KEY : C, SM, BSB : Demo : Greetings : WIE : BTR : Darkness : 1979 Solo : River : 1981 Solo : Nebraska : BITUSA : TOL : HT : LT : 1993 Solo : GH : GOTJ : Tracks : Rising : Essential : Devils and Dust : Seeger Sessions : Magic

THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD

Commercially Released: November 16, 1995
Produced by Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin
Recording Engineer: Toby Scott

Recorded from March 1995 thru September 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Springsteen’s Los Angeles home studio).

PART 1 – GOTJ SESSIONS OVERVIEW

Springsteen’s Jan-Feb 1995 Blood Brothers studio sessions and live appearances with The E Street Band seem to have triggered a burst of songwriting activity in the months that followed, although the recording sessions for this newly-written material did not include The E Street Band. The sessions did however feature E Street Band members Federici and Tallent (and Soozie Tyrell). Although the GOTJ Sessions span a short, 7-month period (Mar-Sep 1995) Bruce wrote and recorded about 2 albums worth of new songs. Details surrounding these sessions remain sketchy and several of the song titles have still yet to come to light.

From the scattered comments of Springsteen and other session participants it would seem the Bruce recorded over an album’s worth of solo material (7 of these recordings are found on GOTJ) and over an album’s worth of band material (5 of these recordings are found on GOTJ). The songs Bruce recorded solo may have spanned the entire session period. The band sessions appear to have been split into 2 or 3 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.

PART 2 – GOTJ SESSIONS DETAILS

Note: Recorded sometime Mar – Aug 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

Note: Recorded sometime Mar – Aug 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

Note: Recorded sometime Mar – Aug 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

Note: Recorded sometime Mar – Aug 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

Note: Recorded sometime Mar – Aug 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

Note: Recorded sometime Mar – Aug 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

Note: Recorded sometime Mar – Aug 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Originally slated to be a non-album b-side. Springsteen solo.

Note: Recorded sometime April – June 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his 4-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Marty Rivkin (pedal steel, dobro) and Gary Mallaber (drums).

Note: Recorded sometime April – June 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his 5-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Marty Rivkin (pedal steel), Gary Mallaber (drums) and Soozie Tyrell (violin).

Note: Recorded sometime April – June 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his 5-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Marty Rivkin (pedal steel), Gary Mallaber (drums) and Soozie Tyrell (violin).

Note: Recorded sometime April – June 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio. Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his 5-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Marty Rivkin (pedal steel), Gary Mallaber (drums) and Soozie Tyrell (violin).

Note: Recorded sometime April – June 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his 4-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Jim Hanson (bass), Gary Mallaber (drums) and Soozie Tyrell (violin).

Note: Written in spring 1995 upon request of friend-director Tim Robbins for his movie “Dean Man Walking”. First released on Dec 30, 1995 on the film’s Soundtrack LP and then as a single in early 1996 in some countries. Song received an Academy Award Nomination but (unlike “Streets Of Philadelphia”) it didn’t win. Recorded sometime April – May 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his 3-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Jim Hanson (bass) and Gary Mallaber (drums).

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 WEST (Bruce’s Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen handles guitar and vocals and his 5-man backing band on this recording is Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Marty Rivkin (pedal steel, dobro), Gary Mallaber (drums) and Soozie Tyrell (violin).

Note: Recorded sometime during the summer of 1995 at THRILL HILL WEST when Garry Tallent was out in Los Angeles participating in the GOTJ sessions. By late 1995 Tallent was in Nashville about to start producing rockabilly legend Sonny Burgess’s new album. Garry contacted Springsteen asking if Burgess could cover the song. According to Burgess’ 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 Oct 18, 2001.

Note: Written by Springsteen during March-April 1995. First performed live in its complete form on Apr 12, 1995.

Note: Springsteen premiered the song live on Nov 27, 1995 near the start the GOTJ Tour.

Note: Co-written by Springsteen and Joe Grushecky in July 1995, with Bruce providing most of the music and Grushecky most of the lyrics. Song first released by Grushecky on his Dec 1997 studio album “COMING HOME”. Springsteen first performed the song live on Oct 5, 2005 (with Grushecky as a guest vocalist).

Note: Co-written by Springsteen and Joe Grushecky in July 1995, with Bruce providing most of the music and Grushecky most of the lyrics. Song first released by Grushecky on his Dec 1997 studio album “COMING HOME”. Springsteen has yet to perform the song to an audience but did perform it at a pre-show soundcheck on June 17, 2000.

Note: Co-written by Springsteen and Joe Grushecky in July 1995, with Bruce providing most of the music and Grushecky most of the lyrics. Song first released by Grushecky on his Dec 1997 studio album “COMING HOME”. Springsteen has yet to perform the song live.

Note: Co-written by Springsteen and Joe Grushecky in July 1995, with Bruce providing most of the music and Grushecky most of the lyrics. Song first released by Grushecky on his Dec 1997 studio album “COMING HOME”. Springsteen has yet to perform the song live.

Page updated June 6, 2006