The cover of Bruce Springsteen's 1975 album, Born to Run, is one of rock's most iconic photographs. And to think that the photo session almost didn't take place.
Springsteen had been working so intently on the album that he had cancelled several sessions with photographer Eric Meola who nearly quit the project altogether. "One day I got really upset," Meola said. "I called up Mike and said, 'Hey, it's either going to be next time or never.'" Springsteen finally kept his appointment and brought the Big Man, Clarence Clemons, with him. "He wanted Clarence on the cover from the beginning," says Meola, "and the whole thing of isolating them against a white background just worked."
It took Meola 900 images and only three hours to capture the essence of Bruce. The Boss' grin, his laid back posture and the casual way he's leaning on Clarence are what make the photograph so memorable.
Meola claimed, “Other things happened, but when we saw the contact sheets, that one just sort of popped. Instantly, we knew that was the shot."
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