A Night With Mr. C

The problem with Clarence Clemons' third solo album was apparent on the first cut, a remake of Gary "U.S." Bonds' "Quarter to Three." The song was one Clemons frequently played in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in a faithful rendition of the original. But here Clemons turned rapper over a synthesizer backing, retaining only the chorus, and even then changing "Daddy G" to "Mr. C." Similar modernizing was applied to classics like "Shotgun" and "Twistin' the Night Away," and if one wasn't as offended by the originals (which tended toward bland jazz-fusion), neither was one impressed. Things didn't improve when Clemons began reciting the poetry of his guru, Sri Chinmoy. It was hard to imagine who the audience was supposed to be for this record — those who remembered "Quarter to Three" wouldn't like such a radical treatment, and rap fans weren't likely to be convinced, either. As it turned out, there was no audience for A Night with Mr. C, which didn't sell well enough to make the charts.