Bruce Springsteen and the Asbury Park Press go back a long way.
Seven decades ago, APP, part of the USA TODAY Network, first wrote about Springsteen’s music when his teenage band, the Castiles, played the Jersey Shore in 1967. In December of that year, the group opened for the Broadways of Asbury Park at the Oceanside Surf Club in Sea Bright.
Now fans will be able to easily access the Press’ coverage, from the early days to the present, via the new Asbury Park Press Bruce Springsteen Archives. The site will include more than 500 stories, photos, videos, personal ads submitted by Springsteen seeking band members and more surprises.
The Springsteen Archives will be live later this week and available to APP subscribers. To access the site, visit the archive’s official homepage. The collection will be updated regularly with classic clips and pics, as well as other new material.
“About 18 months ago, we realized we had all this great material sitting in our library, accessible only by staff members,” said Asbury Park Press executive editor Phil Freedman.
“We began taking stock of what we had and getting it into condition to publish digitally. A number of people have done incredible work restoring the content, and we are beyond excited to make this available to the millions of Springsteen fans.”
“There are so many cool things in this archive that have not been seen in decades,” Freedman added. “Every day, as we’ve been putting it together, we stumble on something else that makes us take a moment to really appreciate it. We can’t wait for fans to dive in and have their own moments like we have experienced.”
Bruce Springsteen archive features expert insights, exclusive interviews
Springsteen fans and rock ‘n’ roll devotees will be treated to a treasure trove of the Boss’ musical history thanks to the Asbury Park Press Bruce Springsteen Archives.
APP reporters past and present offer their unique insights on Springsteen’s rise from Jersey rocker to global icon, such as longtime staff writer Jean Mikle, who in 2018 reflected on Springsteen’s March 1971 performance opening for The Allman Brothers Band, just two years shy of the release of his debut album.
Former APP columnist Michael Riley reviewed Springsteen’s 2006 folk cover album, “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions,” and his subsequent tour.
The archive also features exclusive conversations with Springsteen about his prolific career and the meaning behind his varied musical projects.
Former APP writer Kelly-Jane Cotter interviewed Springsteen in 1996 about music, growing up, and his fans, while entertainment writer Chris Jordan talked to the singer in recent years about albums “Western Stars” and “Letter to You” and his performance series, “Springsteen on Broadway.”
