RICK SPRINGSTEEN, OR BRUCE SPRINGFIELD... AHHH, WHATEVER

I never was a Rick Springfield fan. I found his early 80's music superficial and taylor-made to please the conservative sensibilities of the Reagan years. But two decades later I have looked back and come to appreciate his stuff. It was, after all, more substantial than a lot of the empty-headed teeny-bopper pre-fabricated fluff that dominated much of the airwaves then. "Bruce", which became a hit briefly in my last year of high school, is my favorite Springfield track. It shows a fine sense of humor. Never mind the visuals, they are quite distracting.

Doctor, doctor you gotta help me yeah
You gotta make it right for me
It seems this other man's name has been following me around
And it just won't let me be
You see I got this name and he's got this name too
And you know they're kinda close only a blind crazy fool
Would think I was him it's like saying green is blue
But let me tell you brother it started being a bother
When he made the cover of Time magazine

I was at this party in the well-heeled hills
Just the other night
Her name was Shelly I introduced myself
She just smiled and said "all right"
Well we got talkin' and drinkin' wine
And she said she liked my music thought it was fine
She said, "Let's make love, your place or mine,"
And in the middle of the passion I was on the borderline
When she called out a name but it wasn't mine

She called me Bruce, Bruce
I can hear her calling Bruce, Bruce
I can hear her calling Bruce, Bruce
I can hear her
My name is Rick I'm gonna stick it to ya babe

And there's this kid walking carrying a guitar
You know I told him that I played
He asked me my name you know I told him
I said it plain as clear as day
Well he seemed really, clearly, sincerely impressed
And as he pulled a piece of paper for me to sign from his vest
He said, "I thought Born To Run was one of your best."
Awww wait a minute man, who do you think I am?
He answered, "Mr. Springsteen, you're a famous man."

He called me Bruce, Bruce
I can hear him calling Bruce, Bruce
He called me Bruce, Bruce
I can hear him
My name is Richard gonna hit it to you babe

You know my mama called me long distance yesterday
And as she got off the phone I swear I heard her say

Bye bye Bruce, Bruce
I can hear her calling Bruce, Bruce
She called me Bruce, Bruce
I can hear her
My name is Ricky gonna stick it to you babe
She called me Bruce

"Bruce" was released as part of the "Beautiful Feelings" album in 1984. That album, whose release Springfield never authorized, is entirely made up of demos recorded in the late 1970's beefed up with session musicians providing the instrumentation.

Here is what Springfield's Wikipedia entry says about this matter:

"In 1984 Mercury Records released Beautiful Feelings which were unreleased sessions Rick recorded in 1978 but never released. The LP was remixed and additional instrumentation was added without Rick's involvement. Rick attempted to block the release of this LP, but was unsuccessful. Springfield later purchased an ad in several music industry magazines revealing the true nature of this LP, and he did not authorize its release... Despite the controversy, "Beautiful Feelings" reached number 78 on the LP charts, and a single, "Bruce", a song about people mistaking Rick for Bruce Springsteen, hit number 27 on the Hot 100."