<P> In 2002, Springsteen released his first studio effort with the full band in 18 years, The Rising, produced by Brendan O'Brien . The album, mostly a reflection on the September 11 attacks, was a critical and popular success . (Many of the songs were influenced by phone conversations Springsteen had with family members of victims of the attacks who in their obituaries had mentioned how his music touched their lives .) The title track gained airplay in several radio formats, and the record became Springsteen's best - selling album of new material in 15 years . Kicked off by an early - morning Asbury Park appearance on The Today Show, The Rising Tour commenced, barnstorming through a series of single - night arena stands in the U.S. and Europe to promote the album in 2002, then returning for large - scale, multiple - night stadium shows in 2003 . While Springsteen had maintained a loyal hardcore fan base everywhere (and particularly in Europe), his general popularity had dipped over the years in some southern and midwestern regions of the U.S. because of his vocal endorsement of leftist, liberal politics . But it was still strong in Europe and along the U.S. coasts, and he played an unprecedented 10 nights in Giants Stadium in New Jersey, a ticket - selling feat to which no other musical act has come close . During these shows Springsteen thanked those fans who were attending multiple shows and those who were coming from long distances or another country; the advent of robust Springsteen - oriented online communities had made such practices more common . The Rising Tour concluded with three nights in Shea Stadium, highlighted by renewed controversy over "American Skin" and a guest appearance by Bob Dylan . </P> <P> During the early 2000s, Springsteen became a visible advocate for the revitalization of Asbury Park, and played an annual series of winter holiday concerts there to benefit various local businesses, organizations, and causes . These shows were explicitly intended for the devoted fans, including numbers such as the E Street Shuffle outtake "Thundercrack", a rollicking group - participation song that would mystify casual Springsteen fans . He also frequently rehearses for tours in Asbury Park; some of his most devoted followers even stand outside the building to hear what fragments they can of the upcoming shows . The song "My City of Ruins" was originally written about Asbury Park, in honor of the attempts to revitalize the city . Looking for an appropriate song for the America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon broadcast, he selected "My City of Ruins", which was immediately recognized as an emotional highlight of the broadcast, with its gospel themes and its heartfelt exhortations to "Rise up!" The song became associated with post-9 / 11 New York, and he chose it to close The Rising album and as an encore on the subsequent tour . </P> <P> At the Grammy Awards of 2003, Springsteen performed The Clash's "London Calling" along with Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, and E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt and No Doubt's bassist, Tony Kanal, in tribute to Joe Strummer; Springsteen and the Clash had once been considered multiple - album - dueling rivals at the time of the double The River and the triple Sandinista! . </P> <P> In 2004, Springsteen and the E Street Band participated in the Vote for Change tour, along with John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, the Dixie Chicks, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Bright Eyes, the Dave Matthews Band, Jackson Browne, and other musicians . All concerts were to be held in swing states, to benefit the progressive political organization group America Coming Together and to encourage people to register and vote . A finale was held in Washington, D.C., bringing many of the artists together . Several days later, Springsteen held one more such concert in New Jersey, when polls showed that state surprisingly close . While in past years Springsteen had played benefits for causes in which he believed--against nuclear energy, for Vietnam veterans, Amnesty International, and the Christic Institute--he had always refrained from explicitly endorsing candidates for political office (indeed he had rejected the efforts of Walter Mondale to attract an endorsement during the 1984 Reagan "Born in the U.S.A." flap). This new stance led to criticism and praise from the expected partisan sources . Springsteen's "No Surrender" became the main campaign theme song for John Kerry's unsuccessful presidential campaign; in the last days of the campaign, he performed acoustic versions of the song and some of his other old songs at Kerry rallies . </P>

For whom did the beatles serve as backup band in their first professional recording