David Sancious - Work With Bruce Springsteen

Work With Bruce Springsteen

Sancious began to learn classical piano at seven and by eleven he had taught himself guitar. He was only in his teens when he first became involved in the Asbury Park music scene. In the late 1960s and early 1970s he played in various bands that included Springsteen and future members of The E Street Band, as well as Southside Johnny and Bill Chinnock. These bands included Glory Road, Dr.Zoom & The Sonic Boom, The Bruce Springsteen Band and The Sundance Blues Band.

In January 1972, Sancious moved to Richmond, Virginia, where he worked at Alpha Studios as a studio musician doing jingles and sessions. While there he met Ernest Carter. In June 1972 Springsteen asked him to play keyboards on his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.. However when Springsteen began touring with what is now considered the unofficial start of the E Street Band in October 1972, Sancious was not with them, having in July 1972 returned to Richmond and Alpha Studios and recorded some demos with Carter and Garry Tallent. (Producer/songwriter Wes Farrell owned the rights to these demos and in 1976 he released them as David Sancious without permission.)

Thus, it is debatable whether Sancious was a founding member of the E Street Band, since the band would not be officially known or billed as such until September 1974. In any case, Sancious was certainly a member of the early Springsteen musical entourage; indeed, legend has it that the band took its name from the street in Belmar, New Jersey, where Sancious' mother lived, as she had allowed the band to rehearse in her home.

From June 1973 Sancious began to tour regularly with the E Street Band. He added an extra dimension to the band's early sound. Equally influenced by Mozart or Thelonious Monk, he would frequently use classical music or jazz during intros or instrumental breaks. Springsteen's second album, The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle, was a showcase for Sancious' talents. His most notable contributions include an organ solo on "Kitty's Back" and an evocative piano intro on "New York City Serenade". He is also credited with the string arrangement on the latter song, and even played soprano saxophone on "The E Street Shuffle".

In February 1974 drummer Vini Lopez left the E Street Band and Sancious recommended his friend, Ernest Carter, as a replacement. Later in the year Sancious and Carter helped record the title track of Springsteen's third album Born to Run.