Stevie Van Zandt
Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond
Pushkin Industries
4.5 • 4.3K Ratings
🗓️ 8 February 2022
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Stevie Van Zandt is the ultimate underboss. His first big break came in the mid-70s as Bruce Springsteen’s right-hand man, guitarist, and occasional co-producer in the E Street Band. Later he seamlessly made the jump to acting as one of Tony Soprano’s key consiglieres, Sil, on The Sopranos.
Van Zandt recently released his memoir, Unrequited Infatuations, which details his career over the past 50 years. On today’s episode Bruce Headlam talks to Van Zandt about the budding New Jersey rock n’ roll scene in the ‘60s, and what it was like recording with legendary R&B singers like Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love. He also reminisces about first meeting Springsteen—who Van Zandt says he saw go from a shy kid who was too timid to speak, to one of the greatest entertainers of our time.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, I'm really excited about today's guest. |
| 0:14.4 | About a year ago we had the boss on and today we have the ultimate under boss, Stevie |
| 0:19.5 | Van Zand. |
| 0:20.7 | His first big break came in the mid 70s as Bruce Springsteen's right hand man, guitarist |
| 0:25.2 | and occasional co-producer in the E Street band. |
| 0:28.3 | Later he seamlessly made the jump to acting as one of Tony Soprano's key consigliaries |
| 0:33.6 | Sill on the Soprano's. |
| 0:36.0 | Recently Van Zand released his memoir, Unrequited Infectuations, which details his career over |
| 0:41.7 | the past 50 years. |
| 0:43.7 | Delvin of course in the E Street band, but also into his endeavors as a producer, actor, |
| 0:49.0 | solo artist and activist, including his 1985 stand against South Africa's oppressive |
| 0:54.8 | regime. |
| 0:55.8 | When he created Artis United against apartheid and recorded the protest song Sun City, which |
| 1:00.7 | includes cameos from a slew of artists like You Too, Meli Mel, Run DMC and Miles Davis. |
| 1:08.3 | On today's episode Bruce Haddonone talks to Van Zand about the budding New Jersey rock |
| 1:12.0 | and roll scene in the 60s and what it was like recording with legendary R&B singers like |
| 1:17.0 | Ronnie Specter and Darling Love. |
| 1:19.8 | He also reminisces about first meeting Springsteen, who Van Zand says he saw go from a shy kid |
| 1:25.1 | who's too timid to speak to one of the greatest entertainers of our time. |
| 1:31.0 | This is Broken R&B. |
| 1:32.4 | Minor notes for the digital age. |
| 1:34.0 | I'm Justin Richman. |
... |
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