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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, will be released on October 23. 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.
"I love the emotional nature of Letter To You", says Bruce. "And I love the sound of the E Street Band playing completely live in the studio, in a way we've never done before, and with no overdubs. We made the album in only five days, and it turned out to be one of the greatest recording experiences I've ever had."
Bruce Springsteen fans around the world will get a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic artist's creative process in the documentary feature film, Bruce Springsteen's Letter to You, from Apple Original Films, premiering exclusively on Apple TV+, Friday, October 23. The feature-length documentary arrives the same day as Springsteen's new album Letter To You, and features full performances from The E Street Band, in-studio footage, never-before-seen archival material and a deeper look into Letter To You from Springsteen himself. It captures Springsteen recording Letter To You live with the full E Street Band, and includes final take performances of ten originals from this new record. Written by Springsteen and directed by his frequent collaborator Thom Zimny, the film is a tribute to the E Street Band, to rock music itself and to the role it has played in Springsteen's life. Throughout the documentary, Springsteen shares his thoughts and feelings behind Letter To You and puts the new music into the context of his entire body of work. In that way, it's the next piece in the autobiographical series that began with the memoir Born To Run, continued with Springsteen on Broadway and advanced through his film Western Stars. Apple Original Films' Bruce Springsteen's Letter to You is produced by Jon Landau and Zimny and co-produced by Barbara Carr, with Springsteen serving as executive producer.
Send your own Letter To Bruce…..
Source: http://www.brucespringsteen.net
Released
| # | Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ONE MINUTE YOU'RE HERE | 2:54 | LETTER |
| 2. | LETTER TO YOU | 4:50 | LETTER |
| 3. | BURNIN' TRAIN | 3:59 | LETTER |
| 4. | JANEY NEEDS A SHOOTER | 6:43 | LETTER |
| 5. | LAST MAN STANDING | 4:00 | LETTER |
| 6. | THE POWER OF PRAYER | 3:31 | LETTER |
| 7. | HOUSE OF A THOUSAND GUITARS | 4:26 | LETTER |
| 8. | RAINMAKER | 4:47 | LETTER |
| 9. | IF I WAS THE PRIEST | 6:44 | LETTER |
| 10. | GHOSTS | 5:49 | LETTER |
| 11. | SONG FOR ORPHANS | 6:08 | LETTER |
| 12. | I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS | 3:25 | LETTER |
Total Running Time: 58:00
Visit our release-pages for additional information.
Details
| 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.
| LETTER TO YOU - V1 | 4:50 | LETTER / 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.
| 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.
| 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 line after Jon Landau mentioned it along with other songs that Springsteen was intending to record. Zevon pestered Bruce, pleading to hear the song. Bruce agreed, and he 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," the opposite of Springsteen's original. 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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. V2 recorded at Mike 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.
| GHOSTS - V1 | 5:49 | LETTER / 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.
| 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 | uncirculating | |
| SONG FOR ORPHANS - V5 | 6:08 | LETTER |
Note: According to several authors, including Peter Ames Carlin (Bruce!) and Ryan White (Springsteen Album by Album), "Song To the Orphans" V1 was one of the songs Bruce Springsteen played for Mike Appel, following "Baby Doll", 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. V2 recorded at Mediasound Studios, 311 West 57th Street, New York, NY, June–July 1972. V3 recorded at 914 Sound Studios on February 19, 1973, V4 recorded next day. Found on a proposed track-listing document for the Greetings album. 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. Occasionally written as "Song To Orphans", "Song To The Orphans" and variations thereof. Although not considered for album #2, Springsteen composed several lists of songs in 1974, that were candidates for inclusion on his third album, and "Song For Orphans" made several. More information.... V5 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.
| HYMN TO HIM | 4:30 | GUEST: BLUES / 2020 single |
Note: The original version of "Hymn To Him" was recorded for Dion's 1987 gospel album Velvet & Steel. As songs are never finished, Dion kept hearing it with Patti's voice, and he asked her to help remake the song. Bruce joined in the studio with his guitar and played a solo.
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