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Thanks to the generosity of a good man, I've recently been fortunate to hear about an hour of audio from a band rehearsal in March/April 1982. This is fascinating, since this is around the time of the Electric Nebraska sessions, prior to Springsteen's decision to release a solo album in Nebraska. What I heard is some of the most interesting outtakes I've heard. Among this hour are five undocumented songs, three songs that ended up in BITUSA, and several alternative versions of other songs that we are aware of, either via circulating outtakes or eventual inclusion on Tracks.

The undocumented tracks are:
Stop The War
Bells Of San Salvador
We Talk (possible title)
and two with unknown titles

Unfortunately, like many Telegraph Hill recordings, Bruce's voice is buried in the mix, and deciphering the lyrics is hard going, or almost impossible in some cases. I can make wild guesses for the titles of the last two, but that's all.

There's one true "Electric Nebraska" track in a band version of Reason To Believe. First time I heard it, I had chills going up my spine. Unbelievable.

The BITUSA tracks are Glory Days, Working On The Highway (with different final verse) and Darlington County.

The other songs are Baby I'm So Cold (basically Loose Ends set to the music from Follow That Dream), A Good Man Is Hard To Find and TV Movie.

I've gone into more detail on Brucebase - see the Brucebase Born In The USA studio sessions page for more detail.

For me, the stunning thing is this tape is clearly the tip of the iceberg as far as unheard outtakes and rehearsals go. Hopefully one day someone will realise there's no point sitting on these recordings, and let them out. Please!
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Since it's unlikely Landau sat down with Pete, we can at least be happy that this tape is in private hands. Now if only someone with a copy could find it in his heart to share with one and all.
Meantime, though, it's nice to have a better idea of what's out there somewhere.

*****
It's been a long time comin' but now it's here
Yeah, now it's here

Very interesting.

The different final verse in Working on the Highway seems to match up with some of the alternate lyric sheets that were on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Checking my notes here, these were the lyrics revealed there:

I?m gonna show her on my honor that my love is pure and true
If I gotta drop a two lane blacktop from here to Timbuktu

I?m gonna show her she?ll never find a love to match this love of mine
?cept out here on this 2 lane blacktop with the little white line

I?m gonna prove to her daddy that I?m here to stay
If I gotta drop a 2 lane blacktop from NY to LA


---
I also noticed that Brucebase had another recent update with details of an additional previously-unheard tape from the Greatest Hits sessions too.

Sharing the details is the first step...hopefully there will be an opportunity to share the tape too.
Originally Posted By: tattooDad
Since it's unlikely Landau sat down with Pete, we can at least be happy that this tape is in private hands.

Good one. Anyway by now the info of this tape has probablly reached Landau's ears, so I wouldn't be surprised if he tried by any means to recover it. He's already done it in the past.
Originally Posted By: Roland
Originally Posted By: tattooDad
Since it's unlikely Landau sat down with Pete, we can at least be happy that this tape is in private hands.

Good one. Anyway by now the info of this tape has probablly reached Landau's ears, so I wouldn't be surprised if he tried by any means to recover it. He's already done it in the past.


Will Landau send an herd of uruk-hai to recover the tape?

Pete, run for your life!
Originally Posted By: randy5554
Does this version of Reason to Believe sound similar to the Magic Tour version?


There are some similarities. The phrasing of the lyrics is more like the original. It's probably closer to the BITUSA tour version, but with a driving drum beat and more guitar.

Quote:
Are we going to hear the tape, Pete?


Not up to me, but I suspect not.

Quote:
The different final verse in Working on the Highway seems to match up with some of the alternate lyric sheets that were on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Checking my notes here, these were the lyrics revealed there:

I?m gonna show her on my honor that my love is pure and true
If I gotta drop a two lane blacktop from here to Timbuktu

I?m gonna show her she?ll never find a love to match this love of mine
?cept out here on this 2 lane blacktop with the little white line

I?m gonna prove to her daddy that I?m here to stay
If I gotta drop a 2 lane blacktop from NY to LA


Hey, that's cool. The entire extra verse of this version:

I never know where this highway's bound
still I work from every morning till the sun go down
she steals everything I ever had in my whole life
in turn I'm working on this highway turning prison into paradise

I'm goin' to see her daddy tell him my love is pure and true
I gotta drop a two lane blacktop from here to Timbuktu



Originally Posted By: Pete
Thanks to the generosity of a good man, I've recently been fortunate to hear about an hour of audio from a band rehearsal in March/April 1982. This is fascinating, since this is around the time of the Electric Nebraska sessions, prior to Springsteen's decision to release a solo album in Nebraska. What I heard is some of the most interesting outtakes I've heard. Among this hour are five undocumented songs, three songs that ended up in BITUSA, and several alternative versions of other songs that we are aware of, either via circulating outtakes or eventual inclusion on Tracks.

The undocumented tracks are:
Stop The War
Bells Of San Salvador
We Talk (possible title)
and two with unknown titles

Unfortunately, like many Telegraph Hill recordings, Bruce's voice is buried in the mix, and deciphering the lyrics is hard going, or almost impossible in some cases. I can make wild guesses for the titles of the last two, but that's all.

There's one true "Electric Nebraska" track in a band version of Reason To Believe. First time I heard it, I had chills going up my spine. Unbelievable.

The BITUSA tracks are Glory Days, Working On The Highway (with different final verse) and Darlington County.

The other songs are Baby I'm So Cold (basically Loose Ends set to the music from Follow That Dream), A Good Man Is Hard To Find and TV Movie.

I've gone into more detail on Brucebase - see the Brucebase Born In The USA studio sessions page for more detail.

For me, the stunning thing is this tape is clearly the tip of the iceberg as far as unheard outtakes and rehearsals go. Hopefully one day someone will realise there's no point sitting on these recordings, and let them out. Please!


A good man is hard to find. Who are you - Howard Carter? All I hope is that Thrill Hill doesn't send out their goons to reclaim this recording. Beware, take care, and thanks for the news. Wonderful, indeed!
Originally Posted By: AndreaWozzup
Originally Posted By: Roland
Originally Posted By: tattooDad
Since it's unlikely Landau sat down with Pete, we can at least be happy that this tape is in private hands.

Good one. Anyway by now the info of this tape has probablly reached Landau's ears, so I wouldn't be surprised if he tried by any means to recover it. He's already done it in the past.


Will Landau send an herd of uruk-hai to recover the tape?

Pete, run for your life!

Actually I think he will send THIS
Click to reveal..
[/spoiler] [spoiler]
Originally Posted By: Bob
Originally Posted By: bcpkid
Don't get why Pete's a wanker--all he did was report. Pete if you get one song from your source, make it Reason to Believe.


Pete's a wanker because he has to feed his enormous ego by reporting this crap. Talk is cheap. Prove it actually exists and let's hear it.


Or it could be he just wanted to share / tell the rest of us as much as possible within the limits he's been asked to respect.

btw: what have you ever given back to the springsteen fanbase?
Originally Posted By: Stampe
Originally Posted By: Bob
Originally Posted By: bcpkid
Don't get why Pete's a wanker--all he did was report. Pete if you get one song from your source, make it Reason to Believe.


Pete's a wanker because he has to feed his enormous ego by reporting this crap. Talk is cheap. Prove it actually exists and let's hear it.


Or it could be he just wanted to share / tell the rest of us as much as possible within the limits he's been asked to respect.

btw: what have you ever given back to the springsteen fanbase?


Amen!

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