The Ghost Of Tom Joad - Studio Sessions

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Commercially Released: November 16, 1995
Label: Columbia
Produced by Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin
Recorded by Toby Scott, assisted by Greg Goldman at Thrill Hill West (March 1995 - September 1995)
Mixed by Toby Scott at Thrill Hill West
Mastered by Dave Collins at A&M Mastering Studios
Design by Sandra Choron, Eric Dinyer, Harry Choron
Photography by Pam Springsteen
Research by Terry Magovern

Overview

Springsteen's January-February 1995 Blood Brothers studio sessions and live appearances with The E Street Band seem to have triggered a burst of song writing activity in the months that followed, although the recording sessions for this newly-written material did not include The E Street Band. The sessions however, did feature E Street Band members in Federici and Tallent (and Soozie Tyrell). Although The Ghost Of Tom Joad sessions span a short, seven-month period (March-September 1995) Bruce wrote and recorded about two albums worth of new songs. Details surrounding these sessions remain sketchy and several of the song titles have still yet to come to light. The album was never truly mastered for release, Bruce instead used the rough mixes made on the day of the recordings. "I didn't want to dress it at all, similar to Nebraska", he told Rolling Stone in 2016, "These were records that were made at the very moment the music was made".

From the scattered comments of Springsteen and other session participants it would seem the Bruce recorded over an album's worth of solo material (seven of these recordings are found on The Ghost Of Tom Joad) and over an album's worth of band material (five of these recordings are found on The Ghost Of Tom Joad). The songs Bruce recorded solo may have spanned the entire session period. The band sessions appear to have been split into two or three phases during the spring and summer of 1995. One of the session phases included several rockabilly/country swing arranged songs – nothing from this session has yet emerged, although one verified composition from this session, "Tiger Rose", has been published. We know of a number of other song titles that may date from this period, including "Indian Town", "Silver Mountain", "Repo Man", and "Dumb Not Blind". Several songs from Springsteen's back catalogue are known to have been re-recorded with a small band during this period including "Cynthia" and "Janey Don't You Lose Heart".

Released

# Song Title Running Time Release
1. THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD 4:20 JOAD
2. STRAIGHT TIME 3:23 JOAD
3. HIGHWAY 29 3:34 JOAD
4. YOUNGSTOWN 3:50 JOAD
5. SINALOA COWBOYS 3:46 JOAD
6. THE LINE 5:11 JOAD
7. BALBOA PARK 3:15 JOAD
8. DRY LIGHTNING 3:29 JOAD
9. THE NEW TIMER 5:41 JOAD
10. ACROSS THE BORDER 5:22 JOAD
11. GALVESTON BAY 4:58 JOAD
12. MY BEST WAS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH 1:57 JOAD

Total Running Time: 50:18

Additional Recordings

Song Title Running Time Release
BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGE 4:51 TRACKS
DEAD MAN WALKIN' 2:43 OST: DEADMAN
REPO MAN 2:55 TRACKSII

Details

Song Title Running Time Release

ACROSS THE BORDER 5:22 JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime April–June 1995 at Thrill Hill West (Bruce's Los Angeles home studio).

BALBOA PARK 3:15 JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime March–August 1995 at Thrill Hill West (Bruce's Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGE 4:51 TRACKS

Note: No direct relation to the 1983 Springsteen song also found on Tracks, except for the similar title. Recorded on May 22, 1995 at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, California. Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his 5-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Marty Rifkin (pedal steel, dobro), Gary Mallaber (drums) and Soozie Tyrell (violin). A copyright was filed on November 1, 1996, under the title "Brothers under the Bridges" with a creation date of 1995. A second one was filed for Tracks on December 29, 1998 with the title "Brothers Under the Bridge", referencing the prior 1996 filing. It declared the publication date as November 10, 1998, the release date of Tracks. Perhaps the title was amended to not conflict with his earlier song.

CHEAP MOTEL uncirculating

Note: Co-written by Springsteen and Joe Grushecky in July 1995. Released by Grushecky on the album Coming Home, on February 10, 1998, without the presence of Bruce Springsteen. Unknown whether a Springsteen recorded version exists.

CYNTHIA - V1 3:24 LM-18 / GS
CYNTHIA - V2a 4:01 SO / MAT / UH
CYNTHIA - V2b 4:10 TRACKS
CYNTHIA - V3 uncirculating

Note: V1 was recorded April 20–21, 1983 at Thrill Hill West, Bruce's Hollywood Hills home, in rockabilly style for a set of home demos. V2 was Bruce re-recording this with The E Street Band on June 15, 1983, not April 20 as the Tracks notes claim, at The Hit Factory, New York in a much more rocking arrangement. "Cynthia" was resurrected over a decade later on May 23, 1995 (V3); studio logs show takes were recorded at Thrill Hill West with a four-man backing band of Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Marty Rifkin (pedal steel, dobro) and Gary Mallaber (drums), the same day as "The Ghost Of Tom Joad". Both 1983 and 1995 versions were on early Tracks listings, but the latter was eventually dropped for the final release.

DEAD MAN WALKIN' 2:43 OST: DEADMAN / ESSENTIAL: BONUS / 1995 single

Note: Written in spring 1995 upon request of friend and director Tim Robbins for his movie Dead Man Walking. First released on December 30, 1995 on the film's soundtrack CD and then as a single in early 1996 in some countries. Recorded sometime April–May 1995 at Thrill Hill West (Bruce's Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his three-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Jim Hanson (bass), and Gary Mallaber (drums).

DRY LIGHTNING - V1 3:56 private cdr
DRY LIGHTNING - V2 3:03 private cdr
DRY LIGHTNING - V3 3:29 JOAD

Note: V1 and V2 are two takes of an acoustic demo recorded on February 25, 1993. Both utilize the same music but they are sung in different keys – this music however is totally different than what ended up being used on the official, released version, while the lyrics are about a 70% match. V3 was recorded sometime April–June 1995 at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, California. Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his four-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Gary Mallaber (drums) and Soozie Tyrell (violin).

FREEHOLD uncirculating

Note: Bruce wrote "In Michigan" backstage in Kalamazoo, MI while on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour and premiered it live the same day, September 24, 1996. The concept was to write a song which included the name of the state of the location he was playing. He then expanded on the premise of the song and premiered the almost completely rewritten "Freehold" on November 8, 1996 in Freehold, naturally. Also known as "In Freehold". It is unclear whether this song was recorded during studio sessions.

GALVESTON BAY 4:58 JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime March–August 1995 at Thrill Hill West (Bruce's Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

HIGHWAY 29 3:34 JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime March–August 1995 at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, California. Springsteen solo.

I'M TURNING INTO ELVIS uncirculating

Note: Written by Springsteen during March–April 1995.

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT uncirculating

Note: Song written in 1995 and recorded for The Ghost Of Tom Joad - but not used. Bruce performed it live on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour. The song was revamped for Devils & Dust and was almost issued on the album as the 13th track. At this point it is the only known outtake from the 2004 sessions, although others likely exist.

JANEY, DON'T YOU LOSE HEART - V1a 4:31 UH / GS / MI / 1984AC
JANEY, DON'T YOU LOSE HEART - V1b 3:24 TRACKS / 1985 single / BACK
JANEY, DON'T YOU LOSE HEART - V2 uncirculating

Note: "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" was originally recorded on June 16, 1983 at The Hit Factory, New York, with a melody borrowed from earlier outtakes "Everyday And Every Night" and "Drop On Down And Cover Me". The heavily bootlegged V1a features Steve Van Zandt on background vocals and guitar, and an extended wistful organ coda closes out the track. V1b is the same base recording, except Nils Lofgren's new vocal and guitar parts replace Van Zandt's. Lofgren's overdubs were recorded on July 14, 1985. The organ coda was also removed, reducing the length by over a minute. V1b was released September 7, 1985, as the b-side of "I'm Goin' Down" and then re-released in 1998, on Tracks. On June 16, 1995, the twelve year anniversary of the 1983 recording date, V2 was recorded at Springsteen's home studio in Beverly Hills with a line-up of Bruce, Gary Mallaber (drums), Garry Tallent, Marty Rifkin, and Chuck Plotkin (keyboards). Both variants of "Janey" were considered for Tracks, but the 1995 recording was dropped in favor of the 1983 cut.

MY BEST WAS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH 1:57 JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime March–August 1995 at Thrill Hill West (Bruce's Los Angeles home studio). Originally slated to be a non-album b-side. Springsteen solo.

PILGRIM IN THE TEMPLE OF LOVE uncirculating

Note: Written by Bruce in March/April 1996 while on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour and premiered live on April 16, 1996. Also known as "Santa Gets A Blowjob".

REPO MAN uncirculating
REPO MAN 2:55 TRACKSII / TRACKSII: LF / 2025 single

Note: From a recently surfaced sampler a version of this song was considered for Tracks. Possibly recorded in the spring or summer of 1995. Bruce on the release of Repo Man: "I wrote all these country songs at the same time I wrote The Ghost Of Tom Joad, Those sessions completely overlap each other. I'm singing "Repo Man" in the afternoon and "The Line" at night. So the country record got made right along with The Ghost Of Tom Joad. Very similar to Born In The U.S.A. and Nebraska."

SELL IT AND THEY WILL COME uncirculating

Note: Written by Bruce during December, 1995 and early January, 1996 while on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour. Premiered live January 10, 1996.

SINALOA COWBOYS 3:46 JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime March–August 1995 at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, California. Springsteen solo.

STRAIGHT TIME 3:23 JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime April–June 1995 at Thrill Hill West (Bruce's Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his five-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Jim Hanson (bass), Gary Mallaber (drums), Marty Rifkin (pedal steel guitar), and Soozie Tyrell (violin).

THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD - V1 uncirculating
THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD - V2 4:20 JOAD / ESSENTIAL / CHAPTER / BESTOF
THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD - V3 4:26 COMP: APPLESEED10
THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD - V4 4:44 OST: PEOPLESPEAK
THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD - V5 7:34 HOPES

Note: Written as a rock song for the Greatest Hits project, but abandoned when Springsteen couldn't find an arrangement. Re-imagined as an acoustic song, and recorded May 23, 1995 at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, California. Springsteen handles guitar and vocals, and his four-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Marty Rifkin (pedal steel, dobro), and Gary Mallaber (drums). V3 is an entirely re-recorded version, but was not recorded during any of the three Seeger Sessions. It was recorded at various stages and studio locations during mid-/late-2006. Bruce's parts (vocal, harmonica) were recorded at Thrill Hill Recording, Rumson, New Jersey in August 2006. Pete Seeger's vocals were recorded at Seeger's cabin in Beacon, NY on July 4, 2006. The backing band's individual parts were recorded at various locations around the United States during mid-/late-2006 and then everything was mixed together at Shelter Island Sound Studios in New York City by David Seitz, and produced by Springsteen, Jim Musselman, and Seitz. The recording was first released on September 11, 2007 on the Various Artists charity compilation Sowing The Seeds (Appleseed). V4 was recorded, most likely early 2009, in his home studio for the The People Speak documentary. V5 was recorded in March 2013 in Los Angeles, the day before a flight to Australia for the Australian leg of the Wrecking Ball Tour, and was produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen.

THE LINE 5:11 JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime March–August 1995 at Thrill Hill West (Bruce's Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

THE NEW TIMER 5:41 JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime March–August 1995 at Thrill Hill West (Bruce's Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY OTHER FOR ME BUT YOU uncirculating

Note: Also known as "Never Any Other For Me But You". Written by Bruce in mid-1996 while on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour and premiered live on September 19, 1996.

TIGER ROSE uncirculating

Note: Recorded sometime during the summer of 1995 at Thrill Hill West when Garry Tallent was out in Los Angeles participating in The Ghost Of Tom Joad sessions. By late 1995, Tallent was in Nashville about to start producing rockabilly legend Sonny Burgess's new self-titled album. Garry contacted Springsteen asking if Burgess could cover the song. According to Burgess's comments, Tallent taught his band the music and Springsteen supplied the lyrics over the phone. The Burgess cover was released in June 1996. Springsteen first performed the song live on October 18, 2001. From a recently surfaced Sampler a version of the song was considered for Tracks.

YOUNGSTOWN 3:50 JOAD

Note: Springsteen was inspired to write "Youngstown" after he read Journey to Nowhere: The Saga of the New Underclass, Dale Maharidge's book about the struggling working-class and the decline of industry. Recorded sometime between April–June 1995 (probably closer to the end of the sessions) at Thrill Hill West, Bruce's Los Angeles home studio. Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his five-man backing band on this recording is Chuck Plotkin (keyboards), Jim Hanson (bass), Marty Rifkin (pedal steel), Gary Mallaber (drums), and Soozie Tyrell (violin). Reimagined as a searing rocker for 1999's Reunion Tour.

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