The Unexpected Link Between Bruce Springsteen and 1960s Pop Groups

Thinking of 1960s pop groups like the Crystals, the Shangri-Las, the Beach Boys, and the Chiffons, you might not immediately associate them with Bruce Springsteen. He’s a rock and roll legend first and foremost. What does his work have to do with 60s girl groups and surf pop?

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Surprisingly, there’s a definitive link between these groups and Springsteen’s music. There’s evidence of this in his sound, but most notably in the imagery he uses in his songwriting.

Springsteen employs typical American imagery like cars, motorcycles, and highways. There’s the desire to leave a stifling hometown, such as on “Born To Run”. There, he includes references to New Jersey landmarks. Springsteen also embraces love, romance, and commitment as common themes in his music.

In 60s pop, love, romance, weddings, and the physical act of kissing were common images. Specifically, the kiss was used as a catch-all for intimacy, infatuation, spiritual connection, and overall personal fulfillment. The Crystals’ hit song “And Then He Kissed Me” is a crucial example of this. Springsteen often covered this song in the mid-70s, performing it as “And Then She Kissed Me”.

In His Early Work, Bruce Springsteen Found Unlikely Inspiration in 1960s Pop

In 1975, journalist Greil Marcus reviewed Born To Run for Rolling Stone. Marcus brought up the influence of 60s producer Phil Spector and the Crystals.

“‘Born To Run’ is a magnificent album that pays off on every bet ever placed on [Springsteen],” Marcus wrote. “A 57 Chevy running on melted down Crystals records that shuts down every claim that has been made. And it should crack his future wide open.”

Additionally, Bruce Springsteen’s work often uses dancing as a theme to express personal freedom and connection. There are also deep and lengthy character studies, which were often used in tragic teen songs of the 60s. Songs like “Tell Laura I Love Her” were character-driven. This is mirrored in Springsteen tracks like “Candy’s Room” and “Bobby Jean”.

According to a paper titled Rebuilding The “Wall Of Sound”: Bruce Springsteen And Early 1960s American Popular Music, Springsteen spoke to a Swedish magazine in 1975. In that interview, he described his early influences, which notably included The Crystals, The Ronettes, and others.

“At the time I listened to whatever was on AM radio,” Springsteen explained. “There was no FM, of course, but the radio had some good music on it in the early 60s, when I started playing […] Elvis was big then, in the early 60s, and the Ronettes, all the Spector stuff, and the girl groups from New York, which is what for me is a big part of my background.”

“The Ronettes, the Shirelles, the Crystals, the Chiffons, who put out a lot of great records and a lot of great music at the time,” he continued. “AM radio was fine right up until about 1967, when FM came in and started to play long cuts, without any commercials, and you could see the disappearance of the really good three-minute single.”

Featured Image by Jack Fordyce