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Video: Bruce Springsteen's Most Awkward Moment Unearthed
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jul 31, 2011
Modified Jul 31, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jul 31, 2011
Modified Jul 31, 2011
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Sweet fancy moses! Bruce Springsteen has always seemed like one of the few rock and roll stars who can always maintain his cool, even when he's hanging out with John Kerry or photobombing people's wedding vows. But in this raw footage taken from the original "Dancing In The Dark" music video shoot, he looks like he's auditioning for a jazzercise tape. Watch the awkward footage below:
He doesn't know what to do with his arms! He's wearing suspenders! He looks like John Travolta auditioning for Flashdance! At least the Big Man, who shows up around the three minute mark, escapes the video unscathed—that red suit is quite awesome. No wonder Springsteen rejected the footage when he saw the rushes, and hired Brian De Palma to film the Courtney Cox-gracing live video which became a huge mid-80s hit:
Overall in the raw footage, Springsteen resembles an all-American cross between Carlton, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Elaine Benes with his moves: a full body dry heave set to music. But Dangerous Minds looks on the bright side: at least “Sweating In The Dark: New Jersey Aerobics with the E Street Muscle” was never unleashed upon the world.
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awkward
bruce sprinsgteen
dancing in the dark
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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