KEY | Songs | Early | Demo | Greetings | Wild | Run | Darkness | River | Nebraska | U.S.A. | Tunnel | Human | Lucky
Greatest | Joad | Tracks | Rising | Essential | Devils | Seeger | Magic | Dream | Promise | Wrecking | Hopes | Ties | Chapter | Western
Tracks commercially released: November 9, 1998 / 18 Tracks commercially released: April 12, 1999
Label: Columbia
Produced by Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin*
Recorded by Toby Scott assisted by Greg Goldman and Thom Panunzio*
Mixed by Ed Thacker and Bob Clearmountain asisted by Thom Panunzio, Greg Goldman and Ross Peterson*
Photography by Phil Ceccola, Joel Bernstein, James A. Davis, David Gahr, Annie Leibovitz, Fred Lombardi,
Jim Merchese, Neal Preston, Herb Ritts and David Rose
Design by Harry Chorron and Sandra Choron
* see Brucebase session listings for the specific producers and engineers of the original recordings.
Overview
Tracks (Archival Release)
Following the completion of the solo acoustic The Ghost Of Tom Joad tour in May 1997 Springsteen kept a relatively low profile and spent the summer months in New Jersey with his family. He held a studio session in November 1997 (the first of what is now known as the Seeger Sessions) and also participated in songwriting sessions with Joe Grushecky in December 1997-January 1998. According to interview comments by Toby Scott, (Springsteen’s audio archivist and recording engineer), it was in February 1998, during solo sessions being conducted at Bruce’s NJ home studio, that Springsteen approached Scott and said “let's do the boxed set”. Scott then went to work gathering the potential material from Springsteen’s massive audio library (located, along with Sony's sound archives, in the high-tech Iron Mountain facility near Buffalo, NY). Bruce’s NJ home studio (Thrill Hill East) served as the main operational center for all Tracks project activities.
Springsteen mentioned in an early 1999 interview with journalist Patrick Humphries that 200 to 300 different songs (twelve to eighteen CDs worth) formed the large pool of recordings that he initially reviewed in the spring of 1998 as potential candidates for the boxed set. Over the course of the next few months the 200-300 was narrowed down. According to Toby Scott by late June then number was down to about 128 songs (eight CDs worth). It was then narrowed down yet again during July to about one hundred songs (a six-CD set). Although these one hundred songs were prepped for the Tracks release there was a commercial decision made later in the summer to reduce the size of the release to a four-CD (sixty six-track) package. The package was delivered to Sony in mid-September in order to facilitate the mid-November 1998 release schedule.
The primary intent of Tracks (at least insofar as it’s slimmed-down six-CD and four-CD incarnations were concerned) was to cover all of Springsteen's commercially released album sessions. However due to ongoing (and at the time still-unresolved) court proceedings involving most of Springsteen’s unreleased 1972 studio recordings, it was decided not to release any of that in-dispute session material on Tracks. Consequently unreleased songs from the Greetings album sessions, or other demo sessions from that period, were not released in the package. The four "Hammond" CBS demo session songs that are found in the box were utilized because that particular studio session and those particular songs were not part of the court proceedings. Postscript: these legal matters were finally resolved, in Springsteen's favour, in 2001 – thereby freeing up these recordings for release at any time. It is likely that a "Tracks, Vol 2" (i.e., another boxed set of similar scope), will be released sometime in the future.
After the release of 18 Tracks (read below), the combined Tracks collection consisted of 65 outtakes and two new recordings. Unable to locate the master tape for "Gave It A Name", Springsteen re-recorded the song on August 24, 1998 at his home studio in Colts Neck, NJ. He did the same for "The Promise" (see below). There are also several tracks that were "supplemented" with additional instrumentation by overdubbing ("Hearts of Stone" has new horns). The full extent of "modern" recording used on Tracks is unknown.
18 Tracks
Despite stellar reviews the initial sales of the Tracks boxed set were well below expectations, probably due to this pricey retrospective not being issued in the wake of a huge selling Springsteen album (as had been the case in 1986 when Live/1975-85 followed the Born In The USA album). Partly as a consequence of the slow sales it was decided in January 1999 to release an abbreviated single CD version of Tracks titled 18 Tracks. This was intended for the more casual fan, although 18 Tracks also served the purpose as a promotional tie-in for the E Street Band "Reunion" tour that was announced at the same time. 18 Tracks contained fifteen recordings already issued on Tracks, plus three previously unreleased recordings ("The Fever", "Trouble River" and "The Promise"). "The Promise", a Darkness on the Edge of Town outtake, best known for legendary live performances from August 1976 - July 1978, was included after howls of outrage from the faithful for leaving it off Tracks. Springsteen, still rejecting all studio takes recorded between June 1977 - January 1978, responded by re-recording it on February 9-12, 1999 at Boxwood Studios, at his home in Rumson, New Jersey.
Sales of 18 Tracks were also disappointing, although the Reunion tour that followed was a tremendous commercial success.
Released
| # | Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1. | MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS 3 | 4:28 | GREETINGS / TRACKS |
| 1.2. | IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY 3 | 2:55 | GREETINGS / TRACKS |
| 1.3. | GROWIN' UP 1 3 | 2:41 | GREETINGS / TRACKS / ESSENTIAL / CHAPTER |
| 1.4. | DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND STREET? 3 | 2:04 | GREETINGS / TRACKS |
| 1.5. | BISHOP DANCED 2 | 4:21 | TRACKS |
| 1.6. | SANTA ANA | 4:37 | TRACKS |
| 1.7. | SEASIDE BAR SONG 1 | 3:34 | TRACKS |
| 1.8. | ZERO AND BLIND TERRY | 5:58 | TRACKS |
| 1.9. | LINDA LET ME BE THE ONE | 4:27 | TRACKS |
| 1.10. | THUNDERCRACK | 8:29 | TRACKS |
| 1.11. | RENDEZVOUS 1 2 | 2:51 | 1976 promo / TRACKS / PROMISE |
| 1.12. | GIVE THE GIRL A KISS | 3:55 | TRACKS |
| 1.13. | ICEMAN | 3:19 | TRACKS |
| 1.14. | BRING ON THE NIGHT | 2:40 | TRACKS |
| 1.15. | SO YOUNG AND IN LOVE | 3:49 | TRACKS |
| 1.16. | HEARTS OF STONE 1 | 4:32 | TRACKS |
| 1.17. | DON'T LOOK BACK | 3:00 | TRACKS |
| # | Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1. | CYNTHIA | 4:15 | TRACKS |
| 3.2. | MY LOVE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN 1 | 4:27 | TRACKS |
| 3.3. | THIS HARD LAND | 4:50 | GREATEST / TRACKS |
| 3.4. | FRANKIE | 7:25 | TRACKS |
| 3.5. | TV MOVIE | 2:46 | TRACKS |
| 3.6. | STAND ON IT | 3:07 | 1985 b-side / TRACKS |
| 3.7. | LION'S DEN 1 | 2:19 | TRACKS |
| 3.8. | CAR WASH | 2:08 | TRACKS |
| 3.9. | ROCKAWAY THE DAYS | 4:44 | TRACKS |
| 3.10. | BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGES ('83) | 5:08 | TRACKS |
| 3.11. | MAN AT THE TOP | 3:24 | TRACKS |
| 3.12. | PINK CADILLAC 1 | 3:37 | 1984 b-side / TRACKS |
| 3.13. | TWO FOR THE ROAD | 2:00 | 1987 b-side / TRACKS |
| 3.14. | JANEY, DON'T YOU LOSE HEART 1 | 3:28 | 1985 b-side / TRACKS |
| 3.15. | WHEN YOU NEED ME | 2:58 | TRACKS |
| 3.16. | THE WISH | 5:19 | TRACKS |
| 3.17. | THE HONEYMOONERS | 2:08 | TRACKS |
| 3.18. | LUCKY MAN | 3:18 | 1987 b-side / TRACKS |
| # | Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1. | LEAVIN' TRAIN | 4:07 | TRACKS |
| 4.2. | SEVEN ANGELS | 3:28 | TRACKS |
| 4.3. | GAVE IT A NAME | 2:51 | TRACKS |
| 4.4. | SAD EYES 1 | 3:50 | TRACKS / 1999 single |
| 4.5. | MY LOVER MAN | 4:00 | TRACKS |
| 4.6. | OVER THE RISE | 2:40 | TRACKS |
| 4.7. | WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT | 3:08 | TRACKS |
| 4.8. | LOOSE CHANGE | 4:22 | TRACKS |
| 4.9. | TROUBLE IN PARADISE | 4:43 | TRACKS |
| 4.10. | HAPPY | 4:54 | TRACKS |
| 4.11. | PART MAN, PART MONKEY 1 | 4:31 | 1992 b-side / TRACKS |
| 4.12. | GOIN' CALI | 3:04 | TRACKS |
| 4.13. | BACK IN YOUR ARMS | 4:43 | TRACKS |
| 4.14. | BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGE 1 | 4:55 | TRACKS |
Total Running Time: 4:13:23
1: Issued on both Tracks and 18 Tracks.
2: Live in Concert.
3: Demo-version.
Visit our release-pages for additional information.
Additional Recordings Tracks-Reunion period
Tracks-Reunion (1996 - 2000)
Springsteen issued the Ghost Of Tom Joad album in November 1995. Little did anyone suspect at the time that it would be six years and seven months (July 2002) before the next Springsteen studio album of recently written and recorded compositions would be released. Because of the tremendous amount of time that elapsed, the studio session period for what became The Rising is an enigma. Nearly all the recordings on the album emanate from one brief session period in early 2002, yet there are over five years' worth of earlier studio sessions of which only a few recordings have yet emerged – even though much was recorded.
Immediately following the release of the Ghost Of Tom Joad album Springsteen undertook an extensive solo tour that lasted for 17 months - until late May 1997. Bruce has mentioned that he wrote numerous songs while on this tour, some of which he actually premiered live during the tour. During breaks in this tour, Bruce recorded new material - from June to August 1996 and then from March to April 1997. Both sessions were held at Thrill Hill East (Bruce’s New Jersey home studio). Both were solo sessions.
Following the completion of the solo acoustic The Ghost Of Tom Joad tour in May 1997 Springsteen kept a relatively low profile and spent the summer months in New Jersey with his family. He held a studio session in November 1997 (the first of what is now known as the Seeger Sessions) and also participated in songwriting sessions with Joe Grushecky in December 1997-January 1998. According to interview comments by Toby Scott, (Springsteen’s audio archivist and recording engineer), it was in February 1998, during solo sessions being conducted at Bruce’s NJ home studio, that Springsteen approached Scott and said “let's do the boxed set”. Scott then went to work gathering the potential material from Springsteen’s massive audio library (located, along with Sony's sound archives, in the high-tech Iron Mountain facility near Buffalo, NY). Bruce’s NJ home studio (Thrill Hill East) served as the main operational center for all Tracks project activities.
In November 1997, several months following the completion of the Ghost Of Tom Joad tour, Springsteen undertook studio further sessions at his NJ home studio. About seven non-original compositions were recorded with a group of musicians Bruce had not previously recorded with. These have now become known as "The Seeger Sessions - Phase 1". Since the above-mentioned session produced recordings that Bruce subsequently decided to release on a stand-alone album, then please refer to [[The Seeger Sessions - Studio Sessions|The Seeger Sessions]] section for details on these recordings. Soon after (in December 1997 – January 1998) Springsteen undertook a song-writing collaboration session with Joe Grushecky at Bruce’s home studio. Song titles are known from this period but recording session details, if any, are unknown. According to comments made by engineer Toby Scott, it was in the early spring of 1998 (shortly before Bruce’s father passed away) that Springsteen told Scott the time was right to proceed with the long-anticipated box set of archived, unreleased studio takes. Although the Tracks project dominated activities during the remainder of 1998 Springsteen also recorded numerous new songs at his home studio during the February 1998 – February 1999 period, although little has been released.
Springsteen re-assembled the E Street Band for the Reunion (Tracks) tour. This tour lasted for 16 months, from March 1999 thru June 2000. Although no studio sessions took place during this touring period, there was an expectation that studio work with the E Street Band would follow this tour and a resulting new E Street Band album would emerge in late 1999 or early 2000 – however we now know that no such E Street Band sessions ever took place. In spite of the lack of E Street Band involvement in the studio Springsteen did, in fact, conduct scattered solo sessions at his Thrill Hill East home studio during the September 2000 - January 2001 period. Numerous songs were recorded – but details remain very sketchy. It is suspected that the base recording of only one of the fifteen songs issued on The Rising album emanates from these sessions.
| THE PROMISE | 4:38 | 18TRACKS |
| GIVE MY LOVE TO ROSE | 2:55 | 2002 'Kindred Spirits' Johnny Cash tribute album |
| LIFT ME UP | 5:16 | 1999 Limbo Movie Soundtrack / ESSENTIAL: BONUS |
| THE WALL | 4:20 | HOPES |
| GAVE IT A NAME | 2:47 | TRACKS |
Details
| THE PROMISE - V1 | 5:32 | DO-2 / UP / SOTE / LUTHER |
| THE PROMISE - V2 | 5:27 | LM-2 / DDO / DO-3 / AM / UP / SC |
| THE PROMISE - V3 | 7:11 | DDITV / AM / UP / MT1 |
| THE PROMISE - V4 | 7:24 | PROMISE: DELUXE |
| THE PROMISE (strings-full harmony) - V5 | private | |
| THE PROMISE (solo) - V6 | uncirculating | |
| THE PROMISE - V7 | uncirculating | |
| THE PROMISE - V8 | uncirculating | |
| THE PROMISE - V9 | 4:41 | 18TRACKS |
| THE PROMISE - V10 | 5:49 | PROMISE |
Note: Introduced August 3, 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, New Jersey, with Bruce singing and playing piano without the E Street Band, with deeply personal lyrics. 'The Promise' soon became the highlight of each show, and the major subject of discussion among Bruce's tight cult following, which would make up most of the modest crowd in those days. It would always be one of the last songs played for the night, the lights would go down, and one spotlight would be on Bruce playing piano, which he rarely did otherwise. Later, Roy or Danny would accompany him on glock. It was played live 22 times during the Lawsuit tour, until the first studio demo was recorded at Atlantic Studios on June 1, 1977. V1 was one of the takes recorded on June 30, July 1, 7, 8 and 13, 1977. After a break that included a trip with Steve to Utah and Nevada, Bruce came back with slightly revised lyrics, and recorded V2 on August 24, which then added dubs and mixing on August 30, 1977, completed on the last day of operations at Atlantic Studios. On September 28, 1977 at the Record Plant, V3, considered the definitive version by collectors and long-time fans, was recorded, clocking in at 7:10 with the full E Street Band, and first released unofficially on 'Deep Down In the Vaults'. However, Bruce found it lacking for some reason, and in late September-early October, after a Rolling Stone reporter suggested the song was actually about the lawsuit, he re-wrote the first two lines of verse 3 with, "Well, my daddy taught me how to walk quiet and how to make my peace with the past, I learned real good to tighten up inside and I don’t say nothing unless I’m asked'. These lines replaced "I won big once and I hit the coast, oh but somehow I paid the big cost", and Landau agreed this solidified the narrative, and that 'The Promise' deserved to be on the January 16 album sequence. Album #4 was still untitled, but "Badlands" or "American Madness" were the two front runners. The new sequence had 'Badlands' as the opener, and 'The Promise' as the album closer. Instead of 'Streets of Fire', 'The Way' was in the third slot on side two, and 'Don't Look Back' followed 'Badlands'. The two songs missing, that we know made it on the final lineup, were 'Factory', which Bruce had just started calling, "The Factory Song". He had been using the working title, 'Come On, Come On (Let's Go Tonight)' since June 1977, despite re-writing the lyrics in July, to tell the tale of his dad and the horrible plastics factory he had worked in when Bruce was a child. On January 2, 1978, final takes were completed, though Springsteen spent March 10 and most of the 14th on final mixes, and recording his own vocal overdubs. The other missing song was 'Darkness On the Edge of Town', which had not been worked since June 1977, and appeared to be all but forgotten. It should be noted that at no point does he ever seem to have considered calling the LP "The Promise" (per Clinton Heylin).
January 12 was the big day when the final takes of 'The Promise' V4 were to be completed. The proceedings were shot live in-the-studio by Barry Rebo, and one of the takes was released on the Thrill-Hill Blu-Ray/DVD2, in 2010 on the box set, 'The Promise:The Darkness On the Edge Of Town Story'. Springsteen fussed over mixing and dubbing for days after this, and was planning to add strings (according to Landau, a ‘string’ version was cut V5). Finally on January 24, 1978, without the E Street Band around, he sat down at the piano and recorded V6 of 'The Promise' by himself, just like he did during the Lawsuit tour for 22 nights, when he was locked out of the recording studio. A Ruffs tape (see illustration above) provided to Springsteen by his engineer, Jimmy Iovine, mixed on February 17, had the September 28, 1977 V3 recording featuring the "Old verse", followed by the January 12 session with the "New Verse" V4, and V5, the strings and "full harmony" version, which was cut in mid-January. There is no doubt that he cared deeply about 'the Promise', as a total of 10 sessions were held from January 17 to March 7 (seven week period). Later saying he still ‘felt too close to it’, at a certain point in March, he decided that another contender would go on the album in it's place. It was quietly removed from the April track sequence, and the masters placed in the Columbia Vault.
But at the Darkness Tour rehearsals in Asbury Park on May 19, 1978, Bruce and the band played the "daddy taught me how to walk quiet" version of 'The Promise', and it was in the setlist on opening night in Buffalo. As the tour continued, 'The Promise' would be on the setlist around every other night, usually part of the encore, with Bruce by himself on piano, which was a spine-tingling experience for fans. After playing it 22 out of the first 33 shows, he sang it on July 15, 1978 in Houston, Texas, and then, for unknown reasons, never played it again.
That is, until a huge fan uproar, when 'The Fever' and 'The Promise' were both left off of 'Tracks' in 1998. Instead of releasing V3 or V5, he re-recorded 'The Promise' from scratch on February 9 and 12, 1999 at Boxwood Studios, located at his home in Rumson, New Jersey. V9 was released on April 12, 1999 on '18 Tracks', to the dismay of many long-time fans. He made his case to Charlie Rose, "Basically, I went back and I listened to it and we never really got a good recording of it in my opinion. It’s been a favorite song of a lot of..a lot of people mention it. It sort of was the sequel to “Thunder Road” in some fashion, it referred back to those characters. But I went back and we sort of had a very plodding, heavy-handed version of it. I couldn’t quite live with it, so maybe another time." However, he liked it enough to use it as the base track for V10, officially released on Disc 2 of 'The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story' in 2010, with overdubbed strings, guitars, glock, double tracked vocals, and backing vocals by himself, with modern vocals and musical elements recorded July 18, 2010 Stone Hill Studio, Rumson, New Jersey by assistant engineers Kevin Buell and Rob Lebret. Instead of replacing two lines of verse 3, two lines were deleted, "I followed that dream through the southwestern tracks, the dead ends and the two-bit bars, when the promise was broken I was far away from home sleeping in the backseat of a borrowed car". The lines were removed with slick editing, under a "Phil Spector-like Wall of Sound", consisting of layers of overdubs, and a modern string arrangement by Ken Ascher. In addition to making 'The Promise' family friendly, they succeeded in reducing the time of the track from 7:11 to 5:49. This version, along with other 1977 songs on "The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story", that many customers were familiar with, and had been looking forward to sonic improvements over their bootleg collections, now were hearing overdubbed Mexican horns, choirs, modern vocals, and assorted instruments, drowning out the base tracks created by the E Street Band 33 years ago. An uproar was created on message boards that has continued for years, as customers learn production details that have never been announced or printed. Thanks to Eddy Wehbe for spotting version 3 underneath the thick layer of overdubs, and discogs for the extra details, and the support of contributors on BTX, SPL, Hoffman Music Forums and Greasy Lake for helping to identify the key issues.
Springsteen said later it was ultimately rejected for Darkness due to the personal lyrics. "It was a song about defeat, and it was self-referential, which made me uncomfortable", said Springsteen in 2010. "I didn’t want it to overtake the album, which, in the end, was not my personal story. I wanted ‘Darkness’ to be completely independent of that. So I left it off. But I remember saying to myself, 'This is something I can sing later.' The distance really helps it now”. Regardless of what is said, Bruce was very upset and feeling betrayed by his first manager, Mike Appel, when he wrote the Promise. He blamed the lawsuit on himself, and wrote about a lonely, loveless, loser whose spirit had finally been broken. In verse 2 he sang "Once I had a girl who loved me so, I guess I'd loved her too if I had the sense, but somehow I can never let myself go, my love is no good in the end, Cause it's a loser, I'm gonna sit by this window 'til things work out all right…" Many of us have had moments like this in our lives, but we are incapable of expressing them with clarity and honesty in a song, and though Bruce was just having a bad day or month, his words really hit home for some. You have to at least admire his bravery, to sing his innermost feelings in front of friends and 15,000 strangers. He re-wrote the lyrics extensively after that August 3, 1976 night, and played the new version on September 29, 1976, "All my life I fought that fight that no one man can ever win, every day it just keeps getting harder to live the dreams I'm believing in, Thunder Road, I stay up every morning until it's light". Amazing, those are the same words he used in his first studio takes in 1977. He did not call himself a loser again until 1982, when he wrote about Frank Davis in the "Losin' Kind."
There are many, including that core group of fans who had him to themselves back in 1976-78, that believe "The Promise" is Bruce's greatest song. Perhaps a record was never meant to hold it.
| GIVE MY LOVE TO ROSE | 4:17 | 2002 'Kindred Spirits' Johnny Cash tribute album |
Note: Written by Johnny Cash. Recorded at Thrill Hill East (Bruce's NJ home studio) in February 12, 1999 and produced by Springsteen (alone). Bruce solo, on vocals and guitar. The performance was also video recorded and first broadcast commercially on April 18, 1999 as part of the Johnny Cash Tribute special on the USA's TNT network. The recording was not officially released until September 2002 on the Cash Kindred Spirits tribute album. The video of the performance has yet to be officially issued, although it circulates among collectors via copies of the original TV broadcast.
| LIFT ME UP | 5:16 | OST: LIMBO / ESSENTIAL: BONUS |
Note: Recorded at Thrill Hill East (Bruce's NJ home studio) in March 1999. Produced by Springsteen (alone). Bruce handles vocals and all instruments. Written by Bruce specifically for the John Sayles movie "Limbo" and first released on the movie soundtrack album in June 1999.
| THE WALL - V1 | uncirculating | |
| THE WALL - V2 | HOPES |
Note: Written December 1997-January 1998. The title and idea came from Joe Grushecky and written by Springsteen after he and Patti Scialfa visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. Bruce premiered the song live on February 19, 2003 at Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA, and prefaced the performance by mentioning that he'd visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington in December 1997 and that several days later Grushecky (in advance of their songwriting sessions) sent Bruce a newspaper clipping about the Vietnam Memorial. Grushecky subsequently wrote a different, but similarly themed, song called "On The Wall" that appeared on his 2002 Fingerprints album. Recorded in the late 90s (perhaps during sessions for Tracks) with the E Street Band, including Danny Federici. Played twice during 2005's Devils & Dust Tour. Produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen. Musician credits: Springsteen (vocals, guitar, drums), Roy Bittan (piano), Danny Federici (organ), Nils Lofgren (guitar), Patti Scialfa (backing vocals), Garry Tallent (bass), Max Weinberg (percussion), Ron Aniello (synths, accordion) and Curt Ramm (cornet). V2 issued on 2014's High Hopes.
| GAVE IT A NAME - V1 | uncirculating | |
| GAVE IT A NAME - V2 | 2:47 | TRACKS |
Note: V1 was recorded between December 1990 and late January 1991 at either the Record Plant, Soundworks West or A&M Studios in Los Angeles. Planned for inclusion on the Tracks boxset, but Bruce was unable to locate the master tape, so he re-recorded the song V2 on August 24, 1998 at his home studio in Colts Neck, NJ, and it's that recording which can be found on Tracks. Springsteen told Melinda Newman in an interview with Billboard published in November 1998, "What happened is I cut the original at the time I cut these other songs [Bruce is referring to songs like "Over The Rise", "When The Lights Go Out", "Loose Change" etc, which were all recorded around the December 1990-January 1991 period], but we couldn't find the master tape of it, and I really liked the song. So Roy Bittan came out, and we re-cut it in August".
| LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS - V1 | uncirculating | |
| LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS - V2 | uncirculating | |
| LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS - V3 | 6:58 | WRECKING |
Note: Written by Bruce sometime in 1998 or early 1999. The song was premiered live with the E Street Band on March 18, 1999 for the Reunion Tour. A later live version with the E Street Band was officially released on the Live In New York City package. Cut in 2011 and issued on the Wrecking Ball album. V3 features Springsteen, Aniello (some combination of guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion and/or loops), Charlie Giordano (piano, B-3 organ), Curt Ramm (trumpet, cornet), Clark Gayton (trombone), Stan Harrison (clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax), Ed Manion (tenor & baritone sax), Dan Levine (alto horn, euphonium), Art Baron (euphonium, tuba, sousaphone, penny whistle), Clarence Clemons (saxophone solo), Soozie Tyrell (violin & backing vocal), backing vocals from Patti Scialfa, Lisa Lowell and Michelle Moore, and the Victorious Gospel Choir. Steve Van Zandt is uncredited, but clearly audible at times.
| UNDER A BIG SKY | uncirculating |
Note: "Under A Big Sky" was recorded in April 1998.
| CODE OF SILENCE | uncirculating |
Note: Co-written by Bruce and Joe Grushecky during December 1997-January 1998. Springsteen premiered the song live on June 12, 2000 and released a live version (recorded June 29, 2000) on The Essential Bruce Springsteen in 2003. A Grushecky studio version (with Bruce on support vocals) was released on his album A Good Life in July 2006.
| ANOTHER THIN LINE | uncirculating |
Note: Written sometime between late 1997 and early 2000. There remains some confusion if "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. Bruce has never officially released a recorded version, but Joe Grushecky released it on his East Carson Street album in 2009.
| BENEATH THE FLOODLINE | uncirculating |
Note: Performed during a soundcheck at The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA, on September 17, 1984, during the BITUSA tour. It was later recorded at several solo sessions, between November 1997 and January 1998, before the E Street Band were reconstructed, and it was quietly sidelined, along with the album he was then working on. Possibly composed after the BITUSA studio sessions ended, it is also missing from Tunnel Of Love sessions, according to a search of Sony logs.
| 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".
| 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.
| IN 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 "In Freehold" on November 8, 1996 in Freehold, naturally. Also known as "Freehold". It is unclear whether this song was recorded during studio sessions.
| LONG TIME COMIN' - V1 | uncirculating | |
| LONG TIME COMIN' - V2 | 4:17 | DEVILS / ESSENTIAL: 2015 / CHAPTER |
Note: Written by Bruce in the summer or early autumn of 1996 while on the Ghost Of Tom Joad tour and premiered live on October 16, 1996. This recording is a hybrid of two sessions quite some years apart. The basic track (Bruce, Danny Federici, Marty Rifkin, Soozie Tyrell and Patti Scialfa) emanates from 1997 or 1998, Thrill Hill West, Beverly Hills. CA. Recorded by Toby Scott and produced by Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin. The drums (Steve Jordan) and bass guitar (Brendan O’Brien)were added to the mix in 2004, at Masterphonics, Nashville, Tennessee, and Southern Tracks Recording, Atlanta, Georgia, which is the likely reason why this released version is credited as a “Springsteen-Plotkin-O’Brien” production.
| THE HITTER - V1 | uncirculating | |
| THE HITTER - V2 | 5:53 | DEVILS |
Note: Written by Bruce in the autumn of 1996 while on the Ghost Of Tom Joad tour and premiered live on November 13, 1996. Recorded during studio sessions in 1998 (this version does not circulate). Re-recorded in 2004 and released on the Devils & Dust album. The core recording (which may date from 1997-98) is Springsteen solo, on all instruments (vocals, guitar, keyboards and percussion). The strings (Nashville String Machine) and horns (Brice Andrus, Donald Strand, Susan Welty and Thomas Witte) were recorded and added in 2004.
| 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 and premiered live on January 10, 1996.
Corrected Dates/Locations
This list corrects the date and location errors found in the Tracks and 18Tracks booklet.
| Song Title | Recording Date | Location | Session Era |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS | May 03, 1972 | CBS Studios, NY | DEMO |
| IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY | May 03, 1972 | CBS Studios, NY | DEMO |
| GROWIN' UP | May 03, 1972 | CBS Studios, NY | DEMO |
| DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND STREET? | May 03, 1972 | CBS Studios, NY | DEMO |
| BISHOP DANCED | January 31, 1973 | Max’s Kansas City, NY | WIESS |
| THE FEVER | May 16, 1973 | 914 Sound, NY | WIESS |
| SANTA ANA | July 1, 1973 | 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt | WIESS |
| SEASIDE BAR SONG | July 24, 1973 | 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt | WIESS |
| THUNDERCRACK | August 9, 1973 + 1997 | 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt | WIESS |
| ZERO AND BLIND TERRY | August 7, 1973 | 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt | WIESS |
| SO YOUNG AND IN LOVE | June 01, 1974 | 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt | BORN TO RUN |
| LINDA LET ME BE THE ONE | June 29, 1975 | Record Plant, NY | BORN TO RUN |
| RENDEZVOUS | December 31, 1980 | Nassau Coliseum, NY | DARKNESS |
| DON'T LOOK BACK | July 02, 1977 | Record Plant, NY | DARKNESS |
| HEARTS OF STONE | October 14, 1977 + 1997 | Record Plant, NY | DARKNESS |
| ICEMAN | October 27, 1977 | Record Plant, NY | DARKNESS |
| GIVE THE GIRL A KISS | October 11, 1977 | Record Plant, NY | DARKNESS |
| ROULETTE | April 12, 1980 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| MARY LOU | July 13, 1979 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| I WANNA BE WITH YOU | May 31, 1979 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| BRING ON THE NIGHT | June 13, 1979 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN | April 10, 1980 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| LOOSE ENDS | July 18, 1979 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| BE TRUE | July 18, 1979 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| STOLEN CAR | September 24, 1979 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| DOLLHOUSE | August 21, 1979 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| WHERE THE BANDS ARE | October 9, 1979 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD | December 03, 1979 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| TAKE 'EM AS THEY COME | April 10, 1980 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| RESTLESS NIGHTS | May 2, 1980 | Power Station, NY | RIVER |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. | January 03, 1982 | Thrill Hill East, NJ | NEBRASKA |
| LION'S DEN | January 25, 1982 | Power Station, NY | BITUSA |
| MY LOVE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN | May 7, 1982 | Power Station, NY | BITUSA |
| A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND (PITTSBURGH) | May 6, 1982 | Power Station, NY | BITUSA |
| WAGES OF SIN | May 10, 1982 | Power Station, NY | BITUSA |
| THIS HARD LAND | May 11, 1982 | Power Station, NY | BITUSA |
| FRANKIE | May 14, 1982 | Power Station, NY | BITUSA |
| JOHNNY BYE-BYE | January 4, 1983 | Thrill Hill West, CA | BITUSA |
| SHUT OUT THE LIGHT | January 19, 1983 | Thrill Hill West, CA | BITUSA |
| CYNTHIA | June 15, 1983 | Hit Factory, NY | BITUSA |
| PINK CADILLAC | May 31, 1983 | Hit Factory, NY | BITUSA |
| CAR WASH | May 31, 1983 | Hit Factory, NY | BITUSA |
| TV MOVIE | June 13, 1983 | Hit Factory, NY | BITUSA |
| STAND ON IT | June 16, 1983 | Hit Factory, NY | BITUSA |
| JANEY, DON'T YOU LOSE HEART | June 16, 1983 | Hit Factory, NY | BITUSA |
| BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGES ('83) | September 14, 1983 | Hit Factory, NY | BITUSA |
| MAN AT THE TOP | January 12, 1984 | Hit Factory, NY | BITUSA |
| ROCKAWAY THE DAYS | January 12, 1984 | Hit Factory, NY | BITUSA |
| WHEN YOU NEED ME | January 20, 1987 | Thrill Hill East, NJ | TUNNEL |
| TWO FOR THE ROAD | February 00, 1987 | Thrill Hill East, NJ | TUNNEL |
| THE HONEYMOONERS | February 22, 1987 | Thrill Hill East, NJ | TUNNEL |
| THE WISH | February 22, 1987 | Thrill Hill East, NJ | TUNNEL |
| LUCKY MAN | April 04, 1987 | Thrill Hill East, NJ | TUNNEL |
| TROUBLE IN PARADISE | December 01, 1989 | Soundworks West, CA | HUMAN |
| PART MAN, PART MONKEY | January 00, 1990 | Soundworks West, CA | HUMAN |
| SAD EYES | January 25, 1990 | Soundworks West, CA | HUMAN |
| LEAVIN' TRAIN | February 27, 1990 | Oceanway Studios, CA | HUMAN |
| TROUBLE RIVER | April 06, 1990 | Soundworks West, CA | HUMAN |
| SEVEN ANGELS | June 29, 1990 | Oceanway Studios, CA | HUMAN |
| MY LOVER MAN | December 04, 1990 | Soundworks West, CA | HUMAN |
| WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT | December 06, 1990 | Record Plant West, CA | HUMAN |
| OVER THE RISE | December 07, 1990 | Soundworks West, CA | HUMAN |
| GOIN' CALI | January 29, 1991 | A&M Studios, CA | HUMAN |
| LOOSE CHANGE | January 31, 1991 | Record Plant West, CA | HUMAN |
| HAPPY | January 18, 1992 | A&M Studios, CA | LUCKY |
| BACK IN YOUR ARMS | January 12, 1995 | Hit Factory, NY | GREATEST |
| BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGE | May 22, 1995 | Thrill Hill West, CA | GREATEST |
| GAVE IT A NAME | August 24, 1998 | Thrill Hill East, NJ | TRACKS |
| THE PROMISE | February 12, 1999 | Thrill Hill East, NJ | 18 TRACKS |
Modern Elements
Brucebase Modern Elements Identification System
Even though we attempt to inject some humor into the situation, modern overdubs are no laughing matter.
For now, this is our system, and remember, all evaluations are subject to change. Though we reserve the last word on all matters on our website, this is no easy task, and this is an issue that concerns all of us. Whether you send an email or go ranting on one of the message boards, we are listening carefully. If you find an obscure interview by Garry W. Tallent with some details about modern glockenspiels, please send us a copy or a link, or the best description you can. If you send us some shaky story that we don't hear, and can't verify, you are wasting everybody's time. Also, if you disagree with any detail expressed here, please try to describe it as best you can, write until there is nothing left in your head (on the subject).
This is becoming a global problem with archived material, mostly concerning compilations like The Promise, The Ties That Bind (The River Collection), Tracks, The Essential, Greatest Hits, etc. The most overt example is a previously released track (official or unofficial) that has plainly been altered. Sometimes there is a valid reason, but it is still good to discuss it, and have a place for anybody with a question to go for information. Then there is previously unreleased material with obvious modern elements. Remember, overdubbing is a normal part of creating music, and sometimes it is just of interest. When an artist releases archived material, advertising "unreleased tracks" from "so-and-so", and we find that any portion of the material is not from "so-and-so", and there are no liner notes or media discussions, then some people get upset, usually the most loyal, hardcore fans, who feel betrayed, or at the very least, disappointed that they are still without what they thought they were getting.
There are reasons why Bruce does not release all his outtakes the way we would like it. If he didn't modify some of these tracks, then he would not release them at all, and we would have a fraction of what we have now. He appreciates his fans and followers very much, but he doesn't want incomplete and rehearsal materials released, because he only wants us to have his best, a professional, polished product, not him humming or la-la ing. He finds it embarrassing and upsetting that what he thought was private, is being listened to by thousands or millions. Unfortunately, his 1979 voice and his 2015 voice are different, and listening to the official outtake of "Night Fire" is…a shock to the system.
| # | Song Title | Modern Element(s) | Recording Date / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | THUNDERCRACK 4 | modern background vocals by Vini Lopez 1997 | August 9, 1973 V4 + 1997 |
| 2. | SANTA ANA 4 | modern background vocals-Vini Lopez 1997 | July 1, 1973 + 1997 |
| 3. | HEARTS OF STONE 4 | modern 1997 horns - Mario Cruz tenor sax, Ed Manion baritone sax, Richie Rosenberg trombone, Mike Spengler trumpet, Mark Pender trumpet | October 14, 1977 + 1997 |
| 4. | LION'S DEN 4 | modern 1997 horns - Cruz-Manion-Rosenberg-Spengler-Pender | January 25, 1982 + 1997 |
| 5. | THE WISH 4 | Gary Mallaber, drums | February 22, 1987 + 1997 |
| 6. | WHEN YOU NEED ME 4 | Gary Mallaber, drums, Soozie Tyrell, violin | January 20, 1987 + 1997 |
| 7. | THE PROMISE5 | re-recorded | February 12, 1999 |
| 8. | GAVE IT A NAME 5 | re-recorded | August 24, 1998 |
Note:
"Thundercrack" was performed live regularly, usually as the big show closer, from October 1972 right up until Vini Lopez’ departure from the band in February 1974. The base recording V1 from June 22, 1973, with additional takes or overdubs on August 7 and 9, were not completed to Springsteen's satisfaction. In 1997, overdubs were added for Tracks V4, including background vocals by Vini Mad Dog, to approximate the sound of live performances.
"Santa Ana" was also known as "Hey Santa Ana", "My Contessa", and "The Guns of Kid Cole", thanks to creative or possibly erratic bootleggers. V3 was recorded on June 28, 1973, and for many years was considered a complete, though unofficial, version. However, V4 released on Tracks, is an embellished mix, with overdubs added on July 1, 1973, including piano (David Sancious), a layer of acoustic guitar (Bruce), calypso percussion (Richard Blackwell) and Suki Lahav (vocals). The flute heard in V3 (courtesy of Clarence), has been entirely removed from V4. Mixing was done by Louis Lahav (1973) and Thom Panunzio (1997), who also worked on Thundercrack.
The Sony logs don't show the "Hearts Of Stone" story, which began before the Darkness sessions, as evidenced by a May 1977 list of "New Songs" that included "For Hearts Of Stone", in-between "I Wanna Be With You" and "Franky". Unlike most of the songs in the list, no evidence exists of a recording session until October 14, when a demo was cut for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and along with another of "Talk To Me", handed to Steve Van Zandt on a cassette tape tape. Steve was producing the Jukes' third album, and the two songs were Bruce's contributions to the effort. The demo is the only surviving recording of Hearts of Stone from 1977, despite at least six months since conception, and evidence in the words and music of October 14 that "Hearts of Stone" was quite a ways along in development. Everybody knew what notes to play, and Bruce didn't have to "muff" any lyrics, because they were mostly completed. The band recorded this take live in the studio, with the sax of Clarence Clemmons the only horn present. In 1998, Bruce had the Tracks Horns (Cruz-Manion-Pender-Rosenberg-Spengler) record the sections he overdubbed to the 1977 track in V2. There is also something wrong with the vocals at the very end of the song. At 4:10, it is not clear who is singing, but it is clear who is playing horns that didn't exist in 1977. If you are good at audio editing, try patching the end with the 1977 demo. The demo was so good that Southside Johnny used the E Street Band base recording for the title track of the Jukes' 1978 album, adding Southside's vocal and the Miami Horns to create one of their best known tracks. Then Springsteen used the same base track and other elements in his 1998 re-recording of "Hearts of Stone".
"Lion's Den" base track recorded at The Hit Factory on January 25, 1982, from the Gary U.S. Bonds sessions. The 1998 horn section of Cruz-Manion-Pender-Rosenberg-Spengler was recorded and overdubbed for Tracks. The original 1982 element was not recorded by Toby Scott but rather by Neil Dorfsman, the engineer for the Bonds LP.
"The Wish" was recorded February 22, 1987 at Thrill Hill Recording, Rumson, New Jersey (Springsteen’s home studio), with Bruce on all instruments. The drums (Gary Mallaber) were added to the core recording in 1998 for Tracks.
"When You Need Me" was originally titled "If You Need Me". Recorded on January 20, 1987 at Thrill Hill Recording, Rumson, New Jersey (Springsteen’s home studio), with Bruce on all instruments. The drums (Gary Mallaber) and violin (Soozie Tyrell) were added to the core recording in 1998 for Tracks.
There was a huge fan uproar, when "The Fever" and "The Promise" were both left off of 'Tracks' in 1998. Instead of releasing V3 or V5, he re-recorded "The Promise" from scratch on February 9 and 12, 1999 at Boxwood Studios, located at his home in Rumson, New Jersey. It was released on April 12, 1999 on '18 Tracks', to the dismay of many long-time fans. He made his case to Charlie Rose, "Basically, I went back and I listened to it and we never really got a good recording of it in my opinion".
"Gave It A Name" was recorded between December 1990 and late January 1991 at either the Record Plant, Soundworks West or A&M Studios in Los Angeles. Planned for inclusion on the Tracks boxset, but Bruce was unable to locate the master tape, so he re-recorded the song on August 24, 1998 at his home studio in Colts Neck, NJ, and it's that recording which can be found on Tracks. Springsteen told Melinda Newman in an interview with Billboard published in November 1998, "What happened is I cut the original at the time I cut these other songs [Bruce is referring to songs like "Over The Rise", "When The Lights Go Out", "Loose Change" etc, which were all recorded around the December 1990-January 1991 period], but we couldn't find the master tape of it, and I really liked the song. So Roy Bittan came out, and we re-cut it in August".
1 Sounds untouched, we pray that we didn't miss anything.
2 Possibly clean vintage, but not sure; we have awoken in the night in a cold sweat at least once
3 Possibly clean vintage, the artist or the liner notes say it is, but not sure; we have awoken in the night in a cold sweat at least once
4 A Category 4 Overdub is severely tinkered with, but not unredeemable. Examples are Racing In the Streets '78, where David Lindley's violin was added, or Come On (Let's Go Tonight), where modern violin again was added. Modern vocals never qualify for this rating.
5 A Category 5 Overdub means the track has been modified beyond recognition or has been partly or completely recorded in the present, which is not an outtake at all, it is a new recording.
6 Not An Outtake.
Concept Album 1993
At some point in 1993 (presumably following the conclusion of the 1992-93 World Tour) a 25-song archival concept "album" was produced in-house, perhaps to demonstrate the quality of Springsteen's unreleased archive. It's possible that this was an early Tracks concept. Twelve of the 25 songs have been subsequently released, either on Tracks itself or other projects, ten are known outtakes, two are a mystery, and one is a live cut. Please see the relevant album recording session page for more information on each track.
| Song Title | Sessions | Released? |
|---|---|---|
| A LOVE SO FINE | BORN TO RUN | No |
| SHA LA LA 3 | None | No |
| NEW SPANISH (aka SPANISH EYES) | DARKNESS | PROMISE |
| HEARTS OF STONE | DARKNESS | TRACKS |
| GIVE THE GIRL A KISS | DARKNESS | TRACKS |
| TRIANGLE SONG | DARKNESS | No |
| DOLLHOUSE | RIVER | TRACKS |
| NIGHT FIRE | RIVER | RIVER:OUTTAKES |
| THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY | RIVER | RIVER:OUTTAKES |
| DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY ALRIGHT | RIVER | No |
| I WILL BE THE ONE | RIVER | No |
| FROM SMALL THINGS (BIG THINGS ONE DAY COME) | RIVER | RIVER:OUTTAKES |
| TAKE 'EM AS THEY COME | RIVER | TRACKS |
| BRING ON THE NIGHT | RIVER | TRACKS |
| UNDER THE GUN | RIVER | No |
| WHERE THE BANDS ARE | RIVER | TRACKS |
| LOOSE ENDS | RIVER | TRACKS |
| LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD | RIVER | TRACKS |
| ANGELYNE 2 | RIVER | No |
| JOHNNY GO DOWN | BITUSA | No |
| KING'S HIGHWAY | BITUSA | No |
| THE GLORY OF LOVE | BITUSA | No |
| IDA ROSE (NO ONE KNOWS) | BITUSA | No |
| ARNIE 1 | RIVER | No |
| THAT'S OKAY 1 | RIVER | No |
1: Given their placement in the compilation both "Arnie" and "That's Okay" may be outtakes from "The River" sessions (unconfirmed), but they are absent from studio logs.
2: "Angelyne" was recorded with the E Street Band in February 1980 before being donated in early 1982 to Gary U.S. Bonds.
3: Live, December 12, 1975, circulating on bootlegs.
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