Men Without Women | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 1, 1982 | |||
Recorded | 1981–1982 | |||
Studio | Power Station, New York City Clover Studios, Los Angeles The Hit Factory, New York City | |||
Genre | R&B, Rock | |||
Length | 42:32 | |||
Label | EMI America | |||
Producer | Steven Van Zandt | |||
Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul chronology | ||||
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Singles from Men Without Women | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Robert Christgau | B− [2] |
Men Without Women is the debut solo studio album by American musician Steven Van Zandt, credited as Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. It was released on October 1, 1982 by EMI America. The title track was inspired by the Ernest Hemingway collection of short stories of the same name.
In 1980, Van Zandt produced Dedication , a comeback album for singer Gary U.S. Bonds. Gary Gersh, who was in charge of the Bonds album at EMI America Records, subsequently approached Van Zandt and indicated that the label would be interested in a Van Zandt solo project. [3] In November 1981, Van Zandt began recording the album at The Power Station, using musicians from the E Street Band, the Asbury Jukes and the Miami Horns. Among the songs recorded at these sessions were "Inside of Me", "Princess of Little Italy" and "I've Been Waiting," the last of these originally written by Van Zandt for the Jukes album Hearts of Stone . Bruce Springsteen also took part in these sessions, providing backing vocals on "Angel Eyes", "Until The Good Is Gone" and "Men Without Women". Springsteen’s contributions, however, went uncredited but have been confirmed in interview by Van Zandt. [4] [5] [6]
Before finishing Men Without Women, Van Zandt produced a second Bonds album, On the Line , and also began recording Born in the U.S.A. with Springsteen. By Summer 1982, Van Zandt had recruited his own band, the Disciples of Soul, featuring drummer Dino Danelli and bassist Jean Beauvoir, and it was this line up that completed the album, recording "Under the Gun" and "Lyin' in a Bed of Fire". Van Zandt had also decided to adopt the pseudonym Little Steven, partly to distance himself from any Springsteen comparisons and partly as a tribute to Little Richard and Little Walter. On July 18, 1982, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul made their live debut at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City. [5] [7] The concert was filmed for video release and as a companion to the album. On May 13 the film version of Men Without Women was given a European premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. [8]
As a single, "Forever" spent nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #63. The album did little better, reaching only #118 on the Billboard 200. A music video for "Forever" was played in heavy rotation on early MTV. "Inside of Me" was later featured on The Sopranos in which Van Zandt himself also starred. [9]
On July 2, 2011, the album was performed in its entirety by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Richie La Bamba, Mark Pender, Ed Manion and Stan Harrison from the original Disciples of Soul were part of the horn section.
In 2019, the album was remastered for release as part of Van Zandt's career-spanning box set Rock N Roll Rebel: The Early Work . The digital deluxe edition of the album was released on October 18, 2019 containing 10 bonus tracks, including the previously unknown studio outtake "Time".
All songs written by Steven Van Zandt, except where noted.
Chart (1982) | Position |
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U.S. Billboard 200 | 118 |
Swedish Albums Chart [13] | 26 |
Single | Chart (1982) | Position |
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"Forever" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 63 |
"Forever" | Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks [14] | 39 |
"Forever" | Norwegian Singles Chart [15] | 23 |
"Forever" | Dutch Singles Chart [16] | 23 |
"Lyin' in a Bed of Fire" | Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 30 |
Steven Van Zandt, also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin. He has appeared in several television drama series, including as Silvio Dante in The Sopranos (1999–2007) and as Frank Tagliano in Lilyhammer (2012–2014). Van Zandt has his own solo band called Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, intermittently active since the 1980s.
John Lyon, known professionally as Southside Johnny, is an American singer-songwriter who usually fronts his band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
Felix Cavaliere is an American musician. He is best known for being the co-lead vocalist and keyboard player for The Young Rascals.
The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing career, the band included guitarists Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, and Patti Scialfa, keyboardists Danny Federici and Roy Bittan, bassist Garry Tallent, drummer Max Weinberg and saxophonist Clarence Clemons.
The Miami Horns are an American horn section best known for touring and recording with Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven and The Max Weinberg 7. They have also toured, performed or recorded with, among others, Diana Ross, Gary U.S. Bonds, Robert Cray, Bon Jovi, Cissy Houston, Joe Cocker, Dave Edmunds, Darlene Love, The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow and Ricky Martin. As individuals, the various members have also worked with the likes of Aerosmith, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Power Station, Graham Parker, and They Might Be Giants.
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are an American musical group from the Jersey Shore led by Southside Johnny. They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. They have recorded or performed several Springsteen songs, including "The Fever" (1973) and "Fade Away" (1980). Springsteen has also performed with the band on several occasions. In 1991, Springsteen and the E Street band appeared on Southside Johnny's Better Days album.
Hearts of Stone is the third album by New Jersey rock band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, released in October 1978. The album peaked at number 112 on the Billboard 200 chart during the week of January 13, 1979. All of the album's songs were written by Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, and E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt. Van Zandt, the band's manager, also produced, arranged and played guitar.
Ed Manion, also known as Eddie "Kingfish" Manion, is an American saxophonist, who plays both tenor and baritone sax. As a solo artist, he released his own instrumental album titled Nightlife in 2015. Manion is a recording and touring member of Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. He was a touring member of the horn section for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and also a member of Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour, later called Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band. He is an original member of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, The Miami Horns, and Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. As a session musician, he has recorded, toured, and/or performed with, among others, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Diana Ross, Gary U.S. Bonds, Bon Jovi, Willy DeVille, Dave Edmunds, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Dion, The Allman Brothers Band, Kim Wilson, and Graham Parker. As a solo artist, he released his own CD titled Follow Through in 2004.
Voice of America is the second solo studio album by Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul released on May 7, 1984, four weeks before Bruce Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A.
Freedom – No Compromise is the third solo studio album by Little Steven, released in May 1987 by EMI.
Revolution is the fourth solo studio album by Little Steven, released in 1989 by RCA Records. His backing band, the Disciples of Soul, were gone in all but name, and the music was largely electronic with a rock-soul-funk sound.
Born Again Savage is the fifth solo studio album by American musician Little Steven, released in September 1999 by Renegade Nation. It was his first album since 1989's Revolution.
Dedication is a 1981 album by American singer Gary U.S. Bonds.
On the Line is an album released by Gary U.S. Bonds in 1982, the second of two on which he collaborated with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, the first being Dedication, released the previous year, 1981.
Standing in the Line of Fire is an album by Gary U.S. Bonds, released in 1984. It is credited to Gary U.S. Bonds and the American Men. The album was a followup to his two Springsteen/Van Zandt-produced albums Dedication and On the Line, though the only carry-over from the previous two albums was Steven Van Zandt, who wrote, sang backing vocals for, and played lead guitar on the title track.
This Time It's for Real is the second album by New Jersey band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, featuring three compositions by Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt, as well as an additional five by the latter. Like their first album, I Don't Want To Go Home, there are a number of guest artists and duets, a trend that would be dropped for their next album, Hearts of Stone. "Check Mr. Popeye" features Kenny "Popeye" Pentifallo on vocals with The Coasters on background vocals. The track "First Night" features the Satins on background vocals and Steven Van Zandt on duet vocals. "Little Girl So Fine" features background vocals by the Drifters.
Better Days is an album by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, released in 1991. It yielded minor hits "It's Been a Long Time" and "I've Been Workin' Too Hard". The song "It's Been a Long Time" features shared lead vocals by Southside Johnny, Steven Van Zandt, and Bruce Springsteen and is a reflection back on their early years together in the music business. "I've Been Working Too Hard" features a duet with Jon Bon Jovi. Eight of the eleven songs were written by Van Zandt, harkening back to the Jukes' first three albums which also featured Van Zandt writing, playing guitar, and singing harmony and sometimes duet vocals. One track, "All the Way Home", was written by Bruce Springsteen who later recorded his own version of it for his 2005 solo album Devils and Dust.
Soulfire is the sixth solo studio album by Little Steven, released on May 19, 2017. It marks his first studio album since 1999's Born Again Savage. The album consists of Van Zandt's versions of songs that he either wrote or co-wrote for other artists and describes it as "me covering me!" In June 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Soulfire number 28 on their list of the "50 Best Albums of 2017 So Far."
Soulfire Live! is the first live album released by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul in 2018. The album was recorded during various live performances on the Soulfire tour in 2017. While the initial April 2018 release of the album was digital-only, deluxe versions of the album were reissued on CD in August 2018 and vinyl in February 2019, containing additional songs recorded during the tour. A Blu-ray edition was also released, containing video of all of the tracks present on the digital, CD, and vinyl editions. An "expanded edition" of the album containing four CDs of material was released on January 29, 2021.
This is the discography of Steven Van Zandt, an American songwriter, singer, musician, and actor. Van Zandt has been featured on records steadily since 1975 as a member of Bruce Springsteen's The E Street Band and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, as well as with his own band Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul.