Clarence Clemons
Tenor Sax Solo on
Dancing in the Dark

About

Clarence Clemons's tenor saxophone solo on "Dancing in the Dark" is the only solo on Springsteen's biggest commercial hit from Born in the U.S.A. Playing at 149 BPM in B, Clemons's saxophone cuts through the synth-driven pop-rock arrangement with an energy and warmth that grounds the song's polished production. His solo provides the track's instrumental highlight, a moment of raw, human expression amid the era's synthesizer-dominated sound. In the video for this song, the young Courteney Cox comes to dance on stage with Springsteen as Clarence Clemons solos on the saxophone.

Clarence Clemons was 42 to 43 years old at the time.