The night Paul McCartney joined Bruce Springsteen to sing, I Saw Her Standing There

Bruce Springsteen has shared the stage with many famous rock and roll legends. From Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis to John Fogerty and Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen has stood and sung next to the legends of rock and roll. On the night of August 5th, 2013, in the city of Hyde Park London, Bruce Springsteen performed with perhaps the greatest living songwriter of the past fifty years. At the close of the show and after a twenty nine song set, Paul McCartney stood on the sidelines enjoying the Springsteen experience

While watching the close of the concert a member of Springsteen’s road crew handed Paul McCartney a perfectly tuned bass guitar and delivered the message that Bruce wanted McCartney to join him on stage. According to witnesses, McCartney was at first apprehensive about joining Bruce Springsteen on stage. However, with Bruce calling him on, Paul McCartney relented and walked onto the stage in front of a crowd that must have thought they were dreaming.

Standing together on stage, two of rock and roll’s greatest legends broke into the classic Beatles number, “I Saw Her Standing There.” Taking turns on the verses, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen stood side by side looking like rock and roll brothers. They both were wearing clothes of similar colors. They both appeared to be the same height. With Paul McCartney’s left-handed bass and Springsteen’s iconic right-handed telecaster, the image of the two musicians standing side by side would forever be etched in the memories of those fans enjoying a moment of rock and roll history in the making.

After the performance of  “I Saw Her Standing There,” the band broke into the Isley Brothers song Twist and Shout which had also been recorded by the Beatles. The song was originally written by Phil Medley and Bert Russel in 1961 and was first recorded by the Isley Brothers, but also appeared on the first Beatles Album Please Please Me.

Twist and Shout was a song that Bruce Springsteen has performed for years as a show closer when he simply could not go home.  You would have to think that when Bruce Springsteen was younger he could have never imagined himself singing the song side by side with Paul McCartney.

Updated November 1, 2023

The night Paul McCartney joined Bruce Springsteen to sing, I Saw Her Standing There article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023

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