Letter To You - Studio Sessions

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Commercially Released: October 23, 2020
Produced by Ron Aniello and Bruce Springsteen
Recorded by Ron Aniello at Thrill Hill Recording, Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey
Mixed by Bob Clearmountain
Mastered by Bob Ludwig
Design by Michelle Holme
Photography by Danny Clinch

Overview

Bruce's new studio album with the E Street Band, Letter To You, released on October 23, is a rock album fueled by the band's heart-stopping, house-rocking signature sound, the 12 track Letter To You is Bruce's 20th studio album, and was recorded live in late 2019 at his home studio in New Jersey. Letter To You is Springsteen's first studio album recorded live and together with the E Street Band since 1984's Born In The U.S.A, and includes nine recently written Springsteen songs, as well as new recordings of three of his legendary, but previously unreleased, compositions from the 1970s. Produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen. It's also Bruce's first time performing with the E Street Band since The River 2016 tour.

Springsteen assembled the E Street Band at his home studio for five days of recording in November 2019 but finished after just four. The recordings were produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen. The recording of Letter to You occurred after a period of writer's block that Springsteen experienced; the writer's block was dispelled over the course of a week-and-a-half of intense songwriting in April 2019 that was inspired in part by the death of Springsteen's former bandmate, George Theiss. The lyrics discuss themes of regret, aging and dying. The album was recorded live in studio with no demos[10] and only minimal overdubs (such as guitar solos, handclaps and backing vocals). It features three tracks originally written prior to Springsteen's 1973 debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N. J.: "If I Was the Priest," "Janey Needs a Shooter" and "Song for Orphans." Springsteen came across earlier recordings of these songs with John Hammond while assembling a compilation album. "If I Was the Priest" has not previously been released by Springsteen, but was covered by Allan Clarke in the 1970s. Warren Zevon reworked "Janey Needs a Shooter" for his 1980 album Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School.

Released

Additional Recordings

Song Title Running Time Release
IDIOT'S DELIGHT 3:58 uncirculating

Details

Song Title Running Time Release

BURNIN' TRAIN - V1 uncirculating
BURNIN' TRAIN - V2 3:59 LETTER

Note: The first demo of "Burnin' Train" was recorded at Thrill Hill West, Beverly Hills, CA during December 1993. V2 was completed over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band. Inclusion on a six-CD sampler dated from June 1998 suggests "Burnin' Train" was considered for Tracks. This could be the 1993 recording.

GHOSTS - V1 5:49 LETTER / BESTOF / 2020 single

Note: "Ghosts" was recorded over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band.

HOUSE OF A THOUSAND GUITARS - V1 4:26 LETTER

Note: "House Of A Thousand Guitars" was recorded over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band.

IF I WAS THE PRIEST - V1 uncirculating
IF I WAS THE PRIEST - V2 5:53 US1 / EDR
IF I WAS THE PRIEST - V3 uncirculating
IF I WAS THE PRIEST - V4 5:13 US3 / HDT / EDR
IF I WAS THE PRIEST - V5 5:33 BTF / US4 / DT / EY / MPD / EDR
IF I WAS THE PRIEST - V6 6:44 LETTER

Note: V1 recorded at Pocketful of Tunes, 39 West 55th Street, New York, NY on February 14, 1972, at Bruce's second audition for Mike Appel. V2 recorded at Appel's office, Laurel Canyon, 75 East 55th Street, Suite 706, New York, NY during April, 1972. V3 was performed at John Hammond's office at "the Black Rock" aka CBS Records, 51 West 52nd Street, New York, NY on May 2, 1972. V4 recorded at the John Hammond audition at Studio E Columbia Records, 6th floor, 49 East 52nd Street, New York City on May 3, 1972. V5 recorded at Mediasound Studios, 311 West 57th Street, New York, NY during May–July, 1972, a solo acoustic number. It was never recorded at the Greetings sessions. According to comments by Bruce this was written in late 1970 or early 1971. Performed live at The Student Prince in the fall of 1971. V6 was recorded over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band.

I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS - V1 3:25 LETTER

Note: "I'll See You In My Dreams" was recorded over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band.

JANEY NEEDS A SHOOTER - V1 6:02 US6 / EY / ATMF
JANEY NEEDS A SHOOTER - V2 4:30 uncirculating
JANEY NEEDS A SHOOTER - V3 1:34 LM-8
JANEY NEEDS A SHOOTER - V4 2:34 LM-8 / PYP
JANEY NEEDS A SHOOTER - V5 6:50 DDO / DO-1 / EC / ATMF
JANEY NEEDS A SHOOTER - V6 6:43 LETTER

Note: "Janey Needs A Shooter" has a long, complicated history. V1 was recorded in a solo piano arrangement at 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY, on January 29, 1973, with additional takes on January 30. The lyrics were written during 1972, although the melody was culled from the mid-1971 Springsteen composition "Talking About My Baby", a recording of which exists, from a show in Richmond, VA in October 1971. "Janey Needs A Shooter" appeared on provisional lists for The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, but did not make the final cut. Also listed on the earliest known album #3 sequence, from spring 1974. Session log documents indicate that a full-band arrangement was recorded at 914 Sound Studios at some point during the Born To Run sessions, but it was bypassed for the album.

V3 and V4 are acoustic demos Bruce recorded around March–April 1979, at Telegraph Hill. V5 is a magnificent full band recording originally attributed to the Darkness On The Edge Of Town sessions, and later to the October 1978 rehearsal session at Telegraph Hill, Holmdel, NJ. Given the evidence (including audio not circulating), we can confirm it is a Telegraph Hill rehearsal from May 1979. The quality of the private audio is far superior to that found on the 'Definitive Darkness Outtakes' or 'Iceman' CDs, and includes the count-in and runs at the correct speed. "Janey Needs A Shooter" was also included on a very early tracklist for what became The River, but in all likelihood never seriously considered.

Warren Zevon has said that he became obsessed with the title after Jon Landau mentioned it along with other songs that Springsteen was intending to record. Zevon pestered Bruce, pleading to hear the song. He agreed, and Zevon ended up working on his own version of the song, his interpretation of "Jeannie Needs A Shooter" (he had misheard the name), and played an incomplete version to Bruce sometime in the spring of 1979. Springsteen loved the arrangement, and they wrote the remainder of "Jeannie Needs A Shooter" together. The Zevon/Springsteen version is "a romantic saga of an outlaw pursuing a maiden while her father tries to gun him down," while in Springsteen's original the narrator aims to save Janey from a series of ill-judged (perhaps concurrent) relationships with unlikeable partners who do not truly care for her. Zevon's studio take of "Jeannie Needs A Shooter" from the Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School album was recorded during the summer of 1979 and released in February 1980.

V6 was the earliest track recorded for Letter To You, and was initially intended for release on Record Store Day, as Bruce confirmed during a phone call to E Street Radio on October 23, 2020. Springsteen changed "Janey needs a shooter Jack" to "Janey needs a shooter now" for the official release. "Janey" was finally premiered live on July 5, 2024 in Hannover, Germany, some 52 years after it was written. It may have been played in 1972 or 1973, but there is no record.

LAST MAN STANDING - V1 4:00 LETTER

Note: "Last Man Standing" was recorded over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band.

LETTER TO YOU - V1 4:50 LETTER / BESTOF / 2020 single
LETTER TO YOU - V2 4:00 videoclip

Note: "Letter To You" was recorded over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band. The difference between V1 and V2 is another intro, middle section and ending.

ONE MINUTE YOU'RE HERE - V1 uncirculating
ONE MINUTE YOU'RE HERE - V2 uncirculating
ONE MINUTE YOU'RE HERE - V3 2:54 LETTER

Note: "One Minute You're Here" V1 and V2 were recorded at 40 Bellevue Studio, Rumson, New Jersey, during September 2004, two takes in alternate keys. V3 was possibly recorded over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band.

RAINMAKER - V1 uncirculating
RAINMAKER - V2 uncirculating
RAINMAKER - V3 4:47 LETTER

Note: "Rainmaker" was first recorded in November 2003, at 40 Bellevue Studio, Rumson, New Jersey, with two finished takes. V3 was possibly completed over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band.

SONG TO THE ORPHANS - V1 uncirculating
SONG TO THE ORPHANS - V2 uncirculating
SONG FOR ORPHANS - V3 6:34 BTF / UNE / PS / EY / US4 / DT / ATMF
SONG FOR ORPHANS - V4 6:08 LETTER

Note: Occasionally listed as "Song To Orphans", "Song To The Orphans", and variations thereof, the official title is "Song For Orphans". According to several authors, including Peter Ames Carlin (Bruce!) and Ryan White (Springsteen Album by Album), "Song To The Orphans", was one of the songs Bruce Springsteen played for Mike Appel at their first meeting on November 4, 1971, at Pocketful of Tunes, 39 West 55th Street, New York, NY. It should also be noted neither Springsteen or Appel have confirmed or denied this in their writings to date. We have listed this performance as V1, although it was most likely not recorded. V2 represents any number of recordings made at Mediasound Studios, 311 West 57th Street, New York in June and July of 1972. V3 was one of a number of takes that were recorded at 914 Sound Studios on February 19-20, 1973 in a solo acoustic arrangement.

"Song For Orphans" can be found on a proposed track-listing document for the Springsteen's first album. The first known live performance of "Song For Orphans" was on August 10, 1972 at Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY, and it was an occasional inclusion in Bruce’s opening solo segment during the first three months of the Greetings Tour. A couple of live audio performances from that period are circulating. Although not known to have been considered for album #2, in 1974 Springsteen composed several lists of songs that were candidates for inclusion on his third album, and "Song For Orphans" made several. While this makes it possible that "Song For Orphans" was recorded during the Born To Run sessions there is currently no supporting evidence. V4 was recorded over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, NJ, with the E Street Band and issued on Letter To You in October 2020.

THE POWER OF PRAYER - V1 3:31 LETTER

Note: "The Power Of Prayer" was recorded over a five-day period in November 2019 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey, with the E Street Band.

Other Letter To You-era Songs

Song Title Running Time Release

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