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Home , Bruce Springsteen, Danny Clinch

THE MAGAZINE OF » SPRING 2018

No. 128 ...and other rarities and artifacts in the Springsteen Collection page 40

* A ticket to show 128 of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour—closing night of the European leg—is one of many treasures in the collection. w ROCKROCKROCK RELICSRELICSRELICS

THE SPECIAL COLLECTION, WHICH IS HOUSED AT MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY, IS LIKE THE PROMISED FOR FANS OF THE BOSS. The almost-made-it One of several alternate photos considered for the Born in the U.S.A. . The now-iconic red hat that’s shoved into Bruce’s back pocket on the PHOTOS BY MATT FURMAN actual cover is also part of the Special Collection. When Monmouth University “Given the importance of Bruce announced plans for its Springsteen’s work in our own wcollaborative partnership to lives, we wanted to preserve and establish The Bruce Springsteen consolidate all this material before wArchives and Center for American it faded away. But I don’t think Music, global interest in the Bruce either of us imagined how much the wSpringsteen Special Collection collection would grow—thanks to skyrocketed. the dedication, labor, and generosity A portion of the collection, of fans worldwide—and that we’d composed of Springsteen’s written eventually find such a perfect . works, photographs, periodicals, As a founder, I couldn’t be more and artifacts, had been on loan to pleased to have discovered a partner Monmouth since 2011. In 2017, it was in Monmouth University to preserve formally gifted to the university for and expand the collection for future inclusion in the Archives by The generations.” Friends of the Bruce Springsteen The collection originated in 2001 Special Collection Inc., a nonprofit when organized a organization established to help fan-to-fan campaign to collect and preserve the history of the singer organize essential documents from and his music. each phase of Springsteen’s career, “When Bob Crane and I started ensuring that the historic record this collection more than 15 years would be publicly accessible to all. ago, we imagined something big: Originally housed in the Asbury something impressive, permanent, Park Public Library, the collection and unique, an unparalleled today contains more than 35,000 resource of use to fans, students, items from 47 countries. And it’s and scholars around the world,” still growing, as fans—and the said Christopher Phillips, publisher Boss himself—continue to donate PROUD MAMA and editor of the Springsteen to it. We asked Eileen Chapman, The collection includes several scrapbooks that Bruce’s mother, , Backstreets Magazine, and who oversees the collection for Ann Springsteen, compiled during her son’s rise to stardom, one of which includes original copies of Time and from former president of the Friends, Monmouth, to give us a peek at , when Bruce became the first musician in history to which formally disbanded in what’s inside. simultaneously appear on the of both magazines. January 2018. MONMOUTH 43 All Access There’s in—and then there’s in. Lucky fans might score a backstage pass, but only tour staff- ers received itinerary books (left), which list hotels, local amenities, timetables, and contact info for each stop on that leg of the tour.

Tickets to ride The collection in- cludes five decades’ worth of tickets sent in from around the world.

44 MONMOUTH MONMOUTH 45 CELEBRATING Promos + Keepsakes A postcard for “Cover Me,” the second single off of THE LEGACY 1984’s Born in the U.S.A.

CBS Records produced this 45-rpm picture disc for OF AMERICAN “Dancing in the Dark” in the shape of the single’s B-side, “Pink Cadillac.” MUSIC In conjunction with its efforts to promote One of the badges that got fans into the “Mead- Springsteen’s work, the The Bruce Spring- owlands Boardwalk” area outside steen Archives and Center for American during the summer 2003 tour. Music also aims to highlight the cultural and musical influences of other seminal American music figures such as , Robert Johnson, , Hank Williams, , and more. By sponsoring public education events, both on and off campus, the Archives provide opportunities for students and scholars alike to engage fully in the legacy of Bruce Springsteen and other American music giants. The collection is open to the public. Visits are by appointment only and must be made two weeks in advance. For more information, visit monmouth.edu/bruce.

Save the Date The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” at 40 Oct. 2–4, 2020 Monmouth University

Join us for an international scholarly the boss gets conference devoted to the life, work, and totally rad, saves influence of Bruce Springsteen, particularly the world, and in relation to his legendary album, The River, graces Denim which will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. The festivities will include various jacket lapels live acts, as well as keynote addresses by A collaboration between Spring- rock critics and figures from the music steen, photographer , industry. More information will be available and skater Mike Vallely, the lim- soon at monmouth.edu/bruce. ited-edition skateboard pictured BAsement above was produced for charity tapes in 2016. The collection houses a number Letters from the road Two of the dozens of Bruce-relat- of live show ... and even ed comics in the collection: “Hey recordings. In 1984, Andreé Rathemacher wrote Boss!” and “Transformers,” which Springsteen to request an interview more bruce includes the story, “The Adven- for a school project she was working Visit monmouth.edu/ tures of Brick Springhorn and the on. Several months later, she got this magazine for more Tenth Avenue Band.” response in the mail. “[It’s] a good illus- from this photo galler tration of how [he] always tried hard of memorabilia. y Wearable memorabilia in the to be a ‘normal guy,’—he took the time collection includes promotional to answer a letter from a kid in school,” jackets, blankets, T-shirts, and pins. says Rathemacher, who’s now a librarian at the University of Rhode Island.

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