Note: "A Life Full Of Rain" was composed by John Mellencamp, and features a guest appearance by Bruce Springsteen on guitar. Bruce recorded his part at John's personal studio in Belmont, Indiana on April 10, 2021.
Note: "All Just To Get To You" is a song written by Joe Ely and Will Sexton and released on Ely's 1995 album Letter To Laredo. The album was recorded at Spur Studios (Joe Ely's home studio) in Austin, TX. Bruce Springsteen contributed to the studio recording, providing back-up vocals. He travelled to Austin around spring 1995 and joined Ely in studio to record his parts.
Note: Written sometime in 1990 or early 1991. Springsteen donated the song to Southside Johnny, and Bruce took part in the July 1991 recording session in New York that produced Southside's cover version. At least Springsteen's parts were recorded in mid-1991 at Sigma Sound Studios in New York City, NY. Bruce re-recorded the song in 2004 and released it on the Devils & Dust album. Photographs of a draft sampler indicate that a version of the song was considered for Tracks.
Note: Bruce joins Stevie in the studio to provide uncredited, but confirmed, backing vocals.
Note:
Note: Recorded at Power Station on February 1, 1980. Donated to Gary U.S. Bonds for his album On The Line, released in 1982 with Bruce on guitar and backing vocals. Bonds likely overdubbed his vocal onto an E Street backing track. A version with Springsteen's lead vocals was included on a 1993 in-house Tracks concept album. This is not the same song as "Oh Angelyne", a totally different track that eventually became "The River".
Note: Written sometime between late 1997 and early 2000. There remains some confusion whether "Another Thin Line" is a writing collaboration with Joe Grushecky, or if it was composed entirely by Springsteen. Springsteen premiered the song live on June 22, 2000. He then prefaced another performance of the song on June 29 by commenting, "here's something I wrote with Joe Grushecky." However, a publishing registration, as well as the official US Copyright filing (July 21, 2000) lists the song as a Springsteen-only composition. Still, descriptions of the song, including the one on grushecky.com, say it is a Grushecky-Springsteen songwriting collaboration. A studio duet between Springsteen and Grushecky was released on Grushecky's East Carson Street in 2009.
Note: Bruce joins Ray Davies in the studio to record both vocals and guitar.
Note: Springsteen contributes vocals and guitar to a song from Sam Moore's work-in-progress album. The primary recording sessions for the LP took place at A&M Studios in Los Angeles. However Bruce (with Toby Scott engineering) worked only from his NJ home studio and overdubbed onto Moore's already completed basic track.
Note: Bruce joins Patti Scialfa in March 1993 at Springsteen's home studio in Beverly Hills for the final sessions for Scialfa's debut album Rumble Doll. Springsteen provides guitar and keyboard on "Big Black Heaven" and is also credited with production assistance on the track.
Note:
Note: Bruce guests on guitar and shared lead vocals on "Black Boots", the lead single from the Matt O'Ree Band's 2016 album Brotherhood. Springsteen's son, who was O'Ree's guitar student, surreptitiously played the song for his dad, who complimented the track the next time he saw O'Ree—who thanked him and asked if he'd like to play on it. Speaking to E Street Radio in 2013, Bruce described the song as "riff music, riff rock. It was fun. It's kinda dirty, sexy music… fun to play. I miss that."
Note: A song written by Joe Grushecky, with Bruce Springsteen on guitar.
| CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS - V1 |
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| CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS - V2 |
4:19 |
GUEST: BACKIN20 |
Note: Gary U.S. Bonds and Laurie Anderson sent a tape of their composition "Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks" to Springsteen, requesting he contribute to Gary's album Back In 20. In response, Springsteen recorded guitar and vocal tracks in a Protools session on November 19, 2003, at his home studio in Colts Neck, NJ. The completed track, released June 1, 2004 on Back In 20, also featured harmonica by Southside Johnny Lyon.
Note:
Note: Children's Song is written by Patti Scialfa, exclusively for the benefit album Every Mother Counts. Bruce Springsteen contributes to the studio recording by sharing lead and backing vocals and playing several instruments.
Note:
| CODE OF SILENCE - V1 |
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| CODE OF SILENCE - V2 |
4:08 |
GUEST: GOODLIFE |
Note: Co-written by Bruce Springsteen and [Grushecky] during December 1997 and January 1998. Springsteen premiered the song live on June 12, 2000 with the E Street Band, and another version recorded on June 29 was released on The Essential Bruce Springsteen in 2003. Bruce and Joe recorded a studio version together at Thrill Hill Recording, New Jersey, released on the Joe Grushecky album A Good Life in July 2006.
Note: "Comin' Down Maria" was produced by Springsteen, who also provided the majority of musical accompaniment for the recording, which took place on July 12, 1994. It also features harmony vocals from Patti Scialfa.
| DARK AND BLOODY GROUND - V1 |
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| DARK AND BLOODY GROUND - V2 |
5:39 |
GUEST: BABYLON |
Note: Co-written by Springsteen and Joe Grushecky in 1994–95. Recorded by Bruce Springsteen, Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, March 1995 and released on Grushecky's album American Babylon in October 1995. A Springsteen vocal version exists, but does not circulate.
Note: "Dedication" was recorded at Power Station studios on December 4 and 6, 1979 during the River sessions and later donated to Gary U.S. Bonds as the title track for his 1981 album (featuring Bruce on guitar and backing vocals). According to comments by Bonds, Bruce brought him this song as something from the River sessions arsenal that Bruce felt suited Bonds's style. It seems likely that Bonds overdubbed his vocal onto the E Street Band backing.
Note: "Did You Say Such A Thing" was composed by John Mellencamp, and features a guest appearance by Bruce Springsteen on vocals and guitar. Bruce recorded his part at John's personal studio in Belmont, Indiana on April 10, 2021.
Note: Bruce records backing vocals for Garry Tallent's song "Dirty Rotten Shame", released in 2019 on Tallent's second solo album, More Like Me.
Note: Bruce joins Warren Zevon on December, 2002 at Cherokee Studios in Hollywood to record backing vocals and guitar on his album The Wind, released in 2003.
Note: "Dustland" is a re-recording of The Killers' "A Dustland Fairytale" from the 2008 album Day & Age. Springsteen approached The Killers in February 2020 after seeing the band live at Glastonbury, suggesting they re-record the song together. That re-recording took place at the end of 2020, and was released on June 16, 2021. The song was recorded with the help of Matt DiMona (engineer), Ryan King (recording engineer), Emily Lazar (mastering engineer), and Ariel Rechtshaid (mixer).
Note: A song written by Joe Grushecky, with Bruce Springsteen on guitar.
Springsteen dropped into another studio at the Power Station during the River sessions to jam with Graham Parker & The Rumour, including recording support vocals on "Endless Night". Danny Federici also played organ. According to Christopher Sandford in his book Point Blank, Parker and his band were recording The Up Escalator (in late 1979), when he happened to meet Springsteen at the Navarro hotel, New York. As a third party adds, Jon Landau said "Bruce was wiped out, kaput, doing twelve-hour days at the studio." We talked, then Springsteen came up and asked how Graham was doing. "Knackered," he replied. "Just barely making an album." Bruce immediately laughed and said. "Can I help?" The result, brokered by producer Jimmy Iovine, was this collaboration.
Note: "Everything I Do (Leads Me Back To You)" is a song written by Elliott Murphy and released on his 1995 album Selling The Gold. Bruce Springsteen contributed to the studio recording, providing duet vocals. Eliot Murphy recorded his album at IPC Studios in Belgium. Springsteen overdubbed his parts around mid-1995 at Thrill Hill West, his home studio in Los Angeles, CA.
Note: Springsteen performs duet vocals on this Alejandro Escovedo song, released on the latter's 2010 album Street Songs Of Love.
Note: On the heels of completing "Don't Look Back", "Candy's Room", "Darkness On the Edge of Town", and "The Factory Song" in the first half of March 1978, Springsteen could finally take a breather. In adjoining studio A at the Record Plant, New York proto-punk band The Dictators were working on their third album, Bloodbrothers. So when Bruce stopped by for a visit, one thing led to another, and he made another undocumented recording appearance, on the opening track, "Faster And Louder". Listen at the 2:10 mark, when Bruce counts the band back in preceding the final verse, "One! Two! One, two, three, four!" Dictators: "I can scream, faster and louder, I can jive faster and louder…Hot Pants! faster and louder." The "reigning king of street rock" and the "Bronx Bombers" (monickers assigned by rock critics of the day) seemed to feed off each other; for more details on Bruce and the Dictators, see the recording session listing.
Note: Written in May 1977, a few days after Bruce and Steve attended an Elvis Presley concert in Philadelphia. V1 (which is not a final take) comes from June 17, 1977 at Atlantic Studios. Introducing the song on November 20, 1978 in Champaign, IL, Bruce said "This is a song I wrote, oh, we jammed it up in the studio one night in twenty minutes." Allegedly (and this may be myth) a finished demo take was sent to Elvis Presley in July or August 1977, shortly before his death, with the hope that Elvis might cover it. Bruce ended up donating the song to Robert Gordon, who recorded his cover (V3, with Bruce on piano) in early December 1977 (released June 1978). The Pointer Sisters then quickly covered Gordon's released version and had a major international hit in early 1979. The officially released V2 was partly recorded in 1977, and partly recorded in 2010.
Note: Bruce joins Marah on February 11, 2002 at the Hit Factory to play lead guitar and sing backing vocals on this track, released in 2002 on their record Float Away With The Friday Night Gods.
Note: Springsteen contributes guest vocals to Pete Seeger and Lorre Wyatt's original song "God's Counting On Me… God's Counting On You", released on their 2012 collaborative album A More Perfect Union.
Note: Originally titled "For Hearts Of Stone" before Darkness sessions began. No evidence of a recording session has been found until October 14, when a demo was cut for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, along with "Talk To Me", and later handed to Steve Van Zandt on a cassette tape. There are obviously some dates to be found, judging by the performance of the band, and the complete lyrics. Steve was preparing to produce the Jukes' third album, and the two songs were Bruce's contributions to the effort. The band recorded this take live in the studio, with the sax of Clarence Clemons the only horn present. Southside Johnny used the E Street Band base recording, including Bruce on guitar, for the title track of the Jukes' 1978 album (V2), adding his vocal and the Miami Horns to create one of their best known songs. In 1998, Bruce had a horn section (Cruz-Manion-Pender-Rosenberg-Spengler) added to the 1977 recording, which was released on Tracks (V3).
Note: Tom Morello recorded "Highway To Hell" and released on his 2021 album The Atlas Underground Fire. His recording features Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder on lead vocals.
| HOBO'S LULLABY - V1a |
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| HOBO'S LULLABY - V1b |
5:11 |
COMP: YOURPOOR |
Note: V1a was recorded on November 2, 1997 at the first of the three Seeger Sessions. V1b contains added vocal and banjo, performed by Pete Seeger, that was recorded by David Seitz at Seeger's cabin in Beacon, NY on July 4, 2006 and then mixed to the V1a recording to create V1b. The V1b take was produced by Springsteen-Seitz and was first released on Sept 25, 2007 on the Various Artists charity compilation Give US Your Poor (Appleseed).
Note: Co-written by Springsteen and Joe Grushecky and released on Grushecky's American Babylon album in October 1995. Grushecky wrote the lyrics, which he showed to Springsteen in Los Angeles around October 25, 1993; Springsteen composed the music and the two recorded the song together at the Hit Factory, New York during November 1993. Springsteen's own version surfaced in November 2013, broadcast on E Street Radio.
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.
Note: "I'm A Thousand Miles From Home" is a song written by Joe Ely and Will Sexton and released on Ely's 1995 album Letter To Laredo. The album was recorded at Spur Studios (Joe Ely's home studio) in Austin, TX. Bruce Springsteen contributed to the studio recording, providing back-up vocals. He travelled to Austin around spring 1995 and joined Ely in studio to record his parts.
Note: A song written by Steven Van Zandt and released by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes on their 1991 album Better Days. Bruce Springsteen contributed to the recording of the song, singing second lead vocal. At least Springsteen's part was recorded in mid-1991 at Sigma Sound Studios in New York City, NY.
Note: Based on a traditional Cajun waltz and adapted by Springsteen from Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys' 1947 recording. The song was a big hit for the first time in 1947 for Harry Choates (recorded in 1946), and also for Red Foley & the Cumberland Valley Boys, who had a no. 1 Folk hit (formerly referred to as Hillbilly and by 1958 Country & Western charts) in January 1947 with "New Jolé Blon", and again a year later for Moon Mullican. "Jolé Blon" ("Pretty Blonde") was considered for the album once it became a two-LP set. V1–V3 are from Telegraph Hill rehearsals on January 11, 1980. V4 was recorded at Power Station studios on January 14, 1980, and the backing track may have been used by Gary U.S. Bonds on his 1981 album Dedication. V5 is the duet recorded with Bonds for Dedication.
Note:
Note: Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa re-record the Jackson Browne song.
Note: Bruce joins Patti in their home studio to record his acoustic guitar and harmonica contribution.
Note: Springsteen joins Patti Scialfa in the studio in January 2004 to contribute electric guitar and keyboard to three songs for her album 23rd Street Lullaby, released in June of that year.
| LOVE'S ON THE LINE V1 |
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| LOVE'S ON THE LINE V2 |
3:38 |
GUEST: LINE |
Note: Recorded at The Hit Factory in January or February 1982 (V1). Probably the same core recording as V2 found on the U.S. Bonds album (i.e. the E Street Band, including Bruce's backing vocals) – but with the Springsteen lead vocal.
Note: Bruce joins Stevie in the studio to provide uncredited, but confirmed, backing vocals.
Note: Bruce joins Mike Ness in the studio on December 29, 1998 to record guitar and vocals.
Note: Bruce Springsteen joins Lisa Lowell in the studio to contribute electric guitar to this song, released on her 2010 debut solo album Beautiful Behavior.
Note: Bruce joins Little Steven at New York City's Shakedown Studios in February 1987 to record duet vocals.
Note:
| ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE - V1 |
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| ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE - V2 |
05:54 |
GUEST: BABYLON |
Note: "Only Lovers Left Alive" was produced by Springsteen, who also provided the majority of musical accompaniment for the recording, which took place on July 12, 1994. V1 features an extensive guitar workout from Bruce, while V2 was re-recorded with The Houserockers on a later date.
Note: Recorded at The Hit Factory in January or February 1982 (V1). Probably the same core recording as V2 found on the U.S. Bonds album (i.e. the E Street Band, including Bruce's guitar) – but with the Springsteen lead vocal. Springsteen filed a copyright on April 27, 1982.
Note: Bruce Springsteen guests with the Dropkick Murphys in the studio to record duet vocals on "Peg O' My Heart".
Note: Two acoustic takes were recorded around January 3, 1982 at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ. "Pink Cadillac" was one of the few songs from the acoustic Nebraska not to be recorded with the band in the May 1982 sessions at the Power Station, but V3 was recorded on May 31, 1983 at The Hit Factory in New York. Officially released in May 1984 as the b-side to "Dancing In The Dark". V3b has the complete ending, V3c is a mono mix that for some reason was only issued on the Japanese single. Included on a 1984 album artwork prototype, in place of both "No Surrender" and "I'm Goin' Down". Interestingly, the song was copyrighted on April 7, 1983, almost two months before the Hit Factory session. The January 1982 acoustic recording was considered for Tracks, as it was included on a June 1998 six-CD sample set alongside the acoustic "Born In The U.S.A.". V4 is the duet version recorded for Jerry Lee Lewis's 2006 album Last Man Standing. For a bizarre footnote, see the 1983 Bette Midler incident.
Note: Bruce joins Patti in their home studio to record his Hammond B3 organ contribution.
Note: Bruce joins Patti in their home studio to record his Hammond B3 organ and electric guitar contribution.
Note: Bruce joins Warren Zevon on December, 2002 at Cherokee Studios in Hollywood to record backing vocals and guitar on his album The Wind, released in 2003.
Note: "Protection" V1 was recorded by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at The Hit Factory on February 23, 1982. Earlier in the year, David Geffen had contacted Jon Landau to ask if Springsteen would write a song for Donna Summer. In response, Bruce wrote "Cover Me", but after hearing it, Landau said, "You aren't giving this one away." Even though he disagreed, Springsteen wrote another song, "Protection", in early February. A song of the same name was recorded during The River sessions in 1979, and six short acoustic demos were included on 'Lost Masters Volume VIII', released in 1996. It is not clear if it was titled by Springsteen or the bootleggers, and this song was not published or copyrighted at that time. It bears little in common musically or lyrically with this song, composed three years later, and copyrighted on March 8, 1982. The demo of "Protection" was sent to Summer and her producer, Quincy Jones, and it was arranged for Roy Bittan and Bruce to fly out to Los Angeles to cut the track. On March 8, they arrived at Westlake Audio Studios, on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, where Summer's tenth album, Donna Summer, was in production. Bruce struck up a friendly relationship with Jones, with whom he would work again in 1985, recording "We Are The World". He also apparently got along with Donna, sleeping on her couch that evening as they worked on the song. He played guitar and provided backing vocals for the recording V2, which consisted of multiple takes. Quincy was thoroughly impressed, later saying Bruce "was one of the nicest people I have ever worked with…The man has more musical knowledge than a lot of people think and has a deep sense of commitment to music. You could feel his spirit in the sessions." It is not clear whether one of the takes was a vocal duet with Donna (V3). The album was released later in the year, without the success of her disco records of the 1970s, but she was nominated for the 'Best Female Rock Vocal Performance' Grammy for "Protection" 1983.
Note: Bruce joins Patti in their home studio to record his electric guitar contribution.
Note: Springsteen joins Patti Scialfa in the studio in January 2004 to contribute electric guitar and keyboard to three songs for her album 23rd Street Lullaby, released in June of that year.
Note: "Rose Tattoo" is an original song from 2012 by Dropkick Murphys that was re-recorded with featured vocals from Bruce Springsteen and re-released on May 14, 2013 as part of the Rose Tattoo: For Boston Charity EP.
Note: Recorded at The Hit Factory on January 25 and/or February 23, 1982. Song considered for Gary U.S. Bonds but not used – donated in 1983 to Clarence Clemons & The Red Bank Rockers for their debut album Rescue (V2, with Springsteen on guitar). V3 is a duet recorded with John Luraschi for his farewell album in 2008.
In January 1977, with "Sugar" Miami Steve producing, Bruce joins (on acoustic guitar) for the recording of "Say Goodbye To Hollywood", a Ronnie Spector & The E Street Band single. According to Spector, "it was written specially for me by Billy Joel." It was released in April 1977. Bruce's involvement on the recording was uncredited due to litigation taking place at the time with Mike Appel. However both Van Zandt and Spector have subsequently verified his performance on the recording.
Note: Bruce joins Soozie Tyrell on May 2, 2002 at Scullville Studios in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, to record backing vocals for this song (and a lead guitar part on "White Lines"), both released in 2003 on her album White Lines.
Note: Around September or October 1977, Lou Reed found himself working at Record Plant studios, trying to complete "Street Hassle". At the same time, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were hard at work in a studio downstairs, recording album #4. There are multiple narratives on what happened next, but Rod O'Brien, Reed's engineer, recalls working on the "Slipaway" section of the song. After Reed recorded "this thing, I hit the talkback, and I said, 'Uh. You realize what you just stole?' And Lou, deadpan, said, 'Whaddaya mean?' And then he started to crack up laughing. Then Lou says, 'But I gotta use it.' I said, 'Okay, but let’s go downstairs.' I said to Bruce, 'Lou wants to play you something, he just wants to make sure that you're not going to be upset.' So Bruce says, 'Okay,' and he comes up, and we play him the piece, and he says 'Oh, that's fine that's no problem…' And then Lou looks at him, and I didn't know Lou was going to do this, but he says: 'Would you do it?' And Bruce is like, '…what, me?' Lou says, 'Yeah.' And Bruce says, 'Okay, but you can't put my name on it, because I don't want to go through all the hassles that would mean…' And Lou's like, 'No problem.' So, Lou wrote the little part out, and as far as I remember, Bruce went out and did it one take." For more information on Springsteen and Reed, see the recording session listing.
Note: Bruce guests in the studio to provide duet vocals on Stewart Francke's "Summer Soldier (Holler If Ya Hear Me)", a guitar jam rocker with a call and response chorus. According to Francke, it was cut live at Harmonie Park in Detroit, MI, "the old school way — a bunch of great musicians all in one room playing together. No samples, no sequences, no auto-tuners." Francke wrote, "I showed 'em the song and got the hell out of the way." The song was released on Francke's 2011 album Heartless World.
Note: Bruce joins Little Steven's Artists United For Apartheid in July 1985 at the Shakedown Studios, NYC to contribute a vocal part.
Note: "Take A Look At My Heart" was written by John Prine and John Mellencamp and released on Prine's 1991 album The Missing Years. Springsteen provided backing vocals by request, after bumping into Prine at a resaurant.
Note: "Talk Show" was produced by Springsteen, who also provided the majority of musical accompaniment for the recording, which took place on July 12, 1994.
Note: Bruce joins Patti Scialfa in March 1993 at Springsteen's home studio in Beverly Hills for the final sessions for Scialfa's debut album Rumble Doll. Springsteen provides guitar and keyboard on "Talk To Me Like The Rain" and is also credited with production assistance on the track.
Note: "That's What Makes Us Great" was composed by Joe Grushecky, and features a guest appearance by Bruce Springsteen on duet vocals. Bruce recorded his parts at his home studio in Colts Neck, New Jersey in February 2017. The song debuted on Sirius XM's E Street Radio channel on April 19, 2017.
Note: Recorded at Power Station studios, possibly in late January 1980, and in June to August 1980 during sessions for Gary U.S. Bonds. A Springsteen vocal rendition from these sessions is likely to exist. Springsteen filed a copyright on October 14, 1980, and published the song on April 15, 1981. "This Little Girl" became Bonds's biggest hit after release in 1981 (with Springsteen on guitar and backing vocals).
Note: Bruce joins Patti in their home studio to record his acoustic guitar contribution.
Note: Bruce and Patti dropped on March 20, 2000 into producer Malcolm Burn's home studio in New Orleans and record harmony vocals for Emmylou Harris's song "Tragedy".
Note: Bruce joins Stevie in the studio to provide uncredited, but confirmed, backing vocals.
Note: The studio version of Up To You incorporates instrumental snippets from a live performance of the song with Bruce Springsteen on September 30, 1988. Technically Springsteen was not involved in the studio version of the song.
Note: Springsteen joins Nils Lofgren in his December 1990 session at Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles, CA to provide guest vocals.
Note: "Wasted Days" was composed by John Mellencamp, and features a guest appearance by Bruce Springsteen on vocals and guitar. Bruce recorded his part at John's personal studio in Belmont, Indiana on April 10, 2021.
Note: After "Do They Know It's Christmas" was released in late 1984, veteran singer Harry Belafonte asked why American performers weren't doing something similar. Just before Christmas, Belafonte called his manager Ken Kragen, who handled such stars as Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers. They contacted several musicians before it was agreed that Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie would write the song. Bruce Springsteen also agreed to participate, and according to Kragen, "The turning point was Bruce Springsteen's commitment, that legitimized the project in the eyes of the rock community." Once Kragen could tell other artists that Bruce was in, there were so many offers to sing that some were turned down. According to Quincy Jones, Springsteen's first reaction to the project was, "You sure you really want me to do this?" Richie and Jackson started writing "We Are The World" January 12, 1985, completing it on January 21, the night before sessions began. Michael provided the initial draft, then Lionel polished the structure and lyrics. The following evening, Richie, Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and producer Jones started work at Kenny Rogers's Lion Share Recording Studio in Los Angeles. Session musicians, engineers, video crews and other support staff were already on hand. Richie and Jackson recorded a guide vocal, and along with Stevie, created the basic instrumental track. On January 24, Jones shipped the demo tape to all artists who would be involved in the recording. Springsteen landed at Los Angeles International Airport, rented a Corvette, and drove to A&M Studios in Hollywood. "I swear I walked out to the gate just as he was coming in," said an amazed Ken Kragen. "I was looking to see if there were any hangups out there, and in walked Bruce… by himself." He said, "What do you want me to do?" He spent the next few hours getting cozy in the control room with the Pointer Sisters, whom he used to be angry at for taking "Fire" to no. 2 in 1979, when he was still stuck at a peak of no. 23 ("Born To Run"). Now that "Dancing In The Dark" had evened the score, and they were looking sexy and cute in person, that hatchet was buried without a doubt. He barely had time to nod to Bob Dylan and Billy Joel. By ten thirty everyone was there, the cameras were rolling, and Jones was ready to begin. Bruce never sang more than two nights running, because his concerts simply took too much out of him to do more. The two shows in Syracuse were more strenuous than average, and on this, the third night in a row, his voice was raw. Springsteen was a soloist, a had a duet with Wonder. By the time they got to his spot it was 5:30 in the morning. "You sounded fantastic, Dylan," he called to the man who'd just finished, then stepped to the mic. Dylan, Bette Midler, and a few others remained to watch him work. Sticking his sheet music in his back pocket, he wailed, "We are the world, we are the children," and according to Dave Marsh, "blew everyone away." Later, with his voice dubbed into a duet with Wonder's, the same line provided the single's climax. Finishing that first take, Springsteen looked up shyly. "Something like that?" he asked. Quincy Jones had to laugh. "Exactly like that," he said. The song was released on March 7, 1985, as the first single from the album. The estimated global sales of "We Are The World" exceed 20 million units, the biggest selling single in both US and pop music history.
See recording page for more details.
Note: Late in 1985, after the conclusion of The Born In The U.S.A. Tour, Garry Tallent and Tim Ryan organized a large group of New Jersey musicians to raise money for charity to fight hunger, inspired by projects like, "USA For Africa". They created a non-profit organization called Jersey Artists For Mankind (a.k.a. J.A.M. '86), then invited representatives from bands based in New Jersey to sing two songs that had been prepared. "We've Got The Love", composed by Joel Krauss and Bob Bandiera, and "Save Love, Save Life", by Ryan and Ed Testa, had been previously chosen, and a core group of musicians had recorded the base tracks. After a brief rehearsal, more than 450 artists recorded their parts at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, New Jersey, on January 13, 1986, the largest gathering of New Jersey rock artists ever. Vocal solos were contributed by Krauss, Bandiera, Southside Johnny Lyon, former Castile George Theiss, and many others. The "J.A.M. Band" assembled included Bandiera on guitar, drummers Max Weinberg and Ernest "Boom" Carter, and a horn section dominated by Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg, along with the rest of the Jukes horns. Instrumental solos were performed by an all-star cast, led by Clarence Clemons and guitarist Bruce Springsteen, who tried his best to concentrate on his craft, despite what sounded like booing from those present, until everybody realized it was his first name being shouted by enthusiastic well-wishers. "We've Got The Love" was mixed by Bob Clearmountain, and "Save Love, Save Life" by Bob Cohen. Engineer was Jan Topoleski.
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Note: Bruce joins Soozie Tyrell on May 2, 2002 at Scullville Studios in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, to record a lead guitar part for this song (and backing vocals on "Ste. Genevieve"), both released in 2003 on her album White Lines.
Note: Springsteen joins Patti Scialfa in the studio in January 2004 to contribute electric guitar and keyboard to three songs for her album 23rd Street Lullaby, released in June of that year.
Note: Recorded at Power Station Studios in late 1980 before or during sessions for Gary U.S. Bonds. A Springsteen vocal rendition from these sessions is likely to exist. Springsteen filed a copyright on March 12, 1981, and published the song on April 15. The Bonds version, released on Dedication, includes Springsteen on guitar and backing vocals.
