The album’s cover image is a classic bit of music history, an instantly recognizable image depicting Springsteen leaning on the shoulder of band mate Clarence Clemons. Explained photographer Eric Meola to Snap Galleries on how this session came about:
“After I shot a number of images in which they stood back to back, and a few in which Bruce leaned on Clarence’s shoulder while looking out at the camera, he turned to the side and looked beatifically straight at Clarence for three or four seconds as I shot two frames. Other than his standing on a box, there was no ‘setup’ for this, no premeditation – and, his guitar was not plugged in.
“We were shooting fast, and if Bruce was after a particular image, he placed a lot of faith in me that in those few brief seconds I had captured the one that became famous. It happened as much because of the moment, as whatever chord progression Clarence was playing that caught Bruce’s attention.”
In commemoration of its 45th anniversary, it’s time once again to bust out Born to Run however you prefer. If you have the record in vinyl, queue it up — or use your favorite digital streaming platform. Here’s a 1975 live performance of the timeless title track:
Stream it below, via Spotify: