All language subtitles for Stevie.Van.Zandt.Disciple.2024.720p.AMZN.WEBRip.900MB.x264-GalaxyRG_eng

I must be

'Cause I get to introduce

Little Steven

Little Steven

♪ Can you hear me? ♪

♪ Wake up ♪

♪ Where's the voice

♪ Can you hear me? ♪

♪ Wake up ♪

♪ Where's the voice

Listen!

♪ I know that we knew ♪

♪ Right from wrong

♪ Everything we stood for

♪ I been quiet ♪

♪ Too quiet ♪

♪ While across

♪ My people lie ♪

♪ Can you hear me? ♪

♪ I said wake up ♪

♪ We are the voice

♪ Can you hear me? ♪

♪ Wake up ♪

♪ We're the voice

♪ We're the voice

♪ We're the voice

♪ We're the voice

All right.

♪ After the wind

It was a time

all over for teenagers.

On a Friday

you had your choice

of a dozen places to go

to hear live music.

We just had

Beach clubs and VFW halls

and-and-and

and there were clubs

♪ And jump for joy

♪ It's Hullabaloo ♪

The Hullabaloo clubs

from the television show.

For one reason or another,

I was going to the one

I walk in, and...

uh, there was,

sounded really good.

My recollection is,

he had on a huge paisley tie

that caught my attention,

- and it was funny.

The Castiles,

My band was the Source.

Our two bands were the only

He had this crazy character

and I had Big Mama McEvilly,

who was the drummer's,

And I don't know if we

I didn't have a phone.

There was just some

that happens when

who feels about

with the kind of intensity

So he just became

my rock and roll brother

Now tonight, the whole country

is waiting to hear

February 8th, 1964,

there were no bands

February 9th they play

February 10th, everybody

It was revealing this

especially for those of us

who were misfits, freaks,

We're not relating to anything

But they were so good,

you couldn't

What nobody knew

is that we'd been

in Britain, in Europe,

and we'd put in

It's Malcolm Gladwell's

Um, so by the time

we were a fully formed beast.

But you couldn't imagine

how you get into

Four months later,

lucky for us,

You know, they made it look

They wore different things,

you know, it was

You've gotta

That's the great thing.

If you listen

they're so simple.

The fact that Mick Jagger

did not smile.

That to me meant this is not

show business anymore,

I was like,

We would put together

and we couldn't

Nobody wanted to hire bands

that were playing

I go see Bruce,

he said there's

Upstage at Asbury Park.

There was this

just for kids, no booze,

open from 8:00 at night

And if you were good,

Stevie Van Zandt,

you know?

The fact that he

Of course, Steven excels

with his guitar

He and Bruce made

Totally different

and constantly

They would sweep the floor,

they loaded soda machines,

And Upstage

where we met everybody.

Garry Tallent, Vini Lopez,

uh, Danny Federici, everybody.

And one day I came,

with long bushy hair

he was doing

and he was killing it.

I mean, the passion

The guitar playing was great.

He was killing the singing,

"Who's this guy?

I don't need the competition.

But I figured I could either

so I went back

And it was really the start

You'd be in

another guy's band

'cause they're putting

We did a duet thing one time,

just guitar and harmonica.

It was very fluid back then.

And we were

you know, we were

But I think the love

overwhelmed everything.

He was one of those

who said flat out at 17,

"I'm gonna be a musician."

We didn't think

maybe I should

It was all or nothing

Bruce was the first

I mean, he-he actually

and was playing around

Bruce and I had a bunch

of different bands together,

but he actually got signed

Unfortunately,

you know, "Now that

I'm not a folk singer,"

"I got a band."

And so the record

I was one guitar too many.

At that point, you know,

I said, "You know what?

I think we missed

So I quit entirely,

and, um, I started

Steven lived

He was working a jackhammer

He would come home

his hands would be like this.

I'm saying, "You're a guitar

and finally he got a gig

uh, and did

Uh, the Dovells made a couple

"Bristol Stomp"

and along the oldies circuit,

Now, I'm a big...

gambler as a kid

I'm also a bit of a Mob

So I'm all in, okay,

and, um, and that begins

a very big chapter

Back in the '50s,

The white DJs were supposed

for their white audiences,

the Black DJs were supposed

There was Little Richard,

When courageous DJs

started playing

for their white audiences,

that's when rock and roll

Popular music became

an instrument

and launched

known as

Ironically,

had the unintended

of putting all those

If you had two hits

you were gonna

the rest of your life.

I get on this oldies tour,

and all of these guys

in their thirties

I mean, they are in

So they're all pissed off.

All of 'em.

They hate being

They're not old.

I'm the only one

You know, I'm meeting

Stevie would hang with us

He always had a little hat,

a little cap or beanie

And he always wore, like,

You never knew where

The first time I met Steven,

I was doing a show

at the Flamingo Hotel.

So I guess he's

I'm doing a sound check,

Robert Johnson songs.

He was a great

A lot of people

And I'm like,

It turns out he's into,

he's into Hank Williams,

that were just

After we met at the Flamingo

He says,

this oldies circuit thing

was gonna end in Miami,

and I come back to

and I'm still wearing

and the Frank Sinatra,

and I'm like,

I'm tropical from now on."

I'm carrying it with me, okay?

And that's how Bruce starts

♪ You're sweeter

♪ That the bees make ♪

♪ Soul sister... ♪

I got back,

and I think Gary,

and they inspired us to start

Southside Johnny

combining rock and soul.

I was

you know,

and doing all the business.

We just kind of organically

lots of different

I always wanted horns.

'Cause Count Basie

that's what I grew up

The horns are on those old

Steven really wanted them too.

That's where

We both wanted to hear

The scene revitalized

when, uh, we put

We just went into a bar

that was about

There had been

the roof was falling in.

It was called The Stone Pony.

We said, "Look,

you have nothing to lose,

They started

outside The Stone Pony

six hours before

of the biggest night

of Southside Johnny

You hear that?

That's the greatest.

I've come to see

120 times!

Who goes to see

Kids would

with transistor radios,

listening along

and in bars along

to the first live

in the history

Tonight may be Memorial Day

but it's New Year's Eve

- All we wanna know...

...is what are you people

I... I consider myself

that I got to see

of Asbury Park.

The boardwalk,

Steven trying to create

out of classic dirt, grit,

mud, heart, soul.

Seeing them in this bar,

you know, they were

But you know, I always joke

that we were probably

before we were E Street Band

I don't know about you...

♪ We're having a party ♪

♪ Everybody's swinging ♪

♪ Dancing to the music... ♪

So Bruce had done

You know, each stage,

Once you're in that stage,

and the records

and you know, he wasn't

to, uh, anywhere past that,

so you know, he's coming down,

♪ Dancing with my baby ♪

♪ We're having a party ♪

♪ Everybody's swinging ♪

♪ Dancing to the music ♪

♪ On the radio ♪

♪ Oh yeah ♪

♪ So listen, Mr. DJ... ♪

He created extra interest.

People started coming

from North Jersey

and we started to really

and we go to a second night,

One more time!

♪ We're having a party... ♪

That is what made

that scene become

♪ Dancing to the music ♪

♪ On the radio ♪

♪ So listen, Mr. DJ ♪

♪ Keep those

♪ 'Cause I'm having

♪ Dancing ♪

♪ With my ♪

♪ Baby ♪

I think I really met

when he came in

on "Tenth Avenue

We just knew

the potential of the song.

So Bruce calls Steve,

who comes barreling in.

And I have no knowledge,

or particular diplomacy,

or, you know, sophistication

about the music business

and these guys are fucking up

And Bruce, you know,

says, "Hey,

You know.

Big mistake.

And I was like...

"This sucks."

He kind of laughs it away,

then go in there

Then he says, "Everybody,

take that paper you're

"You, this is

You, play this.

Now I want it

I want it to sound funky.

Okay? I don't want

I want it to sound like soul."

♪ I was standing

♪ Trying to take in all

All of a sudden,

You know, it was great.

It only took 20 minutes.

This guy is somebody

It was just a grand slam.

I had met another character,

which I should mention...

...uh, named Jimmy Iovine,

who was the engineer

Uh, Jimmy says, um, "I know

I got the key to the studio.

We'll sneak them in after

I don't remember

but I'm sure there

I got busy inside.

Get Steve Van Zandt out here.

He'll talk to you

He's better looking.

Later.

We were doing

to help Steve and Southside

Bruce suggests I see this guy

I give Steve the demo,

and starts the process

And Steve Popovich,

sends the demo to Kid Leo,

the most popular DJ

at the most popular station,

uh, in Cleveland.

So Popovich is like...

"We better start

It's already getting airplay."

♪ Baby ♪

♪ This time

You have the bootleg

We started

we happened

at the track that summer.

And, uh, which, uh...

makes me curious as to

why we've never received

one single penny in royalties.

He gave me my first

which was Southside Johnny

I'm not sure if

but he gave it to me.

I ought to call him

♪ Baby ♪

♪ This time

We still owe

And that's kind of

Uh, we'd had a handshake

I can safely say

would have, uh,

uh, and been so encouraging,

because we had a lot of

I wanted to bring

and Lee Dorsey in

We wanted to bring in

and the Five Satins

uh, reuniting them.

Uh, these were not

I remember

he brought in Lee Dorsey.

I was like,

He said, "Shut up,

I said, "You're

I don't understand

I learned a lot from Steve

I don't wanna go home.

He knew what he wanted

that band to sound like.

his commitment

♪ I know that

♪ But I don't

♪ I am in no hurry

♪ I don't want

You know, I had been

and I never liked

I just couldn't relate to it.

I decide, "You know what?

I'm gonna go to school

Well, I decide it begins

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

were the first

that set the template

I decide,

a Leiber and Stoller song

for Ben E. King

That's gonna be my mission."

And I write

which was the first song

I didn't have the courage

♪ Look at all

♪ I don't want to go home ♪

That's because...

♪ In their minds

♪ And I don't wanna go home ♪

♪ I know the words ♪

♪ I know

♪ Because

♪ Baby, it's talking about

♪ And I don't wanna go home ♪

♪ Baby, I know

♪ To reach up

It was perfect.

The arrangement,

the whole thing sounded

that, of the stuff

The song itself

because it's so insistent.

When he's like,

it lends itself

and it's very touching.

I think Ben E. King

♪ Sweeter than honey ♪

♪ Believe it... ♪

Back then,

they brought their vinyl,

I walked into a friend's room,

and the first Southside

"I Don't Want to Go Home,"

I'm like, "What's this?"

"This is great. I've never

And I looked, and it was

♪ Or a picture book ♪

♪ I'm talking about

♪ Ain't nothing

When you're a kid and have

you're always reading who did

who produced what,

so Steve was that.

♪ And that kind of love

♪ Baby, ain't much of it

Steve and Southside were

and they made

I used to say, "Steven,

maybe you should

He wasn't ready to be

which was the right decision

because the records

uh, fabulous voice, and,

and did great justice

What's gonna happen with

Steven had already thought

even at the beginning

We convinced

it would be okay without me

and I'd still

And I was basically

with Bruce for a minute.

I went for seven gigs,

♪ Rosalita

♪ Señorita

The friendship

and I needed

and somebody

and things were going good.

It was just a no-brainer.

You know, we were so close

that I just wanted

I wanted him at my side.

I heard that

in the E Street Band

that he was managing

making payphone calls

and dealing with the Southside

I know that.

Don't you think I know that?

I know that.

On the piano,

Professor Roy Bittan!

On the bass guitar,

The names,

the Big Mick,

the Mighty Maxim, it's like...

On the guitar, Miami Steve.

It was

done in a very powerful

On the drums, the Mighty Max.

It was new, but it was old.

On the organ, Dan Federici.

On the saxophone,

The E Street Band,

you know, you got

Loads of things

I think one of

is if you're all from

if you all relate

Everyone working

in the same direction,

from the same neighborhood,

at the same time in history,

with the same

that's what makes

People talk about

"Oh, The Beatles

It's the same thing that

Bruce, Steven, Southside

put Asbury Park on the map.

You know, back in the day,

there wasn't really videos.

You didn't see too many clips.

When I saw pictures

or even pictures

Little Steven had these

and he'd come and sing

these crazy

and play guitar,

and they were such a gang,

a group of men

They scared me.

Most groups, whether

or early

they scared you.

Ramones, they were scary.

The E Street Band

Some pictures from The River,

looked like they

for a wedding, but...

the way they were dressed,

You couldn't tell

what guitar on the records.

You'd try to figure that

But you could hear those

He's just all over it.

♪ Ooh, girl

♪ I said ooh, girl

I was like,

This is that camaraderie

that, like, gang thing

and seeing that these guys

They could be

a certain kind of

and I spotted

that Mick and Keith

All right.

♪ I got some beer ♪

♪ And the highway's free ♪

♪ And I got you ♪

♪ And baby you got me ♪

Get down, chico.

Of course, Barry.

Born to Run and

were two very tough

When it came time for

Bruce, I love you, but I can't

It's too much torture.

He was like, "No, you gotta

Bruce, he says, "You know,

we got this amazing

but you know, we can't get it

So you're a band guy,

to produce

and let's get the band sound

The River

of Steve's influence

and him bringing

and creating something

a creation

I had two strong

I had Jon and I had Steve,

and they did not have

for the music

It sounds great.

Their visions were

but significantly off-center

Steve and I would agree

in the studio.

We also disagreed

That was good for me,

because I was

where I wanted to go,

and I got the benefit

and was able to decide

on any particular project.

We were there

which was to make

the best it could be.

It was a lot of fun

some of the time.

♪ Well I wish that

♪ A seven day weekend ♪

You know, I was

so I came

here in New Jersey one night,

ended up talking to him,

I said, "Gee, I don't know,

I'd love to produce something

It'd be fun if Stevie and I

He came in

why don't we

And I said, "Sure."

And unbelievably,

You're on the top

Yeah, I like it, man.

Bruce Springsteen,

Yep, and Miami Steve.

- Miami Steve Van Zandt.

I-I don't know

but as one song

I started to realize

Gary is one of great

We'd like to do a song for you

that was written

♪ It's been a long

♪ I need to talk ♪

♪ But I'm not

"Daddy's Come Home,"

which is still

and it's a ballad.

He likes to get into

the kissy-kissy,

Steven writes

He writes songs

He's got a way

like Richard Thompson does,

uh, Tom Waits, Bruce,

You always go, "God damn,

I wish I had

♪ Daddy's come home ♪

♪ Daddy's come home ♪

♪ Back where he belongs... ♪

He hears

He can hear horn lines,

and he can hear guitar lines.

You know, there are a lot

♪ Daddy's come home ♪

This is one of my favorite

called "Love Again."

♪ I've been to

♪ So fine and full of grace ♪

♪ Lately every girl I meet ♪

♪ Has that lady's look

♪ I'm not a man

♪ That's never been

♪ Maybe I'm

♪ But what's

Being in the studio

was mind-blowing,

The music that's in his head,

different things he tried.

Steve was

It's knowing how to take

and get the best out of it.

Arrangement to me

enhancing the song.

The track in general

that song being sung

The key, really,

is nothing conflicting.

Everything's adding.

Here's the horns.

- The backing vocals.

See how they

They answer each other.

♪ Ah ah ah ♪

♪ Ah ah ah ♪

See, the backing vocals

but the horns are actually

And then they...

do a, like, a pad together.

That's one of the kinds

And the piano is just doing

Steve is very specific

The fifth bar,

sticking out too much,

he hears all

He's a pretty formidable

- Hello?

I was completely

by everything

Finally, I said to him,

when we started this record

I said, you know,

Nobody's gonna need a love

I'm like, "No, no,

You're one of the greatest

You're as good a producer

and, um, you need

Steven, I'm going to kill you

If I'm gonna do

um, I needed

You know, Miami Steve,

the fun guy in the band,

we were like

and I was

Uh, Bruce is Frank,

and Clarence

I was the first guy you call

I thought, "I better kind of

or reintroduce myself,"

As this new character,

When I first

you were, uh,

Yeah, that's right!

Now, uh,

I'm still

because nicknames suggest

not taking

but I wanted to be able

I said I'm gonna

with a song that's gonna

You know, very political.

Ask the question,

"What happened

Where did they go?"

♪ Come on, baby ♪

♪ Come on, sing with me now ♪

If there

as an Asbury Park sound,

then one of the guys

is Steve Van Zandt.

Miami Steve is best known

as Bruce Springsteen's

but he's also

arranger, and producer.

Now he's taking

He's fronting his own band,

Little Steven

When he made

that was his

Those guys love one another.

It's not the big brother

that you're

It's trying to not feel like

the little brother anymore.

And when Steve made

...that's not

♪ We always stood

♪ Way back then ♪

♪ Waiting to find out ♪

♪ Where in the world

♪ Then something

♪ Changed everything

♪ And now I need it, baby ♪

♪ Over and over again ♪

♪ Where it comes from

♪ That same old something

♪ Oh it's too late, baby ♪

♪ It's been too long ♪

♪ Don't try to stop me ♪

♪ Till the good is gone ♪

♪ It seems like

♪ I could hear

Men Without Women came out.

It was basically

but taken to another level.

♪ One more time

♪ Yeah, yeah... ♪

I was coming into it

with quite

but also a lot of expectation.

It feels very organic,

and personal.

I fell in love

I met Steven

at Power Station studios.

And this was at a time

when he was

but he was looking

on a song.

And, uh, Ben Newberry,

his guitar tech,

is that the sound

He said, "Yes."

When we finished the record,

he said, "Do you

When he was working

we'd meet every Friday

at this little

and then go see a movie.

It was like being a teenager

when you'd get off early

I think I met Jay Cocks

through Marty Scorsese.

And because Marty and Jay

um, Marty had shown me

We were talking about

making a film

That's when I introduced

who could light

"You can do this,

These two guys

I see at some

that doesn't exist anymore

there's a one week

Men Without Women.

I'm like, "I gotta see

Steve made a movie?"

Uh, so I go,

and it's a rough cut,

I've spoken to Steven since,

Let's ask him for the great

like the lost footage from

I remember it.

I remember it from...

I haven't seen it since,

30 or 35 years ago,

or whenever it was, you know?

Van Zandt says the film

although the storyline does

That's Maureen

who married Van Zandt

Back in '75,

I was playing with Bruce

it is at that Bottom Line gig

where I first met Maureen.

And I see this girl,

and I just go nuts, you know?

I'm like, "Wow,

this is the Brigitte Bardot

And we talked

and-and that was it.

I talked her

like a year later.

Once Steve met Maureen,

Simple as that, that was it.

I was

never gonna get married.

She was just into

literature and ballet.

She was way above

She turned me

expanded my consciousness

She really just, you know,

You know, I'm very

Men Without Women

You feel like someone

onto a private thing,

On the other hand,

and it's what any rock

He says

I'm his best man.

Little Richard's

Why not?

I don't know who came up

I know I was completely

Didn't think it would happen,

We sat down

tried to explain to him

the kind of service

We don't want too much

"Oh, yes, absolutely,

At the ceremony,

everything we said.

First thing, he's going

But together

your prayers to God,

and as your love for him grows

your love for each other will

It was a classic

He had Percy Sledge singing

Ladies and gentlemen,

Mr. and Mrs. Van Zandt.

♪ When a man loves a woman ♪

It was way out there.

I was an usher.

I did a good job

That had something

I remember

and we heard

and Bruce was the best man.

My best man right here.

And it was the wedding band

♪ But it really isn't

And, uh, I heard

I don't remember a thing,

but that's what I heard.

Do you feel like

living out your fantasy

Absolutely.

Seems like yesterday,

and saying,

And then you are,

and that's-that's great.

I feel very lucky about that.

Little Steven

- how are you doing?

What are you doing

It's basically

with horns, you know?

♪ Ain't it hard

♪ Don't it hurt your eyes

♪ It was so much easier

♪ When all we had to do

In my so-called career,

I met the coolest,

Frankie Barsalona,

he was the last

The old, uh, promoters

and he decided to put

the same way that Maranzano

and then Luciano divided

introducing the concept

By telling these promoters,

the first-first tour,

you break even on the third,

From then on, you make money

This was a radical concept.

He created an industry

that, you know,

and people could develop.

Because greatness

greatness is developed,

and I want Bruce

Frank's the best.

I want Bruce

It was important

the E Street Band

that Frank had

So from 1975 to 1980,

the E Street Band

that Frank Barsalona formula.

You know, they went from

then to bigger

and eventually to stadiums.

By the time they went in

they were poised to become

the biggest band

On Born in the USA,

Bruce started turning a little

and Stevie wanted to be heard,

and if anything, he wanted

And so that arrangement

that worked well on The River

started to become a little

He just was not happy.

Part of the rationalization

and satisfaction

working for another boss

was the ability to offer

I liked being the underboss

in the E Street Band,

Kept me out of the spotlight,

a significant enough

to justify my own existence

And there was a balance

But somewhere in '83,

it started to feel like

Fifteen years,

we finally made it,

the night before payday.

It was fucking with

Or was it fulfilling it?

I think the initial intent

was not to leave

but to just

but then I think

that he needed to...

to go out and do this.

We had heard he was

in and out of the studio,

and some of them are done,

And maybe there'll

and you're not gonna

We talked about it,

and-and Bruce may have to

finish it without me,

At the time,

I didn't understand it

Uh, I told him so.

He felt he had to give it

do it, you know.

But, um... hey,

you gotta follow your dream,

If you don't,

I thought, you know,

doing phenomenally well,

having a great time,

you know, you're working

Do you wanna

Though I started

technically I was still

and still involved in it.

"Dancing in the Dark"

They had the record together,

Jon Landau, the manager,

"We're missing one more song,

we need one more

and so Bruce kept trying

and kept trying,

"I think I put out

in the time it took you

"You're right. I remember."

He plays me

and "No Surrender."

Says, "'Dancing in the Dark'

and 'No Surrender' is gonna be

And I'm like,

you got it backwards.

I don't know about

but this 'No Surrender,'

this is what it's all about."

This is for, uh...

This is for

- He's got...

He's got a record out

"No Surrender" was something

but he said, "No,

And I was afraid it was

or-or... but he-he really...

when he came in at the end

that's gotta be

man, that's what it's

It's funny he did that,

that speaks

than maybe to who I am,

but it said something

Making a decision to leave

an iconic band

had to be...

probably one

decisions in his life.

That album featured two songs

that seemed to be about Bruce

"Bobby Jean,"

where one of the friends

and "No Surrender,"

their promises

Only Bruce and Steven

reveal something

bring themselves to say

♪ Then we busted

♪ Had to get away

♪ We learned more from

♪ Than we ever

He did need

The night we talked

we talked,

with the bath water.

You know, I think that,

all I know is you're

I need that relationship.

I don't want

♪ Well we made a promise ♪

♪ We swore

♪ No retreat, baby ♪

♪ No surrender ♪

I think he just needed

and, uh, um...

so I was as

but I felt badly about him

It was difficult and painful,

and, uh, not

in what we've done,

Politics in rock began

with the first two sentences

of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean

"Johnny's in the basement

I'm on the pavement

thinking about

Thinking about the government?

Well, why would you do that?

We're on our first

we're breaking,

He and I went

just the two of us,

You know, they confiscated

You could go over there,

but it was a very, very

And I believe that that was

of his awakening to...

political ideas,

and wanting to

♪ Checkpoint Charlie ♪

♪ Walls so wide,

I'm just walking to a park,

in Munich, I think it was,

Some kid asked me,

why am I putting

"No, there's a guitar

There's no missiles.

What are you talking about?"

And it just would not

It finally occurred to me,

this kid isn't looking at me

or a Democrat, or Republican,

He's looking at me

And I'm like...

"I never thought of myself

I'm from New Jersey."

What part of New

Did I grow up? I guess I did.

Middletown, New Jersey.

Right in the middle.

So Middletown was

All the dads went to work,

It was that

But it was the '60s,

so the kids

and perfect example

My very Catholic

when I was two

which was quite

Virtually unheard of

I spent most of my time

the matriarch of the family,

who, if there is any trace

it all would have had

One of my earliest memories

to Elvis Presley records.

Until my mother remarried

I was brought up

How old are you?

Eight years old.

You have any other relatives?

Yeah,

Steven always talks about

and I-I think that comes from

the big family he grew up in.

We're a very close

and first five years

he was living

and the aunts and uncles.

So he's used to having that.

My grandparents

so we would

and everybody would be there,

all the cousins,

My grandfather spoke

He spent a lot of time

He taught Steven how to play

And I think

the whole love

Steven Van Zandt

Yes.

Do you have

No, I was adopted

I'm a-I actually

How about singing

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Goodbye, my Coney Island ♪

♪ Baby... ♪

My brother and sister are

much younger

seven years younger

And unfortunately, I feel

I never spent

I have one fabulous memory,

um, with my brother...

that I, among all

I have for the Beatles.

We had, um,

these transistor radios.

At night, you go to bed,

and under the covers,

you put the radio on

My brother

and so he could hear,

and, uh, on comes,

finally getting

on their fifth single,

with "I Wanna

and, um...

when they get

"I wanna hold your hand,"

uh, me and my brother

just spontaneously

You know?

We didn't have

but we had that in common.

That's how profound

and how amazing

to cover that big a gap

with what they were

which you have to define

as simply unbridled joy.

When I get this thing going,

what do you

The Beatles.

Which one

Paul and George.

Paul and George?

You like Ringo?

What song you like best?

"I Saw

How does that go?

I don't know.

Well,

We were all raised

but it was

Like, your job was to go out

and witness to other people,

meaning to bring

I think Steven is as fervent

and passionate

as those people in the church

Out in the darkness...

there's a voice

out of a world

A voice that's been

Can't miss out.

Ace show.

♪ There's a sadness

♪ There are words

♪ The things that I thought

♪ Are changing every day ♪

There were great

he was like a superstar there.

We played this one show,

and the girls are trying

and we played in Verona,

and as we're pulling up

the kids are piling on

and banging our windows

so he was getting

and realized

- Okay, you're great.

At the time we were touring

on Voice of America,

Born in the USA had exploded.

- ♪ The years gone by... ♪

it was a slightly different

Patti Scialfa was

Nils Lofgren handled guitar.

I fucking love Nils Lofgren,

but when Little Steven

and Nils was, that was

Took me a while

being in the house and...

fucking my mom.

And that record

had seven Top Ten singles,

and at that time,

for the most of all time.

Woo!

Well, that was a tough period.

It was very strange,

it was kind of...

all of this

and at the time,

I couldn't share it with

So I think it... I think

It would have been nice

I can imagine that affected

but I can say he was super

It was a crazy tour.

What was the reason

As I began

I realized I wasn't really

And you know,

♪ What people need

♪ When are we gonna start

At the point

it was about

♪ No more party ♪

♪ No more party ♪

♪ No more party ♪

♪ No more party ♪

♪ Got my own

Have you found it a problem

that to be in radio,

radio locked up because

and your band

it's in between

where do you fit in?

- We don't.

Uh, so far.

Has that

It is, yeah, it's a problem

who cannot be

You know, that's been

The look of that band

but not many bands had

multiracial men

To have brought together

and a bass player

They should have never met,

I think Steven's philosophy

And, you know,

that he made for

and those were

I mean, I remember

with Maureen

I mean, we had to represent.

Steven brought them

and had the Late Night

Did you actually

for the gentlemen

- No, I'll tell you the truth.

I went in the dressing room,

I go in there, they're gone.

This is our third trip back

which is unusual, especially

I like it in Europe,

because I can see

in the world more clearly.

We're like ambassadors

We represent America.

I feel it's necessary to...

apologize

for my government's arrogance,

- and my people's ignorance...

...and I hope you don't

There's voices that do not

wanna put missiles

We need solidarity

before, uh, it's too late.

♪ Where have you gone

♪ I taste your blood

♪ Where have you gone

♪ Mi querido ♪

♪ Only yesterday

Stevie is an

He's all in,

And when we first started out,

Stevie was,

That's not the way to go

Then he became all politics.

It's all politics.

♪ Where have you gone

♪ How can they just turn

♪ Where have you gone

I felt

on some of these things,

maybe I could,

some thought,

which would stimulate

which would

We're supposed to be heroes

and we weren't.

♪ I was standing in Pretoria ♪

♪ Waiting for the sky to fall ♪

♪ Impilo Geyethu

Overseas, the violence

is becoming even

It has returned to Soweto,

the giant Black township

Last night in South Africa,

while they were protesting

We don't believe,

guarantees

because guaranteeing

implies the recognition

of portions of the community

We believe in our country,

no majorities, just be people.

I didn't know what

I hear this song "Biko,"

♪ Biko, because Biko ♪

But man,

It really led

with activism in general,

and specifically,

of South Africa.

Political songs

but in South Africa,

which had racism enshrined

in its constitution,

that was a struggle

And with Biko's arrest,

I'm not sure they

I'm sure they meant to torture

So it was a shock

Sunday, September 25th,

20,000 Black South Africans

came to mourn Steve Biko,

the non-violent

Black radical leader

who died mysteriously

I couldn't find out

it was just

and I had to

I think on my second trip,

I'm in a taxi,

and-and a Black guy

and the cab driver swerved

I was literally in shock.

I was like, "Man, let me out

I gotta think about

And at that moment, really,

um, I went from artist

So I'm meeting now with the

in Soweto and had to sneak in

because there was a military

So they're burning,

and there's, uh, like,

as far as the eye could see.

And we get to this house,

and, um, a cat comes out,

you know, they got machetes,

and they're

They're on the front lines,

they're blowing up

they're killing people,

And they're very,

They don't

As far as they're concerned,

by being there, you know?

I have to explain to him,

I'm on your side."

I don't think

They were thinking

But at that point,

I had lost all-all of, uh,

on the flight

Uh, it occurred to me that

Um, 15 years of work

and I quit, and you know,

I didn't care about anything,

you know, at that point.

Uh, so that helped me, uh,

'cause they were really,

fingering their machetes

as they're talking to me,

I said to them,

blowing shit up, okay?

And they were like,

"We're not gonna

How are we gonna win?"

I said, "I'm gonna

I got home and started

I needed help.

Steven called and said

so he came to Ben

and we recorded

on a four-track recorder.

This is, uh, Danny Schechter

of GlobalVision

There was four of us,

Danny Schechter,

rabble-rouser from way back,

came from Boston,

with that issue

He was the reason why

Arthur Baker

and his engineers,

and the record

When Steve told me

I decided I wanted

Hart Perry filmed it.

If he hadn't filmed, no one

because American

It was too Black

too white for Black radio.

Any one of those four guys

it wouldn't have happened.

I said, "Steven,

He said,

The track was really catchy.

And then we started

who could be on the record.

And we get together

right on 57th Street.

We go in there,

and we'd draw it

Sun City is

in the middle of what

The homelands are where

is relocating all

against their will.

So what happens is

for people to come down.

Every time somebody

they are justifying

South Africa's

♪ We're rockers and rappers

♪ We're here to talk

♪ We don't like

- ♪ Tell it ♪

- ♪ It's time for the truth ♪

♪ We've realized ♪

♪ There's only one thing

♪ We gotta say I... ♪

There was nothing like it.

Steven got together

with different

Rockers, punk rockers,

rappers, R&B stars.

And the amount of artists

I was an early

You know, Peter Garrett

God almighty, you got

Eddie Kendricks,

I was always big

so just seeing them

I remembered

People will get

It seeps in like osmosis.

You could tell it was gonna be

because of who was there,

and the main thing,

and everybody's passion

for what the project

We should impose sanctions.

The only sanction

is to say, "We're not

until you do things right."

This country prides itself

We should

most people who

and support them.

This is a continuation

of what I've preached

It fills me full

I had a call from

"This is how I heard about

what was going on

It wasn't "Let's all

and say the word peace."

It was about actually

that we need to fix.

Rage is at the heart

and you can

who are oppressing you,

or you can direct it at people

who are oppressing

who can live in far-off lands.

As a Black South African,

And as a Black South African,

As a Black South African,

I am not allowed

to someone from another city.

So, you know,

if you're Black

you need government

I think

Nobody is really aware

of everything that's

and I think this will make

It wasn't about

We were just

With everybody on that album,

it's completely

and different temperaments,

♪ Relocation ♪

♪ To phony homelands ♪

♪ Separation of families

♪ 23 million can't vote

♪ We're stabbing our brothers

♪ We're gonna say I ♪

♪ I, I, I, I ♪

♪ Ain't gonna play

I'll try and cue you.

There's a part

Na-na.

♪ Na-na na-na-na na ♪

♪ Na-na-na, yeah ♪

♪ Well this quiet diplomacy ♪

♪ Ain't nothing but a joke

The ability to get

something that was political,

was quite a feat of,

salesmanship.

Which Steve

- All this...

...is a Little Steven

I'm still impressed

all of these different

and everybody at that time

On the day that

we were not sure

And we were all

and then I get the call.

One of those

that become part of your life.

This, I'm jumping

to do this, this one.

South Africa makes me ill,

sick all over, everything.

When I think about it,

I can't even play.

There will be a lot

on the, uh, on the record.

It could be either

The more great

the more versions.

And it turned out

that six versions

were produced simply

And then Bono

and Keith Richards

and their last song,

called "Silver and Gold,"

You know, the dirty

is none of us wants

where the other artist

to put down

to take up their cross,

to follow them

He corralled all of us.

Steven understood

that rock 'n' roll owed a debt

The Malopoets,

uh, have some members

that still live

and I asked them, uh...

It could be dangerous

Who knows what

They told me, "We have

Somebody tells you

to be on a record, you know...

that's commitment.

Though the Black South African

they do not

All they ask us is that we

because by seeing them,

Okay, well you should

Jonathan Demme,

was just the A-1 cat.

Shooting on

in two countries at once,

um, England and America,

New York and California.

It was planned to bring

this huge number

and to gather them together

to, um, do a-a unity,

a unified image

And, um, the night

Little Steven had

of doing it

All this was happening

Godley and Creme

Ringo and Zak Starr

while we were

and Lou Reed, and Rubén

And then the next day,

Hart Perry went out

to get Bob Dylan

- ♪ Relocation ♪

- ♪ To phony homelands ♪

George Clinton,

who's incredible

I'm glad it's

what's going on over there.

So maybe

make a change there,

Actually, I was making

and I figured,

this is like

I'll take my camera

Steve says,

So now

like, a whole entourage,

and bodyguards,

and he came around the corner

by himself,

I was like, "Wow,

And he was hot as

It wasn't glossy,

He really consciously kept it

with "We don't need

'cause we go Hollywood,

So when you edit

and then you go and edit

it almost match, you know,

and that grittiness.

You know, back in the days,

and somebody

you would be ready

Because what

the history books and stuff,

they made all Africans

So if somebody say,

it was like somebody

That's the race thing.

It's like a con job,

the main focus of what

'Cause for me,

there's really only one race,

Everything else

and they,

But, uh, if you're-if you're

I mean...

MTV was pretty segregated.

You didn't see

You didn't see

And when Steven

it was really

He was just

Hip hop would be over here,

you know, rock and roll

Hip hop was more this

of all the genres.

We all know what

but we looking

'cause we come from

Whenever

and this happens

they're doing a project that

they don't call

"We Are the World."

You know, "We are

We all have

Whatever problem exists,

it's not just one

It's everyone's problem.

It's a good moment for us

to look at the racism

and the prejudice

in our own backyard.

It's a moment

our own racial problems.

People try to put it across

that it's the left or right.

Doesn't matter what side.

It was like the whole music

It was almost like

♪ Oh whoa whoa whoa ♪

♪ Na-na na-na-na ♪

♪ Na-na-na yeah ♪

The whole band, you know,

he felt that all these people

would be on the right

What separated Little Steven

was some kind of

Steven was

and very outspoken

He spoke

and I remember him going

We're in New York City

the most politically

in the history

That video is totally

of the true facts.

Why should Sun City

with what you saw up there?

Let's get to the truth now.

Uh, this is the truth.

It's not Sun City itself,

the entertainment complex

It's where it is,

is where people are not free

to go where they want to go.

They're there because

they have been

They've been put on a truck,

and taken hundreds

and dropped in this area,

They cannot get

their citizenship

And no one in the world

recognizes this as

except for the South African

The single has sold well

since its release yesterday,

and is getting

We asked the people

to play "Sun City."

such as "23 million can't

we're stabbing our brothers

Some of the lyrics

and when you're

you have to be careful.

- Would you buy this song?

♪ Quiet diplomacy

- ♪ We're gonna say ♪

♪ Ain't gonna play Sun City ♪

♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey, I... ♪

The system of apartheid,

by any government

except South Africa.

It's like Nazism.

The song, "Sun City"

is an affirmation

of the community of artists

to contribute to awakening

the public's

to put an end to this inhuman

and totally

It was an incredible creation.

In my opinion, it's a very

that really, I think,

and the way it was seen

We have Band Aid,

we had Live Aid,

Artists United

Farm Aid, Fashion Aid.

You think there might be

too many aid records?

No, I think-I think, um,

as long as there's injustice

and problems in the world,

and rock and roll is the best

Ronnie Reagan

There's a political element

in rock and roll anyway.

It is you saying,

"I'm doing this

no matter what people think."

But when he started

and say things

he politicized rock and roll.

We've been quiet too long.

We've been patient too long.

We the people

the terrorism

of the government

Tell 'em, Steve.

We'll no longer do business

with those who do business

with the terrorist government

The fact he's

bringing down a government

I don't know if anybody

We the people demand

the unconditional release

We always knew

The surprise was

♪ Na-na na-na-na ♪

♪ Na-na-na yeah ♪

♪ Yeah yeah yeah ♪

♪ Na-na na-na-na ♪

♪ Na-na-na yeah ♪

Keep the pressure on!

And I didn't know about

and I learned about it

There was a bill passed

um, in the Congress,

the Anti-Apartheid Act,

and it was essentially

against South Africa,

until they ended apartheid,

and it was vetoed

Steve called me,

and he knew

The Congress

to override the veto, or not.

To override

uh, quite a,

He stepped forward, said,

"I'm gonna be part

and he came down,

to a number of senators,

and it's very impressive

We overrode

And that was the end.

they had to let

There's Mr. Nelson Mandela,

a free man,

into a new South Africa.

It was the most

Mandela came here.

There was a whole celebration

at the Tribeca Grill.

So Robert De Niro was there,

Steven is really

the person who started this,

and I thank him,

And we can tell

the movie companies

we do not want our films to be

We can... we can tell

we don't want

We have power, and we

Little Steven,

Ladies and gentlemen,

of the African

Nelson Mandela.

I never felt that before.

You know, like, he had,

Of-of a... of spirituality.

My mother and I got

who said, "You must be

And now I'm gonna cry.

That's impressive.

presidents can't do that.

But he did pull

and made a change

That is the way to go.

Indeed, years later, that's

I followed him right down

and through those oak doors,

and made my own case,

um, against extreme poverty.

But I followed his example.

A lot of people,

the "Sun City" thing,

you know, started to connect,

you know, the whole

It was starting

in the way I was

The song itself

that featured perhaps the most

revolutionary gathering

ever heard on a recording.

It was an inspired song,

an inspired video,

and it inspired American youth

who were part

which eventually pressured

For me and most people I know,

music did that.

You know, we came up in a time

of the Live Aid concerts,

and I know there were

Whether it be George Harrison

this was a formative time,

and it had

We got something

that they're calling...

"New Patriotism," you know?

But, uh...

It don't look like

It looks like blind

That ain't right. That ain't

My friend had a copy,

of a performance they did

on a German show

And I remember it

because he did

to the song "I'm a Patriot,"

where he talked about

back in the States.

Being a good patriot

every motherfucker

It sure ain't about parties,

Loyalty to the party instead

He understands

music not just as

but to document it,

Especially Steven,

you know, Reagan and all that

like to go to that

♪ Listen

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ I ain't no capitalist ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ I ain't no socialist ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ I sure ain't

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ I ain't no Democrat ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ I sure ain't no

♪ I only know one party ♪

♪ Its name is freedom ♪

♪ Say it, I am ♪

♪ I am, I am ♪

♪ I am a patriot ♪

I used to be part of

I was working a midnight

and that was one of the songs

♪ And the river shall open

♪ And the river shall open

So I kind of

and made a version of it.

♪ I was walking ♪

♪ With my brother ♪

♪ And he wondered ♪

♪ Oh, how I am ♪

I'm gonna leave

This is about

written by Little Steven.

I think it was '86,

I saw Jackson Browne

and that was really exciting.

♪ I am a patriot... ♪

Stevie was

at a time when

songs about

And that I hadn't

to talk about it in a song.

♪ She said, "I want

♪ Released

I would say that probably

most people

think that that's my song.

I take the trouble to tell

I've told him,

I'm sure a lot of people

Usually, as a writer,

you're more concerned with

I was concerned

And Jackson Browne doing

and then Eddie Vedder

Such an endorsement,

such a wonderful validation

of what you're doing,

We still play it this day.

We've played it fast,

You can take that-that

get in a demolition derby,

♪ And the river shall

♪ And the river shall

♪ Someday ♪

♪ I'm a patriot... ♪

You know, whatever,

or if they're

it transmits.

♪ Sanctuary... ♪

♪ Sanctuary... ♪

His solo records

with in-depth

There's some

that takes place

why you're on this planet.

This combination of artist

where I'm going places,

and checking things out,

I'm doing something

♪ America's on trial... ♪

I was terrified, because

that I later found out

were really, really dangerous.

I thought, "What happened?"

You know, I marry

and we're going

we're having a great life,

and all of a sudden,

being smuggled

into some dangerous area

I didn't know that then.

While I admired

I think I really resented it,

because I felt it was putting

His life, our relationship,

even his musical life.

Out of all the disturbing...

situations around

the single most disturbing

with the treatment

♪ Love's been sacrificed ♪

♪ Promises buried beneath ♪

♪ The trail

We celebrated 200 years...

of our Constitution

That's something we should

but until we start honoring

the Constitution is a lie.

♪ Sing it, I ♪

♪ I am Native American... ♪

On the Freedom -

the concept was the state.

Uh, I decided

There's South Africa,

and Latin America.

Stevie was

a very well dressed,

and was shooting those arrows

Now, if they

you're in trouble.

If you have that in you,

you were a threat

He's such

that you kind of

that kind of progression

It was political,

generally humanistic

No party line, all compassion,

all empathy.

I went to Nicaragua once,

and then Steve

I mean, he was

He brought nothing but, like,

And here's this guy

and so politically astute,

but dressed like, you know,

you know, like

♪ Someday we'll reap

♪ I don't look east

♪ I don't understand

♪ I will gather no more

What Stevie

This particular song

had to do with an injustice,

and that's a good thing that

They don't know

and it was built

I have the honor

to introduce somebody

who is not only

in rock and roll

but one of the greatest forces

for justice and human rights

and that's Little Steven!

The whole '80s

I was completely

against all rational

beginning with leaving

But it was more than that.

Every album had

a different soundtrack,

which was part of my,

and part of my

♪ Keep the people divided ♪

♪ Keep the energy spent ♪

♪ Keep the people divided ♪

♪ So they don't think

♪ Look at all

♪ They all look the same ♪

♪ They don't want

♪ They don't

I'm writing this in 1989.

The alienation between

started to now

and I thought

moved into the institutions.

No longer trusted the Church,

no longer trusted

and as now,

from our very life support

It's a bit more powerful,

than a typical

it wasn't anything

Anyway, uh, that, that...

uh, confused people

pretty, pretty, uh, consistently.

He had the most

He had it kind of mapped out

where he was gonna go

three or four albums deep,

because he is nothing

This is for, uh, Leonard...

in Leavenworth Prison.

I was focused on

But of course,

in a way, the Native American

because they are

I read

It was very striking to me

that Steven would

"Justice for Leonard Peltier,"

and try to give him

and regard that he did.

♪ He should say

♪ It's time we listen ♪

♪ He should pray

♪ Without asking permission ♪

♪ Leonard Peltier ♪

Everything

has been a really noble

so in the end, how could

It might scare you,

but you cannot say,

We dedicate this show today

to the students in China.

Solidarity with them.

Finally, I peaked,

you know, in Rome, 1989.

We did a concert

I couldn't see the end

This is where my political

and I realized

I don't wanna

I said what I wanted to say,

learned what

I said, "Man, that's it.

I'm done. I'm done."

♪ The war stopped

♪ We held our breaths,

♪ The poisoned sky

♪ The red sun tried to shine ♪

♪ We looked down

♪ And felt so alone ♪

♪ This once was paradise ♪

♪ This wasteland

♪ Oh... ♪

I had a trip planned

to do research in Algeria,

and so I came home from that,

I recorded my fifth album,

but I wasn't

No record company

I was done.

The weight, I think,

on Steve's freedom

to let his imagination

And the outlets seemed

turned off like water taps.

I was

mentally, physically.

I went out to the wilderness,

And walked my dog

♪ Don't ever say

♪ Yeah, don't tell me... ♪

So there I was, uh...

no more record deal,

no more offers, really,

and, uh, no particular

♪ Yeah, I know

♪ Because

Certainly, it mystified me,

why someone of his caliber

would have trouble

or holding onto one,

but knowing what I do

about record companies,

you know, it was...

The idea of writing directly,

addressing directly an issue,

is not commercially kosher.

Promoters don't

The radios will not play you.

When you're

that have to do with feeding

then the question is

how far are you willing to go

to support your idea?

You could feed

they're okay with that,

but start bringing down

they start getting

You know, like, uh...

"Maybe we're next," you know?

I met him at a time

not having success.

He couldn't get good music

released by anybody.

Painful as it is, you know,

I think it's a quite

for artists, you know.

You learn more

than you do from

They're better teachers.

Bruce had disbanded

and was moving on

During the time that Bruce

was also a time

I thought about being

You know, I liked

but I only did it

I ended up producing

I did the Arc Angels,

a Nigerian cat named

and then I did

with Southside Johnny

♪ It's been a long time ♪

♪ Since we've

♪ It's been a long time

Greetings from Asbury Park.

On the stage

the three guys who put

Little Steven Van Zandt,

and Southside Johnny Lyon.

It felt like we should

be working together again.

We laugh, have fun,

we had-we listened

We sat down and wrote things,

it felt like it did

The forthcoming LP

by Southside Johnny

entitled Better Days,

resurrects the horn-enriched sound

that was a musical trademark

The album is produced

by former Juke and good

I just try to keep it human,

live as possible.

That's the way we always

I haven't really changed

Do the same

eventually it becomes

I don't remember it

but when we got into

we both were relaxed enough

that we could let things

You go back to Asbury,

there's Steve, there's me.

Just those three guys.

That's not gonna

Those are the people

Those times are gone,

but those feelings,

The soul,

and the love,

we still keep

♪ We lived in a time ♪

♪ In a world of our own ♪

♪ Making up the rules

♪ Just one coat between us ♪

♪ And we never felt cold ♪

♪ We were never

♪ It's been a long time ♪

♪ Since we laughed together ♪

♪ It's been a long time

Luckily, Lance Freed,

a music publisher

the son of the legendary

heard the Southside

Said, "I haven't heard writing

and offered me

which saved my life.

There were decades of success

in the past.

I didn't feel

had-had diminished at all.

I felt like it was every bit

And eventually, you know,

At the time it was

and paid my bills for years.

Lance, if you're out there,

I love you, baby.

My relationship with Steven

We were looking for a song

that would cover a montage.

I said, "Let's think

What you need to do

♪ The cold wind's blowing ♪

♪ And the streets

♪ I'm writing you a letter ♪

♪ And I don't know

♪ The bells will be ringing ♪

♪ Saint John, the Divine ♪

♪ I get a little lonely ♪

♪ Every year

I said, "I don't know

but it has to feel

you had just done on

which was Better Days.

Steve says, "I'm gonna

to come in to be

Wow! Okay, all right.

I'm coming to that recording

And I thought, "My world

with my dream world."

I think Steven,

wrote one of the great

In my mind, I felt that

where I needed

I would call Steven.

♪ This is the time

♪ Whatcha gonna do with it ♪

♪ Don't fool with it... ♪

I needed a song

that celebrated

about being a young father

and he comes back

♪ Don't think

♪ Don't think

♪ There's just this moment ♪

♪ You better

It's an intensely

I don't really...

think he's written a song

Well, most people

you don't do it

You do it because

you wanna be

Gold records, winning awards,

those things definitely

but they're definitely

♪ Whatcha gonna do with it ♪

He was trying

up and running again,

and they had been

and they were a personal

And to induct them

he came out wearing those

in the very beginning,

Some people

but the Rascals were the first

In the center of the universe,

the Rascals

And who knew

watching on TV,

saying, "You know, that guy

could be good

You know, their stage garb

Uh, what I'm trying to say

is people think

Now, this is a subject

And I just, you know,

I wanna say that there was

unusual about the way

I...

Nothing strange about that.

I used to buy

back to the days of vinyl.

I used to read the album

stare at it.

And I saw this guy,

every album, there he was.

And he looked Italian to me.

So you know,

And he was very funny,

glued me to the TV,

and I said, "That guy's

We were

he goes, "You know,

he saw me speak

at the Rock and Roll

and he wants me

And I said, "Steven,

You can't be in television.

I mean,

Are you

You're Stevie Van Zandt,

you're a fucking

You can't do this.

You're gonna

And he goes,

Steven goes, "I did

about a Mob family

I don't know if it's

I said, "What do you mean?"

He goes, "Rock 'n' rollers

I said, "Well, look, Steven,

He goes, "What do you mean,

I said, "Do you know

that Henry Fonda

He goes, "He did?"

I said, "Yeah.

Do you know Jimmy Stewart

He goes, "He did?"

I says, "Yeah."

He said, "I don't remember."

If the thing is great, great.

If the thing is bad,

If he's right, he's right.

What the fuck are you doing?

Sil, take it easy.

I'm losing my balls over here!

This fucking moron

Get the fuck outta here!

I was trying

Why? Why now?

Leave it there.

- I don't know, I was just--

Where do you get

He's sweeping the cheese

Leave the fucking

I love cheese on my feet.

I stick mother fucking

so they smell like

All right? So leave

where it is!

What stunned people

was the breadth and range

and authenticity of this cast,

the surprise of this cast.

And Steve Van Zandt was

of that surprise,

because he wasn't

And you could see that

He was built to do this.

He said

a job from an actor.

We were auditioning

So I said, "Well, we'll

which we did.

And it was based

that he had invented,

His club was gonna

with maybe '40s music,

and I said, "That'd be great

Well, what it wound up as

I wrote a whole

He grew up with Tony Soprano,

and I kind of used

We were driving

which is kind of like

It's a real old school

"Silvio's here

Owners of the restaurant

they're bringing him

We gotta keep him in the van

From the Sopranos soundtrack,

♪ Even if it's all over ♪

♪ Don't ever say it was

What was interesting

in the music that David Chase

was that it was exposing

and even unreleased

to a brand new audience.

I loved

and thinking about songs,

and some of them I'd had

It was my favorite

But it was never me trying

the world to any music,

it was just what was right

When I came in

there you were,

Your hair was in

I told you I had the flu.

I said my piece, Chrissy.

He was almost unrecognizable.

If you see him in the band,

then when you see him

Uh, I was just deathly afraid

I just saw you

What are you doing trying

I was deathly afraid of that.

That's why I gained,

I gained, like,

Uh, and muscle, you know,

I really, you know,

and I wanted to be

thinking I'm never

You know...

I was in one trailer,

and Stevie was

and I used to play

Steven comes by,

and he says, "I figured

and I says, "No, man,

He said, "I know who it is."

"You know I wrote

I says, "I didn't know that."

and I took the CD out,

I says, "I didn't know that."

He's clearly

but you smell enough

that-that it's totally

Without Frank, none of youse

I was talking

and he said,

he'd be waiting too long

he'd turn around

"What the fuck, give me my...

My fucking guitar."

It was probably

but now it became unleashed.

Hey, Sil.

- What?

I've been gone a long time.

Just when they

they pull me back in.

All right, get

I was not fooling around.

as Silvio Dante,

You know, I didn't...

When you're connected

you just gotta get better,

and Steven and Jimmy

He learned a lot from Jimmy.

He'd always say,

Look at this face, you know?

You believe they cast me

He meant it, you know?

Just being in

you walked away

You just couldn't help it.

He was that good.

What the fuck do you know

what goes on in my head?

I've known you since

Frankly... you've got

I knew exactly those dynamics.

I know what it's like

bringing the bad news.

That's the job.

You wanna be

Be a real friend?

You wanna be a consigliere?

You've gotta take that heat.

And you gotta stand up to it,

because that's the job, man.

'Cause everybody else

You know, it might cost you

or in this case, in Sopranos,

you know, but you gotta do it.

That's the gig.

So I was comfortable

and, uh, I think it helped me

as a first-time actor.

All his experience

with Bruce, and other ways,

he gave me tips, um,

which were really valuable.

He took on more

as he became a consigliere.

That's what he's like

He was always

"Don't do this,

That was the big time.

He'd been in the big time

I'm gonna tell you something

Back when Jackie

they floated the idea

of me stepping up

Not Tony, me.

- Really?

But I thought,

Still, you wouldn't

I never saw myself

I'm more behind the scenes.

Advice... strategy.

And here you are, Sil.

The times make the man, honey,

not the other way around.

Come on, Stevie!

Once more.

One, two!

♪ Once I spent my time

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ I was living in a world

Here's two friends

that I'm so happy they're

and that's how

Those guys have a connection,

They're laughing,

That's the relationship.

♪ I believe in the end ♪

♪ Two hearts

♪ Two hearts

♪ Two hearts

Being in a band is like

being in the priesthood

These are organizations

Unless you're dead.

The whole mythology

♪ My special one ♪

♪ Two hearts

♪ Two hearts

♪ Two hearts

- Steve!

How the hell

a rock show the night before,

and had a 6:00 a.m. call

We used to wait and say,

Boom, he shows up,

looking like Silvio,

- and we go to work.

Van Zandt

says his wife,

his TV wife in The Sopranos.

You know, that's

that he's a... he's a real

I know that sounds

People ask me, uh,

"What have you been doing

And I say to them, "I've been

into preserving this thing

And they said

The Underground Garage

begins its fifth year.

It started with

Little Steven's

now heard on 200 stations.

He said, "I started going,

I would get a dinner

with the head

and then we'd talk

he'd say "What's your

He wheeled and dealed

into the people's ears.

I remember being

listening to

like, "These are the coolest

My only desire was to be

Your radio show, Little

Yes, we are the only

Yeah, I noticed.

You know, it goes

to doo-wop, to psychedelic,

to, you know, modern garage

and glam, and a bunch

There's even reggae in there.

You think of all those

he was the first guy

to turn anybody

I mean, that was him.

And it just steamrolled

you know,

Underground Garage

to play whatever he wanted.

I can't say the name

because it's got

It's my station, we can do

Well, there you go.

I ask people, "How do

They say Underground Garage.

It wasn't just the past.

It was like, "Here's the past,

and here's the future."

♪ When you're walking in LA ♪

♪ Everybody knows

He thought there

being unrepresented,

and said

I wanna do this thing

So Outlaw Country comes.

You wanna make

You wanna connect dots,

like you do in music,

Like, how is Robert Johnson

the White Stripes, or whoever?

I think he realizes that if

somebody doesn't

it may die.

♪ Who will save

From his

also books underground

He was trying

He reunited some great bands

for the Garage Rock Festival.

And for all these events,

he'd bring friends

I hope youse

listening to all

I know I'm trying.

Steven has this...

with all of the things

that he wants to do.

I'm pretty sure

Like, it's just mind-blowing,

but I think he has

on every one

Steven's second act,

it's amazing how much

Is that the teachers?

All of a sudden,

education, he's building

Steven showed up to our gig,

he's like,

You can have that record.

It's all about music for him.

There's just a lot

and a lot of the bands

"We need more help."

That was gonna be successful,

because people love rock.

♪ One, two three

♪ Good love ♪

He was on fire

about this Rascals thing.

The next thing I know,

which is tremendous.

He sees it historically,

'cause he is a historian.

He probably knows more

It's every performer's dream

That dream came true for me

when I wrote and co-directed

reuniting The Rascals.

♪ How can I be sure ♪

♪ I'll be sure ♪

♪ With you ♪

One of the police officers

when we'd come out

pulls me aside and says,

"I've been working

and I have never

come out

Cheering, singing,

smiles, happiness."

It took people to a place,

that they never thought

they would ever get back to.

Musicians are very theatrical.

They become

When I stood on the stage

and announced Stevie's name,

I just felt so cool.

I mean, I just felt

And I could be...

anything I wanted to be.

Now, this could only happen

to a guy like me.

And only happened

- Am I right?

♪ This is ♪

♪ My kind of town ♪

♪ Lilyhammer is... ♪

I started a record label,

and I start signing a bunch

I'm producing one of them

The assistant engineer

in the lobby,

It's Eilif Skodvin

and they say to me,

and we wrote

Well,

you don't hear that every day.

Kind of out of the blue,

I get a call

saying, "Will you take a call

And I said, "Would I?

Very excited. No idea what

I'm thinking "Lilyhammer."

Three episodes were complete,

Really what that was,

I think that

for a guy who is as off-beat

as, uh, Steve is,

will create opportunities.

The sheep head,

I thought I was gonna

Johnny Fontaine a movie part.

It's Gary U.S. Bonds!

♪ Should auld acquaintance

- I'm impressed.

I got to direct

of Lilyhammer,

and that was one of

uh, and, uh...

you know, I had been talking

getting in somewhere.

We had been talking

Angelina, Anthony.

What brings you here?

It's our brother, like always.

I was thrilled that he

people have been trying to

You know, I'm proud of that.

We've been

still, you know,

No Child

had devastated all

So I said how about we do

a music history

Teacher asks the kid,

And whatever they answer,

And he's not kidding.

He wants rock and roll

You mustn't lose

the history of anything.

Rock and roll is

Steven out there

how important it is,

and what a lifeline it can be.

He's almost like

He's out there screaming

there's a holiness to rock.

This guy is doing

and they're all complicated.

And they're all good.

He's a writer,

he's a musician,

he's a businessman,

and now he wrote

in prose, and it's very good.

The book has it all.

Sex, drugs, rock and roll

and the true story

♪ Could have been

♪ In a bulletproof

♪ Could have made

I did invite Stevie

Bill Wyman invited us

Leo Green,

he says, "That's the same

Why don't you

and headline one night?"

It sounded like fun.

I thought maybe

I'll do a handful of my own

For almost 30 years,

Steven did not

He acted, he was

he was involved

but he didn't play

for a very long time.

♪ Could have been a lawyer ♪

♪ But my daddy taught me

♪ That could have been

♪ Everything takes too long ♪

♪ I could have hung out

♪ I could have

♪ Could have been big... ♪

As I'm-as I'm going

I couldn't get through

And my-my throat

I-I... I started to tear up.

And I went to Bruce,

has anything like this

And he's like,

because you abandoned

It reminded me

I really shouldn't have

I was like, "Dude, yeah,

you should be doing this."

But, you know, who knew he was

gonna pile it on top

I was overjoyed. He should

'cause he loves the road.

He stays in the fine hotels,

and, you know, drinks

My first manager over here.

Nobody messes with Big Mama.

Without you,

Oh, Stevie.

♪ Stop the world

♪ Is that a tear

♪ This is your chance

♪ Spread your wings

He's a great performer,

great songwriter,

great producer,

and made a couple

that ought to be out there.

He had gone

without using some

Stevie called me up and said,

"I wanna get back

I said, "Of course, man."

That was just one of

Is that he

That he would think

I don't think that would

♪ Lighting the soulfire ♪

♪ Lighting the soulfire... ♪

I saw them

Mike Stoller was the emcee,

which blew my mind.

Here they are, Little Steven

♪ Ah yeah ♪

When I put on "Soulfire"

for the first time,

I have to be honest,

I had tears running

because it picked me up

and threw me back into 1977.

♪ Hey hey hey... ♪

He gets on with it.

Who goes on the road

Steven asked me,

"Can you find out

at the Cavern Club

And I went, "Uh, yeah, why?"

And he goes,

You are eternally part

of our wall of fame.

- Thank you.

It's your turn.

I love his enthusiasm,

and his passion

He lives it

you know,

♪ Well, she was just 17 ♪

♪ If you know what I mean ♪

♪ And the way she looked... ♪

The thing

I think he's just

that he really likes.

♪ So how could I dance ♪

♪ With another ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ I saw her

What he's doing, the tradition

rock and soul,

to the Dave Clark Five

he's a witness.

♪ Well, we made a promise ♪

♪ We swore we'd

♪ No retreat, baby ♪

♪ No surrender... ♪

It is 20 years now

It's crazy.

You know, it's, uh,

it feels like it's

♪ Baby, no surrender ♪

Come on, kid!

♪ No retreat, baby ♪

♪ No ♪

♪ Surrender ♪

Whoo!

Things have a way

and working themselves out.

If people

in each other,

and the love, you know?

This is for Maureen.

She's been there

through the thick

and that's pretty darn rare.

♪ I wanna protect you ♪

♪ I wanna connect with you ♪

♪ I wanna affect you ♪

♪ I wanna reflect you ♪

♪ I wanna be your happy end ♪

♪ We start all over again ♪

♪ I wanna feel

♪ Dancing in the rain

The two of them, they're both

And so is the dog.

And now he's back, there's

For the moment, you know?

I mean,

It comes through

and in the way

♪ Take it easy ♪

♪ Yeah yeah yeah... ♪

You know, Stevie

rock and roll kept him alive,

and I really do believe

♪ I don't know

♪ Yeah yeah yeah ♪

♪ I don't know if you have

♪ But outside

♪ Yeah yeah yeah ♪

♪ The world is going

♪ And we're here tonight ♪

♪ For sanctuary ♪

♪ We're here tonight ♪

♪ For some

That's right.

We come to this cathedral

for spiritual nourishment.

And there ain't no

like real live music.

He has this passion

for rock and roll,

but Stevie goes beyond.

♪ It makes you

- ♪ Yeah ♪

A whole sort of

encyclopedic knowledge

You know, um,

but he knows more.

♪ Something like that

- ♪ Yeah yeah ♪

- ♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ Yeah ♪

The world

everything you do.

The success to me is

and you followed through on it

and you went

♪ Yeah give me some drums

- ♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ Yeah yeah ♪

♪ A little bit louder now ♪

- ♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Yeah a little bit

- ♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ Oh yeah ♪

♪ Everybody sing now ♪

♪ Yeah yeah yeah ♪

♪ Everybody sing now ♪

♪ Yeah... ♪

The fact

to put these things together,

and then the impact

is a credit to his

♪ Yeah yeah yeah ♪

♪ Oooh... ♪

At the end of the day,

♪ Oh yeah ♪

♪ The old men make excuses ♪

♪ While the young men

♪ And nothing ever changes ♪

♪ ‘Cause boys keep being boys ♪

♪ And the women

♪ While Cinderella slept ♪

♪ Now they know they've waited

♪ There's nothing worth

♪ Under the camouflage

♪ We supply the sins

♪ You're seduced by

♪ Behind the camouflage

♪ We give you politicians ♪

♪ And you call it choice ♪

♪ We let you do the voting ♪

♪ And you think

♪ We control the information ♪

♪ And you call yourself

♪ We give you our religion ♪

♪ And you believe it's yours ♪

♪ Under the camouflage

♪ We supply the sins

♪ You're seduced by

♪ Behind the camouflage

♪ Breathe,

♪ Reach out and touch

♪ We're here to soothe you ♪

♪ Relax ♪

♪ It's better

♪ Believe in the

♪ We can't afford to lose you ♪

♪ We offer you diversion ♪

♪ On any channel you choose ♪

♪ We give you bread

♪ And you still call it news ♪

♪ We orchestrate your hatred ♪

♪ It's as clear as white

♪ We select your history ♪

♪ And you believe it's fact ♪

♪ Under the camouflage

♪ We supply the sins

♪ You're seduced by

♪ Behind the camouflage

♪ Behind the camouflage... ♪