So some of you have been aware of my tweets about the Springsteen song I wanted for the finale. I won't mention the song, suffice to say it's one of Bruce's more obscure rockers.
Because of the accelerated pace of our production schedule we were initially declined. Bruce is on tour and they needed a bigger window to get his approval. Someone at FX has a direct line to his manager so we were able to cut through to someone who can make a decision. I made that call yesterday. Here's the problem, Bruce does not allow commercial covers of his songs. Part of our musical signature on Sons is to use obscure songs from little known bands and to do covers of classic 60's and 70's tunes. Partly because the costs for masters of iconic music is astronomical. To get the master cover from Sony for the Bruce song I wanted would have been upwards of $75,000 for one use. That's my music budget for three shows.
So alas, we won't be using the Bruce song in the finale. But what's been true for the tenure of SOA holds firm in this situation as well. We didn't get the song because there is a better choice out there.
Below is the letter I wrote to Bruce to get his approval. I hope someday he reads it and we are able use some of his music. Jersey thing aside, he's one of my heroes.
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To Whom It May Concern,My name is Kurt Sutter; I am the writer and creator of the television show, Sons of Anarchy. It’s a dark, family drama based in the world of outlaw motorcycle clubs. Music is a huge part of our show. Along with my music supervisor and composer, Bob Thiele we have created a signature sound for Sons. In fact, Bob and I have been nominated for an Emmy this year for best original theme song (We lost to that hack John Willians). We use original songs from local and lesser known bands and have done covers of rock classics by Dylan, the Stones and The Who.
I am sending this note in an effort to reach out to one of my musical heroes, Bruce. Being a half-bright, middle class kid from Rahway, New Jersey, my poetic inspiration didn’t come from books; it came from rock and roll. Greetings was an album that changed my life. For the first time I stopped and listened to lyrics and understood the power of narrative. Each song was a story rich with flawed characters who were filled with desperate hope. No bullshit, that album made me want to fucking write.
And so I did --
Now thirty years later, I’m looking at one of the most intense, episodes of television I’ve ever written. In the final music montage... OMITTED SPOILER. Bob and I would like to do an original ****** cover of the song.
We’ve tried the regular channels, but the timing didn’t work. The nature of our show is fast and furious -- it’s guerrilla film-making, we need the approval in the next couple of weeks. So we reach out to you hoping that you might pass this note on to Bruce and his team.
I thank you for your understanding.
Best,
Kurt Sutter
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