Because The Night Nils Lofgren and Bruce Springsteen 12/7/2003

Thank you my friend SGT (Join to see) for posting the music video of Nils Lofgren and Bruce Springsteen with the E Street band performing Because The Night on December 7, 2003 in honor of the fact American musician Nils Lofgren was born on June 21, 1953.
Happy 67th birthday Nils Lofgren

"Because The Night" written by Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics
"Take me now baby here as I am
Pull me close try an understand
I work all day out in the hot sun
Break my back till the mornin' comes
Come on now try and understand
The way I feel when I'm in your hands
Take me now as the sun descends
They can't hurt you now
They can't hurt you now
They can't hurt you now

Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us

What I got I have earned
What I'm not I have learned
Desire and hunger is the fire I breathe
Just stay in my bed till the morning comes
Come on now try and understand
The way I feel when I'm in your hands
Take me now as the sun descends
They can't hurt you now
They can't hurt you now
They can't hurt you now

Because the night...

Your love is here and now
The vicious circle turns and burns without
Though I cannot live forgive me now
The time has come to take this moment and
They can't hurt you now"



Nils Lofgren Interview
In June 2011 Guitar legend Nils Lofgren played at St Georges Hall in Bradford. Here is an interview with him before the gig and at the sound check.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFbhBqq8ZlA

Images
1. Nils Lofgren photo by Alison Reynolds
2. Bruce Springsteen [right] with Nils Lofgren performs in concert in Paris
3. Nils Lofgren with Grin; Tom Lofgren left; Nils Lofgren front; Bob Berberich right; and Bob Gordon center rear
4. Amy and Nils Lofgren

Biographies
1. allmusic.com/artist/nils-lofgren-mn [login to see] /biography
2. thegreatrockbible.com/portfolio-item/nils-lofgren-biography/

1. Background from [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nils-lofgren-mn [login to see] /biography]
Active 1960s - 2010s
Born June 21, 1951 in Chicago, IL
Genre Pop/Rock
Styles Heartland RockRock & RollRoots Rock
Also Known As Nils Hilmer Lofgren
Member Of Grin, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
For much of his professional rock & roll career, Nils Lofgren has been known as the lead guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band -- the guy who replaced Steven Van Zandt in 1984 and stayed on after Little Steven returned to the fold. Prior to the E-Street Band, Lofgren was a member of Neil Young's backing band Crazy Horse, and these associations have tended to dominate any mention of the guitarist's career, as any support for two legendary singer/songwriters would. But take away Springsteen and Young from Lofgren's résumé, and he has an impressive, idiosyncratic cache in his own right, starting with the records he made with Grin, an acclaimed but underappreciated band from the late '60s, running through his own compositions with Crazy Horse, and then on a series of solo recordings that started with 1975's eponymous debut. Anchored with "Keith Don't Go," a tribute to the Rolling Stones guitarist that stands as one of rock's great love letters, that record earned good reviews, but his subsequent Cry Tough (1976), I Came to Dance (1977), and Night After Night (1977) performed better on the album rock charts, laying the foundation for a discography that stretched well into the new millennium, consisting of records made during downtime for the E-Street Band, or even when the group was in full force.

Raised in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Garrett Park, Maryland, Nils Lofgren began playing music at an early age, picking up the accordion at the age of five, spending time studying classical and jazz, then getting seduced by rock & roll as a teenager. (He also became an expert gymnast, and years later he would incorporate his skills with the trampoline into his act.) Lofgren picked up guitar and piano at the age of 15, forming the band Grin with drummer Bob Berberich and bassist George Daly soon afterward. As the group played the local circuit, Lofgren happened to meet Neil Young. Impressed with Lofgren, Young invited the teenage guitarist to head out to California and Lofgren accepted the invitation, taking Grin with him. The band set up in a Laurel Canyon home rented by Young and began rehearsing while Lofgren played guitar and piano on Young's 1970 LP After the Gold Rush. Lofgren was just 17.

Although Lofgren was so thoroughly within Young's orbit that he appeared on the 1971 album by Crazy Horse -- he played throughout and sang lead on his original composition "Beggar's Day" -- he remained devoted to his D.C. band. Grin landed a record contract with A&M in 1971. By this point, Daly had left the band and was replaced by Bob Gordon. Produced by Young's right-hand man David Briggs, Grin's eponymous debut arrived in 1971 and soon enough, the group was earning more critical attention than sales. Grin worked steadily over the next few years, cutting three more records with Briggs: the 1972 LP 1+1, which featured Lofgren alone on the front cover, and All Out and Gone Crazy, both of which appeared in 1973 and also featured Lofgren's brother Tom on rhythm guitar. By that time, the group had begun to splinter and Young invited Lofgren to join his touring band; that tour spilled into the studio when Young recorded Tonight's the Night in the haze of Danny Whitten's death.

By the time Tonight's the Night hit the stores in 1975, Lofgren had signed to A&M as a solo artist. Anchored by the Stones tribute "Keith Don't Go," Nils Lofgren earned considerable praise upon its release -- future Springsteen manager Jon Landau praised it in Rolling Stone and it appeared on NME's Top 10 for the year; it also placed at 19 on the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop poll -- but it didn't sell particularly well, peaking at 141 on the Billboard charts. The following year's Cry Tough did much better. Building upon the word of mouth for the debut, album rock radio play, and tours, it went all the way to 32 on the Billboard charts. I Came to Dance and the live double-album Night After Night, both released in 1977, were also modest album rock hits -- they peaked at 36 and 44, respectively -- as was 1979's Nils. The latter was the fruit of Lofgren's late-'70s partnership with the Lou Reed axis, containing co-writes with Reed and Reed's guitarist Dick Wagner while being produced by Bob Ezrin; Lofgren also played on Reed's The Bells LP that year. Lofgren ended his streak of relatively high-charting albums when Night Fades Away squeaked into the first half of the Billboard Top 200 by reaching 99. He released one more album for Backstreet/MCA -- 1983's Wonderland, a record that failed to chart -- before parting ways with the label.

Prior to the release of Wonderland, Lofgren rekindled his collaboration with Young, playing on the 1982 electro experiment Trans and appearing on its supporting tour in 1983. Despite this renewal, the allegiance that defined Lofgren's '80s -- and would factor strongly in the rest of his career -- was his new partnership with Bruce Springsteen. When Steven Van Zandt left the E-Street Band in 1984 to pursue a solo career -- the first major shift in the band's lineup since 1975 -- Springsteen turned to Lofgren to replace his lieutenant. From this point on, Lofgren was the lead guitarist for the E-Street Band, appearing on Springsteen's solo albums and also finding space when Van Zandt chose to climb back aboard in 1995. Springsteen leaned on Lofgren, but the latter also pursued his solo career, beginning with Flip, his star-studded debut for Columbia in 1985. The record didn't reach great heights –- it peaked at 150 -- but it eased Lofgren's transition from a "could've been" to a cult act. After Flip, he never showed up again on a major label. He moved to the CD-only independent Rykodisc in 1990. The label reissued 1975's Nils Lofgren that year and released the brand-new Silver Lining in 1991, followed by Crooked Line in 1992; the former was his last album to chart, reaching 153 in 1991.

By the early '90s, he had cultivated his own peculiar cult -- a contingent attracted to his blend of album rock and roots rock, while also appreciating his touring with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band. Major labels never crossed Lofgren's radar in the next two decades. His move to Rykodisc was the first step in a process that brought him toward total independence by the early 2000s. He recorded steadily, alternating full-fledged studio albums like 1995's Damaged Goods and 2011's Old School with interesting detours like 1997's Acoustic Live or 2008's The Loner: Nils Sings Neil. Lofgren would record when he wasn't playing guitar with others. During the extended hiatus for the E-Street Band in the '90s, he was often a gun for hire, playing on tours by Springsteen's wife Patti Scialfa and Ringo Starr, popping up on Neil Young's Unplugged, and also playing on several Springsteen solo albums.

Once the E-Street Band returned to active duty in the 2000s, Lofgren continued to balance his Springsteen duties with his own solo career, cutting introspective personal efforts (2006's Sacred Weapon and 2011's Old School), paying homage to colleagues and peers (2008's The Loner: Nils Sings Neil and 2019's Blue with Lou, the latter featuring songs he wrote with Lou Reed), and performing open jams. All of Lofgren's journeys, from his early days with Grin through his long years as an independent rocker, were celebrated in the 2014 box set Face the Music, a nine-CD/one-DVD set curated by Lofgren himself. In 2018, Young reunited Crazy Horse for a series of concerts, and with guitarist Frank "Pancho" Sampedro sitting out, Young persuaded Lofgren to rejoin the band for their appearances."

2. Background from {[https://thegreatrockbible.com/portfolio-item/nils-lofgren-biography/]}
"NILS LOFGREN + {DOLPHIN} + {GRIN}
Playing lead guitar for some of rock music’s most revered legends (NEIL YOUNG, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and er… RINGO STARR) has rocketed the enigmatic NILS LOFGREN into the spotlight over his long and winding career. Guaranteeing a certain cool blues flavour throughout, showing off versatility and scope without quite overdoing it, the flamboyant star never committed the cardinal sin of overindulgence and, without setting the world alight, Nils’ LPs (including the “Back It Up!! Nils Lofgren Live – An Authorized Bootleg” in ‘76) had enough sumptuous guitar pieces and eloquently crafted tracks to make his life as a top axeman a worthwhile experience.

Born Nils Hilmer Lofgren, June 21, 1951, Chicago, Illinois, he was raised in Garrett Park, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. by his Italian/Swedish parents. A protégé of accordion playing since the age of 5, Nils graduated to rock music and, at 17 years of age, joined (ex-The Hangmen) Dolphin; credited as “Nils Lothgrin” on the first of two flop singles, `Let’s Get Together’. The following year, in 1969, the lead guitarist featured on Paul Dowell And The Dolphin’s `It’s Better To Know You’, before defecting with George Day (keyboards, guitar) and Bob Berberich (drums) to form the harder-edged and poignantly-named GRIN.

While building up the group’s live reputation, Nils sessioned on piano and guitar for NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE on the `After The Gold Rush’ album, while CRAZY HORSE themselves, also roped him as part-writer/5th member for their equally outstanding eponymous debut, released early in ‘71; contributing `Nobody’ and `Beggar’s Day’ (lead vocals on the latter). On the back of GRIN’s only platter for Thunder Records (a division of C.B.S.): `We All Sung Together’, bassist Bob Gordon was called upon to supersede Daly, who duly became an A&R executive at the affiliated Columbia.
Moving along the corporate corridor to CBS’s Spindizzy, they previewed their self-titled debut LP, GRIN (1971) {*6}, with the single `If I Were A Song’. The David Briggs-produced album only managed to scrape into the Top 200, augmented as it was on a handful of tracks by NEIL YOUNG and CRAZY HORSE-ers Danny Whitten and Ralph Molina. Remarkable when one thinks of his age and his wide-ranging CV up to now, the set was made all the better for the sentimental `Like Rain’ and `Pioneer Mary’, plus the screeching rockers `See What Love Can Do’ and `I Had Too Much (Miss Dazi)’.
Selling in higher quantities, as to the fact that it delivered a minor hit 45 by way of opener, `White Lies’, 1 + 1 (1972) {*7} was still overlooked by many prospective fans. Okay, it was a tad slushy in places (side two for instance), but in the catchy rock numbers `Please Don’t Hide’, `Slippery Fingers’, `Moon Tears’ and the “other” single, `End Unkind’, GRIN were racing towards a happy medium.
The addition of younger brother Tom Lofgren (on rhythm guitar) complemented the band’s third album, ALL OUT (1973) {*6}, but one couldn’t disguise that this was a one-man show, with Nils wasted on some soft-rock or countrified material; `Ain’t Love Nice’ (the obligatory flop), `Sad Letter’ and the light-weight `Heavy Chevy’, toothless no matter how big the smile was on the illustrative sleevework.

A change of stations and style resulted in A&M Records giving the cheesy GRIN another chance on GONE CRAZY (1973) {*6}. Despite a re-vamped tribute song, `Beggar’s Day (Eulogy To Danny Whitten), to his old CRAZY HORSE buddy, who tragically died the previous November, and several JOE WALSH or LITTLE FEAT-like cuts, `You’re The One’, `What About Me’ and `True Thrill’, GRIN were going nowhere fast.

The guitarist’s precocious talent duly confirmed on his eponymous A&M solo debut, NILS LOFGREN (1975) {*8}, his groove – and his flipping somersault-on-a-trampoline stage antics – were met with an irrepressible verve and a rock-solid set of songs, augmented by Wornell Jones (bass) and journeyman drummer Aynsley Dunbar. From the brawny KEITH RICHARDS nod, `Keith Don’t Go (Ode To The Glimmer Twin)’ and the sensitive rendition of GOFFIN & KING’s `Goin’ Back’ (also recorded by The BYRDS among others), to the infectious pop-rock of single, `Back It Up’ and `Rock And Roll Crook’, former whiz kid LOFGREN was again in everybody’s good books.
One of the “everybody’s” was NEIL YOUNG, who invited CRAZY HORSE and Nils along for the ride on his sublime `Tonight’s The Night’ album. As well as contributing haunting piano and vocals to the likes of `Albuquerque’ and `Tired Eyes’, the star-in-waiting offered up some searing guitar licks on `Speakin’ Out’ and the title track.

Although Nils’ debut solo record failed to reach Top 100 proportions, a cult following was ascertained for the aforesaid BACK IT UP!! NILS LOFGREN LIVE – AN AUTHORISED BOOTLEG (1976) {*8}. From its limited-edition run of 1000 copies sent to lucky radio stations around the States, to its subsequent representation on “official” CD, the collector’s piece might’ve proved unwelcome among the establishment, but it did register to mostly anyone, that with a tape recorder one could spring life to an artist in his prime; it was bookended/segued by two GRIN cuts, `Take You To The Movies’ and `Soft Fun’.

Rewarded by some belated Top 40 (UK Top 10!) chart success courtesy of the AL KOOPER-produced CRY TOUGH (1976) {*7}, LOFGREN was still not to everyone’s taste. A more guitar-orientated affair, as the title track established, it briefly elevating Nils to the level of recognition enjoyed by most of his peers. On closer inspection and/or reflection, the man simply adhered axe riffs to sentimental songs (e.g. the cod-reggae YARDBIRDS cover, `For Your Love’), while `Jailbait’ and the RUNDGREN-esque `Can’t Get Closer’, had elements of funk.

Irrespective of another gem of a title track, I CAME TO DANCE (1977) {*5} was a disappointment to the majority of his growing heartland fanbase, who’d bought the transatlantic Top 40 LP thinking they might be treated to some heavy licks. Co-produced with his new drummer Andy Newmark (Aynsley’s replacement), there was little but swagger and slick retro rock’n’roll on `Code Of The Road’, `Happy Ending Kids’ and an addendum cover of The ROLLING STONES’ `Happy’.
Ill-timed and ill-conceived, coming so close after “that bootleg LP”, the cash-in Top 50 double-set NIGHT AFTER NIGHT (1977) {*5} – featuring fresh drummer David Platshon and keyboardist Rev. Patrick Henderson – just rounded up his best bits so far and gave kids a good excuse to turn to punk-rock.

The long wait for the slightly-improved Bob Ezrin-produced NILS (1979) {*6}, led it to sell even less copies, despite the lyrical suss of guest LOU REED and/or his esteemed buddy Dick Wagner for the bulk of the tracks (including the back-to-back `A Fool Like Me’ and `I Found Her’); the odd one out was a reading of RANDY NEWMAN’s `Baltimore’. LOFGREN was only really returning the complement, as he was one of a handful of collaborators on the ex-VU man’s `The Bells’ (also 1979).
A fresh deal with Backstreet Records (a division of M.C.A.) failed to turn things around as NIGHT FADES AWAY (1981) {*4} slipped out of contention and the Top 100 (Top 50 UK) after only a week in the lists. Employing a raft of session men and a cameo for DEL SHANNON on `I Go To Pieces’ (not the C&W cover incidentally), LOFGREN and former STEELY DAN member Jeff “Skunk” Baxter could not work the magic on `Ancient History’, `In Motion’ and the token cover, by way of LENNON & McCARTNEY’s `Anytime At All’.

Straight back on course via an experimental time on NEIL YOUNG’s `Trans’ (1982), LOFGREN tried in vain to gain a foothold in the 80s, thinking that churning out stuff that would make BILLY JOEL gloat (namely WONDERLAND (1983) {*5}), would seal a return. Not so. Aimed at the MTV market, FM-radio, and encompassing more directions that a busy highway intersection, Nils and his tight band (rhythm section Kevin McCormick and Andy Newmark) hit a new low with a cover of The VALENTINOS’ `It’s All Over Now’, although `Across The Tracks’, `Deadline’ and the title track were worthy of carrying on.
In 1984, as Steven Van Zandt/LITTLE STEVEN duly tread on his commercial toes, LOFGREN replaced the guitarist and initiated a marathon stint in BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’s E-Street Band. From live lieutenant to 1987’s `Tunnel Of Love’ onwards, until “The Sopranos” star returned a decade on, Nils played sidekick to “The Boss”.

Meanwhile, LOFGREN’s solo career took a slight upsurge when his Columbia-endorsed FLIP (1985) {*6} proved a hit in the UK, having been independently released for Towerbell Records. Known for his gymnastic traits on stage, it all started well on `Flip Ya Flip’ and the minor-hit (his only one) UK single, `Secrets In The Streets’, but again he sacrificed quality for commercialised high-octane soft-rockers on decent tracks, `Sweet Midnight’ and `Big Tears Fall’. This was the artist’s final studio release of the decade; the live double-set CODE OF THE ROAD (1986) {*5} – recorded at London’s Hammersmith Odeon – not even thought worthy of a Stateside dispatch.
The early 90s saw the singer/songwriter/guitarist return with a new band – LEVON HELM joining keyboard player Scott Thurston, plus stalwarts Newmark and McCormick – on a two albums in as many years for Rykodisc Records; an uncharacteristically prolific burst of creativity no doubt fuelled by his long years as a sideman. Both influenced by his time with the mighty Bruce, SILVER LINING (1991) {*6} and CROOKED LINE (1992) {*5} – the latter featuring a cover of `Just A Little’ – ambled toward the mainstream.

An integral part of RINGO STARR’s All-Starr Band from 1989-92, LOFGREN’s first foray into original motion picture soundtrack work was for the movie EVERYBREATH (1994) {*6}. The record was peppered with howling blues licks, ear-shattering harmonica parts, smooth-as-silk ballads, and to-die-for guitar solos, that all added up to a fine body of work. From the opening bars of the down ‘n’ dirty `No Return’, through the delicate `Tender Love’ and jazz lounge-tinged `Rainy Nights’, to the final, gospel-accompanied, screeching notes of `Fallen Into His Hands’, the profound score was an eclectic mix of styles that complemented each other.
A follow-on album, DAMAGED GOODS (1995) {*5}, and the obligatory unplugged ACOUSTIC LIVE (1997) {*7} were a little gruff around the edges; the guitar hero taking the philosophical route on a return studio collaboration with LOU REED on `Life’, while the solo concert set unloaded all his faves to an intimate audience. The Mr. Nice of the rock establishment, LOFGREN remained one of the most respected, highly-praised and in-demand guitarists around; the fact that his solo career never really took off only served to fuel his cult status.

LOFGREN returned in 2002 with BREAK AWAY ANGEL {*6}, a largely acoustic set featuring the axemeister in unfamiliar but satisfying terrain, amid dobro, mandolin, upright bass and fiddle, and even covering the Boudleaux & Felice Bryant classic, `All I Have To Do Is Dream’; another co-written LOU REED piece, `Driftin’ Man’ was nothing startling. Together with Paul Berry (guitar), Wade Matthews (bass) and Timm Biery (drums), the NILS LOFGREN BAND LIVE {*6} record maintained his ratio of concert sets, bookending the double-CD in a couple of newer songs, `Puttin’ Out Fires’ and `Daddy Dream’, with renditions of `The Star Spangled Banner’ and EWAN MacCOLL’s `First Time I Ever Saw Your Face’; a nice touch too was his reading of Danny Whitten’s `I Don’t Wanna Talk About It’ (recognisable to ROD STEWART fans).
Roping in country legend WILLIE NELSON for opener `In Your Hands’, 2006’s SACRED WEAPON {*6} also paid homage to the passing of friends David Briggs (on `Mr. Hardcore’) and jazz man Walter Payton (on `Tried And True’), while many critics still on board had stated it had been his finest achievement for some time.

While one couldn’t quite foresee strummer LOFGREN covering an album’s worth of material from “The Boss” (but never say never!), his acoustic-guitar or piano-led THE LONER: NILS SINGS NEIL (2008) {*7} was spirited and moving; adding a fair amount of spondulicks into YOUNG’s bulging bank balance. Displaying a dream vocal and some intricate guitar work that any blues folky would be proud of, Nils cherry-picked 15 tracks from the icon’s repertoire; all top-drawer:- `Long May You Run’, `I Am A Child’, `Only Love Can Break Your Heart’, `Like A Hurricane’, `The Loner’, et al…
Celebrating six decades on the planet, OLD SCHOOL (2011) {*6} reminisced Nils’ time with GRIN so many moons ago for the rollicking `60 Is The New 18’, while guest spots for SAM & DAVE (on `Ain’t Too Many Of Us Left’), LOU GRAMM and PAUL RODGERS, respectively, were welcomed by long-standing – some would say long-suffering – disciples of his undoubted talent. Heartfelt, wistful ballads or earnest roots-rock, LOFGREN was to shine silently for the title track, `Amy Joan Blues’ (SEASICK STEVE, anyone?) and the lilting `Irish Angel’. Still a revered accomplice of SPRINGSTEEN’s band, Nils has since made his mark on two sets: `Wrecking Ball’ (2012) and `High Hopes’ (2014).
Blatantly milking his recent multi-CD/DVD boxed set of the same name (artists usually promote fresh material on tour), NILS LOFGREN’s UK2015 FACE THE MUSIC TOUR {*6} featured highlights from his long career. Accompanied by the multi-instrumental talents of Greg Varlotta, the grinning genius showcased some of his best workouts, raiding the vaults of his weary mind for `Like Rain’ and the sentimental `I Don’t Want To Talk About it’, whilst relying on fan faves such as `Too Many Miles’ and `Shine Silently’ to steal the show.

Taking time off from his fresh commitments as part of NEIL YOUNG’s CRAZY HORSE, LOFGREN’s timing to get back on track in the studio was perfect a la BLUE WITH LOU (2019) {*7}. The story goes that after LOU REED’s death in 2013, the guitarist uncovered several songs they’d recorded back in ’79 when they spent time together as best buddies working on their respective sets, “Nils” and “The Bells”. Finally recording the dusty song sheets from the vaults (alongside bassist Kevin McCormick and drummer Andy Newmark), and giving `City Lights’ a makeover, the likes of `Attitude City’, `Give’, `Cut Him Up’ and the nostalgia-inducing `Talk Thru The Tears’, sat well alongside solo compositions such as the blues-driven title track."

FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL LTC Greg Henning SGT Gregory Lawritson SP5 Mark Kuzinski SSG Chad Henning PO2 (Join to see)SPC Matthew LambCol Carl Whicker SPC Margaret HigginsSPC Chris Bayner-Cwik TSgt David L.PO1 Robert GeorgeSSG Robert Mark Odom CWO3 (Join to see) PO1 William "Chip" Nagel 1stsgt Glenn Brackin Sgt Kelli Mays

Excellent!

You're finding some great ones tonight, thanks.