The iconic sitcom "Happy Days" was the reason why Jim Rotolo checked out Bruce Springsteen. While growing up in North Bergen during the '70s, the pre-pubescent was flipping through his older brother's record collection and stopped when he glanced at the cover of Springsteen and the E Street Band's "Darkness of the Edge of Town."
"When I saw the album, I stopped and looked at the guy on the cover since he looked like Fonzie," Rotolo said. "So I put on the record on not knowing any of the songs. I heard the lyrics. 'Now I hear she's got a house up in Fairview/
And a style she's trying to maintain.' I lived right next to Fairview then. I was like, 'This guy knows where I live.' I found out that he was from New Jersey and that was the start of me being a fan of Bruce Springsteen."
Who knew that Rotolo would become such an aficionado that he would one day host a Springsteen show on Sirius XM? Rotolo, who holds court on "The Wild & The Innocent" on the satellite radio network? Springsteen become an expert on all things that have to do with the Asbury Park icon.
Rotolo has devoured the massive Springsteen catalog and has interviewed the Boss on a number of occasions. "Bruce is 100 percent laser focused when you sit down with him," Rotolo revealed. "Bruce is open to talking about everything. He's very generous when he speaks."
Rotolo was taken aback after his first interview with Springsteen. "What surprised me the most is that Bruce is just a regular guy that you can talk with about whatever," Rotolo said. "Talking with him is like talking with a neighbor. He's just a genuine person. There's a comfort level around him where he makes everyone relax. There's none of that rock star pretentiousness. He's the kind of guy that when you see him at a local restaurant, he'll speak with you and take a photo with you."
Rotolo's initial interest started shortly after "Darkness on the Edge of Town" was released in 1978 but the longtime radio veteran, who also worked at the New York pop radio station Z-100, didn't see Springsteen until the "Lucky Town" tour in 1992. "I was supposed to see Bruce on the "Born in the USA" tour but that didn't happen," Rotolo said. "I got sick but I saw the "Lucky Town" tour and was blown away by Bruce as a performer. Since that tour was without the E Street Band, I thought I would never see Bruce with the E Street Band. But when they reunited in 1999, I saw Bruce and the E Street Band at the Meadowlands and was just blown away."
However, Rotolo never envisioned that he would host a Springsteen show. However, he produced a Dave Marsh Sirius XM program and that led to his current gig.
"Dave Marsh had a Sunday morning show I produced," Rotolo said. "Dave had never done radio. Dave has been Springsteen's biographer and is fascinating in his own right. After Bruce did an interview with Dave focusing on the release of 'Born to Run' as a box set, there were conversations at Sirius about having one of our channels promote 'Born to Run.' Bruce's management loved the idea. The cool thing about Bruce was that he gave us permission to play anything he ever played. That included any bootleg concerts. We found old cassettes, which we digitized."
Rotolo started co-hosting with Dave Marsh in 2011 and shortly thereafter was given his own Springsteen show.
Experiencing Springsteen in Asbury Park are some of Rotolo's favorite concert memories. The epic Christmas benefit shows Springsteen headlined during the aughts are particular highlights. It's easy to see why since the Boss, backed by a full band, which included a horn section, played holiday tunes, deep cuts and fun covers. The events were akin to living room shows at intimate Convention Hall. Special guests, such as Southside Johnny and Dave and Serge Bielanko from Marah joined Springsteen onstage.
"Those Christmas shows were so unique," Rotolo said. "It was amazing seeing Bruce, not only in such an intimate setting but they were hometown shows. Those special shows happened in Asbury Park, where it all began for Bruce. You can't deny the aura that is in Asbury Park when Bruce performs. I also enjoyed seeing Bruce's rehearsals that were in Asbury Park. There's something special about when he plays Asbury Park and there is just something special about Asbury Park."
Rotolo will often vacation in Asbury Park. "It's only an hour from where I live," Rotolo said. "It's a simple shot to get there. There are so many places to go to on the Boardwalk. I love going to Toast Asbury Park for breakfast and Kim Marie's (Eat N' Drink Away) is a great late night spot to hang out at. I love Asbury Park for the Springsteen history and for the city that it is."
Rotolo has been excited since Springsteen thrilled fans with the announcement of "Tracks ll." The collection will be released later this month via Sony Music. The project, which is dubbed as a 'Lost albums' set, features seven albums worth of tunes. 83 songs from throughout Springsteen's unparalleled career.
"I couldn't speak yesterday since I had to go on the air because of the release of the new song ('Blind Spot') ," Rotolo said. "It's incredible. More Springsteen songs. Fans can't get enough of his work. This is an exciting time for fans of his music."
The prolific and unparallelled singer-songwriter surprised fans, including Rotolo, with a massive set of songs, such as "Blind Spot," which Rotolo debuted on his satellite radio show. That compelling tune is the first song ever to be released from the "Streets of Philadelphia Sessions,' an album known among fans as the "Loops Record." The Boss recorded the 10-song album in the wake of its Oscar-winning title track a generation ago. The project was inspired by West Coast hip-hop. Springsteen messed with drum samples before creating his own collection of loops with engineer Toby Scott. Springsteen is the dominant force throughout the album, which includes some play from his wife ,Patti Scialfa, violinist Soozie Tyrell and vocalist Lisa Lowe and his 1992-1993 touring band. The album was completed, mixed and set for a 1995 release. However, the album was held up since Springsteen took fans aback by reuniting with the E Street Band at the end of the last century.
Perhaps Springsteen will embark on a "Tracks ll" tour. If that happens, expect Springsteen to pop by Sirius XM for a chat with Rotolo. "It's always great to speak with Bruce," Rotolo said. "It'll be interesting to see what happens next with him. He's always surprising fans."
Springsteen has been one of the most consistent recording artists in rock history. His canon is so deep it's difficult to imagine Sirius/XM ever halting the popular channel dedicated to arguably the most beloved Garden State of all time, with apologies to Francis Albert Sinatra.
"There really is no one like Bruce," Rotolo said. "I'm fortunate to have this show. I love what I do. I get to play and talk about Bruce Springsteen. It's a dream job."
When Rotolo isn't pouring through Springsteen material and enjoying all that New Jersey has to offer, he's rooting for his beloved Las Vegas Raiders while hoping minority owner Tom Brady turns the woebegone franchise around.
When I saw the album, I looked at the guy on the cover since he looked like Fonzie. I put on the record on not knowing any of the songs.
What surprised me is that Bruce is just a regular guy that you can talk with. Talking with him is like talking with a neighbor .He's a genuine person