Live for Live Music contributing writer Bob Wilson scored an interview with Vini “Maddog” Lopez, founding drummer of The E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen’s backing band for all these years. He will be elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his former band mates in 2014. Lopez has played with some of rock’s most legendary names over the years. He was kind enough to sit down with L4LM and drop some knowledge on us. 

Vini “Maddog” Lopez has kept the rhythm he developed under the tutelage of Buzzy Labinsky, kept it up with the Downtown Tangiers Band, set up shop on E Street, kept the faith with Steel Mill Retro, and applied for and received a License To Chill. From the hallowed Hall of Jersey’s own Neptune High School to the stage at MetLife Stadium, Vini has been about the music, and bringing joy to the fans. The dedication has resulted in his joining the elite at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. The E Street Band will receive the “Award For Excellence”, and not the wild, the innocent, or anyone else will prevent them from shuffling on in over the red carpet into music history. Their music has poured like waves over the Jersey Shore, and then rolled back out to the coasts of the rest of the world ever since they first played together.

Vini told Live For Live Music in a recent interview that he is “still kind of pinching myself”, at learning he is a member elect of the Hall as the ceremony approaches and the dream becomes reality. Lopez played at the Hall in 1989 honoring Roy Orbison, along with Bruce, Little Richard, Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards at the behest of Springsteen. After all, Vini related that “Bruce is true blue. Brucie never forgets his old pals”. Even playing next to the “Glitter Twins” and such esteemed company can match the realization that he is now a member of their prestigious club. Looking back on the highlights of the road to accomplishment, Lopez can reminisce at once filling in for Richie Havens drummer, and having Jimi Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell join in the set playing in New York. Vini thought Mitchell was his friend Ricky D, and called to him. When he looked back at his shoulders at Mitchell, he corrected him, stating that “I’m not Ricky, I’m Mitch!” For his part, Hendrix added to his legendary creativity and musicianship by borrowing a right-handed bass guitar, the lefty “flipped it over flat and played it like a piano”, recounts Lopez.

The name for the E Street Band derived from member David Sancious living on E Street in Belmar, New Jersey. They nearly were signed as Steel Mill by the legendary promoter Bill Graham in ’69-‘70, who would have obtained the band and all rights to the songs penned by Springsteen for $1,000. The foresight of then manager Carl “Tinker” West saved them from selling their soul for a record deal. “We recorded a three song demo” at the time in California, explained Lopez. They played some area shows, and came back East still in control of their music. They emerged from a situation where many other bands sacrificed so much in future earnings simply to be signed. “None of us (musicians) knew what was going on”, remembers Lopez. Experience in this case could have been a far harsher tutor, but fortunately this was not to be the case.

Steel Mill played many styles, and had a harder edge than the music we now associate with Bruce and the E Street Band. Lopez explains that E Street could be considered “the Godfathers of Heavy Metal down the Jersey shore and in Richmond, Virginia”. Vini related that Springsteen saw Van Morrison playing live, and he “was affected by the horn, section and the girl singers”. Clarence Clemons would go on to etch a memorable place in the sound of the band with his trademark saxophone, and the addition of background singers would further influence the evolution of the band that goes to Cleveland, Ohio in the next class of immortals.

Vini “Maddog” Lopez would drum for Springsteen’s first two albums, both released in 1973, Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, and The Wild, The Innocent And The E Street Shuffle. The young drummer would leave the band after a dispute that plagued many young musicians in a close knit unit together day and night, while struggling to make it. Lopez stated that “we were estranged “maybe for like a year”. Then the strong bond of brothers returned which finds them friends to this day.

“Maddog” was called out to play with the band on 9-19-12 at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey (see video link. Lopez keeps Springsteen’s Steel Mill catalog alive by his work with Steel Mill Retro occasionally, with Springsteen’s blessing. The band he plays with regularly is a unit called License To Chill, which features originals, and some Springsteen material. The blue collar music renaissance is alive in Europe, where Vini has gone to play to enthusiastic audiences. Vini plans on returning to play at the Glory Days Festival in Rimini, Italy. He said he has “never been treated so well by anyone else anywhere”, as when he played there previously.

Two compact discs that contain much of the Springsteen penned catalog played by Steel Mill. The Dead Sea Chronicles (2007) and All Man The Guns For America (2009) still are floating around (see links to websites for availability). They are fine listens for the “E Street faithful”, and a way to make a fan’s archive more complete. They contain many songs written by Bruce that many may never have had the pleasure of hearing. Lopez also has a book project in the works, so be on the lookout for “The Fast Beat From E Street”.

– Bob Wilson

Congratulations to Mr. Lopez and all of the members of the E Street Band on their accomplishment, which shows good guys can finish first.

Live For Live Music wishes to thank the administrators at the “Boss Talk” and “Bruce Springsteen The Boss” Facebook pages for their generous help and advice. E Street and Bruce fans will be well served by checking out their posts, photo, and videos.

In addition to their voluminous work with Bruce Springsteen, The E Street Band has also played with: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Lou Reed, The Grateful Dead, David Bowie, and many others classic musicians.

Check out this video of Vini performing with Bruce and the E Street Band in 2012: