The cover of Bruce Springsteen’s album, “Only the Strong Survive.”
Bruce Springsteen has announced details for his upcoming soul-covers album, Only the Strong Survive, and released the first single, an upbeat, joyous take on Frank Wilson’s “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do).” You can watch the video for “Do I Love You” below, as well as his video announcement.
The Ron Aniello-produced album will be released on Nov. 11. There will be two duets with Sam Moore (one of Springsteen’s biggest influences, as a member of Sam & Dave), on it.
According to a press release, the album features “contributions from The E Street Horns, full string arrangements by Rob Mathes, and backing vocals by Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr., Dennis Collins and Fonzi Thornton.”
Springsteen says in the press release, “I wanted to make an album where I just sang. And what better music to work with than the great American songbook of the Sixties and Seventies? I’ve taken my inspiration from Levi Stubbs, David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin, the Iceman Jerry Butler, Diana Ross, Dobie Gray, and Scott Walker, among many others. I’ve tried to do justice to them all — and to the fabulous writers of this glorious music. My goal is for the modern audience to experience its beauty and joy, just as I have since I first heard it. I hope you love listening to it as much as I loved making it.”
This is the album’s track listings, along with the song’s original artists:
“Only the Strong Survive,” Jerry Butler
“Soul Days” (featuring Sam Moore), Dobie Gray
“Nightshift,” The Commodores
“Do I Love You (Indeed I Do),” Frank Wilson
“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore,” The Walker Brothers
“Turn Back the Hands of Time,” Tyrone Davis
“When She Was My Girl,” The Four Tops
“Hey, Western Union Man,” Jerry Butler
“I Wish It Would Rain,” The Temptations
“Don’t Play That Song,” Aretha Franklin
“Any Other Way,” Jackie Shane
“I Forgot to Be Your Lover” (featuring Sam Moore), William Bell
“7 Rooms of Gloom,” The Four Tops
“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted,” Jimmy Ruffin
“Someday We’ll Be Together,” Diana Ross & The Supremes
The album cover says “Vol. 1,” so presumably Springsteen plans to release at least one more album in this vein.
For more, and to pre-order the album, visit brucespringsteen.net.
Click here to listen to the original versions of all the songs.
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