''This Time It's for Real'' was the second album by New Jersey Rock / R&B band

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes 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 & The E Street Band. They have recor ...

, featuring three compositions by

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

and

Steve Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin ...

, 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 "Hearts of Stone" is an American R&B song. It became a #1 hit on two of the Billboard three lists, ''Best Sellers in Stores'' and ''Most Played in Jukeboxes'' in 1955 for The Fontane Sisters. It was written by Eddie Ray and Rudy Jackson, me ...

''. "Check Mr. Popeye" features Kenny "Popeye" Pentifallo on vocals with

The Coasters The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and " Young Blood" in 1957, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing ...

on background vocals. The track "First Night" features The Satins on background vocals and

Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin ...

on duet vocals. "Little Girl So Fine" features background vocals by

The Drifters The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/Soul music, soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, f ...

.
Another highlight is a cover of

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

's "Without Love". According to Van Zandt, the two new Springsteen/Van Zandt compositions ("Love on the Wrong Side of Town" and "Little Girl So Fine") were written, at least in part, during recording sessions at Columbia Recording Studio in December 1976. Versions of both songs with unfinished lyrics appear on Van Zandt's compilation album ''

The Early Work ''The Early Work'' is a compilation album released by Little Steven in conjunction with his '' Rock N Roll Rebel: The Early Work'' box set in 2019. The album contains various live recordings featuring Steve Van Zandt recorded between 1973 and 19 ...

'', recorded in 1976-77. A third composition, "When You Dance", was written by the pair when they were both members of the Bruce Springsteen Band in 1971. The front cover photograph of the band was taken at Minetta Street,

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

, New York City.

Track listing

# "This Time It's for Real" (

) - 4:07 # "Without Love" (

Carolyn Franklin Carolyn Ann Franklin (May 13, 1944 – April 25, 1988) was an American singer-songwriter. Besides her own musical success, Franklin was best known as the daughter of prominent Detroit preacher and civil rights activist C. L. Franklin and the youn ...

Ivory Joe Hunter Ivory Joe Hunter (October 10, 1914 – November 8, 1974) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid-1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recording ...

) - 4:32 # "Check Mr. Popeye" (Dolores Johnson) - 3:56 # "First Night" (Steven Van Zandt) - 4:38 # "She Got Me Where She Wants Me" (Steven Van Zandt) - 4:06 # "Some Things Just Don't Change" (Steven Van Zandt) - 3:39 # "Little Girl So Fine" (

, Steven Van Zandt) - 3:51 # "I Ain't Got the Fever No More" (Steven Van Zandt) - 5:29 # "Love on the Wrong Side of Town" (Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt) - 3:11 # "When You Dance" (Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt) - 5:25

Personnel

Musicians

Southside Johnny John Lyon (born December 4, 1948), better known by his stage name Southside Johnny, is an American singer-songwriter who usually fronts his band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Southside Johnny has long been considered the Grandfather of ...

– lead vocals, harmonica * Al Berger - bass, vocals *

Eddie Manion Ed Manion (born February 28, 1952), 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 currently a ...

- baritone saxophone, vocals * Kevin Kavanaugh - piano, vocals * Kenny "Popeye" Pentifallo - drums, tambourine, vocals ("Check Mr. Popeye") *

Billy Rush William Rush (born August 26, 1952) is an American musician, guitarist, composer, producer, arranger and engineer who started working professionally in 1964. Rush is especially known for his lengthy association with Southside Johnny and the Asbury ...

(credited as Little Willie Rush) - guitar, vocals *

Richie Rosenberg Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg is an American trombonist originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a former member of the house band on Conan O'Brien's late-night talk shows. Early life Rosenberg became a trombonist when his junior high in ...

- trombone, vocals * Tony Palligrosi - trumpet, vocals * Carlo Novi - tenor saxophone, vocals *

(credited as SMS) - guitar, vocals (duet "First Night") * Ernest 'Boom' Carter - conga, tympani * Bobby Malach - tenor saxophone ("Love On the Wrong Side of Town") *

- background vocals ("Little Girl So Fine") ** Charlie Thomas ** Doe Greene ** Ellsbury Hobbs ** Don Thomas *

- background vocals ("Check Mr. Popeye") ** Carl Gardner ** Earl Carroll ** Jimmy Norman ** Ronnie Bright * The Satins - background vocals ("First Night") ** Fred Parris ** Richard Freeman ** James Curtis ** Nate Marshall * Sugar's Strings: ** Joe Parente - conductor ** Florence Rosenwig - violin ** Marion Head - violin ** David Madison - violin ** Chock Parker - violin ** Barbara Sonies - violin ** Diane Barnets - violin ** Nardo Poy - viola ** Pete Rosato - viola ** Davis Barnett - viola

Production

- producer * Don Meehan - engineer * Ken Robertson - assistant engineer * Stan Kalina - mastering

References

{{Authority control 1977 albums Albums produced by Steven Van Zandt Epic Records albums Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes albums