"The '59 Sound" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by the Gaslight Anthem | ||||
from the album The '59 Sound | ||||
Released | July 22, 2008 June 15, 2009 (UK re-release) | |||
Recorded | 2008 | |||
Length | 3:11 | |||
Label | SideOneDummy Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Brian Fallon, Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine, Benny Horowitz | |||
Producer(s) | Ted Hutt | |||
The Gaslight Anthem singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
"The '59 Sound" |
"The '59 Sound" is the debut single by American rock band the Gaslight Anthem. Written by the band and produced by Ted Hutt, it is the title track of the band's second full-length album. [1] The song reached the U.S. Alternative Airplay chart in early 2009. The song, which received mostly favorable reviews from critics, was performed live by the band with Bruce Springsteen at the Glastonbury and Hard Rock Calling festivals in June 2009.
"The '59 Sound" was the first song written by singer-songwriter-guitarist Brian Fallon [2] [3] for the band's 2008 album, also titled The '59 Sound . [4] The song's title references a 1959 Fender Bassman amplifier that he built for himself. [5] [6] [7] [8] Fallon recalled, "I never wrote a song like that before. And I thought it was better than anything else I ever wrote. I showed it to the guys [in the band] and they thought it was awesome. Then the next one was "Great Expectations" and we definitely knew where we were going with [the album]." [4] Fallon said the band had tried to emulate the sound of soul music from the late 1950s, because "back then it seemed like there was a genuine feeling of excitement going on that I don't think is necessarily happening right now. It seems like when you look back on that era a lot of it is embodied in that Memphis sound, so it's just a giant celebratory thing." [9]
Lyrically, the song is an elegy for a friend who died in a car accident, while the band was elsewhere performing a gig. [10] [11] [12] [13] The singer, Brian Fallon, asks his deceased friend: "Did you hear the '59 Sound coming through on Grandmama's radio?", referring to late 1950s music that they listened to while growing up. [9] He continues by asking about his friend's discomfort in the hospital, shortly before his death. [14] The song ends with the sentences "Young boys, Young girls (Ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night)", emphasizing a sudden and unexpected loss of a friend. [15] [16] Brian Fallon said the song is about growing older; and “carrying on", [17] and mentioned that he was "not a kid anymore and people are gonna start leaving. And that’s kind of weird." [18]
Released as a physical single in July 2008, the single reached American modern rock radio stations in September. [19] The song's music video, directed by Kevin James Custer, premiered the following month. [20] In January 2009, the song entered the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, [21] peaked at number 35 in February, and spent 10 weeks on the chart. [22] It reached a peak position of 26 on Billboard's Canada Rock Chart in April, [23] and of 115 on the UK Singles Chart in July. [24] [25] That same month, "The '59 Sound" was re-released in the UK as a physical single, backed with a live cover version of Pearl Jam's "State of Love and Trust", as well as a live performance of "We Came to Dance", a song from the Gaslight Anthem's first album, Sink or Swim . [26] [27]
"The '59 Sound" was generally well received by music critics, with Pitchfork Media writer Tom Breihan praising the bridge: "It's simple, it's sincere, and it kills me every time." [28] CMJ New Music writer Tyler Theofilos said the song is "all about the exhilaration that goes along with raw, driving rock." [29] Jason MacNeil of PopMatters compared it to the Killers and Tim -era Replacements. [30] The song was ranked number 62 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Best Singles of 2008". [31]
The Gaslight Anthem performed "The '59 Sound" live on the talk shows Late Night with Conan O'Brien [32] [33] [34] [35] and Late Show with David Letterman . [36] [37] The band was joined onstage by Bruce Springsteen during performances of the song at Glastonbury Festival 2009 [38] [39] [40] and Hard Rock Calling 2009. [41] [42] In June 2011, the band dedicated the song to the memory of Clarence Clemons during their set at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival. [43] Clemons, a founding member of the E Street Band, had died that same month due to a stroke. [44]
All tracks are written by Brian Fallon, Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine, and Benny Horowitz, except where noted [45]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The '59 Sound" | 3:11 |
2. | "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" | 3:31 |
Total length: | 6:42 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The '59 Sound" | 3:11 |
2. | "State of Love and Trust" (live at Webster Hall, New York City; Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready; originally performed by Pearl Jam) | 3:27 |
3. | "We Came to Dance" (live at Webster Hall, New York City) | 3:36 |
Total length: | 10:14 |
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Rock ( Billboard ) [46] | 26 |
Scotland (OCC) [47] | 64 |
UK Singles (OCC) [24] | 115 |
UK Indie (OCC) [48] | 10 |
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [49] | 35 |
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", he has released 21 studio albums during a career spanning six decades, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Springsteen is a pioneer of heartland rock, a genre combining mainstream rock music with poetic and socially conscious lyrics that feature narratives primarily concerning working class American life. He is known for his descriptive lyrics and energetic concerts, which sometimes last over four hours.
Born to Run is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. Springsteen co-produced the album with his manager Mike Appel and the producer Jon Landau. The album was recorded in New York City, and designed to break him into the mainstream following the relative commercial failures of his first two albums. Springsteen sought to emulate Phil Spector's dense, crisp, energetic but difficult to achieve Wall of Sound production, leading to prolonged and grueling sessions with the E Street Band lasting from January 1974 to July 1975. The band and producers spent six months alone on the title track "Born to Run".
Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr., also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band.
"Born to Run" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen and the title track of his third studio album, Born to Run (1975). It was Springsteen's first worldwide single release, although it achieved little initial success outside of the United States. Within the U.S., however, it received extensive airplay on progressive or album-oriented rock radio stations. The single was also Springsteen's first Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #23.
"Dancing in the Dark" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the first single released ahead from his 1984 album, Born in the U.S.A., and became his biggest hit, helping the album become the best-selling album of his career.
Ted Hutt is a British record producer, musician, and songwriter, residing in Los Angeles, California, United States. He was the original guitar player and one of the founding members for The Promise, The Great Unwashed, Gods Hotel, Reacharound, and Flogging Molly.
The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon, Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine, and Benny Horowitz.
The '59 Sound is the second studio album by American punk rock band the Gaslight Anthem, released on August 19, 2008, by record label SideOneDummy.
The Working on a Dream Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which began in April 2009 and ended in November 2009. It followed the late January 2009 release of the album Working on a Dream. This was the first full E Street Band tour without founding member Danny Federici, who died during the previous tour in 2008, and the final tour for founding member Clarence Clemons, who died in 2011.
American Slang is the third studio album by New Jersey–based rock group the Gaslight Anthem. It was released on June 15, 2010, on SideOneDummy Records, which released their previous album, The '59 Sound. The album was produced by 'The '59 Sound producer Ted Hutt.
The Promise is a compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released November 16, 2010, on Columbia Records. The album is a collection of previously unreleased songs which were recorded during the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions in 1977–1978, with some vocals and additional instrumentation overdubs recorded in 2010. It was released in 2CD and 3LP formats. The album is also available as part of the box set The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story. The two-CD version of the release entered the UK Albums Chart at number 7. It had been in production for many years and was originally scheduled to be released for the 30th anniversary in 2008. The Promise debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200, while the box set, The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, debuted at number 27.
Brian Fallon is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main lyricist of the rock band the Gaslight Anthem, with whom he has recorded six studio albums. He was also a member of the duo the Horrible Crowes, alongside the Gaslight Anthem's guitar technician and touring guitarist Ian Perkins. Since 2016, Fallon has released four solo albums and one EP.
American rock band the Gaslight Anthem has released six studio albums, two extended plays, and eighteen singles. The members are Brian Fallon, Alex Rosamilia (guitar), Alex Levine (bass), and Benny Horowitz (drums/percussion).
Wrecking Ball is the seventeenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on March 6, 2012, on Columbia Records. It was named best album of 2012 by Rolling Stone and along with the album's first single, "We Take Care of Our Own", was nominated for three Grammy Awards.
"We Take Care of Our Own" is a song written and recorded by American musician Bruce Springsteen. It is the first single from his album Wrecking Ball. The single was released for download through amazon.com and iTunes on January 18, 2012. The song made its live debut on February 12, 2012, at the 54th Grammy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song.
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"45" is a song by American rock band the Gaslight Anthem, released on May 8, 2012 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Handwritten (2012).
Get Hurt is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Gaslight Anthem. It was released on August 8, 2014, by Island Records. It marks their first album on Island Records, which absorbed the band and its previous label, Mercury Records.
Painkillers is the debut studio album by Brian Fallon, singer/guitarist of American rock band The Gaslight Anthem, released on March 11, 2016, through Island Records.
History Books is the sixth studio album by American rock band the Gaslight Anthem, released on October 27, 2023, through Rich Mahogany Records and Thirty Tigers. Produced by Peter Katis, it is the band's first studio album in nine years, following their reunion in March 2022 and subsequent world tour throughout the year.
The album's title track debuts at No. 38 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart. (the chart is known today as Alternative Airplay).
This song's for Clarence.
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