And the Welcome everyone to So the Jaker on songwriting. I'm Brian here as ever with Simon and joining us today is an American musician, singer, songwriter, producer, actor, activist and now author.

His songs have been performed by the likes of Jackson Brown,

Pearl Jam, Margot Price, Jimmy Cliff, Nancy Sinatra, Meat Loaf and Darlene Love,

but he's perhaps best known as a long time member of Bruce Springsteen's East Street Band.

And boy can he rock a headscarf and Hawaiian shirt combo.

We're delighted to welcome the great Stephen Van Zandt to the show.

We're reaching a little way into the archive for this one, aren't we, Bray?

Yeah, we caught up with Stephen in Manchester, pre-Covid while he was performing over here in the UK,

and it was a real treat to meet him, wasn't it?

It was, not just as admirers of his musical talent. and it was a real treat to meet him wasn't it?

It was not just as admirers of his musical talent but also as huge fans of the

Sopranos too.

Yeah I must admit it was a bit this concern to have Sylvia look at me right in the eye.

All I could think about was Adriana getting whacked.

That poor woman.

But then she was working for the feds, so...

Man, you are cold. Our guest was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts in 1950 and discovered

his passion for music at an early age. As it was for many other budding young musicians,

the Beatles legendary appearance on Ed Sullivan in February of 64, was a pivotal moment for Steve and he formed his first band, The Whirlwins, that same year.

He later met a fellow young whipper snapper named Bruce Springsteen at the Hull

Blue Club in Middletown, New Jersey when they were both around 16. They forged a strong

personal and musical relationship which continues to this day and both are now cited as key

...