Bruce Springsteen leans further into the retro vibe of his upcoming soul covers album Only the Strong Survive in the Thom Zimny-directed, black-and-white video for “Don’t Play That Song.” The track is the third and final to be released ahead of the new album, which arrives Nov. 11 from Columbia Records.
Originally released by Ben E. King under the name “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” in 1962, the track was written by King’s wife Betty Nelson with Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun. It was a No. 2 hit on Billboard’s R&B singles chart at the time, only to be topped by Aretha Franklin’s No. 1 version in 1970.
Also Read
SAME AS THE OLD BOSS
“Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” has also been recorded by Mariah Carey and performed by Kelly Clarkson on the first season of American Idol. Soul legend Sam Moore, who appears on two tracks from Only the Strong Survive but not this version, recorded it for his 2006 album Overnight Sensational.
“Don’t Play That Song” follows “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” and “Nightshift” as previews of the new Springsteen album. The Boss will promote it with his first visit to SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show on Monday (Oct. 31). Springsteen also will perform on Nov. 7 at the annual Stand Up for Heroes benefit concert in New York, and his 2023 world tour with The E Street Band begins Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fla.
