Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
incl. Rehearsals.
- 1978-09-21 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1978-09-20 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1978-09-19 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1977-12-31 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1974-10-18 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
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Soundboard as well as radio broadcast released on CD 'Catch These Big Stars In The Night…If You Can!' (Eagle Records). 'A New Years Eve Party 1977' (mjk5510), with audio from 'Catch These Big Stars' and 'Wolfgang's Vault Audio Stream', now offers a complete recording of the whole show. It combines soundboard tracks with missing audio sourced from an audience tape, including over 3 minutes of "Drive All Night", the prelude to the full 14:05 of "Backstreets". "Drive All Night" had been recorded over two Darkness sessions in June and August, but this was it's debut live performance, and Bruce sings, "to buy you some shoes and taste your tender charms". The whole set was filmed by the Capitol Theatre's crew and circulates in poor quality, but can be streamed on Wolfgang's Vault's Concert Vault.
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ‘Little Latin Lupe Lu’:
”We’re just gonna play, I’m drunk and I’m silly as a fool but….it’s too early to go home (?)…yeah….we’re gonna do a song (?)…gimme some guitar …..hey Roy, are you ready ? (Roy: ”I’m ready !”) …..”
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ‘You Can’t Sit Down’:
”Are you ready to get silly (cheers)…..are you ready to get crazy ?…..I’m crazy already, I don’t know what’s going on…..we’re gonna do a song…..let’s do, uh….let’s do ‘You Can’t Sit Down’ so you can’t sit down…..we’re making this stuff as we go….. this is called….song called ‘You Can’t Sit Down’…..are you ready, band ?…..E, key of E….”
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, after ´You Can't Sit Down´
´´Is tonight the night or what ? (cheers)….´´
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ´Backstreets´
´´I don´t know if I´ll remember all the words to this…..it´s been so long since we played it….. (?)….where we could steal away…..steal away….in the backstreets…..in the backstreets….. backstreets….I got a love….I found a love….I found a love…..so sweet and so fine…..I swear I'd drive all night ….just to make….just to make….just to make that pretty thing mine….I swear I'd drive all night….just to buy….just to buy you, baby, some shoes…..I swear I'd drive all night….just to taste, just to taste your tender charms……just to hold you…..just to hold you…..just to hold you close…..just to hold you in my….arms….yes, I would…..I swear, darling….I promise…..I swear I would……I swear I would…..I swear I would…..
(….) I remember…..baby, I remember….baby, I remember….and I remember in the weekends ….hitchhiking….hitchhiking outside of town…..I remember there was this old abandoned…. was this old abandoned car all stripped down…..I remember….(?) in the weekends….we used to hitchhike out there…..and we used to sit in the backseat….yeah, baby, in the backseat…. baby, in the backseat….and I remember….I remember the night those kids set fire to that old abandoned farmhouse and we could see, we could see the flames rushing towards the sky across the fields….we sat on the hood, we could see the flames rushing towards the sky across the fields….and I remember you told me….you telling me….you said 'Baby'….you said 'Billy…I shall always be yours….I will never let you go….I will never let you go, baby…I will never let you go….I will never let you go´….and I remember watching the flames rushing towards the sky…..and I remember us running, running across the fields….running through the fields…..running past that big white house on the hill….running past them iron gates….. running through them iron gates…..running past that big white house that sat on the hill…. running through the fields….I remember and you said 'Baby, I shall never let you go…..I swear I'd never let you go'….and I remember waiting…..I remember waiting….I remember waiting…..I remember you was gonna quit your job and I was gonna quit my job too….. I remember we were gonna go…I remember standing in the rain….I remember waiting, standing in the rain……I remember the rain came…..tumbling down…..I remember waiting…. I remember rain came….stumbling down…..and I remember…..I remember that…..you told me….I remember what you told me…..I remember…..YOU LIED….YOU LIED…..YOU LIED….YOU LIED….´´
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ´Born to Run´ (following ´Backstreets´)
´´We messed up all the chords….(long pause)…..we´re gonna try and do all these songs, I ain't done 'em in about nine months….I ain´t played ´em in so long…..but it's too early to go home, you can't go home on New Year's night…….so I hope (?) with us…..we ain´t on radio no more so I can act like a crazy fool…..this is one…..this is my big hit here…..it´s right there on my Top 20 (chuckles)….and I wanna do this for all the people that been waiting so long while I been screwing around in the studio (?)….gimme some echo or reverb on this guitar or something….(?)….we´re gonna give it a shot…..´´
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, after ´Born to Run´
"Thank you…..I remember no more words……E Street Band…..I´d like to thank Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes…..we love you so crazy…..I'd like to thank you all, Happy New Year!….(Southside Johnny: ´Thank you, goodnight, thank you, Bruce, goodnight´)….´´
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ´Quarter to Three´
´´(?)….I don't know what time it is…..(?) little song that (?) what rock and roll is all about….if you ever get a chance, you should check out Gary U.S.Bonds…..he did some great stuff, ´Quarter to Three´, ´School's Out´….he did this song…..I wanna hear it !…..am I alone ? (crowd: ´No´) are you alive ? (cheers) are you alive ? (cheers) are you alive ? (cheers)….´´
Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi
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© All credits to the original photographer. We do not monetize a photo in any way, but if you want your photo to be removed, let us know, and we will remove it.
“Promoter John Scher welcomed everyone to the theatre with the greeting of “It’s New Year’s in New Jersey.” Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were the New Year’s Eve headliners at the Capitol. Riding high on the success of their first two records, the band was moving from the clubs to the small theater, and this night was their biggest show to date. The Jukes were joined this evening by their founding member, producer and song contributor, Miami (he wasn’t called “Little” yet) Van Zandt on guitar and backing vocals. His special presence added the extra treat of him doing the Sam and Dave thing with Johnny on duets of “Broken Down Piece of Man” and “You Don’t Know Like I Know.”
The Juke’s set was on the money, and of course, whenever they played there was always the possibility of a Springsteen appearance. While it didn’t always happen, this night it did and in spades! Of all of the concerts I have been to, this certainly was the biggest musical surprise I have ever witnessed.
Another Asbury Park band, The Shakes opened the night, and The Jukes timed their set to start around 11:15pm. After a few songs, it was the midnight hour and surprise, surprise, a “loose” Bruce joined them in singing the Juke’s trademark show-stopper, Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party” right after the Miami Horns played the requisite “Auld Lang Syne.” Rockabilly singer, Robert Gordon, who was currently being embraced by the punk community, also joined in on the fun during “Stagger Lee” as did a steady flow of E Street Band members throughout the show.
Bruce stayed on for the rest of the set singing a little, but mostly just playing some added guitar. But, he really started letting go when he and Johnny set out to end the night trading vocals on an exhilarating version of Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher.” The audience then started to head out the doors into the cold New Jersey night. I myself was in the lobby when I heard things starting up again. Bruce wanted to play some more, and everyone quickly rushed back inside to their seats.
Bruce and the E Street Band had not played together for over 9 months, and the Boss was just itching to perform. “I’m drunk and silly as a fool” said the man before kicking things off with covers of “Little Latin Lupe Lu” and “You Can’t Sit Down” during which he and the entire E Street Band were joined by several Jukes.
WNEW-FM was broadcasting the show live on the radio. Station DJ and Springsteen friend, Richard Neer was producing and MC-ing the event on the air and thought he’d just keep the tape rolling for a loose Bruce and the boys. But, Bruce was looking to just have some fun, and probably would rather not see a bootleg recording of this last-minute sloppy reunion. He gave word to kill the broadcast after the first two numbers, and it was then time for he and his band to get down to some serious business.
The surprise 45-minutes of Springsteen continued with “Backstreets,” “Born to Run” and came to a close with a cover of Gary U.S. Bonds’ “Quarter to Three.” “Backstreets” was a long extended version that included its first ever wrap with the lyrical improvisation that would eventually become the song “Drive All Night.” Maybe the E Streeters were a little sloppy, but this still was the best time I have ever had at 2am in the morning in Passaic.”
You can download the complete program for the show in PDF format.
