Bruce Springsteen 1965

TWIST AND SHOUT

After visiting and performing alone for Tex Vinyard a week earlier, Springsteen is invited for a tryout-rehearsal with the all 4 already hired members of THE CASTILES present. One of the songs Bruce performed was “Twist And Shout”. Everyone is impressed and Springsteen is given the job, thus completing the formal band lineup. They will spend the next 6 weeks or so rehearsing and developing a repertoire before performing publicly.

“The only two circulating photographs of Line-up #1 of The Castiles, both taken on the same day in June or July, 1965. LEFT PHOTO: taken at ‘Veterans Point’ (intersection of Broadway & East Main St) featuring, from left to right, – Frank Marziotti, Paul Popkin, Bart Haynes, Springsteen and George Theiss. RIGHT PHOTO: taken at the home of Tex Vinyard on Center St. featuring, from left to right, – Haynes (roof), Marziotti, Popkin (roof), Theiss and Springsteen (roof).”

No set details known. Extensive July rehearsals for THE CASTILES, held at the Vinyard’s home on Center Street (the since cleared and renovated area is today called ‘Vinyard Park’) As was the case with all these Castiles rehearsals, they took place in the living room of the house.

No set details known. Steve Van Zandt had formed his first, but short-lived, band THE WHIRLWINDS in late summer of 1964 (see listing under 13/06/64). During late June, July and August 1965 Van Zandt’s recently formed band, THE MATES, landed a residency playing every Friday night from 7PM-11:30PM at the Clearwater Pool Lounge on Rte 36 in Middletown. Although information is very sketchy, it’s believed it was at some point during this summer residency that Springsteen came to listen to the band and first met and jammed with Van Zandt (who was a year younger and one grade behind Bruce in school).

"A 14 year old Steve Van Zandt with his band, THE MATES, relaxing at the Clearwater Pool in July 1965. (Left to Right are: Tom Boesch, Kerry Hauptli, John Miller and Little Steven"

IN THE MOOD

No set details known. ONE evening show, featuring the THE CASTILES in their first-ever public performance. Although the exact date is unverified it is believed this took place in mid August. The Woodhaven Swim Club was located on East Freehold Road – it later became the home of the local YMCA. According to 1970’s comments by Castiles manager Tex Vinyard the group received a whopping total of $35 for the show. The show closed with a rock arrangement of “In The Mood”.

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform at a local pizzeria. George Thiess has recalled this as one group’s very first gigs.

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform at Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) dance held at Springsteen’s Elementary-Jr High School, where he had graduated in May 1963.

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform at yet another Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) dance held at the school.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with THE CASTILES opening for an unidentified country music band led by a young female vocalist. Springsteen mentioned this gig during an interview in Europe in 1975, commenting…“I remember starting at noon and we played until like 8 or 9 pm, when we had to stop. That was one of the first gigs I ever did”. Further verified by George Theiss..

No set details known. ONE show, with THE CASTILES playing at a teen dance. There were two different, independent, Elks Chapters in Freehold at the time; one on Main Street and the other on Throckmorton Street. This dance took place at the Main Street location. The Castiles never performed at the Elks (Conley) Lodge on Throckmorton Street.

No set details known. ONE show, with THE CASTILES the sole act on the bill. A teen dance held for the kids of stationed soldiers, held in a Recreation Hall within the sprawling Fort Monmouth base complex. According to Castiles manager Tex Vinyard it was following this show that two kids in attendance gave Springsteen some partially written lyrics. Bruce then expanded and shaped these into the song "Sidewalk" – one of his earliest creations.

No set details known. ONE show, double billing, with THE CASTILES opening for New York-based outfit THE FLORESCENTS. Bruce and the band had started out by performing at obscure, private functions in Freehold. This was quite possibly Bruce and the band’s first publicly advertised nightclub appearance. Organized by shore area musician-promoter Norm Seldin.

"The earliest promotional gig item that has yet surfaced for the Castiles - October 8th, 1965"

IF YOU NEED ME / I UNDERSTAND / GOOD TIMES BAD TIMES / SUMMERTIME / SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY / NEVER ON SUNDAY / SIDEWALK / unidentified title / IN THE MOOD / TIRED OF WAITING FOR YOU / 500 MILES / SATISFACTION / WIPE OUT / STRANGER ON THE SHORE / WHAT’D I SAY / MOON RIVER / YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELING / WALK DON’T RUN / WHAT’S YOUR NAME / TILL THERE WAS YOU / THE LAST TIME / FOR YOUR LOVE / unidentified title / I GOT YOU BABE / THE “THIRD MAN” THEME / IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT / MONEY / PLAY WITH FIRE / TELL ME

ONE show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. The above-mentioned 27 songs titles (plus 2 titles that are illegible) have been culled from a surviving inventory/setlist document (see photo below) that was originally in the possession a member of The Castiles. This list is believed to have emanated from a wedding reception the band performed in the autumn of 1965. With the exception of “Sidewalk” (co-written by Bruce) all of the songs are covers of other artist’s material, with the most recently released song at the time being Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” (July 1965). The setlist includes numerous 1964 thru early 1965 “British Invasion” hits by the Stones, Yardbirds, Kinks, Zombies and Beatles – a clear indication of the kind of music the band was playing at teen gigs. The high proportion of 1950’s ballad material in this particular show (sung by George Theiss, not Bruce) is likely the result of it being a wedding, with manager Tex Vinyard making sure his boys also cater to the older relatives in attendance. These include the G-Clefs’ “I Understand”, Acker Bilk’s “Stranger On The Shore”, Don & Juan’s “What’s Your Name” and Anton Karas’ “The Third Man Theme”. THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO OF ANY OF THIS PERFORMANCE.

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform for patients at this local psychiatric hospital. Springsteen has briefly mentioned this early Castiles gig a couple of times over the years, once commenting: “This guy in a suit got up and introduced us for twenty minutes, saying we were greater than The Beatles - then the doctors came up and took him away”. George Theiss has also recalled/verified this gig to Brucebase, commenting: “there was a woman who was trying to seduce everyone and some guy was running around screaming “Banzai!”, “Banzai!”

No set details known. ONE daytime, outdoor show, with THE CASTILES the sole act on the bill and performing at the ‘Grand Opening’ of the regional food chain’s Freehold supermarket. The band performed in the store’s parking lot. Note: as of fall 2007 this ShopRite store is still located at the same location (Cnr of Rte 9 & South St) as it was the day The Castiles played there.

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform at yet another Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) dance held at the school.

No set details known. ONE show, with THE CASTILES performing at a teen dance in the rented VFW Hall. Note: near the end of 1965 drummer Bart Haynes unexpectedly quit the band. He was replaced by Vince Manniello. Haynes (who was a year older than Springsteen) graduated high school in June 1966, joined the US Marines Corps in Oct 1966, was sent to Vietnam in April 1967 and was killed in action in Oct 1967.

“Castiles drummer Bart Haynes, as seen in his official US Marine photo (taken in Nov 1966)”

No set details known. ONE show, a CYO-sponsored “battle-of-the bands” event held in the school auditorium, with The CASTILES and 15 other groups competing for a $200 First Prize and the right to be crowned the “Best Teenage Band of 1965” in the area. Each band played a couple of songs. The 1st Place winner was Red Bank-based THE CLIQUE, with Long Branch-based THE INMATES coming in 2nd place. Also on the bill was THE RISING SUNS (lineup included future Castiles organist Bobby Alfano). The Castiles did not place at this contest. Emile Talarico, drummer and co-vocalist for THE CLIQUE, has jokingly commented…”That’s my claim to fame. We beat Bruce Springsteen in a battle of the bands”. This event featured Line-Up #2 of THE CASTILES - Springsteen, Theiss, Popkin, Marziotti and new member Vinny “Skibotts” Manniello on drums. Manniello had recently replaced Bart Haynes.

“The only two circulating pictures of Line-up #2 of THE CASTILES, both taken at the same photo session in Jan or Feb 1966. LEFT Photo (left to right): Marziotti, Springsteen, Theiss, Popkin and Manniello. RIGHT Photo: (left to right): Marziotti, Popkin, Theiss, Manniello and Springsteen”

No set details known. ONE show, with THE CASTILES sole act on the bill. Put on by the Western Monmouth County Chamber Of Commerce, located at the time on Main Street in Freehold.

No set details known. ONE show, a monster “battle-of-the-bands” orchestrated by promoter Norman Seldin, featuring over two dozen local groups. All the groups appeared at the same time in a large circle and performed 3 songs each. The 1st Place winner of this contest was THE ROGUES (of Middletown), 2nd place was SONNY & THE STARFIRES (featuring Vini Lopez on drums) and the 3rd place was THE CASTILES. The three winners were given an opportunity to perform at the Roller Drome the following week as part of a major concert headlined by THE CRYSTALS.

“Upper left - newspaper AD for the event. Upper right - Poster for the event, courtesy of Billy Smith.”

No set details known. ONE show, a multi-artist extravaganza promoted by Norman Seldin, headlined by nationally famous artists THE CRYSTALS, THE DOVELLS and THE AD-LIBS. The show featured numerous local bands on the undercard, each playing 2-3 songs. Although the show took place, there remains some confusion as to which local bands actually opened this show. The top prize winners (including The Castiles) from the previous week’s Battle-Of-The-Bands contest were supposed to have played as part of their prize. The advertisement (below) is from prior to the April 22 Band Battle so the local support groups mentioned in this AD may have been altered.

No set details known. ONE show, in very early May, with THE CASTILES the sole act on the bill. Le Teendezvous, a popular club for teenagers that had opened in 1964, would end up being a frequent performing venue for The Castiles and later Springsteen bands during the 1966-69 period. This gig at Le Teendezvous was bass player Frank Marziotti’s final one as a member of the The Castiles. Although the other members didn’t want him to leave, Marziotti was about 10 years older than the others and had his own service station business to run. Marziotti has commented in interview: “After the show a kid came up to me and asked me if I was Bruce’s father. I took that as a sign that it was time for me to go”.

No set details known. Early May rehearsal, tryout and hiring of new bass player, Curt Fluhr to replace the just-departed Frank Marziotti. Curt would end up staying as the group’s bass player until the band dissolved in mid-1968.

LEFT: publicity photo of THE CASTILES taken immediately after Curt Fluhr joined the band in early May 1966. Left to Right: Theiss, Springsteen, Fluhr (with glasses), Popkin and Manniello. RIGHT: a business card for the band which utilized this photo.

Live rehearsals at site - and then formal recording - of two “Springsteen-Theiss” songs, “Baby I” and “That’s What You Get”. Bruce and George wrote both songs in Tex Vinyard’s car on the way to Mr Music, a company that no longer exists but was then-located at 2785 Hooper Ave in what is part of the Brick Mall complex. George Theiss has confirmed that these were the only two songs that Bruce and he ever co-wrote. The recordings were cut directly to disc, which resulted in a significant loss of fidelity compared to how the band actually sounded. Unfortunately no master tape of the rehearsal or recording takes was ever made, although 7 or 8 test pressings of the studio takes were made (at least 4 of which survive).

“As it was – a rare, mid 60’s glimpse inside the control room at Mr Music Studio. That’s Eddy “Doc Holiday” Wohanka (at the time a member of Norman Seldin’s band ‘The Soul Set’, later a member of The Jaywalkers with Garry Tallent and Steve Van Zandt) standing in the control room. Doc did producing and engineering but was not involved in The Castiles’ session. Above right - one of the surviving acetates - signed by Bruce to Billy Smith.

No set details known. ONE show, the 1966 Junior Prom, with THE CASTILES performing at their own high school for the very first time. All 5 then-members of the band (Springsteen, Theiss, Popkin, Fluhr and Manniello) were Juniors at Freehold High School, so this was their own Class Prom.

The Castiles performing in the Woodhaven Swim Club circa late June, 1966. LEFT TO RIGHT: Curt Fluhr (visible between the girls), Springsteen, Paul Popkin and George Theiss. Drummer Vince Manniello is blocked from view. Photo courtesy of Billy Smith. Thanks to George Theiss for confirmation of photo location.

No set details known. This was the grand-opening night at The Surf ‘N’ See Club. ONE show, double bill, with THE CASTILES opening for headliners THE ROGUES, who had been hired as the club’s house band for the months of July and August. As part of its job description The Rogues were to audition any local bands seeking work at the club. In the late morning The Castiles (hoping to land some future bookings) had auditioned for three of the six members of The Rogues (vocalist Thom White, drummer Mike Waters and guitarist John Waasdorp). Although they had not intended to have someone open for them on opening night, Rogues members Thom White and Mike Waters have told BRUCBASE that after listening to a couple of songs they told The Castiles “you might as well leave your equipment here, you’re opening for us tonight”.

"Various promotional material for the July 2, 3, 4, 1966 gala grand opening weekend at the Surf 'N See Club. THE CASTILES are not mentioned in any ADs because they were a last-minute inclusion on the bill on opening night (July 2nd), as the undercard for The Rogues"

No set details known. ONE show, a bizarre multi-artist extravaganza MC’d by popular New York radio personality Gary Stevens, featuring 5 nationally known (but fading in popularity) recording artists - JOHNNY TILOTSON, THE JIVE FIVE, DEAN PARRISH, THE TYMES and THE SHANGRA-LAS. Local bands THE ROGUES and THE VIK-TURS, both of whom had impressed club management at club tryouts in May, received name promotion for the show as well. Several other local area groups (including THE CASTILES) performed brief, 2 or 3 song sets but were not mentioned by name in the pre-concert ADs.

Set details unknown. The Castiles headline at the establishment's "10th Birthday Party". The band opens festivities at 7PM and plays a 90-minute show until darkness and movie time. The featured film was the comedy "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming".

Advert placed in The Courier of 28/07/66-Image coutesy of Dari. Passcard courtesy of It's Only Rock'n'Roll .

No set details known. ONE show, another Gary Stevens/WMCA multi-artist extravaganza billed as the finale of a 3-day “Surfers Holiday at Surf N See” and headlined by the nationally known soul group LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS. The Castiles, who had impressed at the similarly structured July 10th event at the club, were given name promotion and a better (and lengthier) performing slot for this show. Also on the bill was the Steve Van Zandt’s band THE SHADOWS.

“The Castiles (with Bruce deeply tanned and very sharply dressed) performing at the big Surfers Holiday Show at the Surf ‘N’ See Club on Aug 14, 1966. Left to Right: Theiss, Manniello, Springsteen, Popkin and Fluhr. Photo courtesy of Derek.”

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with THE CASTILES co-headlining with THE ROGUES.

No set details known. ONE show, a late summer, Labor Day weekend, “Battle-Of-The Bands”, with THE CASTILES competing for a cash prize with about ten other bands, each playing 2 or 3 songs. The Bandshell was located in the Fifth Avenue Pavillion complex along the shore. The winner of the event was THE SHADOWS (group included Steve Van Zandt). Special thanks to Shadows organist Bruce Gumbert.

THE SHADOWS (both photo's taken in May 1966, shortly after Van Zandt joined the band). Left Photo: Left to Right: John Miller (bass), Bruce Gumbert (organ), Steve Van Zandt (vocals, guitar, maracas), Bob McEvilly (drums), Bud Norris (lead guitar, vocals) and Chris Plunkett (guitar). Right Photo is another shot of the same lineup.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with THE CASTILES co-headlining with THE BERRIES.

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform at a teen dance held at the Recreation Center of the Freewood Acres Fire Department.

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform at a school dance. It was around this time that organist Robert (Bob/Bobby) Alfano joined THE CASTILES. This 6-man lineup of the band with Alfano on organ (Line-up #4) would be the longest-lasting – right up until the band split in mid 1968. Alfano would go on to be a member of Springsteen’s next band, EARTH as well. Prior to joining The Castiles Bob Alfano had been in the 1965-66 Freehold group THE RISING SUNS. He attended Freehold Regional High School as well (he was a year younger and one grade behind all the other members of The Castiles).

“Castiles organist Bob Alfano (bottom left with striped shirt) in an early 1966 photo with his pre-Castiles band THE RISING SUNS”

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform at Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) dance for high school aged teens held in the cafeteria of Springsteen’s Elementary-Jr High School, where he had graduated in May 1963.

No set details known. ONE show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. The various promotional material below advertises separate gigs by THE CHLAN (Wed, Nov 2), THE CASTILES (Thu, Nov 3), THE SHADOWS (Fri, Nov 4) and THE CLIQUE (Sat, Nov 5) – therefore confirming this as 1966. The photo of The Castiles seen in the promo is the one taken onstage at Sea ‘n Surf a few months earlier.

No set details known. ONE show, co-headlining triple bill, featuring THE CASTILES, THE SHADOWS (w/ Steve Van Zandt) and THE CLIQUE. Each band played for about 1 hour.

No set details known. THE CASTILES tryout performance at Café Wha. They passed the audition. This sets in motion what would turn out to be an extensive series of about 30 shows at the club over the next 15 months. Please click on the

tab for an extensive overview of The Castiles’ history at the Café Wha.

Two photos of the legendary Café Wha, both snapped during the 1966-1967 period - (left) photo courtesy of Dari

“Poster advertising The Castiles gig of Nov 26, 1966. The band’s photo displayed on this poster is a cropped version of the snapshot taken on 14/08/66 (see listing)”. Poster courtesy of It's Only Rock'n'Roll .

No set details known. ONE show, triple bill, with THE CASTILES sharing the billing with RUSTY CHAIN and vocal group THE CATALINAS.

"Two slightly different promotional items for the Castiles gig of Dec 3rd, 1966"

No set details known. A typical Castiles performance here would be on one of the weekend afternoons, with the band sharing the bill with one or two other bands. Please click on the “NEWS” tab under the 00/11/66 Café Wha listing for an extensive overview of The Castiles’ history at this club.

"Left: Ad for the respective Castiles/Shadows gigs of December 22/23. Right: The Shadows (that's Steve Van Zandt at the far left) frolicking in the snow in late December 1966, at around the time of these shows. Next to Steve are John Miller, Buddy Norris, Chriis Plunkett and Bob McEvilly - organist Bruce Gumbert is not present. Van Zandt and several others in the band would depart to form "The Source" a few months after this"

No set details known. ONE show, with THE CASTILES the sole act on the bill and performing all evening at a “Sweet 16” birthday bash for a fellow Freehold Regional High School female student. The American Hotel (no longer operating) was then-located at 20 E Main St. Very special thanks to Bob Padilla (brother of the birthday girl) for confirming the exact date.

No set details known. ONE show, with the THE CASTILES performing at a school dance.

No set details known. ONE show, with THE CASTILES playing the “Senior Farewell Dance”. All the band members (except for Bobby Alfano, who had one more year to go) were graduating in 1967. The official graduation ceremony took place on June 19th, although apparently Springsteen didn’t attend and picked up his diploma later.

No set details known. ONE show, a WMCA-AM "Good Guys" Special, held on the Club's 1st birthday. THE CASTILES were the featured local act. This was the 3rd WMCA Spectacular - THE CASTILES had also played at the first two WMCA events at the club in July and August 1966 (see Brucebase listings for details). Note: the See N Surf Club had changed its name in spring 1967, it had previously been called the Surf 'N See Club in 1966.

"Left: Ad for The Castiles gig of July 2, 1967, Right: Steve Van Zandt's band THE SOURCE, who played two nights later at the club. This rare photo, shot in April 1967, features from Left to Right - Chris Plunkett, Bob McEvilly, Bruce Gumbert, John Miller and a top hatted Van Zandt"

No set details known, ONE show, with THE CASTILES the sole act on the bill. Billed as "the YMCA summer teen swim party and dance", with a pool party from 6pm-8pm and then Bruce and the boys performing from 8pm-11pm.

No set details known. ONE (afternoon) show with The CASTILES headlining. Following this gig Springsteen, along with a couple of members of The Castiles, attends an evening BLUES MAGOOS – THE WHO - HERMAN’S HERMITS triple bill concert at the Asbury Park Convention Hall. Bruce attended specifically to check out The Who, as this was the band’s long-delayed, much-anticipated first national USA tour – incredibly they were an undercard to the Hermits. Bruce has mentioned in interview that this was the first time he’d ever seen “name” artists perform live in concert.

Upper left - Generic ad for the See 'N Surf - courtesy of Billy Smith. Upper right - promotion of the Aug 12, 1967 Who gig in Asbury Park - Bruce has stated this was the first time he'd seen one of the major British Invasion bands live, in person.

No set details known. Castiles leader George Theiss has mentioned to Brucebase that sometime in 1967, during one of the Café Wha gigs, THE CASTILES were professionally recorded and filmed performing its set by a South African film crew who were in New York producing a documentary on the Café Wha/Village music scene. This was the only professional film footage of THE CASTILES ever shot (no amateur footage is known). The name of the South African film company and/or its Documentary and what, if any, footage of THE CASTILES may have been in the documentary, or may survive elsewhere – is unknown. Please click on the “NEWS” tab under the 00/11/66 Café Wha listing for an extensive overview of The Castiles’ history at this club.

No set details known. ONE daytime show, with THE CASTILES the sole act and performing at a “beer/keg” party held in an open field on private property in the Freewood Acres area of Howell Township. An attendee has recalled to Brucebase that this was a very large party that swelled to well over 500 people at one point. Castiles member George Theiss has also recalled/confirmed this gig.

FIRE (4:23) / SEE MY FRIENDS (4:31) / CATCH THE WIND (5:38) / OMAHA (2:51) / STEVE'S SONG (4:42) / JEFF'S BOOGIE (2:29) / 2nd set MC introduction - PURPLE HAZE (4:27) / GET OUT OF MY LIFE, WOMAN (1:10, cut) / HOLD ON, I'M COMING (5:41) / YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER (4:25) / ELEANOR RIGBY (6:46) / SUZANNE (4:11, cut) / JEFF'S BOOGIE (2:51)

ONE show, double bill, with PURPUL DYNESTE opening and THE CASTILES headlining. Each band played two 30-minute sets. This was grand opening night at The Left Foot, an "over 13 under 18" club located in the recreation centre of St Peter's Episcopal Church at 37 Throckmorton St. Sadly The Left Foot had a short existence (7 months). This was the first of only 2-ever live appearances by The Castiles at the club – fortunately both appearances were audience recorded by Left Foot Manager (and St Peter’s priest) Fred Coleman on a good quality reel-to reel device.

The above-mentioned 13-song setlist represents The Castiles’ complete song performance in the correct sequence. The entire performance can be found by combining Tracks 3 thru 8 on the CD boot “THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY, VOL 2 (E Street) with Tracks 1 thru 7 on the CD boot “THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY, VOL 1 (E Street). Note: the session details on this CD are not accurate. This bootlegger used a rough downstream generation source tape (running slower than the correct speed and with numerous short edits) and the sound quality is (at best) only fair. Two of the songs heard in the audio are cut prematurely – a flaw in the original master recording, not in later copying. However the sound quality of the original master tape (which does not readily circulate) is dramatically better (very good), with the vocals up front in the mix and good instrument separation.

All 13 songs are covers of other artists’ material, including The Blues Magoos’ “One By One” and Moby Grape’s “Omaha”. The inspiration for often-covered “Get Out Of My Life, Woman” was the Paul Butterfield Blues Band version. Similarly the inspiration for Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne” was the 1966 Judy Collins recording. Although Springsteen may have started out in mid 1965 singing mostly background vocals, it is clear that by this point Bruce is the band’s focal point. Bruce handles the lead vocals on all songs except “Eleanor Rigby”, The Kinks “See My Friends” and The Blues Project’s haunting “Steve’s Song” (all handled by George Theiss). Tex Vinyard, The Castiles’ manager, is heard introducing the band at the start of the 2nd set. Interestingly the group uses The Yardbirds instrumental “Jeff’s Boogie” twice, as both the set closer and show closer.

“Left – a generic club Poster from late 1967. Right – an interior stage area shot with the cool Left Foot logo sign – photo courtesy of Fred Coleman”.

No set details known. ONE show, with THE CASTILES performing at an organizational rally dance sponsored by the Freehold Board of Recreation. The rally was an attempt by some enterprising kids to start another teen club in the area. The news clipping (below) is from the 21/9/67 edition of the ‘Asbury Park Press’.

CIRCUS MARCH (0:08, cut) / ONE BY ONE (2:56) / THE LETTER (2:19) / MR JONES (3:22) / SAN FRANCISCAN NIGHTS (3:54) / OMAHA (2:49) / HEY JOE (1:53, cut) / MY GENERATION (2:50) / LOOK INTO MY WINDOW (1:49, cut) / WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS - WINCHESTER CATHERDRAL (1:19, cut) / WAKE ME, SHAKE ME (1:12, cut) / MORNING DEW / Springsteen announcements (0:18, cut) / TO LOVE SOMEBODY (0:13, cut)

ONE show, double bill, with THE CASTILES headlining. This was the band’s 2nd gig at the club (see 16/09/67). The above-mentioned 13-song setlist represents The Castiles’ complete performance at this show, in the correct song sequence. As was the case two weeks earlier, St Peter’s priest Fred Coleman made an audience recording of the festivities. However the recorder was positioned in a different spot, so the recording did not come out as well as the first show. Unfortunately one song was not recorded (a Springsteen vocal rendition of The Grateful Dead’s arrangement of the Tim Rose/Bonnie Dobson classic “Morning Dew”) and only very brief snippets of six of the other songs were captured. Consequently (and in contrast to the earlier show) only 26 minutes of the band’s 60-minute performance exists on the original master tape.

Most of this show’s recorded audio (minus “Circus March”, “Wake Me, Shake Me”, the Springsteen announcements and “To Love Somebody”) can be found as Tracks 8 thru 16 on the CD boot “THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY, VOL 1 (E Street). Note: the session details on this CD are not accurate. This bootlegger used a rough downstream generation source tape (running slower than the correct speed) and therefore the sound quality is poor. The sound quality of the original master tape (which does not readily circulate) is considerably better (good), although not as nice as the master tape of the 16/09/67 show.

George Theiss takes the lead vocal on “With A Little Help From My Friends”, “San Franciscan Nights” and “The Letter”. The former incorporates a brief instrumental rendition of “Winchester Cathedral” at the end. There were also two original compositions performed at this show. Bruce sings lead on “Mr Jones”, written by organist Bob Alfano. There is also a Springsteen-Theiss creation, “Look Into My Window”, with shared vocals. At one point Bruce calls for requests and someone shouts for “Sidewalk”, a Springsteen creation from 1965 - however the band plays “San Franciscan Nights” instead. Besides the ancient traditional instrumental “Circus March”, other titles (with Springsteen lead vocals) include “Hey Joe”, “My Generation”, The Coasters’ “Wake Me Shake Me” and the evening’s encore, The Bee Gees “To Love Somebody”. Note: This was The Castiles’ final appearance at The Left Foot. Although having only opened in September 1967, The Left Foot’s popularity dropped dramatically in March 1968 when the larger, trendier Freehold Hullabaloo club opened nearby. The Left Foot closed for good in April 1968.

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform at a school dance mixer. Also playing here at a different gig in October or November was Springsteen’s future Steel Mill and E Street Band colleague Danny Federici and his band THE STORY TELLERS (who’d released a single, “Cry To Me / Little Boy Sad”, on the Trystero label earlier in the year).

“Danny Federici’s seen at the far right in this 1967 photo of THE STORY TELLERS. Other members shown are Bill Chinnock (guitar, vocals), Jim Meltzer (lead vocals), Bill Wolf (bass) and Larry Lerner (drums)”.

No set details known. ONE show (8PM to 11:30PM), triple bill, with THE CASTILES, THE SHADOWS and THE ASCOTS doing battle in a “band wars” competition. Judging from the length of the show, each band must’ve performed for about an hour.

"Left: Promotion for The Castiles gig of October 7, 1967. AD courtesy of Billy Smith. Right: A sept 1967 photo of THE SHADOWS, who shared the billing at this show. Band members Left to Right are:- Tommy Dickinson, Richie Hulmes, Kevin Kavanaugh (of later Dr Zoom and Asbury Jukes fame), Garry DeWit and Buddy Norris" - Note Steve Van Zandt had left the group the previous April to form The Source.

The Castiles (organist Bob Alfano is not shown because he snapped the photos!) outside Café Wha. These photos are believed to date from either March or Nov 1967 (probably the latter). In front of the Café Wha sign Left to Right are: Springsteen, Popkin, Fluhr, Theiss, Manniello. On the sidewalk Left to Right are: Manniello, Theiss, Fluhr, Springsteen, Popkin. Photos courtesy Billy Smith

The Castiles (organist Bob Alfano is not seen because he took the photo) inside the Café Wha on the same day in 1967 as the two outside photos shown above. Left to Right are: Fluhr, Popkin, Springsteen (face obscured by the microphone), Theiss and Manniello. Photo courtesy Billy Smith.

No set details known. ONE show, put on by the school’s Cheerleaders, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. Although the year is not visible on the ticket stub (below) the “Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie” song/theme title dates this dance to 1967.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with THE CASTILES opening for out-of-town headliners THE BROADWAYS. The Ocean Side Surf Club was merely the new name for the former Sea 'N Surf Club (name was changed in Nov 67).

No set details known. ONE show, with THE CASTILES the sole act on the bill. On account of school vacation this was an unusual Wednesday night booking at the club.

"LEFT: Promotion for THE CASTILES gig of Dec 27, 1967. RIGHT: Vini Lopez's
1967-68 band MOMENT OF TRUTH, who played here two nights after The Castiles.
That's Vini on the far right."

No set details known. A typical Castiles performance here would be on one of the weekend afternoons, with the band sharing the bill with one or two other bands. However near the end of the group’s time playing at Café Wha they did perform a couple of evening slots with just themselves on bill, as evidenced by the Poster (below). Please click on the “NEWS” tab under the 00/11/66 Café Wha listing for an extensive overview of The Castiles’ history at this club.

No set details known. THE CASTILES perform at the grand opening of the franchise’s Freehold location. This was the third and final Hullabaloo franchise to open in the area – the Middletown Hullabaloo having opened in 1966 and the Asbury Park Hullabaloo having opened in 1967.

SUNLINE / SLUM SENTIMENTS / NEW YORK MORNING LOVE / ALONE / DEATH OF A GOOD MAN / UNTIL THE RAIN COMES / INSIDE THE CASTLE WALLS / UPON THIS DAY / FOR NEVER ASKING / THE VIRGIN FLOWER / A WINTER’S REVELATION IN 9 ILLUSIONS / THE WINDOW / CRYSTAL / THE WAR SONG / CLOUDS

The Off Broad Street Coffee House opened in May 1968 to cater for the burgeoning singer-songwriter music scene taking hold at the time. The club also hired rock bands and provided open mike and hoot nights for aspiring talent of all types. Springsteen is known to have given several solo performances at the club during the May-Oct 1968 period. These performances included an array of folk-orientated songs Bruce had written from late 1967 to mid 1968 - material that didn’t fit into the rock setlists performed by The Castiles (and later Earth). The above-mentioned 15 songs (all Springsteen originals) represent much of his original composition repertoire played at these solo shows during 1968. One of these songs, “Alone”, was co-written by Springsteen and Norman Luck (leader of the band Purpul Dyneste). The Springsteen songwriting style here bears some similarity to the 1967-68 material of Tim Buckley, Leonard Cohen and Donovan - and these artists songs were sometimes intermingled with Springsteen originals during the solo shows.

"A performer onstage at Hoot Night at the Off Broad Street Coffeehouse in June 1968"

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with THE CASTILES opening for eccentric British novelty-rock headliner LORD SUTCH, who had just recently arrived in the USA to tour - along with his bizarre, custom-painted old Rolls Royce “hearse” that he traveled to venues with. The Lord (with a backing band called “The Beautiful Quality”) was performing several club shows in the NJ shore area. George Theiss has confirmed to Brucebase that Sutch (known by some as ‘Screaming’ Lord Sutch) did indeed arrive at the Freehold Hullabaloo in his infamous “hearse”.

No set details known. ONE show, a “Battle Of The Bands” extravaganza held in the gymnasium, featuring a dozen groups, each playing a couple of songs. THE CASTILES, who by mid-1968 were considered respected veterans within the local rock scene, were guest judges (not contestants) and also performed to close the show. Although the year on the ticket stub (below) is partially blotted out, a brief mention of the event in the Long Branch newspaper confirms this as 1968.

“THE CASTILES performing on June 22 at the ‘Off Broad Street’ - a frequent band ‘hangout” during the late spring-summer of 1968. (Left to Right): Springsteen, George Theiss (sporting a new, bearded look) and bassist Curt Fluhr. The other band members were present but just so happen not to be in the panorama. Photo "Copyright 2008 Eric Rudolph". Special thanks to George Theiss for timeline/details assistance”.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, featuring THE CASTILES along with THE BROADWAYS. The Castiles had previously opened for The Broadways at a gig on 22/12/67 (see listing) but they closed this night’s show. The soul-influenced Broadways had evolved from a group called The Uniques that had a 1964 single (with Nick Addeo on lead vocals) on Norman Sledin’s Selsom Records label. Then, as “The Broadways”, they’d released two singles on the MGM label in 1966. The Broadways included vocalists Leon Trent (leader of the longtime Asbury Park-based soul troupe Waterfront) and Billy Brown (who had several R&B hits in the 1970’s with his group The Moments). Brucebase thanks Kirk Shorte, the guitarist for The Broadways, for informing us of this and the following week’s show.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, featuring THE CASTILES along with THE BROADWAYS. As they had the previous week at the club The Castiles played last. Kirk Shorte, the lead guitarist in the backing band that supported the 4-man Broadways vocal quartet at these West End Casino gigs, has mentioned to Brucebase that his amplifier malfunctioned at both this gig and the previous week’s show and that Springsteen was nice enough to let Kirk borrow his equipment on both occasions.

No set details known. TWO shows, double bill, singer Jeannie Clark opening and THE CASTILES closing. The newspaper AD for this show (below) is somewhat deceptive, as its billing “Jeannie Clark and The Castiles” implies they performed together when in fact Jeannie performed separately as the undercard – she did not perform onstage with The Castiles at the show. Jeannie had recently left local band ‘Gross National Product’ in order to pursue a solo folk singing career. Jeannie would end up opening several shows for Springsteen in 1970-71 (see 08/08/70, 11/09/70, 23/10/70, 10/07/71) as well as being one of the ‘Zoomettes’ for the DR ZOOM & THE SONIC BOOM gigs in May 1971.

No set details known. TWO shows, with THE CASTILES headlining. The second last gig for The Castiles, whose members had mutually decided to split up a few weeks earlier - Springsteen having already put together a new group (preliminarily called ‘Earth Band’, but quickly changed to “Earth’) that was ready to make its debut.

No set details known. ONE show, with THE CASTILES the sole act on the bill. This is believed to have been the final-ever performance of The Castiles (excepting a one-off reunion performance at a private wedding reception in the summer of 1969). Castiles founder George Theiss subsequently joined the already established local band RUSTY CHAIN, while Bob Alfano and Vinny Manniello formed SUNNY JIM. Both Curt Fluhr and Paul Popkin (both of whom are now deceased) decided to forgo musical careers.

Left - promotion for The Castiles gig of August 10th, 1968 - Center - photo of The Chlan (who performed the previous night) standing outside Le Teendezvous under it's entrance sign. Thanks to Lelands for the upper right poster."

No set details known. TWO shows (8:00 PM and 10:15 PM) – featuring what is believed to have been the debut public performance of Springsteen’s new band EARTH. The initial lineup of the group consisted of Springsteen (guitars & vocals), John Graham (bass), Michael Burke (drums) and ‘Flash Craig’ (organ). However ‘Flash Craig’ was very quickly replaced by former Castiles organist Bob Alfano. It would be the foursome of Springsteen-Graham-Burke-Alfano that performed most of the gigs during the band’s brief, 6-month existence. Longtime confusion about whether EARTH was a 3-piece or 4- piece group apparently stems from the fact that Bob Alfano occasional had to miss gigs due to other commitments. All the members of EARTH had initially met and jammed informally at The Off Broad Street Coffee House during spring and early summer of 1968. The new group was very blues-rock orientated, in the mould of then-popular outfits such as Cream and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

No set details known. EARTH performs at a private wedding reception held at the Veteran of Foreign Wars building.

FIRE / GET OUT OF MY LIFE, WOMAN / SHAPES OF THINGS / DEAR MR FANTASY / OUTSIDE WOMAN BLUES / SWLABR / CROSSROADS / POLITICIAN / SPOONFUL / TOAD / SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE / PURPLE HAZE / FOXY LADY / SLOW BLUES IN G / FAST BLUES BREAK IN G / THE WAR DRAGS ON / SITTIN’ ON TOP OF THE WORLD / HELP ME / SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING / I’M A MAN / HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN / JEFF’S BOOGIE / ANOTHER MORNING / RIDE ON BABY / BORN TO BE WILD / BACK DOOR MAN

Springsteen (along with fellow EARTH members John Graham and Michael Burke) entered Ocean County College in September 1968. Bruce ended up staying for 3 semesters, dropping out in December 1969 shortly after his parents moved to California. EARTH is believed to have performed several times at Ocean County College during the Sept thru Dec, 1968 period. Springsteen even contributed a piece of poetry to “Seascapes”, the school’s Literary Yearbook.

The 26 above-mentioned songs are taken from the only known EARTH-era repertoire listing (see photo below). The document is likely to have been created by Springsteen in September or October 1968. The amount of tracks displayed, their sequencing, plus the header and numbering notation by Bruce – all point to this as being an inventory of Earth’s live repertoire of “cover” material. For this reason it is of greater historical significance than an individual gig setlist, particularly in that no EARTH audio is circulating.

A few of these songs are performance holdovers from the THE CASTILES era. Since Earth was a 3-piece band it’s hardly surprising that material from both Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience (the era’s two premier 3-piece bands) are abundantly represented. Most are well known songs. However there are several obscurities. “Slow Blues in G” and ‘Fast Blues Break in G” are public domain titles, likely influenced by Eric Clapton’s arrangements during his 1965-66 Bluesbreakers period. There is also Donovan’s protest anthem “The War Drags On”, plus Cream’s “Swlabr” and ‘Toad”. “Help Me” is a track from Ten Years After’s 1967 debut LP. “Another Morning” is courtesy of The Moody Blues. From a timeline standpoint the latest released song titles are Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild” (July 68) and Cream’s “Politician” (Aug 68).

No set details known. TWO shows (8:30 PM and 10:30 PM) – with EARTH the sole act on the bill.

“LEFT: Ultra rare Poster for the EARTH gig of September 13, 1968, featuring an artist’s drawing of Springsteen as he looked in mid-1968. This Poster emanates from the collection of a 1968 employee of The Off Broadstreet Coffeehouse. RIGHT: an advertisement for the show from the local Red Bank newspaper”.

No set details known. ONE show, with EARTH the sole act on the bill. The band performed a 2hr show consisting of four 30-minute sets with intermissions between sets.

FLY AGAINST THE WIND / HEY JOE / IT’S TOO LATE / THE EARTH IS BROKEN / CARNIVAL SONG / TROUBADOUR / WAYFARING STRANGER / INSIDE THE CASTLE WALLS / IF I NEEDED SOMEONE

TWO shows, double bill, with BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN headlining and performing solo/acoustic and a folk group called THE FOUNDERS opening. The newspaper AD (below) is somewhat deceiving, as it implies both acts performed together when in fact they performed separately.

The above-mentioned 9-song setlist emanates from an alleged 83-minute audience recording of Springsteen performing solo and live, sometime in 1968. The audio is not specifically linked to this show – details have been placed here merely as a logical reference point. A private collector claims to have this audio in their collection (obtained many, many years ago). The sound quality is alleged to be quite good. Brucebase was informed of the audio several years ago and was provided with basic details of titles/running time by the actual collector who claims to have it. However Brucebase has been unable to listen to even snippets of the audio and, as such, we cannot verify that the claim is genuine. Intriguingly however, one of the song titles provided, “Inside The Castle Walls” has subsequently turned out to be a verified Springsteen composition from this era (see 00/05/68 listing in Brucebase). The existence of this composition only became known in 2005, which lends some credence (but not compelling proof) to the claim the audio is real. Some of the titles from the setlist are covers – “If I Needed Someone” is a Beatles tune, “Hey Joe” was covered by several artists in the mid-late 60’s (most famously by Jimi Hendrix) and “Wayfaring Stranger” is a traditional song. “Fly Against The Wind” and “It’s Too Late” are titles we have been unable to match to any artists of the period. The remaining three, “The Earth Is Broken”, “Carnival Song” and “Troubadour”, are known 1967-68 songs titles by singer/songwriter Tim Buckley – a favorite of Springsteen’s at the time.

No set details known. ONE show, featuring EARTH. Held in the school’s Student Union “Coffehouse”. According to some recollections EARTH had a split musical personality – they played hard rock at some shows but at other gigs played softer, introspective, singer-songwriter material by the likes of Tim Buckley and Leonard Cohen (material that Bruce was also playing at his solo acoustic shows during this period).

When EARTH formed in August 1968 it did not have a promoter/manager for the first few weeks. However sometime during September EARTH started being looked after by Francis “Fran” Duffy and Rick “Spanky” Spachner (spelled Spaahner on some memorabilia). Both Duffy and Spachner ran a music and concert promotion and management business called “Ooze & Oz Productions”. Other bands that were in the Ooze & Oz stable included BROTHER DUCK, THE CLIQUE, SIDEWALK THEORY and BLACK RIVER CIRCUS.

“LEFT: handbill promoting Earth that was probably handed out at various shows. CENTRE: an artist’s psychedelic drawing of the three members of Earth, as displayed on a 1968 handbill. RIGHT an Ooze & Oz promotional flyer promoting Earth.”. Thanks to Lelands for the upper left image.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with EARTH headlining and EUPHRATES opening.

No set details known. ONE show, with EARTH the sole act on the bill. The band performed a 2hr show consisting of four 30-minute sets with intermissions between sets.

No set details known. Two Ocean County College students book EARTH (as the only act) into this major, 1,800-seat venue. Not only is the band completely unknown in the New York City area, but it’s is a long trip for the group's modest New Jersey fan base. Consequently a week or so prior to the show less than 100 tickets have been sold. With the student would-be promoters unable to get out of their contract with the hotel and facing financial disaster, support rallies are held on the OCC campus. The College administration chips in and organizes free bus transportation to all who buy tickets in advance. The rallies prove a success and the show turns out to be a near sellout. Bruce has recounted this show as the largest crowd he'd performed in front of up to this point in his career, and the high point of EARTH's tenure as a band.

No set details known. Co-manager Francis Duffy is able to get EARTH hired for a small band performance role in very low budget movie being made under the work-in-progress title of “N.Y.P.D. – Now You’re Practically Dead”. This was not a public concert performance, as the film’s director apparently rented Fillmore East as the shoot location. During EARTH’s performance scene a naked girl dances onstage amongst Bruce and the band. A brother of EARTH bassist John Graham has recently confirmed to Brucebase that the above-mentioned events did indeed occur. The film was never released. The film’s director, the film company involved and the possible whereabouts of any surviving footage – these all remain a mystery.

No set details known. ONE show, with EARTH the sole act on the bill. The band performed a 2hr show consisting of four 30-minute sets with intermissions between sets.

No set details known. ONE show, held in the Student Union, with EARTH the sole act on bill. It was during Jan 1969, the start of Bruce’s 2nd semester at OCC, that two Springsteen poems (“My Lady” and “untitled”) were published in SEASCAPES, the school’s Literary Yearbook.

No set details known. ONE show, billed as the “St Valentines Day Massacre”, with EARTH the sole advertised act. The very rare Posters (below) tell the story – this show was originally scheduled for the Paddock Lounge but was shifted to the larger IAMA (Italian American Mens Association) venue in order to accommodate strong ticket demand. Drummer Vini Lopez, looking to start a new band, attended this show to watch Bruce in action, setting in motion a chain of events that would quickly see the formation of new band CHILD. This was seemingly the last-ever EARTH gig.

“LEFT: Poster advertising the original Paddock Lounge venue. CENTER: alternate Poster, with stunning design by artist Chuck Kupscuk, also advertising the original Paddock Lounge venue. RIGHT: revised Poster, promoting the change to the IAMA venue.”
Upper left & center poster images courtesy of It's Only Rock'n'Roll Upper right poster courtesy of Billy Smith.

No set details known. Springsteen performance, although it is unclear if this was a guest appearance or an advertised gig.

“Springsteen onstage at Le Teendezvous. This photo, which hung on the wall of the club during 1969 and 1970, is likely to emanate from a very early 1969 appearance during the transition period between bands EARTH and CHILD”.

No set details known. An evening jam session featuring Springsteen, Vini Lopez, Danny Federici and Vinnie Roslin – the beginnings of what was would very quickly become a new band called CHILD (name changed to “STEEL MILL” in late 1969). The Upstage had opened for a business a year earlier (Feb 1968) and was steadily becoming a popular late night hangout for local musicians. Click on NEWS for a brief history of the early Upstage period.

“LEFT: Upstage co-owner Margaret Potter, as seen on a handbill announcing the Feb 1968 grand opening. Courtesy of Billy Smith. RIGHT: Upstage co-owner Tom Potter, as seen in a mid 1970 newspaper promo. CENTER: the original Upstage & Green Mermaid ‘sidewalk sandwich board’ that enticed folks to drop in. Courtesy of Jeff Norman"

No set details known. Springsteen, Lopez, Roslin and Federici again gather for some late night jamming/rehearsals.

CHILD-STEEL MILL members Vini Lopez (left, front) and Danny Federici (left, rear) in a mid-1968 publicity shot of their previous group THE DOWNTOWN TANGIERS BAND. Bassist Wendell John (right, front) and guitarist Bill Chinnock (right, standing) round out the lineup. The Downtown Tangiers Band had broken up in late 1968, which resulted in Lopez and Federici hooking up with Springsteen and Roslin to form ‘Child’.

The legendary Pandemonium opened for business on Feb 14, 1969. “Jam Sessions’ (i.e. Talent Quests) were held on several Thursday evenings during the clubs first couple of months of operation. An event on this night is noted in the local paper as attracting “a variety of young local musicians”, some seeking an opportunity to receive paid bookings at the new club. It is believed that Springsteen, perhaps with some members of what was about to become (or had just become) “CHILD”, may have performed on this night. Whatever the exact details may be, CHILD would become hot property at the club within a few weeks.

Promotion for the Feb 14, 1969 grand opening of Pandemonium – plus the earliest publicity photo of CHILD, shot inside Pandemonium in March 1969. (Left to Right) Springsteen, Federici, Lopez and Roslin

Complete set details are not known. CHILD conducts it first rehearsal at new manager Carl “Tinker” West’s surfboard factory. Tinker, a legendary surfboard designer/shaper with San Diego-based Challenger West Surfboards, had come to the Jersey shore in 1966 to set up a Challenger East business. Tinker (a guitarist and skilled harp player in his own right) had recently set up a concert promotion business called “Blah Productions”. Tinker was interested in new artists who performed their own songs. It was Vini Lopez who knew Tinker and brought Bruce to meet him - resulting in Tinker agreeing to manage the group. Vini Lopez has mentioned the Springsteen composition “Jennifer” as one of the songs played at this Challenger rehearsal.

“As it looked like in the late 60’s - the legendary Challenger East factory, the major Springsteen rehearsal center and band hangout from 1969 thru mid 1971. That’s Tinker West second from the left, with several members of Challenger’s Pro Surfing Team”.

No set details known. ONE show, 9:30PM to 2AM, with CHILD the sole act on the bill. A typical performance at this venue consisted of 4 or 5 sets with extended rest breaks in between (total on-stage time about 2½ hrs).

Set details unknown. One show, with CHILD the sole act on the bill. The Hullabaloo Club in Asbury Park would soon close down and re-emerge in the same location, under new ownership and renamed "The Sunshine In".

No set details known. ONE show, 9:00PM to 1AM, with CHILD the sole act on the bill. A typical performance at this venue consisted of 3 or 4 sets with breaks in between (total on-stage time about 2 hrs).

No set details known. ONE show, a multi-artist outdoor event lasting all day, with CHILD performing early in the afternoon.

No set details known. ONE afternoon outdoor show with a multi-artist lineup, featuring (in the following running order) TRACK, BROTHER DUCK, SOUTHERN CONSPIRACY and CHILD – plus a closing acoustic performance by several Monmouth folk music students.

“CHILD – benefiting from some lovely spring weather at the rear of Wilson Hall on May 11, 1969 and delivering what the school’s newspaper called “a wild, mind-bending show”. Danny Federici is positioned at the extreme left and not quite visible in the panorama.”

No set details known. ONE show, 9:00PM to 12AM, with CHILD the sole act on the bill. A typical performance at this venue consisted of 3 or 4 sets with breaks in between (total on-stage time about 2 hrs).

No set details known. THREE shows (7PM, 10:30PM and 12:30AM), double bill, with CHILD opening for headliner THE JAMES COTTON BAND. This was the first time Pandemonium hosted a nationally known artist. The early show was reserved for minors (no alcohol). As the undercard Child’s performances were limited to about 45 minutes, although they probably played longer for the first show. An important early gig for Bruce, as the band recieved considerable exposure. Notice the photo of Springsteen and Federici standing in front of large billboard poster for this show.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with CHILD headlining and NICK ADDEO opening. The news item is from the May 31, 1969 APP and is only generic, but gives a unique glimpse into the club as it really was back then.

Complete set details are not known, although the three above-mentioned songs are from a fan recollection that's deemed reliable. "Jennifer" is a known Springsteen composition from the period that has yet to circulate on any tape. This is CHILD's first trip to Richmond and this is a free outdoor concert. New Jersey band BROTHER DUCK also makes the trip and opens the show. CHILD's performance here has huge impact and many more trips to Richmond will follow over the next 18 months. MERCY FLIGHT drummer Davy Hazlett is in the audience.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with CHILD headlining and NICK ADDEO opening. The double billing allowed CHILD enough time to drive back from its daytime outdoor gig in Richmond.

No set details known. ONE show (held in the gym), double bill, with CHILD headlining and TRACKS opening. Apparently this was a graduation dance concert for 8th graders orchestrated by the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, who ran this small private school located near Atlantic City. The lineup of TRACKS included bassist Peter Sweval and drummer Jeff Grob (a.k.a. Joe Dube), both of who would soon form the popular early 70’s band LOOKING GLASS and then pioneering late 70’s metal outfit STARZ.

No set details known. ONE evening show, with CHILD the sole act on the bill. This small coffeehouse only had a brief existence and closed a few months after these shows.

This was the night that men first walked on the moon and numerous TV monitors were installed within the Club for the occasion. This created a major distraction during CHILD’s performance, which upset some of the band members. An ensuing argument over the issue took place between the band and the Club’s manager – and this turned out to be the last-ever CHILD gig at this establishment. NOTE: Pandemonium eventually ceased operation in March 1971. The premises re-emerged under new ownership on May 28, 1971 as “John Barleycorn”, a top-40-only disco. Norman Seldin & The Joyful Noyze (in its pre-Clarence Clemons incarnation) headlined at the John Barleycorn grand opening.

No set details known. ONE evening show with CHILD the sole act on the bill. This 3-day Child residency at the Student Prince coincided with historic Woodstock Music Festival taking place in upstate New York (Aug 15-17, extended to the 18th). The band members wanted to attend Woodstock but were unable to due to these Student Prince gig commitments. However Child’s manager/sound engineer, Tinker West, did manage to attend the festival. Interestingly Led Zeppelin was unable to perform at Woodstock due in part to a gig commitment at the Asbury Park Convention Hall on this same night.

Manager Carl “Tinker” West, on his famous “bandmobile”, surveying the scene at Woodstock on August 16, 1969

A long-rumored CHILD gig - but in fact the group did not play and were never scheduled to. This was a double bill headlined by ‘Janis Joplin & The Kosmic Blues Band’ (fresh from her appearance at the Woodstock Festival), with the James Cotton Band opening the show. All the members of CHILD attended the show, along with Tinker West (also just back from Woodstock) – they were guests of the James Cotton Band and hung out backstage with everyone after the show. But they did not perform.

No set details known. ONE show, 8PM, with CHILD the sole act on the bill. This venue put on both indoor and outdoor shows. Since this was an evening gig it was likely held indoors.

No details known. Labor Day summer holiday weekend. An all day show featuring several local bands on the bill, along with CHILD. There was also a jam session at the end of the day featuring different members of different bands together. Held on a makeshift stage on the beach in the northern section of East Long Branch that was nicknamed by locals as ‘Freak (Freek) Beach’.

“CHILD providing end-of-summer entertainment by the sea on Labor Day, 1969. Thanks to Pete for the upper right photo.”

No set details known. One show, with CHILD having sole billing. Held indoors at the University's "Center" (a venue that would later change it’s name to “The String Factory” in May 1970)

Two pictures of CHILD (Springsteen-Lopez-Federici-Roslin) taken at the same photo-shoot in Richmond in late September 1969 following these Sept 19-20 shows. In one of the photos Vini is holding Tinker West’s dog ‘JD Whoofer’ – the band’s mascot of sorts.

SISTER THERESA (3:52) / RESURRECTION (8:05) / GARDEN STATE PARKWAY BLUES (19:34, end cut) / THE WAR IS OVER (11:10) / KT-88 (3:45) / GOIN DOWN SLOW (15:22)

ONE show, held indoors at the University’s “Center”, with CHILD the lone act on the bill. The above-mentioned setlist is taken from a circulating 62-minute indoor audience recording of only fair sound quality. This is currently the earliest known CHILD-STEEL MILL audio in circulation. This audio first surfaced over 27 years ago but quickly became cannibalized in the tape trading pool. In 1977 two of these tracks (“Sister Theresa” and “Resurrection”) appeared on the vinyl boot “RESURRECTED” without any source information. The remainder of the audio has never been issued on any mainstream LP (or CD) boot and since the early 1980’s has tended to circulate with tracks missing. Fortunately it has begun to circulate again in recent years on CDR in its original 62-minute edition. There are discernable edits between tracks and this is not the complete show, which is likely to have lasted about 90 minutes and included 2 or 3 additional songs. However it is all the audio from this gig that is known to exist. All songs are complete except for “Garden State Parkway Blues”, which is faded out prematurely and could be missing several minutes. “KT-88”, an instrumental, is introduced by Bruce as a new creation. This is the only circulating performance of “Sister Theresa” and the flute-like sound heard on this track (and others in this show) is a recorder being played by Vini Lopez.

Over the years there has been considerable speculation regarding the time and location of this audio. The earliest traded specimens of this audio identified the source as a date-unspecified 1969 gig a Richmond club called “The String Factory”. Since no verified gig date at The String Factory was found in any early timeline sources, some collectors began assigning the audio to other gig dates. Consequently this audio has been linked to a plethora of shows from 1969 and 1970. It turns out that the early source identification was fairly accurate. This material is indeed from 1969 in Richmond – but it’s from “The Center”, which changed its name to “The String Factory” in the fall of 1970. This performance is prior to March 1970, as it features Vinnie Roslin on bass and background vocals. Although there were several shows at The Center during the Vinnie Roslin era, the sound of a heavy thunderstorm can be heard outside the building during “Garden State Parkway Blues” - this allows the candidate gigs from the winter months to be eliminated. Note: this audio may be from the previous evening’s performance on the 19th.

No set details known. CHILD performs as part of Monmouth College's 1st national Vietnam Moratorium Protest Day Program.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, held in the VCU Gym, with CHILD headlining and Richmond band RAIN opening. Following this show the band returned to New Jersey only to learn that another progressive rock band from Long Island, NY was not only using the name “Child”- they’d also just released an album under that name on the Roulette Records label. Consequently this Nov 1st gig is believed to have been the last gig performed prior to the band’s decision to change its name from Child to “Steel Mill” (a name suggested by a friend of Vini Lopez). For the remainder of November and December the group’s promotional material tended to incorporate both names in order to minimize confusion.

No set details known. ONE show, held outside the Student Union Building starting at 11AM, with CHILD-STEEL MILL performing a brief set. There were several folk singers that also performed short sets. This morning event was the start of Monmouth College’s day long Vietnam Peace Offensive – a prelude to the 2nd major National Moratorium demonstration held in Washington, DC the following day. At midnight rented buses were waiting to transport people down to Washington. It is believed that some (or all) members of Child-Steel Mill traveled in the buses to Washington.

No set details known. One show, with STEEL MILL headlining and MERCY FLIGHT opening for them for the first time (as substitutes for the billed MORNING DISASTER, who cancelled). Held indoors at the University's "Center".

No set details known. One show, triple billing, held in the school's 3,500-seat Crenshaw Gymnasium. CHILD-STEEL MILL (who were paid $650) have second billing to headliner, CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY (who were paid $3,000). Richmond band NATURAL WILDLIFE opens the show. This concert had an unusal "alternating sets" structure. CHICAGO performed two 45-minute sets and CHILD-STEEL MILL played about 45 minutes AFTER each of CHICAGO's sets. Very strange indeed. The concert was not a sellout. Note: press surrounding this show used the name "Child", not "Steel Mill", although posters may have been adjusted to accomodate the new band name.

No set details known. One show, triple billing, held in the school's 3,500- seat Crenshaw Gymnasium. This concert (the second in two nights) was part of a major sporting and cultural activities weekend at Randolph-Macon. CHILD-STEEL MILL (who were paid $650) have second billing to headliner IRON BUTTERFLY (who were paid a whopping $7,500 - that's substantial for this time period). Richmond band NATURAL WILDLIFE opens the show. Unlike the previous night this concert had a traditional performing structure. CHILD-STEEL MILL played about 60 - 70 minutes. The concert was not a sellout and lost money. Note: press surrounding this show used the name "Child", not "Steel Mill", although posters and handbills may have been adjusted to accommodate the name change.

No set details known. ONE show, 8:30PM, double bill, with STEEL MILL headlining and SOUTHERN CONSPIRACY opening. The extremely rare gig-specific custom Poster (bottom right) mentions “Steel Mill is Child under an assumed name” – an indication of the short-term confusion caused by the band’s forced name change.

No set details known. ONE show, with Steel Mill the sole act on the bill – a farewell gig prior to the band leaving on its much-anticipated trip to the west coast. Bassist Vinnie Roslin, in a Backstreets Magazine interview, has commented: "we had one last gig at Tinker's surfboard factory to raise enough money for the trip to California".

No set details known. ONE show, held outdoors, probably with other performers on the bill. According to individual comments made by Springsteen, Lopez and Roslin this "concert" seems to have been a New Years Eve party that had been planned before the band arrived at Esalen. The band hung around Big Sur for about a week (staying in a log cabin) before heading up to the San Francisco area.

Page created February 1997 updated June 26, 2008