Official concert recording available for purchase in multiple formats, including CD and high definition audio, from Springsteen's official live download site at nugs.net/bruce (previously live.brucespringsteen.net).
- Running Time: 3:13:26
Note: Also part of the 'Darkness on The Edge Of Town Tour 1978 8-Show CD Box Set', available on February 1, 2021 via Nugs.
FM broadcast (KSAN radio).
FM broadcast and soundboard tapes - this is a master reel recording and includes three tracks not broadcast. It should be noted that the source tape appears to run slightly slow. Released on CDs 'Live At Winterland' (Golden Stars), 'Live In The Promised Land' (Great Dane), 'Winterland Night' (Crystal Cat) and most recently (and in best quality) on CDR 'Prodigal Son at Winterland - 25th Anniversary Remaster' (Prodigal Son). This is a remaster of 'Winterland Night'. Also released to retail in 2014 under the title 'Winterland 15th December 1978' (Echoes). This is not an official release nor a sonic upgrade over previous versions. The interview conducted after the December 13th show is broadcast during the interval of the show and is available through a tape transfer (chrs1961815) and several bootlegs. Tonight's show (and potentially the next night) may have been filmed on the Winterland's in-house video system. However, no concrete evidence has ever emerged that indicate this is the case. Certainly, there is plenty of video of other artists from around the same time, but the most likely scenario is that any film was lost in a fire at Bill Graham's San Francisco warehouse offices in 1985. It is possible that a copy may still reside in Springsteen's vaults.
Note: On listening to 'Winterland Night' and several other releases, it's clear that the recording of "Quarter To Three" is from a different source to the rest of the concert. For some time it's been assumed that this recording is from a different date entirely. However, a review of the concert in the 'Stanford Daily' goes into some detail about Springsteen's performance of "Quarter To Three" and the author's description is an excellent match for the soundboard recording, including of Bruce pausing at one point to state "I think I'm going to throw up", repeated verbatim on the soundboard. While night-on-night there tends to be some repetition in Springsteen's shtick, this particular statement appears to be unique to tonight's show. Therefore, we can state with very high confidence that the soundboard recording is from this concert.