Behind the Scenes: Bruce Springsteen's Songwriting Journey with Donna Summer
Bruce Springsteen is known for his powerful songwriting, and he has occasionally written songs for other artists to record. In 1982, he wrote a song for Donna Summer but decided to keep it for himself after hearing the finished result. Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco, was transitioning her sound after the decline of disco in the early '80s. With pressure from her new label, Geffen Records, she worked with Quincy Jones on her self-titled album.
David Geffen, the mogul behind Geffen Records, reached out to Jon Landau, Springsteen's producer/manager, to ask if Springsteen would write a song for Summer. Springsteen quickly wrote "Cover Me" and recorded a demo with the E Street Band. Landau loved the song and advised Springsteen not to give it away, despite Springsteen's initial doubts about its quality.
Springsteen then wrote "Protection" for Summer and traveled to Los Angeles with E Street Band keyboardist Roy Bittan to play on the track. "Protection" was included on Summer's album and released as a single overseas. Meanwhile, Springsteen recorded a more polished version of "Cover Me" with the E Street Band as he worked on his Born In The U.S.A. album.
Initially hesitant to include "Cover Me" on the album, Springsteen eventually agreed at Landau's urging. The song became the album's second single and reached No. 7 on the US pop charts. Despite Springsteen's initial reservations, "Cover Me" became one of the seven singles from Born In The U.S.A. to make the Top 10.