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Remembering When a Pair of 60s Legends Sang Backup on a Bruce Springsteen Smash Hit in 1980
Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” became his first Top 10 single in 1980, with backing vocals from Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, formerly of The Turtles. Their contribution helped give the song a bright pop sound and marked a breakthrough for Springsteen on mainstream radio.
Springsteen and producer Jon Landau chose the duo, known as Flo and Eddie, after deciding the song needed extra vocals. Kaylan and Volman had previously scored a No. 1 hit with The Turtles’ “Happy Together” and later sang on records by artists including Alice Cooper and T. Rex. They doubted “Hungry Heart” would succeed, but its chart performance helped set the stage for Springsteen’s wider success with singles from *Born in the U.S.A.* four years later.
In short
- “Hungry Heart” was Springsteen’s first Top 10 single.
- Former Turtles members Flo and Eddie sang backing vocals.
- The hit helped Springsteen reach mainstream radio audiences.
Explained simply
Bruce Springsteen is an American singer and songwriter whose early records combined rock music with stories about everyday life. In 1980, he released “Hungry Heart” on his album *The River*, as his songs were reaching a wider radio audience.
Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman had first become known as members of the 1960s pop group The Turtles, whose hit “Happy Together” topped the US chart. Later, performing as Flo and Eddie, they sang backing vocals for other musicians, including Alice Cooper and T. Rex.
Backing singers add vocal parts behind the lead singer, which can give a song a fuller or different sound. “Hungry Heart” was Springsteen’s first single to reach the US Top 10, helping introduce his music to more pop radio listeners before his larger commercial success in the mid-1980s.
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