Shut Your Mouth) that would become the Jukes' trademark, but not on this Springsteen/Van Zandt song:
[video=youtube;syTA_HV1B8A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syTA_HV1B8A[/video]
From 1975 to 1978 Springsteen was legally barred from recording so was giving a lot of songs away. Johnny's third album, 'Hearts of Stone' was all Van zandt/Springsteen songs and is considered by fans as his best. Steve had obviously noted his previous over-indulgence with the reverb unit and the production was tight, almost capturing the band's live dynamic. 'I Played the Fool' was played in UK soul clubs:
[video=youtube;h1VYi8yraHg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1VYi8yraHg[/video]
A brilliant double live album, 'Reach Up and Touch the Sky', closed the era as the E Street Band went international and Steven got too busy. Johnny and guitarist Billy Rush wrote and produced but there was only a rare gem:
[video=youtube;15mZrQ_r1KY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15mZrQ_r1KY&NR=1[/video]
Johnny drifted through the 80s (Jon Bon Jovi played guitar for a while pre-Bon Jovi) and half the Jukes went to work with Van Zandt in The Disciples of Soul, half the Disciples set being Jukes songs:
[video=youtube;QlbJm6yOoL4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlbJm6yOoL4[/video]
There was a reunion with Bruce and Steven in 1998 for the 'Better Days' album:
[video=youtube;XJLo5EkU7Lo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJLo5EkU7Lo[/video]
It got Johnny back with his core audience, like me, with occasional albums such as the blues album, 'Messin' With The Blues' and the new one, "Pills & Ammo", getting excellent reviews as a return to form. The band continue to tour constantly, playing club and bars just like the old days:
[video=youtube;LFNCiEGZbLk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFNCiEGZbLk[/video]