Sunday 19 June 2011

RIP Big Man

I need a beer. I'm not sure I can do this. I'm not sure I can do the 'Big Man' justice, but I need to try.
Just read the news that Clarence Clemons died yesterday, the man was an absolute legend and he's going to be sorely missed by all that knew him and all that felt they knew him through listening to his music.
Without that Saxophone sound, I'm not sure I would have been such a passionate fan of the E Street Band. Clarence was a vital part of that sound and helped create a different kind of rock. A rock sound that had never been heard before.
One of my all time favourite tunes is Jungleland of the Born to Run album because of that sax solo.
Pic courtesy of Backstreets.com

This link is Jungleland at Hyde Park in 2009, I have enjoyed this tune for 25-odd years now and I hope you do too.

RIP Big Man, I'm gonna miss you.

5 comments:

Leigh said...

DUDE, I am fucking hearing you. I was only discussing Clemons on Friday night in the pub - about how key he is to Springsteen's sound, and that he would be the most missed if he left the band. Then this happens. Terrible. Things just ain't gonna be the same.

rabidbarfly said...

I know, proper gutted I've been today. It's like a member of the family dying. Grew up with that sound.

Professor Pie-Tin said...

I once knocked on the door of a make-up trailer on a film set on a suburban street in London trying to find a contact to meet who was setting up some TV interviews for me.
" Come in " said this deep,bassy voice and there spilling out of a small make-up chair was this huge fuck-off black man with dreadlocks.
I had no idea who he was.
We chatted for a minute or so about this and that and he told me where the contact was.
He was a real friendly unassuming dude.
Once outside the cameraman who was with me asked " Do you know who that was ? "
" No " said I.
" That was a fucking legend " he replied.
The film was forgettable -
" Swing " with Lisa Stansfield.
But I still remember shaking hands with Springsteen's sax player, even though I failed to recognise him at the time.
RIP Big Man indeed.

rabidbarfly said...

Nice one PPT. Cheers for that.

Darren T said...

I've been a Springsteen fan for 25 years and as Leigh said, a big part of the reason I've always loved his music was because of the added element that the Big Man's sax brought to the E-Street sound. I was upset when Danny Federici passed away a couple of years ago, but this? This is just terrible. A very great loss indeed.