Soul food for hungry hearts

He’s on fire! Six weeks ago, the Boss released his cover of Northern Soul classic Do I Love You (Indeed I Do), written and released in 1965 by the late Frank Wilson.

It was fabulous – two minutes and 28 seconds of unadulterated joy that captured the spirit of the original while sounding like something Springsteen could have written this year.

That single was the harbinger of the delights to come. These 15 top-quality cover versions are guaranteed to warm (hungry) hearts and raise spirits.

Most hail from the glory days of soul, songs made famous by giants – The Temptations, Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes.

Liberated from the pressure of writing and performing his own numbers, the Boss sounds energised and awash with confidence.

He’s 73, in his element and loving every minute, pushing his vocals to new heights with the sterling backing of the E Street Band.

The title track was a 1969 hit for Jerry ‘The Iceman’ Butler, co-written with Philly soul maestros Gamble and Huff. Like Bruce’s beautiful, infectious version of The Commodores’ Nightshift, this heartfelt interpretation comes loaded with enough warmth to defrost a fridge-freezer.

Gems include a jaunty take on Aretha’s Don’t Play That Song and a rousing reading of The Supremes’ Some Day We’ll Be Together.

The great Sam Moore of Sam And Dave guests on Dobie Gray’s Soul Days and William Bell’s I Forgot To Be Your Lover.

All come with a posse of backing singers and full strings.

Springsteen has always performed soul standards live – tracks by Eddie Floyd, Edwin Starr and The Isley Brothers – but never these.

This album opens a treasure chest of old-school gold for new audiences. And, as subtitle Covers Volume One hints, there is more to come.