The Ties That Bind (The River Collection)

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Original

Collaboration

Compilation

Playlist

Commercially Released: December 4, 2015
Label: Columbia
Produced by Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt
Recorded by Neil Dorfsman, assisted by Dana Bisbee at The Power Station (1979 - 1980)
Mixed by Toby Scott, Bob Clearmountain and Chuck Plotkin
Mastered by Bob Ludwig

Overview

Springsteen celebrated the 35th anniversary of The River by releasing a boxed set titled The Ties That Bind: The River Collection on December 4, 2015. The set contains 52 tracks on four CDs along with four hours of video on three DVDs or two Blu-ray discs. On December 24, 2015, Springsteen released Arizona State University, Tempe 1980, a free download through the Bruce Springsteen Archives. The release contained audio of the ten missing songs from the concert video featured in the boxed set, bringing the total number discs released to seven. The tracks were mixed from the multi-track tapes by Bob Clearmountain in December 2015. On October 16, 2015, along with the announcement of the boxed set, "Meet Me in the City", one of the eleven unreleased outtakes, was released through Springsteen's website and on iTunes to promote the release of the boxed set. On November 23, 2015, "Party Lights" was released and also made available through iTunes. Much like with The Promise, Springsteen recorded new vocals for some of the outtakes in the set.

^{Source: Wikipedia}

Released

Audio - The Ties That Bind (The River Collection)

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
1.1.	THE TIES THAT BIND	3:29	RIVER
1.2.	SHERRY DARLING	4:00	RIVER / 1981 single
1.3.	JACKSON CAGE	3:02	RIVER
1.4.	TWO HEARTS	2:39	RIVER
1.5.	INDEPENDENCE DAY	4:39	RIVER / 1981 b-side
1.6.	HUNGRY HEART	3:19	RIVER / 1980 single
1.7.	OUT IN THE STREET	4:15	RIVER
1.8.	CRUSH ON YOU	3:08	RIVER
1.9.	YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH)	2:34	RIVER
1.10.	I WANNA MARRY YOU	3:57	RIVER
1.11.	THE RIVER	4:56	RIVER / 1981 single

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
2.1.	POINT BLANK	5:59	RIVER / 1980 single
2.2.	CADILLAC RANCH	3:01	RIVER / 1981 single
2.3.	I'M A ROCKER	3:32	RIVER
2.4.	FADE AWAY	4:36	RIVER / 1981 single
2.5.	STOLEN CAR	3:50	RIVER
2.6.	RAMROD	3:57	RIVER / 1980 b-side
2.7.	THE PRICE YOU PAY	5:24	RIVER
2.8.	DRIVE ALL NIGHT	8:22	RIVER
2.9.	WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY	3:44	RIVER / 1981 b-side

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
3.1.	THE TIES THAT BIND	3:29	RIVER: SINGLE
3.2.	CINDY	2:25	RIVER: SINGLE
3.3.	HUNGRY HEART	3:15	RIVER: SINGLE
3.4.	STOLEN CAR	4:30	RIVER: SINGLE / TRACKS
3.5.	BE TRUE	3:37	RIVER: SINGLE / TRACKS
3.6.	THE RIVER	4:56	RIVER: SINGLE
3.7.	YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) (Vs.1)	2:09	RIVER: SINGLE
3.8.	THE PRICE YOU PAY	5:24	RIVER: SINGLE
3.9.	I WANNA MARRY YOU	3:57	RIVER: SINGLE
3.10.	LOOSE ENDS	4:00	RIVER: SINGLE / TRACKS

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
4.1.	MEET ME IN THE CITY	3:35	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.2.	THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY	3:31	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.3.	LITTLE WHITE LIES	2:39	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.4.	THE TIME THAT NEVER WAS	3:39	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.5.	NIGHT FIRE	4:44	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.6.	WHITETOWN	3:23	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.7.	CHAIN LIGHTNING	2:49	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.8.	PARTY LIGHTS	3:09	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.9.	PARADISE BY THE "C"	3:10	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.10.	STRAY BULLET	6:09	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.11.	MR. OUTSIDE	4:14	RIVER: OUTTAKES
4.12.	ROULETTE	3:49	RIVER: OUTTAKES / TRACKS
4.13.	RESTLESS NIGHTS	3:41	RIVER: OUTTAKES / TRACKS
4.14.	WHERE THE BANDS ARE	3:42	RIVER: OUTTAKES / TRACKS
4.15.	DOLLHOUSE	3:29	RIVER: OUTTAKES / TRACKS
4.16.	LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD	4:14	RIVER: OUTTAKES / TRACKS
4.17.	TAKE 'EM AS THEY COME	4:25	RIVER: OUTTAKES / TRACKS
4.18.	RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN	2:43	RIVER: OUTTAKES / TRACKS
4.19.	I WANNA BE WITH YOU	3:15	RIVER: OUTTAKES / TRACKS
4.20.	MARY LOU	3:18	RIVER: OUTTAKES / TRACKS
4.21.	HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN	1:13	RIVER: OUTTAKES / 1980 b-side
4.22.	FROM SMALL THINGS (BIG THINGS ONE DAY COME)	2:42	RIVER: OUTTAKES

^{Total Running Time: 3:18:48}

Video - The Ties That Bind (The River Collection)

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
The Ties That Bind - Documentary - BLU-RAY / DVD
5.1.1.	Creative Life	7:06	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY
5.1.2.	Lost Boys	7:40	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY
5.1.3.	The River	5:10	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY
5.1.4.	Noisy Records	4:49	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY
5.1.5.	Searching For Something	7:52	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY
5.1.6.	The River Tour	4:31	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY
5.1.7.	Songs Of Breadth And Depth	5:32	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY
5.1.8.	Personal Conversation	9:55	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY
5.1.9.	Credits	3:34	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
The River Tour, Tempe 1980 Concert Part 1 - BLU-RAY / DVD 1
6.1.1.	BORN TO RUN	5:21	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.2.	PROVE IT ALL NIGHT	5:56	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.3.	TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT	4:59	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.4.	JACKSON CAGE	3:45	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.5.	TWO HEARTS	3:10	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.6.	THE PROMISED LAND	6:18	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.7.	OUT IN THE STREET	4:59	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.8.	THE RIVER	7:16	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.9.	BADLANDS	6:04	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.10.	THUNDER ROAD	6:29	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.11.	NO MONEY DOWN	3:20	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.12.	CADILLAC RANCH	5:08	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.13.	HUNGRY HEART	4:40	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.14.	FIRE	5:55	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.15.	SHERRY DARLING	4:57	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.16.	I WANNA MARRY YOU	9:42	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.17.	CRUSH ON YOU	4:37	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.18.	RAMROD	4:48	TTTB: TEMPE
6.1.19.	YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH)	4:01	TTTB: TEMPE

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
The River Tour, Tempe 1980 Concert Part 2 - BLU-RAY / DVD 1
7.1.1.	DRIVE ALL NIGHT	11:27	TTTB: TEMPE
7.1.2.	ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)	14:08	TTTB: TEMPE
7.1.3.	I'M A ROCKER	4:12	TTTB: TEMPE
7.1.3.	JUNGLELAND	11:40	TTTB: TEMPE
7.1.4.	DETROIT MEDLEY	12:01	TTTB: TEMPE
7.1.5.	WHERE THE BANDS ARE (Credits)	3:53	TTTB: TEMPE
The River Tour Rehearsals - BLU-RAY / DVD 1
7.2.1.	RAMROD	4:33	TTTB: REHEARSAL
7.2.2.	CADILLAC RANCH	4:10	TTTB: REHEARSAL
7.2.3.	FIRE	2:45	TTTB: REHEARSAL
7.2.4.	CRUSH ON YOU	3:31	TTTB: REHEARSAL
7.2.5.	SHERRY DARLING	5:01	TTTB: REHEARSAL

^{1: Disc 7 is part of Disc 6 in the Blu-Ray version.}

Audio - Digital Supplement

On December 24, 2015, Springsteen released Arizona State University, Tempe 1980, a free download through the Bruce Springsteen Archives. The release contained the ten missing songs from the concert video featured in the boxed set. The songs that were not captured on video on Nov. 5, 1980. Mixed from the multitrack tapes by Bob Clearmountain, December 2015 for release on Live.BruceSpringsteen.net. Mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering.

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
Arizona State, November 5, 1980 - Digital Supplement
8.1.	DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN	5:08	TEMPE: 80
8.2.	INDEPENDENCE DAY	7:03	TEMPE: 80
8.3.	FACTORY	3:16	TEMPE: 80
8.4.	RACING IN THE STREET	8:30	TEMPE: 80
8.5.	CANDY'S ROOM	3:29	TEMPE: 80
8.6.	THE TIES THAT BIND	3:47	TEMPE: 80
8.7.	STOLEN CAR	4:50	TEMPE: 80
8.8.	WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY	4:56	TEMPE: 80
8.9.	POINT BLANK	7:57	TEMPE: 80
8.10.	BACKSTREETS	8:29	TEMPE: 80

^{Total Running Time: 57:25}

Additional Information

Artwork

^{© 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.}

Personnel

• Bruce Springsteen: Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Twelve-string Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion, Piano

• The E Street Band:
  • Roy Bittan: Piano, Hammond Organ, Background Vocals
  • Clarence Clemons: Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Percussion, Background Vocals
  • Danny Federici: Hammond Organ, Glockenspiel
  • Garry Tallent: Bass Guitar
  • Steven Van Zandt: Rhythm Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar, Harmony Vocals, Background Vocals
  • Max Weinberg: Drums, Percussion

• Flo and Eddie:
  • Howard Kaylan: Backing Vocals
  • Mark Volman: Backing Vocals

Media

Related Releases

• All Versions
  • The River

• Single
  • Meet Me In The City (October 16, 2015)
  • Party Lights (November 23, 2015)

On The Tracks

Song Title	Running Time	Release

TO BE TRUE - V1a	3:39	LM-6 / PYP
TO BE TRUE - V1b	3:49	DROC1
TO BE TRUE - V1c	3:50	DROC1 / RRR
TO BE TRUE - V1d take 2	3:40	DROC1 / TTTBJ / ATMF / LES / LEK
BE TRUE - V2	3:40	1981 b-side / TRP / BACK / DBTR
BE TRUE - V3	3:36	TRACKS
BE TRUE - V4	3:49	RIVER: SINGLE

Note: Evolved from "Mary Lou" and early versions of "Little White Lies" that used "Be True" vocals over unique backing. The only takes for this track all occurred on July 18, 1979 at Power Station, and a mixing or overdub session took place on April 22, 1980, before it was included on an April 1980 shortlist for the double album. Six different mixes are known: V1a runs fast with minimal vocal effects, V1c has a double-tracked vocal on the second verse, bridge, break, and has no sax except tail, V1d has double tracked vocals, background vocals and a different sax solo, V2 is the 1981 b-side to "Fade Away"; the version on 'Down By the River' (3:23) sounds exactly like V2 when slowed down by 6%. V3 is the mix released on Tracks, and version 4 is V1d released in 2015 on The Ties That Bind: The River Single Album.

CADILLAC RANCH - V1a	2:58	DROC2 / RO / ATMF
CADILLAC RANCH - V1b	3:03	private cdr
CADILLAC RANCH - V1c	3:05	private cdr
CADILLAC RANCH - V1d	3:03	private cdr
CADILLAC RANCH - V1e	3:01	O&S
CADILLAC RANCH - V1f	3:01	RIVER

Note: Recorded at the Power Station on February 16, March 9, 15 and 17, and mixed at Clover Studios in Los Angeles on April 9 and 26, 1980. All of the above are mixed variations of the same basic recording. V1b has less echo on lead vocal, V1c is take #47 with piano and guitar higher in the mix, V1d is described as "basic rundown take 2", and V1e adds a siren and screeching tires to the introduction.

CHAIN LIGHTNING - V1	1:07	LM-8
CHAIN LIGHTNING - V2	1:24	LM-8
CHAIN LIGHTNING - V3	0:29	LM-8
CHAIN LIGHTNING - V4	2:18	LM-4 / OSOR
CHAIN LIGHTNING - V5	2:49	RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: V1–V3 are early acoustic demos from around March/April 1979, according to the Lost Masters liner notes. V4 is a full band performance from Telegraph Hill rehearsals on March 30, 1979. The arrangement of this version is quite different to the take that was later recorded at the Power Station, possibly on February 17, 1980, and issued on The River:Outtakes CD in 2015. It is worth noting that the arrangement of the acoustic demos is very similar to the hard rocking, almost punk styling of the Telegraph Hill rehearsal. The age of the lead vocal on the 2015 release is hard to pin down. It does not sound like a River-era vocal, but at the same time it doesn't sound like Springsteen's 2015 voice. Best guess for now is a 1998 vocal, recorded during overdub sessions for Tracks. Note the reference to "Jungleland" in the third verse: "All along the strand baby down in jungleland / Everybody's caught up in chain lightning."

CINDY - V1a	2:24	LM-5
CINDY - V1b	2:24	LM-5 / ATMF / PYP
CINDY - V2 take 3	2:18	RIVER: SINGLE / TTTBJ / DROC2 / RRR

Note: "Cindy" was recorded at Power Station on July 16–17, 1979. V1a features double-track vocals; V1b has the double-track vocals as well as Clarence providing harmonies. Take 3, V2, was selected for the rejected 1979 'The Ties That Bind' album, mixed by Bob Clearmountain. Prior to the release of The River: Single Album, this was the only unreleased River session composition that circulated among collectors in finished form and in excellent quality. Additional dubs and mixing took place April 11–12, 1980 at Clover Studios in Los Angeles; it was included in an album shortlist around this time, but was not included on The River. Titled "Cindy's Delicate Condition" on a handwritten lyric sheet.

CRUSH ON YOU - V1a	3:19	DROC2 / RO
CRUSH ON YOU - V1b	3:06	DROC2 / RO / ATMF
CRUSH ON YOU - V1c	3:08	RIVER

Note: These are all mix permutations of the same basic recording. Recorded at Power Station studios on October 11 and 12, 1979.

DOLLHOUSE - V1	2:20	LMEC1
DOLLHOUSE - V2	0:55	LMEC1
DOLLHOUSE - V3	3:29	TRACKS / RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: AKA "Living In A Dollhouse", V1 and V2 are acoustic demos recorded around January–June 1979 at Springsteen's house. V3 was recorded at Power Station on August 20 and 21, 1979 and issued on Tracks.

DRIVE ALL NIGHT - V1a	8:22	LM-2 / DDO / DO-1 / AM / UP / LMEC2
DRIVE ALL NIGHT - V1b	8:23	UP
DRIVE ALL NIGHT - V2	4:42	LM-2 / AM / UP
DRIVE ALL NIGHT - V3	0:30	LM-7
DRIVE ALL NIGHT - V4	8:22	RIVER

Note: Studio logs indicate that Springsteen worked on this song at two sessions in 1977; June 16 at Atlantic Studios and August 24 at Record Plant. V1 is definitely from that June session, V2 is probably also from June (see image), but could be from the August session. If V2 is from June, then the August 24 take does not currently circulate among collectors. V2 has a different opening and is shorter, lacking Clarence's saxophone solo. Note that some bootleg CDs (such as Godfather's 'The Unbroken Promise') include two versions of the eight minute "Drive All Night"; they may be the same recording, but since two bootleg collections carry them, we list them as alternate mixes. Listed on some early vinyl boots by the title "Sad Eyes".

Bruce re-recorded the vocal track during the River sessions, using the 1977 Darkness backing track for V4, officially released on The River. V3 was worked on at Power Station (possibly on February 24, 1980, a date found in the studio logs), again with Springsteen singing over the backing track. V4 was completed on March 8 or 16. Preliminary mixing took place on April 10 by Neil Dorfsman; the song was later remixed by Toby Scott at Clover Recorders, Los Angeles. Springsteen is credited with the piano on this track. The only song from The River to be recorded by Jimmy Iovine, a final confirmation that the backing track was recorded during the Darkness sessions.

FADE AWAY - V1	2:50	LMEC1
FADE AWAY - V2a	1:01	private cdr
FADE AWAY - V2b - take 29	1:37	private cdr
FADE AWAY - V2c - take 26	4:40	private cdr
FADE AWAY - V2d - take 27	4:46	private cdr
FADE AWAY - V2e	4:46	DROC2 / RO / RRR / ATMF
FADE AWAY - V2f	4:36	RIVER / 1981 single

Note: "Fade Away" V1 is a work-in-progress version from late 1979, recorded at Telegraph Hill, listed as "Slow Fade" in the Lost Masters liner notes, but it bears no resemblance to that song, which is known from February 1980 Telegraph Hill rehearsals. Takes were recorded at Power Station on March 9 and 15–17, 1980 and V2 is likely to emanate from one of those sessions. Work on April 9 and 29 is also logged - these are likely to be related to mixing at Clover Studios in Los Angeles. All circulating versions of V2 appear to be different mix permutations of the same basic recording. V2a is described as "end tag intercut number two, dry voice fade, loud last line" by the engineer. V2b appears to be an aborted mix, "the take after the last one, 28." V2c is take #26, V2d is take #27 with less piano. Released as a single in 1981 with "Be True" as the B-side.

FROM SMALL THINGS (BIG THINGS ONE DAY COME) - V1a	2:33	SO / DROC2 / ATMF
FROM SMALL THINGS (BIG THINGS ONE DAY COME) - V1b	2:42	ESSENTIAL: BONUS / RIVER: OUTTAKES
FROM SMALL THINGS (BIG THINGS ONE DAY COME) - V2		uncirculating

Note: V1a and V1b are two slightly different mixes of the same take, recorded at Power Station on September 2, 1979. The song was included in an archival concept list compiled by a Sony engineer in 1993, and also on a early six-CD Tracks sampler from June 1998 but ultimately not released until Essential in 2003. V2 is a rough take with just Bruce on guitar and vocals, which he recorded for Dave Edmunds after offering him the song to record in 1981.

HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V1	1:10	DROC1 / AT / RRR
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V2	0:15	DROC1 / SFEM / AT
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V3	5:33	LM-11
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V4	1:10	LM-11
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V5	1:15	LM-11
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V6	1:11	LM-11
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V7	1:34	LM-11
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V8	1:13	LM-11
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V9	2:00	LM-11
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V10	1:12	LM-11
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V11a	1:07	DROC1 / SFEM / DBTR
HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN - V11b	1:13	RIVER: OUTTAKES / 1980 b-side / 1985 b-side / BACK

Note: V1 and 2 are brief acoustic demos from late 1979. V3–V10 are rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on February 22, 1980 (with Miami Steve on lead vocals on V6). V11a and V11b are different mixes of the same performance, recorded at Power Station starting the following day, February 23 and April 1, 1980. Further activities logged on April 9, 20, and 21 are likely to be related to mixing sessions at Clover Studios in Los Angeles. Included on an April 1980 shortlist for the double album. V11b first released as the B-side to "Hungry Heart" in 1980, re-released in 1985 on the 12" maxi single of "I'm Goin' Down", and again in 2015 on The River: Outtakes in average quality due to issues locating the studio masters. Recording found on The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a live cut, taped December 31, 1980 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.

HUNGRY HEART - V1a	2:53	DROC2 / PYP
HUNGRY HEART - V1b	3:30	LM-6
HUNGRY HEART - V1c	3:32	LM-6
HUNGRY HEART - V2a	3:28	LM-6 / RRR
HUNGRY HEART - V2b	3:47	DROC2 / ATMF
HUNGRY HEART - V2c	3:31	private cdr
HUNGRY HEART - V2d take 2	3:21	RIVER: SINGLE / TTTBR / TTTBJ
HUNGRY HEART - V3	3:15	RIVER / GREATEST / ESSENTIAL / GREATEST: 2009 / BESTOF / 1980 single

Note: "Hungry Heart"" was supposedly penned after Joey Ramone asked Bruce to write a song for the Ramones, after he attended a show at The Fast Lane, Asbury Park, in March 1979. Springsteen has confirmed that it was written with the Ramones in mind, and he was considering giving the song away, but after he played it for Jon Landau, Jon convinced Bruce to keep it for himself. Engineer Neil Dorfsman recalls "Hungry Heart" was recorded "live" in the studio, on June 14 and again on June 21, 1979. Flo & Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan of the Turtles) contributed backing vocals during one of these sessions. V2c has heavy echo added to Springsteen's vocal. Mixing by Bob Clearmountain for The Ties That Bind single album took place in September, and there is a session logged on September 5, but it is not clear what occurred on that date. Additional sessions took place on March 24 and April 10, 1980, but it is confirmed that Clearmountain's mix from 1979 was not tampered with, making it the first of many Springsteen releases he would go on to mix. However, "Hungry Heart" was pitch adjusted, raising the pitch of Springsteen's vocal to achieve a more radio friendly sound. That is why The River track is slightly shorter than The River: Single Album version.

I WANNA BE WITH YOU - V1	3:04	DDO / DO-1 / AM / UP / LES / GT
I WANNA BE WITH YOU - V2	3:12	LM-6 / ATMF
I WANNA BE WITH YOU - V3	3:15	TRACKS / RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: First cut during the Darkness sessions, with V1 recorded at Atlantic Studios on the evening of June 1, 1977. Logs show that more takes were recorded on July 1, 1977 (also at Atlantic), and there was a complete take on September 12, at Record Plant. Held over for The River sessions, and both V2 and V3 were recorded on May 31, 1979 at Power Station, New York. There was another session on June 21, and mixing/dubbing on September 24, 1979, but the final May 31 take was the one used for Tracks.

I WANNA MARRY YOU - V1a	3:29	LM-5 / LMEC2 / ATMF
I WANNA MARRY YOU - V1b - track 12	3:30	LM-5
I WANNA MARRY YOU - V1c - track 16	3:28	LM-5
I WANNA MARRY YOU - V1d - track 22	3:26	LM-5
I WANNA MARRY YOU - V1e - track 24	3:20	LM-5
I WANNA MARRY YOU - V2a - track 8	3:27	DROC2 / RO / ATMF
I WANNA MARRY YOU - V2b	3:24	DROC2 / RO / LUTHER
I WANNA MARRY YOU - V2c	3:22	DROC2 / RO / RRR / LUTHER
I WANNA MARRY YOU - V3 take 4	3:22	RIVER: SINGLE / DROC2 / TTTBJ / ATMF
I WANNA MARRY YOU - V4	3:23	RIVER

Note: Studio logs show takes were recorded at Power Station studios on July 5, 11, and 12, 1979, V1a is the earliest mix. V3 was mixed in September by Bob Clearmountain for the abandoned The Ties That Bind album, and later issued in 2015 on The River: Single Album. Additional sessions for The River were logged on April 12 and May 6 and 7, 1980. The final mix was by Toby Scott at Clover Recorders in Los Angeles, between May and July.

SHE'S A ROCKER - V1 take 4	3:10	LM-5
SHE'S A ROCKER - V2 take 6	3:18	LM-5 / ATMF
I'M A ROCKER - V3	3:32	RIVER

Note: V1 and V2 were recorded at the Power Station on December 4, 1979, in the third person ("She's A Rocker"). The only other documented date in the logs is April 10, 1980, which is likely to be related to mixing at Clover Studios in Los Angeles, leaving the recording date of the album cut undocumented.

INDEPENDENCE DAY - V1 - take 3		uncirculating
INDEPENDENCE DAY - V2	6:17	LM-3 / AM / UP / LMEC2 / GT
INDEPENDENCE DAY - V3a - mix take #10	5:18	uncirculating
INDEPENDENCE DAY - V3b	5:27	DROC1 / RRR / ATMF
INDEPENDENCE DAY - V3c	4:39	RIVER

Note: In a phone interview with a CHOM-FM DJ after a show on November 8, 1978 at the Montreal Forum, Bruce said "Independence Day" was written "before a lot of the stuff recorded on Darkness." It also appears on a "New Songs" list generally attributed to the pre-Darkness era. It was first recorded on August 15, 1977, and take 3 was dubbed to a ruffs mix tape, the inlay of which was reproduced in The Promise facsimile book. V2 was a bootlegged take likely recorded on September 26–27 at Record Plant Studios. Springsteen must have completed the song to some extent, because it was slated to be track 4 on the October 'Badlands' album, until Bruce canceled the project. He went back to work on it on November 4, 7, and December 9, 1977. When a proposed track sequence was assembled on January 16, 1978, "Independence Day" was an alternate track, but it was soon dropped from consideration. Bruce played it live on July 7, 1978 at the Roxy, and over thirty times to the end of the Darkness Tour. Sessions resumed at Power Station studios on May 29 and October 11, 1979, with mixing and dubbing sessions on April 24 and 25, 1980. V3a is mix take #10, with slight alterations to the snare drums and vocals. V3b is the complete, uncut recording with the instrumental coda that was removed from the album version, V3c.

JACKSON CAGE - V1	0:20	LM-7 / DROC2
JACKSON CAGE - V2	0:59	LM-7 / DROC2
JACKSON CAGE - V3	1:49	LMEC2
JACKSON CAGE - V4	2:52	LM-15
JACKSON CAGE - V5	2:57	LM-15 / LMEC2
JACKSON CAGE - V6	3:02	RIVER

Note: V1 and V2 of "Jackson Cage" can be heard on 'Lost Masters VII', a disc of 1979 home demos. V2 is an undated demo, generally credited to the fall of the year, but more likely from May 1979 before the resumption of studio work on May 22, when the whole session was devoted to "Jackson Cage". Springsteen did not work on the song again until V3 on January 1980, when he sang the lyrics over a playback of a January 11 Telegraph Hill band rehearsal of "Restless Nights". V4 and V5 are rehearsal workouts of an alternative arrangement from Telegraph Hill on February 5, 1980. The album track (V6) was recorded at Power Station on February 17, 1980, with overdubbing and mixing on April 10, 1980.

LITTLE WHITE LIES - V1	1:07	LM-9
LITTLE WHITE LIES - V2	2:47	ATMF / DROC1 / SYMKB / DBTR / SC
LITTLE WHITE LIES - V3	2:39	RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: Also known by the titles "White Lies", "To You" and "Don't Do It To Me", but all takes in studio logs were under the name "Little White Lies". V1 is a brief acoustic demo of the guitar riff with bluffed lyrics, recorded at Springsteen's home in early 1979. It is listed on the 'Lost Masters IX' CD as "Untitled #3". V2 is an unreleased take by Bruce and the band, cutting loose at the Power Station, possibly on June 1, 1979, a recording of which circulates in high quality. On the short-list of great unreleased tracks for many years, it was first issued in the 1980s on 'Son You May Kiss the Bride' as "Don't Do It To Me". The lyrics of "Mary Lou" are drawn upon heavily for this take - Bruce recorded takes of "Mary Lou" the same day, and Springsteen would use them again in July to record "To Be True".

V3 was released in 2015 on The River: Outtakes, included in The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set. This is a different vocal take, probably recorded June 13, 1979 with updated lyrics replacing the lines from "Mary Lou" with four new verses, two of which Springsteen later used in "Loose Ends". The lead vocal is definitely vintage. Springsteen's double 1-2-3-4 count-in has been removed, and the song now has double-track vocals. One of Max Weinberg's personal favorites – Max expressed his wish that it be released, which has since been granted.

LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD - V1	3:52	LM-12
LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD - V2	4:26	LM-12
LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD - V3	4:16	LM-12
LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD - V4	4:14	TRACKS / RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: V1 through V3 are all complete, full band rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on November 15, 1979. Through the murky recording all three appear similar, but Springsteen does switch around the order of verses and lyrics, apparently at random. V3 adds harmonica to the midsection that is not included in the first two takes. V4 recorded at Power Station on December 7, 1979. Left off The River, "Living On The Edge Of The World" was unreleased until it was issued on Tracks in 1998. Nearly a full year after "Living On The Edge Of The World" was recorded in the studio, Springsteen uniquely inserted the final verse into a rowdy live performance of "Ramrod" at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 28, 1980. Apparently unwilling to leave this one behind, in 1981 Springsteen retold the exact same story in a new composition, "Open All Night", lifting some verses verbatim and re-writing others. Some lines and references can also be found in another 1981 song, "State Trooper". Both songs were later released on 1982's Nebraska.

LOOSE ENDS - V1 take 1	4:01	DROC1 / DBTR / RRR / SC / CAST / AM
LOOSE ENDS / LOOSE END - V2a	4:04	RIVER: SINGLE / DROC1 / ATMF / TTTBJ
LOOSE ENDS - V2b	4:01	TRACKS

Note: "Loose Ends" was recorded at Power Station studios on July 18, 1979. Take 1 was described by engineer Neil Dorfsman as "mix #1, original vocal and original sax," then followed by a double four-count by the Boss. This has a rougher but clear, single-tracked lead vocal, with some slight differences in the phrasing and very minor changes to the lyrics. The circulating recording has no overdubs and the nine second double count-in; the vocals by Bruce and Steve Van Zandt include six "looooose ends" refrains, double the amount on V2. Double-tracked vocals can be found on V2, the second and final take. Bob Clearmountain mixed V2a in September 1979 for The Ties That Bind, but a month later Bruce cancelled that release, and it would be nineteen years before the song finally saw the light of day. V2b was remixed in 1998 by Ed Thacker for Tracks. In 2015, the 1979 mix was released as The River: Single Album, which omits the count-in, and is re-titled "Loose End". The guitars are higher in Clearmountain's 1979 mix, in comparison to V1 and the mix on Tracks,which are more keyboard focused. It also has five "loooose ends," and drum rolls after the last three. Lyrics from "Loose Ends" can also be found in "Little White Lies", and "Baby I'm So Cold", an outtake from Born In The U.S.A.

MARY LOU - V1	0:42	LM-8
MARY LOU - V2	1:18	LM-8
MARY LOU - V3	2:13	LM-8
MARY LOU - V4	2:45	LM-8
MARY LOU - V5	2:00	LM-11
MARY LOU - V6	0:34	LM-11
MARY LOU - V7	2:13	LM-11
MARY LOU - V8	3:14	LM-11
MARY LOU - V9	3:13	LM-11
MARY LOU - V10	3:10	LM-11
MARY LOU - V11	3:04	LM-4 / DROC2
MARY LOU - V12	3:10	DROC1 / ATMF / DBTR / SC
MARY LOU - V13	3:19	TRACKS / RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: "Mary Lou" didn't make the cut for the double River album, but it played an important role in the development of several songs, and was eventually released on two official collections. V1–V4 are rehearsal takes, recorded in Spring 1979 at Telegraph Hill, working on music and lyrics. V5–V11 are full band rehearsals recorded at Telegraph Hill on May 14 and 16, 1979 (note: the September 16, 1979 date in the 'Lost Masters IV' liner notes is incorrect). Work resumed at Power Station studios for three days starting with May 30, 1979, resulting in V12, with takes also recorded on May 31 and June 1. Studio logs show final takes, dubs or mixing on July 13, 1979, and V13 is the completed track released on Tracks and The Ties That Bind: The River Collection. On June 1, 1979, "Little White Lies" V2 was cut using the lyrics of "Mary Lou", which was only a temporary "loan," with V3 recorded on June 13, with its own lyrics. However, on July 18, Springsteen cut "To Be True", again borrowing "Mary Lou's" lyrics, this time permanently.

IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V1	4:47	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V2	4:14	LM-14 / OSOR
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V3	1:37	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V4	4:01	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V5	8:41	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V6	3:46	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V7	3:19	LM-14
UNTITLED SONG #3 - V8	1:45	DROC2
DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY ALRIGHT - V9		uncirculating
MEET ME IN THE CITY - V10	3:28	RIVER: OUTTAKES / 2015 single

Note: "In The City Tonight" V1–V8 are takes from Telegraph Hill rehearsals on March 25, 1979. V8 is listed as 'Untitled Song #3' on disc two of 'The Definitive River Outtakes Collection Volume 2'. Working titles included "In The City Tonight", "In The City", and "Meet Me In The City Tonight" (the last used on Springsteen's handwritten lyric sheet). "In the City Tonight" V9 was recorded at Power Station Studios June 14, 1979, under the title "Do You Want Me To Say Alright", for reasons unknown. A modern lead vocal was used over backing tracks from 1979 for V10, "Meet Me In The City", released online on October 16, 2015 to accompany the announcement of The Ties That Bind: The River Collection, which was released on December 4, 2015.

MR. OUTSIDE - V1	3:09	DROC1 / SBRR / RRR / MT2 / ATMF / AT
MR. OUTSIDE - V2	0:25	DROC1 / SFEM / AT
MR. OUTSIDE - V3	2:11	RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: Also known as "Looking Out For Number One (Mr. Outside)". All versions are acoustic demos recorded September 10, 1979. The officially released V3 is an edited version of V1, issued in 2015. According to Brian Hiatt in The Stories Behind The Songs, Toby Scott downloaded a bootleg to use as his source - i.e. they did not have the original recording in the archives. V2 can be found as the first 25 seconds of "Held Up Without A Gun", track 11 of Disc 2 on bootleg 'Song For An Electric Mule'.

NIGHT FIRE - V1	4:48	DROC2 / RRR
NIGHT FIRE - V2	4:43	DROC2 / RRR / MT2 / OSOR / LM-4
NIGHT FIRE - V3	0:30	DROC2
NIGHT FIRE - V4	1:36	DROC2
NIGHT FIRE - V5		uncirculating
NIGHT FIRE - V6	4:44	RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: According to author Clinton Heylin, Springsteen adapted the music of "In The City Tonight", which the band practiced extensively on March 25, 1979. Five days later, he had composed a hard rocking song, "Night Fire". V1–V4 are from the Telegraph Hill Studios on March 30, 1979. V1 is a complete take (tape running faster than V2–4), that for some reason is listed as "Untitled Song #2" on E St Records 'Definitive River Outtakes Collection Vol 2', and "Into the Night" on 'River Refineries Revisited'. V2 is also a complete take, running at the correct speed and opening with a request to "time this baby." V3 is a partial take of an instrumental section, and on V4, Bruce and Clarence work on the saxophone solo. V5 was recorded at Power Station on June 13, 1979, slower than the rehearsals with a "Because The Night"-style piano introduction. V6 features modern vocals overdubbed in 2015 over the vintage backing. Included in an archival concept list put together by a Sony engineer in 1993, with an original River-era vocal track.

I’M GONNA BE THERE TONIGHT - V1	2:13	DROC2
I’M GONNA BE THERE TONIGHT - V2	3:27	DROC2 / RRR
OUT IN THE STREET - V3a	4:13	DROC2 / ATMF
OUT IN THE STREET - V3b	4:14	DROC2 / RRR
OUT IN THE STREET - V3c	4:15	RIVER / ESSENTIAL: 2015

Note: V1 and V2 are both Telegraph Hill band rehearsals from January 11, 1980. By March, Bruce had completed the lyrics to "Out In The Street", and on March 21, 1980 at Power Station, the band was ready to finish the song. V3 was recorded that night, as sessions were drawing to a close. Neil Dorfsman said it was "a beast" of a track to record. Everybody left on vacation after it was done.

PARADISE BY THE "C"

3:10

RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: This song showcases Clarence Clemons, aka "C". In 2015, "Paradise By The "C"" was officially released on The Ties That Bind: The River Collection's outtakes disc, but there is no sign of "Paradise By The "C"" in any of the 1977–1980 studio documentation we have access to, and the absence of a lead vocal makes it almost impossible to identify when it was recorded. However, production notes reference the source as a 24-track tape recorded on July 8, 1978 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona. Audio from either the soundcheck or concert could have been used, along with some 2015 overdubs and a River-era count-in.

PARTY LIGHTS - V1	3:22	LM-7 / MT2
PARTY LIGHTS - V2		uncirculating
PARTY LIGHTS - V3	1:05	FFOD / HNWB
PARTY LIGHTS - V4	3:09	RIVER: OUTTAKES / 2015 single

Note: Not related to the Claudine Clark song with the same title which Springsteen covered in 1975. V1 recorded as a solo demo in May 1979 at Telegraph Hill, Holmdel, New Jersey, and was found on the same demo tape that held two versions of "Jackson Cage" from the same period. Bruce uses the melody of "I Wanna Marry You". V2 recorded at Power Station on October 8, 1979; this was the take selected for The River: Outtakes disc V4, and was released as a single in November 23, 2015. The vocal on the official release is vintage, and includes lyrics also found in "Point Blank" and some which Springsteen would later use for his adaptation of Tom Waits' "Jersey Girl". V3 later recorded at Springsteen’s home in Colts Neck, NJ from late March to early April 1981 in a rockabilly style, not bearing much resemblance to the slower take from The River sessions. Springsteen asks an unidentified person if it is "time to eat?" at the end of the take.

POINT BLANK - V1	1:00	LMEC1
POINT BLANK - V2 - take 3	5:39	DROC1 / RO
POINT BLANK - V3 - take 9	5:50	DROC1 / RO
POINT BLANK - V4 - take 11	5:20	DROC1 / RO
POINT BLANK - V5 - take 12	5:17	DROC1 / RO / ATMF
POINT BLANK - V6	5:59	RIVER

Note: Initially written in early 1978 after the conclusion of the Darkness sessions, and completed during the early stages of the Darkness Tour. Bruce confirmed in a 1978 interview that "Point Blank" was composed during the soundcheck at the Music Hall in Boston in late May. Unfortunately, there were no studio sessions at this time, so no recordings exist. Premiered live at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood on July 7, 1978 and played regularly once the song returned to the setlist two months later. Both the lyrics and arrangement used on the Darkness Tour are quite different to the final take on The River.

V1 is an acoustic demo from around January–June 1979 and consists of harmonies and guitar practice. V2–V5 are takes 3, 9, 11, and 12 respectively, all recorded on the same night at the Power Station on May 29 and 30, 1979. These four takes feature a completely different, faster, rocking arrangement with alternative lyrics to both the 1978 live versions and the eventual River release. The mid-section includes a searing guitar solo. When Springsteen performed "Point Blank" in 1995 during the Solo Acoustic Tour, he used an arrangement that was clearly inspired by the abandoned rock version. V6, the final arrangement, contains a new second verse taken from the opening section of "Party Lights", as well as a newly written, extended narrative middle section. It was recorded some months later, possibly on August 23 and 25, 1979, or February 16, 1980.

RAMROD - V1	3:58	DO-1 / AM / UP
RAMROD - V2a	3:51	DROC1 / ATMF / RRR / RO / PYP
RAMROD - V2b	3:41	DROC2
RAMROD - V2c	0:28	DROC2 / RO
RAMROD - V2d	3:46	RO
RAMROD - V2e	3:44	RO
RAMROD - V2f	4:20	LM-5
RAMROD - V2g	4:20	LM-5
RAMROD - V2h	4:23	LM-5
RAMROD - V2i	2.53	LM-5
RAMROD - V2j	3:57	RIVER / 1980 b-side
RAMROD - V2k	3:57	TTTB: RIVER

Note: Written during sessions for Darkness On The Edge Of Town, and at least four takes were recorded at Record Plant studios on September 12, 1977. The V1 lyrics are far from complete; after the first verse and chorus, the rest of the song is bluffed. Note that the car had a "Pontiac engine in a '32 Ford." It was played once on the Darkness Tour, on December 28, 1978 in Pittsburgh, PA. Bruce finished writing the song before resuming work at Power Station studios on June 12, 1979. Several complete takes were again recorded, though it was decided the base track recorded in 1977 would remain. V2a through V2j consist of these tracks, and are a collection of overdubbed guitars and vocals, trying to find the right combination. Studio talk between engineer Neil Dorfsman and Springsteen can be heard on several of the tracks describing the setup. The next two sessions were with Bruce, Dorfsman, and Bob Clearmountain on August 27, 1979 and September 5, 1979, trying to get the final mix for the Ties That Bind album. Unfortunately, "Ramrod" was taken out of the track list at the last minute, and then Springsteen cancelled the album, going back to recording. V2a through V2e were mixed on these two dates. All are complete takes with varying overdubs added. V2c is a thirty second guitar part for overdubbing. When it came time for mixing for The River, two more sessions were held with Dorfsman on April 4 and 19, 1980. V2f through V2i are likely from these dates. The increased length of some of the tracks is due to reduction of the tape speed. V2j is the track chosen for the album, mixed by Toby Scott at Clover Recorders in Los Angeles.

In January 2011, a song titled "Rocker" was registered with the US Copyright Office, but information on the copyright claim suggests this is actually "Ramrod". It was registered because a short audio snippet was included in Thom Zimny's The Promise: The Making Of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, the documentary included on the box set. It can be heard at exactly 1:00:00. A remastered and remixed version of "Ramrod" was included in The Ties That Bind: The River Collection, released on December 4, 2015.

RESTLESS NIGHTS - V1	2:37	LM-12
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V2	3:41	LM-12
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V3	1:36	LM-12
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V4	4:07	LM-12
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V5	3:37	LM-12
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V6	4:32	LM-12
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V7	4:29	LM-12
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V8	5:41	LM-13
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V9	2:13	LM-13
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V10	3:30	LM-13
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V11	3:45	LM-13
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V12	4:17	LM-13
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V13	3:47	LM-13
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V14a	3:52	DROC1 / RN / ATMF
RESTLESS NIGHTS - V14b	3:41	TRACKS / RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: V1 through V7 are rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on January 10, 1980, and V8 through V13 are from the following evening, January 11. V14 was recorded at Power Station on January 14, 1980, with dubbing and mixing on April 12 and May 2, 1980. V14a seems to be an alternative mix to that issued on Tracks, with a different background vocal track and more lead guitar in the extended closing coda that is not cut by the fade-out. "Restless Nights" was included on an April 1980 shortlist for the double album, but was beaten out by "Ramrod" and "I'm A Rocker".

RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN - V1a	2:47	DROC1 / RRR / RN / ATMF
RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN - V1b	2:48	private cdr
RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN - V2	2:54	LM-5
RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN - V3	2:43	TRACKS / RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: V3 recorded July 16, 1979. V1 and V2 also recorded around this time. Similarly arranged versions, with some slight lyric differences between each. Another session took place at Power Station on April 10, 1980, likely a mixing or overdub session. Selected for (and later removed from) August 1979 and April 1980 album sequences. Differences between V1a and V1b are imperceptible, aside from a slight change to the count-in.

ROULETTE - V1	1:30	LM-4 / ATMF / PYP / MT2
ROULETTE - V2	2:28	DROC1 / RRR / RO
ROULETTE - V3	3:39	LM-4 / LMEC1 / PYP / SA / DBTR
ROULETTE - V4a	3:37	DROC2 / SMM / BTR
ROULETTE - V4b	3:29	DBR
ROULETTE - V4c	3:46	DROC1 / RO
ROULETTE - V4d	3:47	RO
ROULETTE - V4e	3:45	RO / RN
ROULETTE - V4f	3:39	ATMF
ROULETTE - V4g	3:34	ATMF
ROULETTE - V4h	3:43	1988 single / BACK
ROULETTE - V4i	3:47	TRACKS
ROULETTE - V4j	3:48	RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: V1 is an acoustic demo recorded a few days after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident on March 28, 1979, which inspired the song. Recording sessions for Album #5 began at Power Station studios on April 3, with engineer Bob Clearmountain. Multiple takes of "Roulette" were recorded over the first two days, followed by several days of mixing by Clearmountain and Springsteen. The song was set aside until April 1980, when Springsteen, engineer Neil Dorfsman, and his co-producers Landau and Van Zandt were reviewing all completed masters, and recording or re-recording instrumental and vocal tracks as needed. Over April 11 and 12 new "Roulette" tracks were recorded, including vocals, and Dorfsman mixed or remixed some of the tapes. He recalls that the new vocals were discarded in favor of the original April 1979 tracks. Toby Scott mixed it as one of the five extra tracks designated for b-sides, etc., after finishing the twenty primary tracks Springsteen had designated for The River.

V2 is incomplete, with double-tracked lead vocals and a slower tempo. The lyrics show some variations to later versions, and the tape fades out during the guitar solo. The vocal in V3 is not finished, while V4 is the master recorded in April 1979, with multiple vocal, keyboard, guitar and other instruments recorded in 1979–80 at Springsteen's direction, for dubbing and mixing. For unknown reasons, many of the mixes created by Clearmountain, Dorfsman, and Scott leaked out to bootleggers, in addition to the officially released b-side and remixed album cuts on Tracks and The Ties That Bind 2015 anniversary box. There are at least eight different mix variations in circulation, and more exist in private collections. The Tracks mix features more snare drum but less guitar than the mix found on the 1988 b-side to "One Step Up". Bruce states in his autobiography that "Roulette" was recorded shortly after the MUSE benefits of September 21 and 22, 1979, but that is incorrect. In a 1998 interview with Mojo magazine, Springsteen bared his soul. "It was the first song we cut…and maybe later on, I thought it was too specific. I may have just gotten afraid—it went a little over the top, which is what's good about it. In truth it should have probably gotten put on. It would have been one of the best things on the record."

SHERRY DARLING - V1	4:00	LM-3 / DO-2 / AM / UP / LMEC2
SHERRY DARLING - V2	4:51	DDO / DO-3 / ODM / HOD / AM / UP
SHERRY DARLING - V3	4:03	DROC2 / ATMF / RRR
SHERRY DARLING - V4	4:00	RIVER

Note: "Sherry Darling" was recorded at Atlantic Studios on June 24 and 27 and July 1, 1977 during the Darkness sessions, but was held over for the next album for thematic reasons. V1 and V2 are from one of these three dates. Inspired by sixties frat-rock bands such as The Swingin' Medallions and The Kingsmen, it was premiered live during the Darkness Tour with a spoken introduction: "This was a song that we recorded live in the studio about two years ago, the beginning of the summer and it was originally gonna be on Darkness, but it was too weird so we left it off." Bruce would often refer to "two summers ago" when introducing the song in 1978, which would indicate it was first recorded in 1976. However, Bruce's dates are notoriously unreliable so it is more likely he is referring to June 1977. Springsteen returned to "Sherry Darling" in the spring of 1979, with takes at Power Station on May 25, 1979. V3 may pre-date that session, featuring a guide vocal with still unfinished and bluffed vocals. Despite completion before the abandoned Ties That Bind, it appears the song was never considered for that album. The logs show more work on February 23, 1980 and V4 was completed on March 8 with final overdubs before a mixing session on April 12, 1980 and inclusion on The River. Crowd and party noises were overdubbed, perhaps in an attempt to capture some of the excitement of the live performances.

STOLEN CAR - V1 take 1	4:34	LM-6 / ATMF
STOLEN CAR - V2 take 2	4:08	LM-6
STOLEN CAR - V3	4:14	DBTR / SYMKB
STOLEN CAR (Vs.1) - V4 take 3	4:18	TRACKS / RIVER: SINGLE / TTTBR / DROC2
STOLEN CAR - V5	0:56	LM-7
STOLEN CAR - V6	3:21	LMEC2
STOLEN CAR - V7	2:10	LM-13
STOLEN CAR - V8	3:39	LM-13
STOLEN CAR - V9	2:40	LM-13
STOLEN CAR - V10	2:55	LM-13
STOLEN CAR - V11	7:42	LM-15
STOLEN CAR - V12	6:14	LM-15
STOLEN CAR - V13	7:31	LM-15
STOLEN CAR - V14	7:58	LM-15
STOLEN CAR - V15	3:50	RIVER

Note: "Stolen Car" is actually the tale of two songs. The first "Stolen Car" was written, recorded and sequenced for release on the aborted album, The Ties That Bind, between June and September 1979. Springsteen later re-wrote and re-recorded the song and released it on The River in October 1980. "Stolen Car" was first recorded at Power Station on June 20–21, 1979, with takes attributed to the latter date. V1, the first take, contains different lyrics and is longer. V2 is referred to as "The Stanton Lake" version, because it started with that line. Take 3 (V4) was selected for The Ties That Bind, with final dubbing and mixing (by Bob Clearmountain) on September 24, 1979. It was later officially released on Tracks in 1998, and on The River Single Album in 2015, now dubbed "Stolen Car Vs. 1". V3 is the fourth and last distinct take of this arrangement. It was this take that was on a tape that fell into the hands of bootleggers, subsequently dubbed "Son You May Kiss the Bride", and pressed into a vinyl LP of the same name. It contained four unreleased River tracks, the title track, "Loose Ends", "Where The Bands Are", and "Don't Do It To Me" (aka "Little White Lies").

Despite the song being completed, Bruce was dissatisfied and decided months later to radically alter the musical arrangement. V5 is less than a minute of a solo take, and in V6, Springsteen sings over a tape of a band rehearsal of "Restless Nights", both recorded in January 1980. V7–V14 were recorded on January 16, 1980 at Telegraph Hill, and feature revised arrangements. The end result was V15, which was recorded at Power Station on January 21 and February 20, with overdubs and mixing undertaken on April 1 and 9, and May 9, 1980. The final mix for The River was by Toby Scott, at Clover Recorders, Los Angeles, CA in May–July 1980, with Springsteen watching over his shoulder.

STRAY BULLET - V1		uncirculating
STRAY BULLET - V2	6:09	RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: Studio logs show that "Stray Bullet" was recorded at Power Station on February 24 and March 9, 1980, before mixing at Clover Studios in Los Angeles on April 10. Beautiful, brooding ballad. V2, found on The River: Outtakes, has some modern elements, but the main vocal is vintage. Included on an April 1980 shortlist for the double album. No River-era outtakes circulate for collectors to know exactly how it sounded in 1980, since the 2015 version is quite unlike anything else in Springsteen's canon.

TAKE 'EM AS THEY COME - V1	5:32	LM-9
TAKE 'EM AS THEY COME - V2	1:50	LM-9
TAKE 'EM AS THEY COME - V3	0:54	LM-9
TAKE 'EM AS THEY COME - V4a	4:25	DROC2 / ATMF
TAKE 'EM AS THEY COME - V4b	4:24	DDITV
TAKE 'EM AS THEY COME - V5	4:25	TRACKS / RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: V1–V3 are acoustic demos recorded at Springsteen's home in early 1979. V1 appears to be primarily harmonies with bluffed lyrics. V2 includes some clearer lyrics, although it's obvious the song is in the very early stages of development in the last two verses. V4 and V5 are backing tracks from the Power Station. Logs show work on December 5, 1979 and April 10, 1980. Included in an archival concept list put together by a Sony engineer in 1993, prior to Tracks release.

THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY - V1	2:55	LM-4 / PYP / MT2
THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY - V2	1:15	LM-8
THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY - V3	4:00	LM-4 / OSOR
THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY - V4	3:29	private
THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY - V5	0:28	private
THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY - V6	3:31	RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: V1 is a very early acoustic demo recorded at Springsteen's house, probably in early 1979. V2–5 are from Telegraph Hill rehearsals in late March 1979. V2 has Springsteen singing harmonies over a Telegraph Hill band rehearsal take. The two full rehearsal takes both have lyrical variations but V4 is closer to the final take, presumably recorded a short time after V3 (which is dated to March 30, 1979 in the liner notes of 'Lost Masters 4'), and lacks the electrifying instrumental outro found on that take. V5 is a short take of just the end of the song. V6, recorded at Power Station on June 13 and July 5, 1979, is officially released on The River: Outtakes, and is an entirely vintage recording. An early handwritten lyric sheet for a song called "Time" has "Man Who Got Away" as a sub-title in brackets, but it is likely there is no relation to this song. Appeared on an early sequence for the fifth album and was included in an archival concept list put together by a Sony engineer in 1993 but bumped off The River by the title track.

THE PRICE YOU PAY - V1	5:29	LM-6 / PYP / ATMF
THE PRICE YOU PAY - V2 - take 1	5:43	RIVER: SINGLE / TTTBR / TTTBJ / DROC2 / LEK
THE PRICE YOU PAY - V3	5:24	RIVER

Note: Studio takes covered four days, June 15, 18, 19 and 21, 1979 at the Power Station. V1 is an earlier take (but dated to June 21 in the Lost Masters liner notes) and a different mix, with some minor lyrical variations and vocalisations over the instrumental ending. V2 was completed on the final day, and submitted for the single album. Once the single album was canned Bruce returned to the song with a re-written third verse. It is unknown if that verse was recorded at the same time as the rest of the song, or if it was recorded later and overdubbed over the original. Logs show just one more entry, April 4, 1980, which may be a mixing date. Springsteen added the "original" third verse back to "The Price You Pay" for live performances during the River Tour, though all performances since 1981 have used the original album lyrics. Many consider V2 to be the definitive studio take, and it was officially released on The River Single Album in 2015.

OH ANGELYNE - V1	1:35	LM-6 / DROC1 / RRR
OH ANGELYNE - V2	0:47	LM-6
OH ANGELYNE - V3	2:52	LM-6
OH ANGELYNE - V4	2:13	LM-6 / MT2
THE RIVER - V5 take 5	4:48	RIVER: SINGLE / TTTBR / TTTBJ / PYP / LEK / ATMF
THE RIVER - V6	5:01	RIVER / GREATEST / ESSENTIAL / TTTB: RIVER / GREATEST: 2009 / CHAPTER / BESTOF
THE RIVER - V7	0:36	TTTB: DOCUMENTARY

Note: Springsteen kicked around the verses of "Oh Angelyne" for six months until he received inspiration from Hank Williams' "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" that includes the lyric 'I jumped in the river, but the doggone river was dry', and added a chorus in August 1979. The original inspiration had been the economic situation his sister Ginny and her husband found themselves in during the late 1970s. Thanks to 'Lost Masters', we have four takes of a solo demo recorded by Bruce at home in February–May, 1979.

"The River" was first recorded at the Power Station on August 26, 1979, with the completed take 5 (V5) selected for The Ties That Bind and mixed by Bob Clearmountain. Bruce changed his mind in October, and the single album fell through. In September he performed "The River" live twice at Madison Square Garden, New York at the No Nukes MUSE benefits. The version finally released on The River double album had a number of embellishments to the single album mix. For instance, the ethereal vocalisations by Bruce and Steve over the closing coda were added, possibly recorded on January 21, 1980. Mixing took place on April 12 and 24, and the result was sequenced as the final track on the first LP of The River. Studio logs give us those three dates in 1980, but don't specify what was done. In an interview, engineer Neil Dorfsman says he recalls cutting several versions of the song, trying out different tempos and a more embellished rock 'n' roll arrangement. None of these alternative arrangements circulate, and it is not known whether they exist in the vaults. V7 is a brief snippet of an acoustic demo heard in Thom Zimny's documentary about the making of The River, included in the The Ties That Bind (The River Collection) box set.

THE TIES THAT BIND - V1	3:30	US6 / URT-1M / RRR
THE TIES THAT BIND - V2	3:38	URT-1M / US6 / DROC1
THE TIES THAT BIND - V3	0:45	URT-1M
THE TIES THAT BIND - V4	4:02	LM-14
THE TIES THAT BIND - V5	3:40	private
THE TIES THAT BIND - V6a take 8	3:25	LM-6
THE TIES THAT BIND - V6b take 8	3:29	RIVER: SINGLE / TTTBJ / DROC2 / PYP
THE TIES THAT BIND - V6c take 8	3:29	RIVER / ESSENTIAL: 2015

Note: First known from a soundcheck performance on September 20, 1978 at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic. While it shares some lyrics with the finished article, the soundcheck version otherwise bears little resemblance. This first incarnation of "The Ties That Bind" is a minor-key blues driven hard rock song with some searing lead guitar work. Another soundcheck performance of this arrangement circulates, a partial recording said to have been taped from outside the Capitol Theatre the following day, although this is in some doubt. A faster, more confident performance. This original arrangement was extensively revised by October 26, 1978, when V1–V3 were recorded at Telegraph Hill in a rehearsal a few days before the final leg of the Darkness Tour. Although still a work-in-progress, it is much closer to the final arrangement, and now in the major key. It was premiered live six days later at Princeton University and played regularly for the remainder of the tour, eventually taking a prominent spot as the opening song of the second set.

The band picked it back up in the Spring of 1979 at Telegraph Hill with V4 and V5, still needing work on the second and third verses. V5 is more advanced, and both still retain the drum introduction from the Darkness Tour arrangement that was dropped for the final take. In April, sessions commenced at Power Station studios for album #5, with engineer Bob Clearmountain. After finishing "Roulette", work began on finishing "The Ties That Bind", with takes recorded on April 9, 10, and 11. V6 is take 8, chosen as the title track for an album to be released later in the year. V6a was an early mix with different vocals. V6b was mixed by Clearmountain in September 1979, but after the album came back from mastering in October, Bruce called a halt to the release, and resumed writing and recording. Jon Landau helped to sell him on the double album idea, and The River was released in 1980. The first track on side one was V6c with a freshly recorded vocal track over the 1979 base and possible overdubs and mixing on April 10, 1980. Final mixing by Toby Scott took place at Clover Studios in Los Angeles, during May–July.

THE TIME THAT NEVER WAS

3:39

RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: Takes were recorded at Power Station on June 27, 1979, with further work on March 16, 1980. Vintage backing track and lead vocals were used on the cut found on The Ties That Bind: The River Outtakes, but new background vocals were recorded in 2015. Not included on any Tracks shortlist. Unknown song prior to its official release.

TWO HEARTS - V1	1:23	LM-7
TWO HEARTS - V2	2:36	LM-11
TWO HEARTS - V3	1:55	LM-11
TWO HEARTS - V4	2:37	LM-11
TWO HEARTS - V5	2:41	LM-11
TWO HEARTS - V6	1:13	LM-11
TWO HEARTS - V7	4:23	LM-11
TWO HEARTS - V8	5:08	LM-11
TWO HEARTS - V9	3:26	LM-11
TWO HEARTS - V10a	2:39	RIVER
TWO HEARTS - V10b	2:44	private cdr

Note: V1 is an acoustic demo recorded at Springsteen's home in Holmdel, NJ in early 1980. The chorus heard here is similar to the album take, but the remainder of the lyrics and the melody are quite different. V2–V9 are band rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on February 22, 1980, and are a fascinating glimpse of the band developing a song live. V2 includes a guitar solo mid-song (also found in V4 and V5) along with many bluffed lyrics. V6 has Bruce working on a new verse, which is incorporated into V7–V9. Both the solo and extra verse are unique to these takes, and were dropped by the time "Two Hearts" was cut in the studio.

"Two Hearts" was recorded at Power Station on February 23 (the day after the Telegraph Hill rehearsals) and 24, with further work undertaken on March 17, April 9, and April 26, 1980. V10b is a different mix that lacks the double-tracked vocal found on the album.

WHERE THE BANDS ARE - V1a	3:37	DROC1 / DBTR / SYMKB / SYMKW
WHERE THE BANDS ARE - V1b	3:42	TRACKS / RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: Written in 1979 and heavily inspired by The Raspberries. Two slightly different mixes. Recorded at Power Station studios on October 9, 1979.

YOU GOTTA BE KIND - V1	2:00	LM-7 / MT2
DOWN IN WHITE TOWN - V2	3:06	DROC1 / RRR / MT2 / AT
DOWN IN WHITE TOWN - V3	3:15	LM-7 / MT2
DOWN IN WHITE TOWN - V4	1:00	LM-7
DOWN IN WHITE TOWN - V5	0:50	LM-7
DOWN IN WHITE TOWN - V6	0:45	LM-7
WHITETOWN - V7	3:23	RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: First known from rehearsals on January 11, 1980 at Telegraph Hill, a composite of home demos "You Gotta Be Kind" and "Mr. Outside". Contains some lyrics that would end up in "Jackson Cage". "Whitetown" was recorded at Power Station on March 16, 1980 and released on 2015's The River: Outtakes. At the very least the vocal track found there is modern.

WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY - V1	3:30	LM-13
WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY - V2	3:44	RIVER

Note: V1 is a full-band rehearsal from Telegraph Hill on January 16, 1980, in a country arrangement that bears a very strong resemblance to Springsteen's cover of Hank Williams's "Wedding Bells" that he rehearsed during soundcheck at Passaic's Capitol Theatre in September 1978. Studio documentation shows entries for "Wreck On The Highway" over three consecutive days on April 10–12, 1980. It's likely that these entries are referencing mixing sessions at Clover Studios in Los Angeles, and the true recording dates are undocumented.

YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) - V1	2:40	LM-7
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) - V2	2:45	LM-7 / LMEC2
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) - V3	0:44	DROC1 / SFEM / AT
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) - V4	0:30	DROC1 / SFEM / AT
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) - V5	2:11	DROC1 / AT
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) - V6 take 3	2:04	RIVER: SINGLE / TTTBR / TTTBJ / DROC2
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) - V7		uncirculating
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) - V8	2:34	RIVER
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) - V9	1:18	YBNT2 / BB: DOC

Note: V1 and V2 are actually two takes of Bruce working on the start and end, singing the lead guitar part over his acoustic, recorded at Telegraph Hill, January–March 1979. It's clear that he thinks he's onto something. V3–V5 are demos from May, well developed, with the lyrics of the first and third verses almost complete. V6, in a rockabilly arrangement, was probably recorded over two days at the Power Station on August 24 and 25, 1979, and sequenced on side two of The Ties That Bind before Springsteen rejected the concept and moved to a double album. Later released in 2015 on The River: Single Album. This arrangement was performed regularly on the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour in 1988, but not before and never since.

Some time later, Springsteen dropped the rockabilly arrangement, and instead lifted the music from "Held Up Without A Gun". V7 was recorded at a Telegraph Hill rehearsal on January 11, 1980, using the music from "Held Up Without A Gun", but the recording does not circulate. V8 was recorded on February 17 and 23, 1980, at Power Station, and final mixes for The River took place on April 1, 9, and 21, 1980.

V9 is a short acoustic take from January 1995, from the soundtrack of the Blood Brothers video, shot during the Greatest Hits sessions at the Hit Factory, New York.

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^{Studio Sessions: The River / The Ties That Bind}

Recording 'Live' Dates

Media	Song Title	Recording Date	Location
D6-D8.	ALL (Concert & Rehearsals)	November 05, 1980	ASU Activity Center, Tempe, Arizona

Performance

The River: Outtakes	Count	The River: Single Album	Count
Meet Me In The City	41	The Ties That Bind	315
The Man Who Got Away	0	Cindy	0
Little White Lies	0	Hungry Heart	784
The Time That Never Was	0	Stolen Car (Vs. 1)	0
Night Fire	0	To Be True	75
Whitetown	0	The River	716
Chain Lightning	0	You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) (Vs. 1)	68
Party Lights	0	The Price You Pay	77
Paradise By The "C"	70	I Wanna Marry You	92
Stray Bullet	0	Loose End	34
Mr. Outside	0
Roulette	57
Restless Nights	1
Where The Bands Are	38
Dollhouse	1
Living On The Edge Of The World	1
Take 'Em As They Come	10
Ricky Wants A Man Of Her Own	1
I Wanna Be With You	15
Mary Lou	0
Held Up Without A Gun	5
From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)	44

Gallery/News

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Summer '17 Tour

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