Steel Mill
Bruce Springsteen (guitar, vocals)
Danny Federici (organ, piano, backing vocals)
Vini Lopez (drums)
Vinnie Roslin (bass, backing vocals)Overview
Steel Mill initially consisted of Bruce Springsteen (guitars & vocals), Vinnie Roslin (bass), Vini Lopez (drums) and Danny Federici (keyboards) and were formed in November 1969. Previously named Child, they decided to change to Steel Mill when another band released a record under the same name. In February 1970 Roslin left the band (his last performance with the group was on February 28) and was replaced by Steve Van Zandt, while vocalist Robbin Thompson joined on August 25, 1970. Thompson was previously lead singer of Mercy Flight. During September 1970, Mercy Flight drummer Dave Hazlett also substituted for Lopez while the latter sorted out legal issues. Springsteen announced his decision to leave the band in December 1970, and they played their final gig in January 1971 at the Upstage in Asbury Park. Springsteen went on to form The Bruce Springsteen Band later that year.
Steel Mill recorded three songs at a studio session in San Francisco in late February 1970. The only other "studio" sessions during the period were those conducted at Challenger Eastern Surfboards. Besides being a manufacturing facility (and Bruce's home from late 1969 thru late 1970) Challenger East was also a makeshift studio environment of sufficient standard to produce reasonable quality recordings. Although it's a sure bet that most of these songs were recorded as part of ongoing rehearsals, none of the Challenger East audio recorded during 1969 and 1970 is currently in circulation. Due to financial restrictions, the Reel-to-Reel tapes were often reused. Consequently, there is a distinct possibility that much of what was recorded at Challenger no longer survives, even in Bruce’s personal archive.
The following is a listing of all “known” Springsteen compositions written and/or performed during the Child – Steel Mill era (1969 and 1970). Please note that there are compositions that are still undocumented.
Released
| Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|---|---|
| HE'S GUILTY (THE JUDGE SONG) | 4:39 | CHAPTER |
Details
| Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|
| A HOUSE AIN'T THE SAME ONCE IT'S BEEN BURNED | No studio recording known |
Note: Full title is "A House Ain't The Same Once It's Been Burned (The Days Of Dreaming Are Over)". Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| AIN'T GONNA LOSE IT THIS TIME | uncirculating |
Note: Steel Mill-era composition, confirmed from a finished lyric sheet. No known live performance.
| ALL I WANNA KNOW | uncirculating |
Note: Steel Mill-era composition, confirmed from a finished lyric sheet. No known live performance.
| AMERICA UNDER FIRE | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 and performed in concert regularly during the second half of 1969 and up through mid-1970. Bruce's nickname for this one was "American Song". It is also known as "American Tune". A couple of live performances are in circulation.
| AMPLIFIER BLUES | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 and performed in concert during 1969 and early 1970. Also known as "Fucked Up Amplifier Blues".
| ANOTHER WOMAN | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| BALLAD OF BILLY JOE | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| BLACK SUN RISING | uncirculating |
Note: Written in early 1970 and performed in concert during 1970. One of the better Springsteen compositions of the Steel Mill era. Springsteen has also referred to this song by the title "Black Sun".
| CALIFORNIA BLUES | uncirculating |
Note: Written in early 1970, either during or immediately following Steel Mill's trip to San Francisco. Performed in concert during the first half of 1970.
| CHANGING CHILDREN | uncirculating |
Note: Written mid-1970 and a regular concert inclusion during the Robbin Thompson era of Steel Mill (September 1970–January 1971). Sometimes listed under the title "Change It (Revolution)" or "Change It".
| COME ON | uncirculating |
Note: Written in late 1969 and performed in concert up through mid 1970. A couple of live performances are in circulation. Sometimes listed under the title "Come On (The World Is Crying For Freedom)".
| COMIN' BACK ON TO ME | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| ELY'S FUNERAL HOME | No studio recording known |
Note: Written in 1969 for Child, according to Vini Lopez. The song was about a real funeral home (still operating in Neptune, NJ) that the band drove past every day between Bruce's house in Freehold where they were staying and rehearsals at Tinker West's surfboard factory. Lopez remembers the central rhyme as "Going back to Ely's / There we're gonna say our goodbyes."
| FATHER JOHN | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| FIRE ENGINES ARE RETURNING HOME | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 during the Child period and probably performed live in 1969. There is no audio performance in circulation. A finished lyric sheet, complete with Bruce's chord notations, exists.
| FREAK II | uncirculating |
Note: An instrumental written in 1969 or 1970 of which little is known. Bruce's handwritten title/chord progression sheet has recently surfaced. It is not known if another instrumental called "Freak I" was also composed.
| GARDEN STATE PARKWAY BLUES | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 or early 1970 and performed in concert up through mid-1970. The title is deceptive as this is not blues but, rather, a suite of mini-songs linked together to convey an entire working day in the life of the character. Bruce sometimes referred to this by the title "The Alarm Clock Song". A couple of live performances are in circulation, with one nearly 30 minutes in duration.
| GET WITH A LITTLE ? | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen, unfortunately we cannot currently decipher the last word of the title. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| GOD KNOWS I LOVE HER | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| GOIN' BACK TO GEORGIA | 5:16 | BSS3 / US1 / VAFH |
Note: Written in 1969 and performed in concert regularly during 1969, 1970 and even occasionally during the 1971 Bruce Springsteen Band era. This unabashed Allman Brothers-influenced tune was the third most requested song of the Steel Mill era, behind "Resurrection" and "Guilty". Several live performances are in circulating. One of three songs recorded at Pacific Recording Studio, San Mateo, CA on February 22, 1970.
| GOIN' DOWN SLOW | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| GOOD LOVIN' WOMAN | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1970. The only known live performance is from the Marshall Parking Deck show in August 1970.
| HE'S GUILTY (THE JUDGE SONG) | 5:57 | BSS3 / US1 / VAFH |
| HE'S GUILTY (THE JUDGE SONG) | 4:39 | CHAPTER |
Note: Written in the summer of 1969 and performed in concert regularly during the second half of 1969 and throughout 1970. After Robbin Thompson joined the band the song tended to be slotted into the final stages of the show. Several live performances are in circulation. One of three songs recorded by Steel Mill at Pacific Recording Studio, San Mateo, CA on February 22, 1970, the song was officially released in September 2016 on Chapter And Verse, the companion album to Springsteen's autobiography Born To Run. The released version has been edited, reducing the length by cutting some of the instrumental segments short. Former Steel Mill vocalist Robbin Thompson released a cover version in 1986. Sometimes listed as "Guilty" or "Send That Boy To Jail".
| I AM THE DOCTOR | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 and performed in concert often throughout 1970. A couple of live performances are circulating. No relation to Springsteen’s 1972 composition "Lady And The Doctor".
| I CAN'T TAKE IT | uncirculating |
Note: Written in mid-1970 and a frequent concert inclusion during the September 70-January 71 Robbin Thompson era of Steel Mill. Several live performances are circulating. Sometimes listed under the title "I Can’t Take It No More".
| I JUST CAN'T THINK | uncirculating |
Note: Written in early 1970. One verified live performance, on April 18, 1970, although there are likely to have been others.
| IF I CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| IF I COULD | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE LOVERS | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| IT'S ABOUT TIME | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| JEANNIE I WANT TO THANK YOU | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 and performed in concert regularly during the second half of 1969 and into the early months of 1970. A couple of live performances are in circulation.
| JENNIFER | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1968 or 1969 and performed in concert regularly throughout 1969. According to Backstreets: Springsteen, The Man And His Music by Charles R. Cross, possibly recorded for Greetings, but no further evidence has yet emerged. Apparently this is a soft ballad and may well be related to the "Jennifer" known via Laurel Canyon copyright documentation.
| KT-88 | uncirculating |
Note: An instrumental written in late summer 1969 and played in concert up until mid-1970. A couple of live performances are in circulation. Allegedly a variation of this song was performed by Bruce and the E Street Band during a few shows early in the 1972–73 Greetings Tour, although there's no audio or setlist verification.
| LADY WALKING DOWN BY THE RIVER | uncirculating |
Note: Written in the summer or fall of 1969 and performed in concert regularly during the second half of 1969 and into the early months of 1970. Springsteen has also referred to this song as "Lady Walkin' (Down By The River)". A couple of live performances are in circulation.
| MARY LOUISE WATSON | uncirculating |
Note: Written in late 1970. The earliest circulating audio performance is from a January 1971 Steel Mill show at D'Scene. This is one of the few Steel Mill-era songs that Bruce continued performing during the Bruce Springsteen Band period, as renditions from that period are also circulating. Sometimes referred to by the title "Mary Lou Watson" or "Black Widow Spider".
| OH MAMA | uncirculating |
Note: Written in mid-to-late 1970 and a played often during the September, 1970–January, 1971 Robbin Thompson era of Steel Mill. Sometimes listed under the title "Oh Mama Why".
| RESURRECTION | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 and performed in concert regularly during 1969 and 1970. This was always a heavily requested crowd favorite and was sometimes utilized in the encore slot. Bruce appears to have "retired" the song when Steel Mill disbanded in early 1971, as there are no confirmed later performances. Also known as "Hail Hail Resurrection".
| SHE'S GOT A HOLD ON ME | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| SHE'S LIKE THUNDER | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| SHERLOCK GOES HOLME | uncirculating |
Note: An instrumental composed in 1969 or early 1970. A couple of performances circulate from the early and middle months of 1970. Also known by the titles "Sherlock Goes Holmes" and "On The Tips". Neither title may be the true title.
| SISTER THERESA | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 and performed regularly during the Vinnie Roslin era of Steel Mill, but then only once in a while during 1970. The alternate title spelling is "Sister Teresa".
| SOMETHING'S GOTTA BREAK | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 or early 1970 and performed until mid-1970. A live version recorded at the Ocean Ice Palace in June 1970 is in circulation.
| SWEET MELINDA | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969, with documented performances taking place through early 1971. There are a couple of live renditions in circulation.
| SWEET WOMAN | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| TEMPORARILY OUT OF ORDER | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 or early 1970 and performed until mid-1970. A couple of live versions are in circulation.
| THE ORDER | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| THE TRAIN SONG | 6:31 | BSS3 / US1 / VAFH |
Note: Written in 1969. This is about as close to mainstream country as Springsteen has ever gotten – and out of character with Bruce's other known compositions of the era. One of three songs recorded at Pacific Recording Studio, San Mateo, CA on February 22, 1970. Perhaps it was selected for that session in order to demonstrate the band's versatility. The studio outtake is marred by a repetitious ending. Former Steel Mill vocalist Robbin Thompson has recorded and released a nice cover version. "The Train Song" should not be confused with "Train Ride", a Robbin Thompson composition that was also performed by Steel Mill.
| THE WAR IS OVER | uncirculating |
Note: Written in the summer or fall of 1969 and performed in concert regularly during the second half of 1969 and into the early months of 1970. A couple of early 1970 live performances are in circulation.
| THE WIND AND THE RAIN | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 or early 1970 and performed in concert frequently during 1970. If this is not Bruce's finest Steel Mill-era composition, it's certainly in the top two or three. A couple of live performances are in circulation from the middle months of 1970.
| THINK | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| WAR & PEACE | No studio recording known |
Note: Title known from a circa 1970 list of songs written by Springsteen. May not be a completed or fully realized composition but added here for reference.
| WE'LL ALL MAN THE GUNS | uncirculating |
Notes: Written in mid-1970 and among Bruce's better Steel Mill compositions, with more expansive lyrics than any other documented Springsteen composition of the period. Bruce's complete handwritten lyric sheet has surfaced. The only circulating audio performance is from Richmond's Marshall Parking Deck gig in August 1970. Sometimes listed under the title "We'll Man The Guns".
| WHERE WAS JESUS IN OHIO | uncirculating |
Note: Written in May or June 1970. Bruce's emotionally charged response to the Kent State University shootings on May 4. Only one known live performance - in Richmond, dated to June 19, 1970. An audience recording exists (as well as the audio of the entire show from which it emanates - unfortunately this audio is not currently in mainstream circulation).
| WHY'D YOU DO THAT | uncirculating |
Note: Written in early 1970. A couple of live performances from 1970 are circulating.
| WE'VE GOT TO DO IT NOW | uncirculating |
Note: Written in mid or late 1970. Only one live performance is known, from recently circulating audio from The Sunshine In on November 27, 1970. Also known as "Do It Now".
| YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY THE COVER | uncirculating |
Note: Steel Mill-era cover of the Willie Dixon-penned Bo Diddley tune, performed live in the late 1960's, early 1970s. live recording of September 16, 1967 released on Chapter And Verse. No studio version was ever attempted.
| YOU SAY YOU LOVE ME | uncirculating |
Note: Written in 1969 or early 1970. The only documented performance is from a show in Richmond in February 1970. An audience recording exists of this show but it's not currently in mainstream circulation.
