1977


1977


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1977-01-00 COLUMBIA RECORDING STUDIOS, NEW YORK CITY, NY

SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD

In January, with "Sugar" Miami Steve producing, Bruce joins (on acoustic guitar) for the recording of "Say Goodbye To Hollywood", a Ronnie Spector & The E Street Band single. According to Spector, "it was written specially for me by Billy Joel." It was released in April 1977. Bruce's involvement on the recording was uncredited due to litigation taking place at the time with Mike Appel. However both Van Zandt and Spector have subsequently verified his performance on the recording. Bruce did not perform on the single's b-side, "Baby Please Don't Go". Spector did, however, confirm in a 1999 interview that several additional songs (titles undocumented, but "Love On The Wrong Side Of Town" is rumored), with Bruce taking a major role, were completed at these sessions - intended for a possible album release that never came to fruition. Spector noted that Springsteen has those unissued recordings.

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1977-01-22 - THE JAIL, HILLSDALE, NJ

CAROL / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)

Springsteen makes a guest appearance with local band Pegasus (Joe Murray (guitar, vocals), Rob Lange (guitar, vocals), Ted Schoenherr (bass, vocals) and Tom Sontag (drums)). A friend of Bruce's (Matty Delia) managed the band. Max Weinberg also sat in with the band on a couple of different nights. Bruce turned up (but did not perform) at other Pegasus gigs during the period, including one at The Jail on May 21, 1977.

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Start of the second leg of "The Lawsuit" tour - U.S.


1977-02-07 - PALACE THEATRE, ALBANY, NY

SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / THE PROMISE / BACKSTREETS / GROWIN' UP / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN

The opening night of the very exciting but quite brief (only 33 shows), 1977 leg of the Lawsuit Tour. The fifteen-song set lasts around two hours and opens with a magnificent "Something In The Night", which has a new arrangement and different lyrics since it was last played on November 4, 1976 in New York City. "The Promise" is performed in its solo piano incarnation, and uniquely for the tour appears in a mid-set slot. This show includes the live debut of the Springsteen-composed "Action In The Streets", which although a newspaper implies actually began this show, actually kicked off the encore. The song is clearly still a work-in-progress at this point, with several bluffed lines and the lack of the phrase "Action In the Streets" in the lyrics. "Backstreets" includes a monologue-styled middle section that will evolve and expand for the remainder of the tour. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. Bruce forgets the lyrics to "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)". A contributor to the Greasy Lake website recalls "Spirit In The Night": "What I remember most is Bruce appearing in the audience during "Spirit In the Night," jumping off the stage into the crowd, body surfing over the crowd decades before the mosh pits of the grunge era." First confirmed show on the Lawsuit Tour where "Night" is dropped from the set.

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1977-02-08 - AUDITORIUM THEATRE, ROCHESTER, NY

Soundcheck: DON'T LOOK BACK (instrumental) / THUNDER ROAD (instrumental) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / DON'T LOOK BACK / SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT

SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / RAISE YOUR HAND (with The Miami Horns) / THE PROMISE / BORN TO RUN

Second show of the leg, with only slight changes to the setlist since Albany. "Rendezvous" and "Spirit In The Night" swap places, "Growin' Up" is dropped and "The Promise" moves into the encore, following "Raise Your Hand". "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection.

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1977-02-09 - KLEINHANS MUSIC HALL, BUFFALO, NY

SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / JUNGLELAND / BORN TO RUN
Incomplete setlist.

A partial setlist is known courtesy of gig reviews that appeared in the following day's Buffalo papers. One newspaper claimed the set included The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", but the author's description of the introduction and song indicates it was actually "It's My Life". With a reported length of only about 1 hour and 40 minutes this would be one of the shorter shows of the era. A contributor to the Greasy Lake website notes "Concert started very late because Buffalo had been hit by an epic blizzard about a week before, and some roads were still pretty bad. Opened with "Something In The Night" (keep in mind, this was before Darkness On The Edge Of Town had been released.) Bruce played a relatively short set, without an intermission. Rumor was that he was not feeling well that night. Still an amazing, high energy show, even if it was a bit shorter." Another attendee mentions that Clarence was all in white, and Bruce entering the crowd during "Spirit In The Night".

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1977-02-10 - UTICA MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM, UTICA, NY

SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE
Setlist likely incomplete.

Nearly all of the setlist for this show is known via gig reviews that appeared in the following day's Albany papers. One review, from the Tangerine of Utica College, states that "Spirit In The Night" was the third song played; surrounding setlists would suggest "Rendezvous" as the most likely candidate for the second song of the set. There may be two or three additional songs played that are not listed, as they were not articulated in reviews or the partial set list from a fan present on the night.

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1977-02-12 - OTTAWA CIVIC CENTRE, OTTAWA, ON

SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD
Incomplete setlist.

"Thunder Road" is also noted as having been played in the Ottawa Citizen. The concert was 90 minutes long, plus three encores. The Civic Centre was not full, about 1,000 short of the 6,000 capacity. First ever performances in Canada of "Something In The Night", "Rendezvous", and "It's My Life".

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1977-02-13 - MAPLE LEAF GARDENS, TORONTO, ON

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT / GROWIN' UP / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / RAISE YOUR HAND (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN

Great show with a particularly good "It's My Life". Set features the last recorded version of "Raise Your Hand" for the year. This is the first known show with an intermission. You can hear Bruce say after "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out", "We're gonna take a short break and we'll be back." "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" features a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. The pass (see our Gallery tab) indicates that either this show was rescheduled from February 10 or is dated incorrectly. First confirmed performances in Canada of "Night", "Growin' Up", "Action In The Streets", and "Raise Your Hand". First confirmed show on the Lawsuit Tour where "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" is dropped from the set.

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1977-02-15 - MASONIC TEMPLE THEATRE, DETROIT, MI

SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT / NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / DETROIT MEDLEY / BORN TO RUN / RAISE YOUR HAND (with The Miami Horns)

Fifteen-song set features the only tour performance of "Detroit Medley". "Something In The Night" is in the opening slot. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. The Michigan Daily noted that "Raise Your Hand" was played with Bruce in the crowd, just as in "Spirit In The Night". "Raise Your Hand" does not appear on the audience tape, interestingly, the taper was on the main floor and states he would not have left before the end of the show after taping Bruce multiple times, he does not feel "Raise Your Hand" was played. If the listing is accurate, this would be the final version of "Raise Your Hand" for the tour. Some sources say that Springsteen didn't want to go on stage tonight, however his quote actually emanates from the October 4, 1975 show in the same city.

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1977-02-16 - VETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM, COLUMBUS, OH

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / JUNGLELAND / BORN TO RUN
Incomplete setlist.

The partial setlist listed is gleaned from a review in the Columbus Dispatch. According to the article Springsteen and Band played for nearly two hours, with ten songs in the main set including four not on record. These four are likely to be "Something In The Night", "Rendezvous", "Action In The Streets" and possibly "The Promise". "Spirit In The Night" was the third song performed, and "Born To Run" was the final encore.

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1977-02-17 - RICHFIELD COLISEUM, RICHFIELD, OH

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BABY, I LOVE YOU (with Ronnie Spector and Flo and Eddie) / WALKING IN THE RAIN (with Ronnie Spector and Flo and Eddie) / SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD (with Ronnie Spector and Flo and Eddie) / BE MY BABY (with Ronnie Spector and Flo and Eddie) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

Magical show, with Ronnie Spector, along with Flo and Eddie, as unadvertised guests on four songs; three classics from her Ronettes period (the final tour performances of "Baby, I Love You", "Walking In The Rain", and "Be My Baby"), plus her about-to-be-released single "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" in its only tour version, the studio version of which had been recorded with Bruce & The E Street Band just a few weeks earlier (with Miami Steve producing). First confirmed show on the Lawsuit Tour where "Something In The Night" is dropped from the set (although it was also absent from the August 3, 1976 show that is sometimes listed as part of the tour. Following the show, Springsteen was seen drinking at The Royal Knight, a small bar on State Road, Cleveland. He was invited by The Cleveland Boys, a group of fans that met Bruce in Asbury Park.

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1977-02-19 - ST. PAUL CIVIC CENTER THEATRE, SAINT PAUL, MN

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. This concert took place in the approximately 3,000-seat Civic Center Theatre. When Springsteen returns to Saint Paul in 1978, 1980, and 1984 he will perform in the larger 15,000-seat Civic Center Arena, part of the larger Civic Center complex.

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1977-02-20 - DANE COUNTY MEMORIAL COLISEUM, MADISON, WI

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)
Incomplete setlist.

Partial setlist from newspaper reviews, including The Lawrentian, student newspaper of Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Two-and-a-half hour set opens with "Night".

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1977-02-22 - MILWAUKEE AUDITORIUM, MILWAUKEE, WI

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

First time that the band return to Milwaukee, site of the famous "bomb scare" concert of 1975, so there are constant references to that show throughout. Different venue however, the 1975 show took place at the Uptown Theater. First confirmed performance of the "wishing that God would send some angels" segment of the "Backstreets" interlude. Bruce would use the same phrase in two other songs, "The Fast Song" and some variants of "Something In The Night". "Backstreets" now clocks in at over twelve minutes, and will continue to expand as the tour progresses. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection.

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1977-02-23 - AUDITORIUM THEATRE, CHICAGO, IL

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / THE PROMISE / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. "The Promise" returns to the set, for its first confirmed performance since the second show of the leg. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder attended this show, aged just 12.

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1977-02-25 - EDWARD C. ELLIOTT HALL OF MUSIC, PURDUE UNIVERSITY, WEST LAFAYETTE, IN

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE
Incomplete setlist.

Incomplete setlist compiled from the recollections of fans present and a news review of the show in the Purdue Exponent. The night's proceedings began an hour late due to a piano being tuned. Scott was in the audience tonight, and he writes: "I was at the show in the third row, right hand side. It is farther back than normal third row seats because at the Elliott Hall of Music there was an orchestra pit in front of the stage. During "Spirit In The Night" he jumped into the pit, popped his head up to watch the band before crowd surfing on the left hand side. Only about 3,000 of the 6,000 available tickets were sold, but by the end of the show, everyone came down from the two balconies and the place was going nuts. The Hall was built for music and the sound was incredible." Scott also provided Brucebase with a great photo of Bruce and the band with the Miami Horns that you can see on our Gallery tab.

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1977-02-26 - INDIANA CONVENTION CENTER, INDIANAPOLIS, IN

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / THE PROMISE / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

The 14-song setlist listed may comprise the complete show and is compiled from the tape and newspaper reviews. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Mickey's Monkey".

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1977-02-27 - RIVERFRONT COLISEUM, CINCINNATI, OH

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT / ACTION IN THE STREETS / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / BORN TO RUN / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / QUARTER TO THREE

A contributor to the Greasy Lake website recalls "Night" as the opener, as well as "It's My Life", "Mona - She's The One", and "Quarter To Three". An enthusiastic review in the University of Cincinnati's News Record adds "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)", allowing us to compile a 14-song, possibly complete setlist. Apparently Bruce drew less than 5,000 to the Riverfront, an arena with a capacity of 17,500 but was curtained off to 7,000 for this night.

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1977-02-28 - FOX THEATRE, ST. LOUIS, MO

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes Steve playing a snippet of "The Godfather Love Theme" after he is introduced and a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection.

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1977-03-02 - CIVIC CENTER AUDITORIUM, ATLANTA, GA

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT / GROWIN' UP / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / BORN TO RUN / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / QUARTER TO THREE

Setlist from a fan present who made detailed notes at the time and corroborated by a review in the Red & Black, student newspaper of the University of Georgia. "Growin' Up" contains the spaceman story.

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1977-03-04 - CIVIC AUDITORIUM, JACKSONVILLE, FL

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)
Incomplete setlist.

Show includes a particularly fine "Backstreets", including the "…wishing that God would send some angels and blow this whole town right into the sea" lines in the interlude. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes Steve playing a snippet of "The Godfather Love Theme" after he is introduced and a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection.

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1977-03-05 - JAI-ALAI FRONTON, ORLANDO, FL

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "The Godfather Love Theme" after Steve is introduced and a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection.

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1977-03-06 - JAI-ALAI FRONTON, MIAMI, FL

NIGHT / RENDEZVOUS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (end cut, with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)
Incomplete setlist.

Set includes the final "Rendezvous" of the tour. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "The Godfather Love Theme" after Steve is introduced and a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. Incomplete setlist; "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" was most likely also performed.

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1977-03-10 - SPORTS ARENA, TOLEDO, OH

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT (with Steve Paraczky) / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / GROWIN' UP / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / JUNGLELAND / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

Premiere of "Don't Look Back", an embryonic rendition with many lyrics not found in later versions. "Something In The Night" returns to the set with a trumpet introduction and a re-written second verse. After around seven months of tinkering on the road the lyrics are finally essentially complete, and will be recorded as such in the studio in a few months. The first line of the dropped verse, "God's angels can tear this town down and blow it all into the sea", is now incorporated into the "Backstreets" interlude, and later into another track, "The Fast Song", which evolved into "Candy's Room". "She's The One" is dedicated to the Cleveland Boys. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. Uniquely for this tour, "Jungleland" is played in the encores, with "Growin' Up" replacing it in the post-"Backstreets" slot. First confirmed show on the Lawsuit Tour where "Rendezvous" is dropped from the set; this is also the first 1977 show known to not include "It's My Life".

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1977-03-11 - GYMNASIUM, SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE, LATROBE, PA

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT (with Steve Paraczky) / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns) / TWIST AND SHOUT (with The Miami Horns)

"Something In The Night" once again replaces "It's My Life". Final tour performance for "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)". "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes Steve playing a snippet of "The Godfather Love Theme" after he is introduced and a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. The tour's sole "Twist and Shout" includes a brief and unique version of "Farmer John".

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1977-03-13 - TOWSON CENTER, TOWSON STATE UNIVERSITY, TOWSON, MD

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. The Towson Center seats 5,250.

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1977-03-14 - MID-HUDSON CIVIC CENTER, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT (with Steve Paraczky) / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

Final "Something In The Night" for the tour. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a sung intro and a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection.

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1977-03-15 - BROOME COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL ARENA, BINGHAMTON, NY

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. A contributor to the Greasy Lake website recalls that Southside Johnny was a guest on stage, but this can't be confirmed.

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1977-03-18 - NEW HAVEN VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM, NEW HAVEN, CT

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection.

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1977-03-19 - CENTRAL MAINE YOUTH CENTER, LEWISTON, ME

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

The first Springsteen gig in the state of Maine since fall 1973. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes a couple lines from "Be-Bop-A-Lula" as an introduction and a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. Author Stephen King attended this show. Ken Smotherman recalls: "I was a stagehand and when the band left my buddy went in the dressing room and found Bruce's jean jacket. He took it and put it in my rock and roll back without telling me. Long story short the promoter asked me to find it and we're going to search everybody's bag and there it is in my bag. So the bag once held Springsteen's jacket and I still have the bag."

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1977-03-20 - ALUMNI HALL, PROVIDENCE COLLEGE, PROVIDENCE, RI

NIGHT / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT / GROWIN' UP / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / BORN TO RUN / THE PROMISE / QUARTER TO THREE / YOU CAN'T SIT DOWN
Incomplete setlist.

A sellout, held in Providence College's 3,400-seat Alumni Hall. The incomplete setlist details listed are known from reviews of the show in The Cowl (the school newspaper), The New Paper (a Providence local), The Quill (student newspaper of Roger Williams University), The Michaelman (of Saint Michael's College in Colchester, VT), and the recollections of an attendee. The set is missing perhaps two or three songs, but includes the final four. Read the full reviews from The Cowl and The Quill on our News tab. Set features all of Born To Run with the exception of "Meeting Across The River". Bob Walsh was at the show, and particularly remembers "Spirit In The Night", with Bruce jumping off the stage and dancing up the centre aisle. Note: the student reviewer mistakenly identifies the final song of the night as a cover of The Belmonts' "Burnt". However there is no such song by The Belmonts (or anyone else) and it is highly likely that this was The Dovells' "You Can't Sit Down". The New Paper claims "Sha-La-La" was played, but this is also somewhat improbable since it'd previously only been played in 1975. The reviewer was writing in 1978, and may have been confusing tonight with the 1975 concert at Providence's Palace Theatre, where "Sha-La-La" was performed. The Michaelman review states that an unnamed new song followed "Night" - this is most likely to be "Don't Look Back" based on other setlists around this time. It also claims "For You" was played, but this is likely to be another misidentification.

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1977-03-22 - MUSIC HALL, BOSTON, MA

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / THE PROMISE / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns) / YOU CAN'T SIT DOWN (with The Miami Horns)

First show of the famous Boston stand. Features "You Can't Sit Down" as the final encore, and the last performances of "It's My Life" and "The Promise" of the tour. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" features a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection, plus Roy playing a bit of "Hail To The Chief" during the band introductions.

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1977-03-23 - MUSIC HALL, BOSTON, MA

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / GROWIN' UP / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns) / LITTLE LATIN LUPE LU (with The Miami Horns) / YOU CAN'T SIT DOWN (with The Miami Horns)

Second night in Boston and another fine show - "Incident On 57th Street" replaces "It's My Life" and works so well it is retained for the final two shows. The Righteous Brothers' "Little Latin Lupe Lu" is played for the first time. "Growin' Up" includes the spaceman story. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" features a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection, plus Roy playing a bit of "Hail To The Chief" during the band introductions. You can view Peter Howes's fantastic photos on our Gallery tab.

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1977-03-24 - MUSIC HALL, BOSTON, MA

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / GROWIN' UP / IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns) / LITTLE LATIN LUPE LU (with The Miami Horns) / YOU CAN'T SIT DOWN (with The Miami Horns) / (YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER (with The Miami Horns)

The show features "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City" and the first known Springsteen version of Jackie Wilson's 1967 hit "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher". The tour's final "Growin' Up" features the gypsy lady version of the story of the wishes. Bruce sings the opening lines of "Stagger Lee" as an introduction to "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)", which also features a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. There are some great photos available that you can view on our Gallery tab.

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1977-03-25 - MUSIC HALL, BOSTON, MA

NIGHT / DON'T LOOK BACK / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (with The Miami Horns) / ACTION IN THE STREETS (with The Miami Horns) / IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / BACKSTREETS / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (with The Miami Horns) / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns) / LITTLE LATIN LUPE LU (with The Miami Horns) / YOU CAN'T SIT DOWN (with The Miami Horns) / (YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER (with The Miami Horns)

Final night of the tour, and a contender for one of the best ever with Bruce in inspired form. Last ever "Action In The Streets" (apart from a 2011 club performance) and last "Don't Look Back" for a long time (until 1999). Final E Street Band version of "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher" until 2009. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" includes the Miami Horns playing a snippet of "Auld Lang Syne" in the band introductions and a snippet of "Theme From Shaft" in the midsection. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher" includes a brief snippet of "I Don't Want To Go Home". A fan recalls "I saw the last three shows and they were definitely as good as it gets. We had no idea that Bruce was close to settling his legal problems, but it was clear that these were special. I remember March 24 as being the hottest show but that may just be that it was the first one that featured "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher", both showstoppers." Although many setlists are not fully known, eight songs may have appeared at every show of the Lawsuit Tour – at least, there are no shows at which we can say with certainty that they were not played. Those songs are: "Spirit In The Night", "Thunder Road", "She's The One", "Born To Run", "Backstreets", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", "Jungleland", and "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)".

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End of "The Lawsuit" Tour

An interview by Mike Saunders with Steve Paraczky reveals that Bruce's people were thinking about a European tour in 1977. "When the end came in Boston, Bruce said we'd be going to Europe for the next tour, so keep in touch". But the lawsuit ended in May and Bruce went into the studio, so Europe 1977 never happened.


1977-04-17 - THE STONE PONY, ASBURY PARK, NJ

THE FEVER / I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME / YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME / HAVING A PARTY

Bruce guests with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes.

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1977-05-12 - MONMOUTH ARTS CENTER, RED BANK, NJ

THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL / GOT TO GET YOU OFF MY MIND / WITHOUT LOVE / SHE GOT ME WHERE SHE WANTS ME / LOVE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF TOWN / LITTLE BY LITTLE / IT AIN'T THE MEAT (IT'S THE MOTION) / WHEN YOU DANCE / BABY, I LOVE YOU (with Ronnie Spector) / WALKING IN THE RAIN (with Ronnie Spector) / SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD (with Ronnie Spector) / BE MY BABY (with Ronnie Spector) / THE FEVER / I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME / HAVING A PARTY / YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME (with Ronnie Spector) / THUNDER ROAD / RENDEZVOUS / BACKSTREETS / BORN TO RUN

Two concerts tonight were originally scheduled (along with the two shows the following night) as regular Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes gigs. However Southside became ill (suffering from a recurring throat ailment) and couldn't perform so Steven Van Zandt came to the rescue by organizing The Asbury Park All-Star Revue - a combination of The Asbury Jukes, The E Street Band, Ronnie Spector and Springsteen. Due to Southside's illness and a lack of time for Van Zandt to prepare to lead, tonight's two shows were rearranged into a single concert starting at midnight. Van Zandt was the lead vocalist (with Bruce on guitar/background vocals) on most of the tracks listed; Bruce took lead vocals on "The Fever" (backed by the Asbury Jukes), "Thunder Road", "Rendezvous", "Backstreets", and "Born To Run" (backed by the E Street Band), shared lead vocals with Ronnie Spector on "You Mean So Much To Me" (backed by the Asbury Jukes) and contributed backup vocals and/or guitar to many other songs. "Having A Party" includes a bit of "It's All Right" as an introduction. Independent recollections from those present indicate that Bruce was on stage all night, but that cannot be confirmed via the tape alone. If you have any more information, please get in touch.

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1977-05-13 - MONMOUTH ARTS CENTER, RED BANK, NJ

THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL / GOT TO GET YOU OFF MY MIND / WITHOUT LOVE / SHE GOT ME WHERE SHE WANTS ME / THE FEVER / SOME THINGS JUST DON'T CHANGE / LITTLE BY LITTLE / WHEN YOU DANCE / BABY, I LOVE YOU (with Ronnie Spector) / WALKING IN THE RAIN (with Ronnie Spector) / SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD (with Ronnie Spector) / BE MY BABY (with Ronnie Spector) / I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME / HAVING A PARTY / YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME (with Ronnie Spector) / THUNDER ROAD

First of two separate admission shows. Independent recollections from those present indicate that Springsteen was on stage for the entirety of the show. The gig was originally scheduled as a standard Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes gig. However Southside became ill and couldn't perform so Steven Van Zandt came to the rescue by organizing The Asbury Park All-Star Revue - a combination of The Asbury Jukes, The E Street Band, Ronnie Spector and Springsteen. Van Zandt was the lead vocalist (with Bruce on guitar/background vocals) on most of the tracks listed; Bruce took lead vocals on "The Fever" (backed by the Asbury Jukes), "Thunder Road" (backed by the E Street Band), and shared lead vocals with Steven Van Zandt on "Having A Party" and with Ronnie Spector on "You Mean So Much To Me" (backed by the Asbury Jukes).

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1977-05-13 - MONMOUTH ARTS CENTER, RED BANK, NJ

THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL / GOT TO GET YOU OFF MY MIND / WITHOUT LOVE / SHE GOT ME WHERE SHE WANTS ME / THE FEVER / SOME THINGS JUST DON'T CHANGE / LITTLE BY LITTLE / WHEN YOU DANCE / BABY, I LOVE YOU (with Ronnie Spector) / WALKING IN THE RAIN (with Ronnie Spector) / SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD (with Ronnie Spector) / BE MY BABY (with Ronnie Spector) / I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME (with Ronnie Spector) / HAVING A PARTY (with Ronnie Spector) / YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME (with Ronnie Spector) / THUNDER ROAD / (YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER

Second of two separate admission shows. Independent recollections from those present indicate that Springsteen was on stage for the entirety of the show. The gig was originally scheduled as a standard Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes gig. However Southside became ill and couldn't perform so Steven Van Zandt came to the rescue by organizing The Asbury Park All-Star Revue - a combination of The Asbury Jukes, The E Street Band, Ronnie Spector and Springsteen. Van Zandt was the lead vocalist (with Bruce on guitar/background vocals) on most of the tracks listed; Bruce took lead, just like he did at the early show, vocals on "The Fever" (backed by the Asbury Jukes), "Thunder Road" (backed by the E Street Band), and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher" (backed by The E Street Band), and shared lead vocals with Steven Van Zandt on "Having A Party" (which this time includes "Amen" in the introduction) and with Ronnie Spector on "You Mean So Much To Me" (backed by the Asbury Jukes).

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1977-05-19 - THE STONE PONY, ASBURY PARK, NJ

JAILHOUSE ROCK / SEA CRUISE
Setlist may be incomplete.

Springsteen turns up on a quiet night (only about twenty to thirty patrons!) and ends up playing with Bob Campanell's band The Shakes, who were a house band at the club at the time. Billy Smith has commented to Brucebase, "Springsteen was sitting at the bar alone and Campanell asked from the stage if he would like to play… Bruce smiled, put down his beer, walked across the empty dance floor and put on Bob's red guitar… he did "Jailhouse Rock" with all the Elvis moves, and "Sea Cruise" as well." Springsteen may have also performed during a third song in The Shakes set ("Hit The Road, Jack"), although memories are a bit hazy on this point.

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By this time, the court case that was preventing Springsteen from entering a recording studio had been dragging on for nearly a year. On May 28 Springsteen's lawyers finally reached an agreement with Mike Appel, and he was free to record. In return, Appel would receive $800,000 and 50% of the publishing rights to all the songs that Springsteen had recorded up till now. All the rights to the songs recorded in the future would belong to Bruce. Just four days after settling the lawsuit, recording sessions for what would become Darkness On The Edge Of Town began, on June 1. For details on these sessions, see Darkness On The Edge Of Town - Studio Sessions.



1977-05-28 - SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA

With his lawsuit with Mike Appel settled only about 18 hours beforehand, an upbeat Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt drive to Philadelphia to attend an Elvis Presley concert. This was Van Zandt's first Presley show. Bruce had seen Presley in concert once before (at one of the four Madison Square Garden shows of June 9–11, 1972). Although Springsteen was a big enough star at this point to have been given V.I.P. treatment if he'd sought it, Bruce and Steve attended the show merely as members of the public. As fate would have it, this gig in Philadelphia turned out to be one of Elvis' last. The bloated, drug-affected Presley's final public performance was a few weeks later in Indianapolis. In a late '70s interview Springsteen commented that he and Van Zandt drove back to New Jersey without saying a word to one another, such was their disappointment with the performance. However, he would later say that he enjoyed the show tremendously.

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1977-09-04 - THE STONE PONY, ASBURY PARK, NJ

FARTHER UP THE ROAD / FUNKY BROADWAY

"Farther Up The Road" is the blues song recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland, and is unrelated to "Further On (Up The Road)", the Springsteen original released on The Rising in 2002. Springsteen guests with guitarist Billy Hector's short-lived band The Shots - they'd inherited the role of the Stone Pony house band from The Asbury Jukes. Hector would later form The Fairlanes, another band that Bruce would make some shore area guest appearances with.

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1977-09-13 - THE STONE PONY, ASBURY PARK, NJ

I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME (with Southside Johnny) / HAVING A PARTY (with Southside Johnny) / THUNDER ROAD / MONA - SHE'S THE ONE / BORN TO RUN
Setlist may be inaccurate.

With Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Benefit concert for Bob Campanell, lead singer of The Shakes. Recollections differ as to whether this was with the E Street Band, just Bruce guesting, or Bruce and Clarence Clemons, but the bulk of the evidence indicates that the full E Street Band was not present. Peter Howes's photos from the show would seem to be confirmation. This would mean that the tape allocated to this date is associated incorrectly.

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1977-10-00 - RECORD PLANT, NEW YORK CITY, NY

STREET HASSLE

Bruce drops in on a session for Lou Reed's work-in-progress album and records a Reed-composed, spoken narrative that forms a brief part of Reed's 11-minute song "Street Hassle". In the last line of the narrative Bruce states, "tramps like us, we were born to pay." In an interview with Dave DiMartino in October 1980, Bruce recounted, "He called me up in the studio, it was funny. We were at the Record Plant; I hadn’t really met him and I liked his stuff, I always really liked it. He called me up and said, "I've got this part," and it was related to "Born To Run", I guess, in some way. He said, "Come on upstairs, and he had these words, and I went upstairs…" Bruce read the lyrics, agreed, and recorded his contribution in two takes. "Yeah, and so I did it once, no, I think I did it twice, and he just picked one and I was real happy." Reed said in Chris Roberts's book Walk on the Wild Side: The Stories Behind The Songs of Lou Reed: "I knew Steve Van Zandt, and we asked him if Bruce would do this monologue. And Bruce said sure… but don't use my name. I wish all of Bruce's fans had gone out and bought it, but since we couldn't use his name, they think it's me imitating him." Lou added in Nick Johnstone's Lou Reed Talking: "People expect me to badmouth him because he's from New Jersey but I think he's really fabulous. He did the part so well that I had to bury him in the mix. I knew Bruce would do that recitation seriously, because he really is of the street, you know." Lou added, "Springsteen is alright, by the way. He gets my seal of approval, I think he's groovy. Tramps like us, we were born to pay."

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1977-10-00 - RECORD PLANT, NEW YORK CITY, NY

Springsteen donates songs to Patti Smith, who is recording her new album in the same studios at the same time as Bruce is recording his. According to interview comments in 2000 by Lenny Kaye (Smith's guitarist and songwriting partner) Springsteen handed over demos of not one but three different songs for Smith/Kaye's perusal, the first two of which Bruce apparently composed with Patti specifically in mind - and then a third one, "Because The Night". Smith preferred the latter. After some re-writing of the Springsteen lyrics to give the song a more feminine, sensual feel the Patti Smith Group recorded the song in November. Springsteen didn't perform on Smith's studio version. The identities of other two Springsteen-donated songs (Smith never recorded either), remain an intriguing mystery. Kaye's 2000 comment that "I would love to hear a tape of those (two) songs today" would indicate he doesn't have a copy of these Springsteen mystery song demos in his collection. The Smith recording of "Because The Night" was first released as a U.S.A. single in late February 1978 and appeared on her Easter album in March. It was a major international hit single during the April-May 1978 period.

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1977-10-13 - THE STONE PONY, ASBURY PARK, NJ

DOWN IN THE VALLEY / AIN'T TOO PROUD TO BEG / SOOTHE ME / CAROL

With Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. "Soothe Me" includes snippets of "Let's Get It On", "Good Times", "Baby Workout", and "Shout". The date on this show is very possibly inaccurate, as Southside is confirmed to have been in Los Angeles the following night and, moreover, Bruce was recording in New York City on this date. However, lacking evidence for any specific other date, we have left the listing here for now.

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1977-11-04 - RECORD PLANT, NEW YORK CITY, NY

A weary-sounding Springsteen takes part in a brief six-minute interview conducted by D.J. Ed Sciaky and broadcast live by WIOQ-FM in Philadelphia. Bruce was at the Record Plant studios, Sciaky was at the radio station, with the hook-up made by telephone.

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1977-12-01 - PLAZA SOUND STUDIOS, NEW YORK CITY, NY

FIRE

Bruce donates his unreleased song "Fire" to Robert Gordon and participates (on piano) in the recording session for the song. The recording was first released on Gordon's Fresh Fish Special album in April 1978. The night following this session Bruce makes an unadvertised guest appearance with Gordon at nearby New York University (see December 2).

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1977-12-02 - LOEB STUDENT CENTER, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY

HEARTBREAK HOTEL

With Link Wray and Robert Gordon. Bruce joins Wray and Gordon on stage following recording sessions with Robert Gordon the previous day. See that listing for more details.

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1977-12-22 - RECORD PLANT, NEW YORK CITY, NY

Springsteen phones in a brief "Christmas Greetings" message to radio station WHFS-FM in Bethesda, Maryland for all his longtime fans in that area. This was first broadcast the following day and then repeated during subsequent days.

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1977-12-30 - CBGB SECOND AVENUE THEATRE, NEW YORK CITY, NY

BECAUSE THE NIGHT

Springsteen guests on guitar and background vocals during this Patti Smith gig on what in fact was the live world debut (by either artist) of their co-written song "Because The Night". Smith had already recorded and completed her studio version at this point but it was still a couple of months away from being released.

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1977-12-31 - CAPITOL THEATRE, PASSAIC, NJ

With Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and the E Street Band: HAVING A PARTY / THE FEVER / I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME / (YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER

With the E Street Band: LITTLE LATIN LUPE LU (with The Miami Horns) / YOU CAN'T SIT DOWN (with The Miami Horns) / DRIVE ALL NIGHT / BACKSTREETS / BORN TO RUN / QUARTER TO THREE (with The Miami Horns)

Bruce Springsteen accompanies the E Street Band for a night off from Record Plant recording sessions for Darkness On The Edge Of Town. They arrive late in the evening at the theater, to join Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes for a WNEW-FM radio broadcast, and help bring in the new year, who had already performed "It Ain't The Meat (It's The Motion)" and "Auld Lang Syne" at 12 midnight. Happy to be on stage for the first time in nine months, Bruce shares lead vocals with Southside on "Having A Party", which includes "It's All Right" in the introduction. The pair also share vocals on "I Don't Want To Go Home" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher", and Robert Gordon contributes vocals on "Stagger Lee", which features a snippet of "Red Hot" in the midsection. Springsteen was not on stage for the three songs, which are "Got To Be A Better Way Home", "You Don't Know Like I Know" and "Stagger Lee". After Southside Johnny said happy new year to the crowd, Bruce muttered a few times "it was too early to go home", then his loyal E Street Band crew and The Miami Horns joined him for "Little Latin Lupe Lu and You Can't Sit Down. Then, according a witness, "He gave word to kill the broadcast after the first two numbers." WNEW-FM respectfully signed off, and then an early version of "Drive All Night" is performed live for the first time, as a prelude to a 14-minute "Backstreets". After "Born To Run", Southside Johnny comes out for the show closer, "Quarter To Three".

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