Fade Away (song)
Encyclopedia
"Fade Away" is a 1980 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen
, accompanied by the E Street Band
. It was contained on his album The River, and the second single released from it in the United States.
in New York
in March to June 1980, one of the last songs to be recorded for the album. Musically and lyrically it is a slow, pained lament:
Rock author Jimmy Guterman wrote that "Fade Away" is "certainly among his most pessimistic and helpless depictions of life and love gone wrong."
This was the second single taken from The River, released in February 1981 in the U.S. and in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. (In the UK and Europe, "
The River
" was released instead.) In the U.S., "Fade Away" was not as successful as the previous single from the album, "Hungry Heart
", but still reached #20 on the U.S. pop singles chart
. It was only performed sporadically on The River Tour
, and not at all for nearly the first two months. The judgement behind its selection as the second single was questioned and the choice was blamed for slowing down sales of the album. It was then dropped from Springsteen's concert repertoire completely, only rematerializing for a handful of solo renditions on the 2005 Devils & Dust Tour
. E Streeter Steve Van Zandt has proclaimed "Fade Away" as one of his favorite Springsteen songs, but thinks that it is not played in band shows because it is too slow. Regardless, he says, "It's just one of those funny, lost little gems, you know?" It was finally given an E Street Band performance again at Stockholms Stadion on June 7, 2009 during the European second leg of the Working on a Dream Tour
; Springsteen made reference on stage to Van Zandt's desire to hear it.
Meanwhile, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (old Van Zandt cohorts) had added "Fade Away" to his concerts from the 1980s on, and it would be included on his 1997 Spittin' Fire live album. Southside's renditions have often been of a slow, bluesy nature, accompanied only by bandmate Bobby Bandiera
.
"Be True" is a track from The River sessions that continued the new Springsteen tradition of using songs that did not appear on his albums as B-sides. It was recorded on July 21, 1979, at The Power Station, in one the first sessions for the album. According to Springsteen, "Be True" was left off The River album in favor of the song "Crush on You", a decision he has a hard time understanding in retrospect. Although left off the album and released only as a B-side of a single, "Be True" reached #42 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. A featured selection on the 1988 Tunnel of Love Express, a live version from that tour was included on the Chimes of Freedom
EP. The studio recording of "Be True" was eventually released on the Tracks box set in 1998.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, accompanied by the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
. It was contained on his album The River, and the second single released from it in the United States.
History
The song was recorded at The Power StationAvatar Studios
Avatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in March to June 1980, one of the last songs to be recorded for the album. Musically and lyrically it is a slow, pained lament:
- Well now, you say you've found another man, who does things to you that I can't
- And that no matter what I do, it's all over now between me and you girl
- But I can't believe what you say!
- No, I can't believe what you say ...
Rock author Jimmy Guterman wrote that "Fade Away" is "certainly among his most pessimistic and helpless depictions of life and love gone wrong."
This was the second single taken from The River, released in February 1981 in the U.S. and in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. (In the UK and Europe, "
The River
The River (Bruce Springsteen song)
"The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It was the title track of his fifth album, The River, and was a hit single in parts of Europe. It reached #25 in the Netherlands, and reached the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway...
" was released instead.) In the U.S., "Fade Away" was not as successful as the previous single from the album, "Hungry Heart
Hungry Heart
"Hungry Heart" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his fifth album, The River. It was released as the album's first single in 1980 and became Springsteen's first big hit of his own on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.-History:...
", but still reached #20 on the U.S. pop singles chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It was only performed sporadically on The River Tour
The River Tour
The River Tour was a concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in 1980 and 1981, beginning concurrently with the release of Springsteen's album The River.-Itinerary:...
, and not at all for nearly the first two months. The judgement behind its selection as the second single was questioned and the choice was blamed for slowing down sales of the album. It was then dropped from Springsteen's concert repertoire completely, only rematerializing for a handful of solo renditions on the 2005 Devils & Dust Tour
Devils & Dust Tour
The Devils & Dust Tour was a 2005 concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen performing alone on stage on a variety of instruments. It followed the release of his 2005 album Devils & Dust.-Approach:...
. E Streeter Steve Van Zandt has proclaimed "Fade Away" as one of his favorite Springsteen songs, but thinks that it is not played in band shows because it is too slow. Regardless, he says, "It's just one of those funny, lost little gems, you know?" It was finally given an E Street Band performance again at Stockholms Stadion on June 7, 2009 during the European second leg of the Working on a Dream Tour
Working on a Dream Tour
The Working on a Dream Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which began in April 2009 and ended in November 2009...
; Springsteen made reference on stage to Van Zandt's desire to hear it.
Meanwhile, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (old Van Zandt cohorts) had added "Fade Away" to his concerts from the 1980s on, and it would be included on his 1997 Spittin' Fire live album. Southside's renditions have often been of a slow, bluesy nature, accompanied only by bandmate Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera is an American rock guitarist and singer known in the Jersey Shore sound world.- Biography :Bandiera was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey...
.
Track listing
- Fade Away — 4:46
- Be True — 3:39
"Be True" is a track from The River sessions that continued the new Springsteen tradition of using songs that did not appear on his albums as B-sides. It was recorded on July 21, 1979, at The Power Station, in one the first sessions for the album. According to Springsteen, "Be True" was left off The River album in favor of the song "Crush on You", a decision he has a hard time understanding in retrospect. Although left off the album and released only as a B-side of a single, "Be True" reached #42 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. A featured selection on the 1988 Tunnel of Love Express, a live version from that tour was included on the Chimes of Freedom
Chimes of Freedom (EP)
Chimes of Freedom is the name of a 1988 live Bruce Springsteen EP. It was released to support the multi-artist Human Rights Now! Tour in benefit of Amnesty International. This tour was announced near the end of a first set radio broadcast during Springsteen's July 3, 1988 show in Stockholm,...
EP. The studio recording of "Be True" was eventually released on the Tracks box set in 1998.