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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!

01000111 01101111 00100000 01000011 01100001 01110000 01110011

Originally Posted By: Bob
It's just his way of "name dropping". Making himself feel important. I guess if that is how he gets his self esteem....so be it.


i have known Pete for quite a long time and i can testify with my hand on the Bible,Pete is clearly one of the most pleasant,warm,generous people i have ever met in my whole life.the fountain and founding of the Springsteen community even before the SPL era.
the man is a saint.

Pete shares whatever he can.are you angry of him telling you new information about the most interesting period of Springsteen's creation?
what a stupid kind of thing is that?

this information is mind-blowing.

isn't "A Good Man Is Hard to find" a GOTJ outtake?had he written it such a long time before?kind of hard to believe.

What is the length of the songs ? less than one minute early sketches or a complete five minute or so ones?

regarding Bells Of San Salvador which to me the title sounds amazing,is it a rockabilly or a gloomy kind of song? is it possible to distinguish lyrics?

i think someone with telekinesis powers can help us a lot,to get Springsteen's vault fly of the window overseas and get to us. (:
Originally Posted By: mytradelist
Who really cares? He says the quality is terrible. You can't make out any of the lyrics. We've heard these type of rehearsal tapes before. Who honestly listened to those tapes more than once? And if this is the kind of tapes Uber fans are afraid to leak, I say let them hold on to their precious.


My thoughts exactly.
Originally Posted By: Ofer
i have known Pete for quite a long time and i can testify with my hand on the Bible,Pete is clearly one of the most pleasant,warm,generous people i have ever met in my whole life.the fountain and founding of the Springsteen community even before the SPL era.
the man is a saint.


Not even my Mum would call me a saint, but thanks anyway smile

Quote:

What is the length of the songs ? less than one minute early sketches or a complete five minute or so ones?


The track lengths are on Brucebase. Most are full length, with perhaps short edits at the start and/or end.

Quote:

regarding Bells Of San Salvador which to me the title sounds amazing,is it a rockabilly or a gloomy kind of song? is it possible to distinguish lyrics?


I think sinister describes it quite well. There's an organ riff throughout that really sets your teeth on edge. You can hear most of the lyrics, but he mumbles at times.

the second verse:

and nobody hears the clang
of the swinging jailhouse door
and nobody knows there're people
looking on
and nobody knows the number
and nobody knows the one
with the bells of san salvador ringing in the sun
I do have to wonder what possible purpose is served by hanging on tight to tapes that are three decades old. They're not bottles of fine wine, improving with age. They can't be consumed. Even the person who has them is more likely to still have them five years from now if he shares them widely (things can happen to your own stuff, as we all know).
I hope anyone who's still clinging to precious old tapes will think seriously about sharing them with one and all. Even the most hardcore ubers have benefitted from the willingness of others to release some real gems over the years. The simple truth is that when everyone shares, everyone wins.

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

Originally Posted By: Pete
The quality isn't terrible - most of the tracks are very listenable, but there are a couple of louder rockers that are tricky to make out. It's easier to hear the words once you know the lyrics, if you know what I mean.


So, pretty much like every Springsteen rock song then.

01000111 01101111 00100000 01000011 01100001 01110000 01110011

Originally Posted By: mytradelist
Who really cares? He says the quality is terrible. You can't make out any of the lyrics. We've heard these type of rehearsal tapes before. Who honestly listened to those tapes more than once? And if this is the kind of tapes Uber fans are afraid to leak, I say let them hold on to their precious.


The music and the sharing of all things related to Bruce is what brought almost everyone to this place called the SPL. Receiving info like this falls exactly into why I'm here. Most of the folks on this thread have been around almost from the start, just like Pete. Pete and me snail mailed trades across the pond back in the day. Pete has always been generous in sharing with the SPL Community.

I'm glad to see Pete ignore those snide comments however I couldn't be so like minded. Piss off Bob, you do not know of what you speak!

____________________________________

The SPL Rocks!

Prego che tu stia danzando con San Pietro alle porte perlacee del cielo





Pulled up to my house today
Came and took my little girl away!
Giants Stadium 8/28/03



Oats

Originally Posted By: tattooDad
I do have to wonder what possible purpose is served by hanging on tight to tapes that are three decades old. They're not bottles of fine wine, improving with age. They can't be consumed. Even the person who has them is more likely to still have them five years from now if he shares them widely (things can happen to your own stuff, as we all know).
I hope anyone who's still clinging to precious old tapes will think seriously about sharing them with one and all. Even the most hardcore ubers have benefitted from the willingness of others to release some real gems over the years. The simple truth is that when everyone shares, everyone wins.


Excatly smile And that message goes out to Cononel Landau too. I know we still got some sort of The River box before the celebrating of Bruce's commercial hit starts ...... but ....... it would be really really ....... I mean really really great to hear (all) the "work in progress" that resulted in a legendary album. Fingers crossed but knowing JL not much hope.
Originally Posted By: Pete


Quote:

regarding Bells Of San Salvador which to me the title sounds amazing,is it a rockabilly or a gloomy kind of song? is it possible to distinguish lyrics?


I think sinister describes it quite well. There's an organ riff throughout that really sets your teeth on edge. You can hear most of the lyrics, but he mumbles at times.

the second verse:

and nobody hears the clang
of the swinging jailhouse door
and nobody knows there're people
looking on
and nobody knows the number
and nobody knows the one
with the bells of san salvador ringing in the sun



Good Lord.
amazing text,"Sends shivers down my spine".

take his last three albums and throw them out the window,there's nothing like that.
it blew my mind.oh dear,oh dear.
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