Bruce Springsteen rarely stumbles when he covers another artist, but we may be looking at a rare instance today. Technically, though, he hasn’t actually performed this one in concert; he only soundchecked it once, and it appears to have been a spontaneous arrangement, so maybe we can cut him some slack.
On the evening of May 23rd, 1988, At the Madison Square Garden crowd was admitted into the arena a bit early. Bruce and the band were still finishing up their soundcheck, and noticing the “paying customers,” Bruce decided to give them a special treat before heading backstage until showtime.
Bruce’s selection was an obscure one: the sweet, romantic “For Your Love.” Not the Yardbirds’ song, mind you, but the 1957 Ed Townsend version by the same name.
“For Your Love” was Townsend’s first and last great hit, But if you’re only going to have one big song, this is a great one to stand on. Townsend’s warm vocals and lush arrangement are evergreen; that sax solo and those soaring backing vocals make me swoon every time. This spring & summer ballad was Ed’s only significant national hit.
Although “For Your Love” certainly fit the theme of Bruce’s Tunnel of Love Tour, I’m guessing most of the fans in the room didn’t recognize it. Thirty years after it charted, “For Your Love” was an obscure choice, but Bruce’s soundchecks were full of wild cards at the time–in part due to the presence of the Miami Horns (renamed The Horns of Love for that tour), who seemed to be up for anything Bruce could throw at them.
The Horns followed Bruce’s lead,
Bruce threw a curve ball with “For Your Love,” though. Rather than follow a more faithful reading, Bruce steered the band toward a decidedly reggae arrangement. (He’d been experimenting with reggae arrangements since transforming “My Hometown,” “Born in the U.S.A.” and “Jersey Girl” the summer before.
“For Your Love” (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY – 05/23/1988) · Bruce Springsteen
The Fat Angel Sings 