Bruce Springsteen 1972

BOTTLE OF RED WINE (3:58) / YOU KNOW MY LOVE (11:56) / WHY'S IT SO HARD (11:34) / CONFESSIN' THE BLUES (13:50) / SWEET MISS SALLY (9:32)

No set details known. ONE show, triple bill, with THE SUNDANCE BLUES BAND opening for INFERNO and headliner RUBY FALLS & THE ROCK-CITY BAND. This was the opening of a 3-night residency for Sundance Blues Band – and the group’s only-ever performances at this venue. The line-up of the Sundance Blues Band for this residency was Southside Johnny, Van Zandt, Tallent, Lopez and David Sancious. Springsteen, who had only just returned from a month-long stay in California, joined the band onstage for elements of this and the following two nights shows.

The above - mentioned setlist is taken from a fairly recently unearthed audience recording of very good to excellent quality that is close to soundboard standard and makes for enjoyable listening. Although the audio has now been positively linked to this residency, it is not yet established from which of the three nights it emanates. There are discernible edits between songs so this may be a “compilation” of material from one or more of these three nights. There doesn’t sound as if there are more than a few dozen people in the audience – consistent with the group being the early evening opener for this residency.

Vini Lopez handles the lead vocal on Eric Clapton’s “Bottle Of Red Wine”. Steve Van Zandt provides the Greg Allman-ish vocal on Willie Dixon’s “You Know My Love” (mentioned as being inspired by Otis Rush’s cover version). A highlight is the mesmerizing “Why’s It So Hard”, written by Springsteen but sung here by Southside Johnny (there’s no Bruce-led vocal rendition in circulation). David Sancious’ organ playing on this track is nothing short of spellbinding. Springsteen provides the lead vocal on Walter Brown’s immortal “Confessin’ The Blues” and John Lee Hooker’s boogie romp “Sweet Miss Sally”. Bruce is playing rhythm guitar on all tracks. Note: this material tends to circulate under a variety of dates, sometimes with audio from other 1971 shows added on.

No set details known. ONE show, triple bill, with THE SUNDANCE BLUES BAND opening for INFERNO and headliner RUBY FALLS & THE ROCK CITY BAND. The line-up of the Sundance Blues Band for these shows was Southside Johnny Van Zandt, Tallent, Lopez and David Sancious. Springsteen guests on guitar and vocals. Note: Although it probably wasn’t planned as such, this night’s gig is believed to have been the final ever performance of The Sundance Blues Band.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND opening for headliner POWERS FLOWER (a local musical troupe that performed an adaptation of the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar). Although billed as the undercard, Springsteen actually closed the show.

DOWN TO MEXICO / I REMEMBER / ALL I WANNA DO IS DANCE / BLESS MY SOUL / MAGIC LOVING / LOVE IS A CRAZY THING / THE BAND’S JUST BOPPIN’ THE BLUES / JUST CAN’T CHANGE / WHEN YOU DANCE / LIKE A STRANGER / MAKE UP YOUR MIND / COWBOYS OF THE SEA / SOMETHING YOU GOT / DARKNESS DARKNESS / IT’S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE / DOWN THE ROAD APIECE / BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY / SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD / I’M INTO SOMETHING GOOD – TAKE OUT SOME INSURANCE

ONE show, with THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. This was opening night of 9-show residency that encompassed three of the four weekends in February. The above-mentioned 19-songs are culled from circulating audience audio from the 9-show residency that would seem to encompass parts of four of these nine shows – consequently there are multiple performances of some songs (a total of 25 recordings encompassing 229 minutes). Most of these 25 recordings have been in circulation since the mid 1980’s and more than half have been issued on various mainstream bootleg titles. The remainder of the audio is only circulating via private CDR sources. The overall sound quality is good.

The so-called “Backdoor Club Tapes” represent some of the most perplexing live audio to sort out, primarily due to the fact that nearly all the between-song audio appears to have been cut by the original taper prior to the audio entering into collector circulation. Because of the lack of audio continuity it is extremely difficult to tell which recordings emanate from which shows - and virtually impossible to decipher the correct running order. Although the shows of Feb 4th and 26th are often cited on trade lists, these two dates appear to based on the fact that for many years these were the only two dates known to have been played at the club. It is now known the residency was much longer, so this material could be from any of the shows. However it is more likely that most of it comes from the final weekend’s performances.

Southside Johnny was a guest on the first weekend. However Southside’s harp playing is only heard on one track, “Bright Lights Big City”. Bruce handles the harmonica on “Just Cant Change”, one of his better songwriting efforts of 1971. Two other standout songs are “Like A Stranger” and “Make Up Your Mind”. The most interesting track is the full band version of “Cowboys Of The Sea” – a song that clearly foreshadows the change of lyric style that Bruce was adopting at the time. NOTE: For complete details on all the various Backdoor Club audio click HERE.

ONE show, with the BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. The 2nd of 9 shows held at the club during February. Note: see 04/02/72 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.

ONE show, with the BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. The 3rd of 9 shows held at the club during February. Note: see 04/02/72 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with the BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND headlining and SOUTHERN CONSPIRACY opening. Livingston College is a sister school to nearby Rutgers University and this show took place inside the LC Student Center. The promoter of this show was Randy Jewkes, the then-manager of “Room II”, a Point Pleasant Coffee House often frequented by members of the BSB during this period. Special thanks to Sandy Mack for details about this show.

12/02/72 - THE SUNSHINE IN, ASBURY PARK, NJ

No set details known. TWO shows, double bill, with The Bruce Springsteen Band opening for headliner CRAZY HORSE (Neil Young’s occasional backing band). Note: Due to recent information supplied to Brucebase the audio once believed to have emanated from this show can now be found under the listing for 17/03/72.

ONE show, with the BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. The 4th of 9 shows held at the club during February. Note: see 04/02/72 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.

ONE show, with the BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. The 5th of 9 shows held at the club during February. Note: see 04/02/72 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.

ONE show, with the BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. The 6th of 9 shows held at the club during February. Note: see 04/02/72 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.

ONE show, with the BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. The 7th of 9 shows held at the club during February. Note: see 04/02/72 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.

ONE show, with the BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. The 8th of 9 shows held at the club during February. Note: see 04/02/72 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.

ONE show, with the BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. The 9th of 9 shows held at the club during February. Note: see 04/02/72 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency

No set details known. ONE show, with THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. Tickets and promotional material for this dance stated “Saint Joseph’s presents a mixer, featuring Bruce Springsteen”. Although this billing moniker hints at a solo performance, senior faculty at Saint Joeseph’s (including one of the event monitors) have confirmed to BRUCEBASE that Springsteen performed the entire show with his band.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with The Bruce Springsteen Band (Springsteen-Van Zandt-Sancious-Tallent-Lopez) headlining. The opening group, ALBEE & THE HIRED HANDS, featured a lineup on this night of Albee Tellone (acoustic guitar, vocals), Dennis Monahan (bass), Kevin Kavanaugh (keyboards), former Castiles drummer Vinny Manniello (drums) - plus BSB member Steve Van Zandt on lead guitar. Van Zandt played for both groups this night. He was an on and off member of Albee’s band during mid 71-mid 72 when the BSB’s schedule permitted it. Manniello had joined (replacing Bobby Williams) in Feb 72 but his gig turned out to be Manniello’s final show in Albee’s band. There were power problems during this concert that affected some of the BSB’s instruments. The promoter of this show was Randy Jewkes, the then-proprietor of “Room II”, a Point Pleasant Coffee House. Special thanks to Sandy Mack and Albee Tellone for the details.

“Two snaps of Albee & The Hired Hands taken in Jan 1972 at a Monmouth University gig, with Steve Van Zandt on lead guitar and Albee fronting the band on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. That’s Bobby Williams on drums. Thanks to Albee Tellone for the photos”

DON’T YOU WANT TO BE AN OUTLAW (6:57) / IT’S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE (11:30) / WHEN YOU DANCE (13:35) / LOOK TOWARDS THE LAND (9:50) / I’VE GOT TO HAVE YOU BABY (5:39) / FUNK SONG (6:25)

The above mentioned 6 songs are taken from audio of a BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND rehearsal. The band line-up is Van Zandt-Sancious-Tallent-Lopez. In addition to the 55 minutes of music there are nearly 7 minutes of fascinating between-song banter, much of it between Springsteen and Tinker West, who Bruce jokingly refers to as “Stinky”. Tinker appears to be testing some new recording equipment. The sound quality is uniformly excellent. It is evident from the discussions that the rehearsals had been going on for some time before the recording starts. It should be noted that this is not Challenger’s more famous Wanamassa location that Bruce had lived in during the 1969-70 Steel Mill era. Tinker West had relocated the factory to Highlands, NJ in mid-1971 and had then constructed a more professional rehearsal room.

The standout track here is “When You Dance”. Although rough quality live renditions exist, this is a clear rendition, with astounding Springsteen-Van Zandt dual lead guitar interplay. Noteworthy as well is “Funk Song” (also known as “Funk Says Right On”). There are no live renditions of “Funk Song” from this period circulating, however Bruce surprisingly resurrected it during a few shows early on the Born To Run Tour (see gig listings for 23/07/75, 29/07/75 and 08/08/75). In addition to the Dylan song, there is also a cover of “I’ve Got To Have You Baby”, an obscure 1956 R&B single by Jimmy Jones & The Pretenders. The complete 62 minutes of audio is currently in limited circulation. However two of these six recordings have been in wide circulation for some time. “Look Towards The Land” first surfaced on boot “BOUND FOR GLORY” (Flamingo), albeit in vastly reduced sound quality to that found on the master tape. “Don’t You Want To Be An Outlaw” (also known by the titles “Jesse James” or “Billy”) first surfaced on “DEEP DOWN IN THE VAULTS” (E Street). The sound quality on the DDITV boot is only slightly reduced from the master tape. In early 2007 the soundboard of all 6 songs finally surfaced (in excellent quality) into the mainstream collector market via the title ‘UBER SERIES 22’

DO IT WITH A FEELING (10:30) / COMING HOME (7:42) / CHEROKEE QUEEN (5:57) / LOOK TOWARDS THE LAND (10:43) / NOT FADE AWAY – BO DIDDLEY’S A GUNSLINGER (8:47) / MOUNTAIN JAM – WHEN YOU DANCE (13:01, start-end cut) / GOIN’ BACK TO GEORGIA (6:10) / GOT MY MOJO WORKIN’ (7:48) / IT’S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE (12:01)

ONE show, quadruple bill, with the Bruce Springsteen Band opening the evening’s festivities for BANG, THE MIKE QUATRO JAM BAND and MITCH RYDER & DETROIT. This was a festival-styled show, with each act allocated 80 – 90 minute time slots. Although Mitch Ryder was top-billed it was electronic space music favorite Mike Quatro (70’s rocker Suzi Quatro’s brother) who performed last. In an attempt to minimize the 6,500-seat Richmond Arena’s notorious echo problems the promoter revamped the seating layout to 4,500. However an article in the following day’s paper noted a turnout of only about 1,000. A newspaper review of the show briefly mentions Springsteen and notes the wide variety of styles performed in his set. The audio evidence certainly supports that assessment.

The above-mentioned 9-song setlist, some of it not necessarily in the correct performing sequence, is culled from 83 minutes of good quality soundboard audio. Most of this audio has been in collector circulation since the early 1980’s, although it tended to circulate in bits and pieces and only “Cherokee Queen” has appeared on any mainstream bootleg. “Cherokee Queen” (the only circulating audio rendition) was pressed on acetate as a Sioux City publishing demo later in 1972. Recently (in 2007) a veteran collector discovered an old tape, long overlooked in his collection, that contained a previously undocumented, additional song from this show (the Springsteen-written “Coming Home”) that is one of the performance highlights.

For many years this show’s audio was incorrectly attributed to a Nov 1970 Steel Mill gig in Richmond. However this is not Steel Mill, as Robbin Thompson is not present, Springsteen and Van Zandt share lead guitar duties and David Sancious is on keyboards. Springsteen plays piano on both “Cherokee Queen” and “Look Toward The Land” (with Sancious handling organ). Unfortunately both the opening and closing couple of minutes of “Mountain Jam – When You Dance” is cut and not circulating complete. Although bottom billed some loyal Springsteen fans were present at this show. For the first encore voices can be heard near the front of the stage yelling for “Resurrection” (a song Bruce stopped playing when Steel Mill folded). Bruce doesn’t oblige, but instead delivers “Goin’ Back To Georgia” – itself rarely played by the BSB. Bruce performs a condensed arrangement, without any band harmony vocals.

The program cover and inside section for the Richmand show 17th March 1972 - courtesy of Billy Smith.
Upper right AD Courtesy of Ray Bonis. Lower right is the newspaper review of the gig on March 17, 1972

No set details known. ONE show, with THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND the sole act on the bill. This gig was mentioned in both a pre-concert article and a letter-to-the-editor in the school’s newspaper during the lead up to Springsteen’s 28/09/73 concert appearance at the school.

Springsteen gives an unadvertised 45-minute SOLO performance (on a grand piano rented specifically for Bruce by promoter Victor Wasylczenko). Headliner for this show was SUNNY JIM, with TUMBLEWEED the opener. It should be noted that there were two High Schools serving the Freehold area and Freehold Township H.S. is not the one Bruce graduated from in June 1967. Springsteen performed in between both groups and he ended his performance with "Grandpa's Gone Down", a song Bruce mentioned to the audience he had just written and a composition only otherwise known from Appel-Cretecos song inventory documents – i.e., it hasn’t surfaced among the pool of early demos Bruce recorded. The remaining song titles Bruce played during this show are, as yet, unverified. Note: Brucebase would like to hear from anyone that can confirm the exact date of this show.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, held in the Student Union’s Ledge Club, with The Bruce Springsteen Band headlining and SOUTHERN CONSPIRACY opening. The pre-concert AD (below) says “remember the last time” – a reference to the group’s previous gig on 17/12/71.

GROWIN’ UP / IT’S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS / IF I WAS THE PRIEST

ONE (informal) private audition that took place in front of an audience of two (John Hammond and Mike Appel) around 10:30AM upstairs in Hammond’s office in the A & R Department at Columbia Records. The above-mentioned setlist is culled from the scattered, collective recollections of the attendees. All songs were performed on acoustic guitar. THIS PERFORMANCE WAS NOT RECORDED. The performance lasted 30 - 40 minutes, so one or two additional songs were probably played – but those titles have never been articulated. In a 1980 interview Hammond mentioned he wasn’t all that enamored with “Mary Queen Of Arkansas”, but that he loved all the other songs Bruce performed that morning. Springsteen played “If I Was The Priest” only after a probing Hammond requested that Bruce sing something he wouldn’t otherwise play live. Springsteen has since mentioned that “If I Was The Priest” was written in late 1970 or early 1971 and that he’d performed it live during his late 1971 residency at The Student Prince. When Bruce was finished with this audition Hammond mentioned that he would need to see how Bruce interacted in front of a live audience, so Appel immediately went about organizing a local club performance for that evening.

ONE (informal) show. This famous performance was organized by Mike Appel within hours of the morning audition meeting with John Hammond (see above listing). The 300-seat Gaslight Au Go Go had opened in April 1971 as a financially necessitated merger of two long-established Greenwich Village clubs - the rock-dominated Café Au Go Go and the folk-orientated Village Gaslight (the 100-seat McDougal Street club made famous by Bob Dylan). The merged entity was called “Gaslight Au Go Go” and it was located in the 152 Bleeker Street home of the former Café Au Go Go. The legendary Sam Hood owned both the old and new Gaslight businesses. The Gaslight Au Go Go wasn’t Bruce’s preferred choice for this performance. The Bitter End, Max’s Kansas City and Kenny’s Cataways were approached first, but none could accommodate a Springsteen billing on such short notice.

Evidence from surviving promotional material indicates the scheduled performers at Gaslight Au Go Go on the night of May 2nd were CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE (headlining) and GARLAND JEFFREYS (opening). It is likely they were performing two shows at the club’s regular starting times of 9:00PM and 11:30PM. Springsteen was slotted into a very early evening timeslot, well before the first of the Musselwhite / Jeffreys shows started. There is evidence (from comments made by Springsteen and Appel) that this early evening timeslot this night may have been booked with unadvertised amateur comedy acts. Bruce’s performance lasted about 30 minutes and included just 4 or 5 songs. Both Springsteen and Appel have mentioned the two above-mentioned setlist tracks as having been played, but the other titles have never been articulated publicly. THERE IS NO CIRCULATING AUDIO / VIDEO from this performance, although both video and audio from Springsteen performances at Max’s Kansas City in mid-August are sometimes incorrectly attributed to this gig. Note: John Hammond attended this show, was impressed, and invited Springsteen back to CBS the following day to make a studio demo audition tape (see ON THE TRACKS section for details).

No set details known. Bruce makes a guest appearance with NORMAN SELDIN & THE JOYFUL NOYZE (featuring Clarence Clemons). Joyful Noyze lead singer Karen Cassidy had resigned in early 1972 and Clarence was, at this stage, the group’s focal point. This is believed to have been the first time Bruce and Clarence had played together since Clarence’s now-famous Student Prince walk-in jam with Springsteen in September 1971. Seldin and his band were booked for consecutive Fri-Sat shows at Shipbottom from June 16th thru July 8th. The Shipbottom Lounge was located in the Beacon Manor Hotel. Bruce did not arrive with his guitar – he borrowed one from the band. Bruce sang a couple of songs, including one by Chuck Berry.

"Promotion for the Joyful Noize late June residency and a band photo collage from the shows. Clarence is bottom right."

00/06/72 PRIVATE RESIDENCE, POINT PLEASANT, NJ

No set details known. ONE show, with THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BAND giving an unadvertised performance to about 100 people at a warehouse party location on a private property. This au-gratis gig happened either during or immediately following the 3 days of pre-studio rehearsals for the Greetings album that took place in late June somewhere within the Beacon Manor Complex. It would seem that Clarence and Danny Federici did not perform, as they weren’t involved in the pre-studio rehearsals.

The Bruce Springsteen Band in late June 1972. This photo is believed to have been snapped either during pre-studio rehearsals at Beacon Manor or at the “warehouse” party gig. (Left to Right) Van Zandt, Sancious, Lopez, Springsteen and Tallent.

No set details known. Bruce makes yet another walk-in guest appearance with NORMAN SELDIN & THE JOYFUL NOYZE (featuring Clarence Clemons). Seldin and his band were booked for consecutive Fri-Sat shows here from June 16th thru July 8th. Although it’s clear Bruce was more than mildly interested in obtaining Clarence’s services, evidence suggests Bruce’s offer to Clarence to join his Greetings Tour band was still at least two months away.

No set details known. ONE show, 5PM, with Springsteen (solo) the only artist on the bill - a benefit for 1972 Presidential candidate George McGovern. It is not known how long Bruce’s performance lasted but the $3 donation also included a ticket to see the evening movie. BRUCEBASE reader Larry comments: “I was going through a friend’s Bruce collection, trying to date his early memorabilia and I found this hand made Poster, which came from the Theater’s Box Office.

No set details known. Springsteen joins THE BANK STREET BLUES BAND onstage as guest for several rock/blues standards. In late 1973 The Bank Street Blues Band would morph into the Blackberry Booze Band, which itself later morphed into The Asbury Jukes. Brucebase thanks Bank Street Blues Band member Sandy Mack for the info.

"Summer of '72 - Bruce, with friend Bobby Higgins, jamming with The Bank Street Blues Band at The Student Prince"

No set details known. As he had a week or two earlier Springsteen turns up and jams with THE BANK STREET BLUES BAND on several rock/blues standards. The group had a series of summer '72 bookings at the club.

No set details known. TWO shows, triple bill, with the bottom-billed Springsteen (solo) opening for headliner DAVE VAN RONK and the second-billed DORIS ABRAHAMS. Van Ronk’s 6-night (12-show) residency at Max’s Kansas City included Bruce’s first series of “official” public performances after signing with Columbia, although there was absolutely no CBS-sponsored promotion of the event. The club’s earliest promotional material for this residency only mentions Dave Van Ronk and not the two then-unknown “understudies”. A later advertisement mentions Van Ronk and Abrahams, but not Springsteen. However an AD (below) from mid-residency mentions Bruce. It is likely that Bruce was a last-minute addition to the billing but performed at all the shows. Bruce’s inclusion on the bill may have been arranged by John Hammond, a good friend of Van Ronk. Springsteen has briefly mentioned opening for Van Ronk, with his most well known comments coming during the 1990 Christic Benefit gigs. Shortly before Van Ronk died he also acknowledged letting Bruce open for him during his 1972 residency at Max’s (Van Ronk’s only appearances at that club that year). Promoter Victor “Igor” Wasylczenko has commented to BRUCEBASE that he attended one of these Van Ronk dates, Bruce definitely was the opener, and he ended up giving Bruce a ride home to Asbury Park after the show (they lived near each other at the time).

Definitely one, probably two, and possibly several of Bruce’s shows during this residency were audio & video recorded in their entirety, utilizing Max’s (crude by today’s standards) in-house video camera. It is believed the recording was carried out at the bequest of Columbia, who wanted footage of Bruce for potential promotional use.

TWO shows, triple bill, with Springsteen (solo) opening for headliner DAVE VAN RONK and folk stylist DORIS ABRAHAMS. Each of Bruce’s shows was limited to about 30 minutes (3 to 5 songs).

Very brief audio-video excerpts of both “Henry Boy” and “Growin’ Up” from one of the 12 shows during this August 1972 Max’s residency first surfaced in a 1990 documentary about John Hammond called “From Bessie Smith To Springsteen”. The complete audio-video of both songs has recently leaked out and is circulating among collectors. These complete takes represent what was originally supplied to the Hammond film producers by CBS. The producers were only allowed to use brief excerpts of the two songs in the documentary – and were not supplied any footage of the rest of the show. “Henry Boy” is the opening number of Bruce’s show and “Growin’ Up” is the closing number. The remainder of the show (probably only a couple of more songs) exists in CBS’s vault but has never circulated. The other show this night may also have been filmed.

The recently unearthed complete video takes of both songs are circulating in two variations. One version shows the MC take the stage and introduce Bruce prior to “Henry Boy”. The other version has the entire MC introduction segment deleted. The identity of the MC is a mystery (it is definitely not Max’s owner Mickey Ruskin). NOTE: BRUCEBASE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE WHO CAN IDENTIFY THIS MC. Following “Growin” Up” Bruce begins to introduce the artist who is to follow him by stating to the crowd. “here’s a protégée of mine” – at which point the video ends before the name of the performer is mentioned. It would seem that Bruce is using the word “protégée” in its feminine context and that he is referring to Doris Abrahams. BRUCEBASE has placed this audio/video segment under this date but it could be from any of the shows during this residency.

TWO shows, triple bill, with Springsteen (solo) opening for headliner DAVE VAN RONK and folk stylist DORIS ABRAHAMS. Each of Bruce’s shows was limited to about 30 minutes (3 to 5 songs).

All up Springsteen performed 12 shows, with 3 to 5 songs played per show (i.e. approximately 40 to 60 song performances over the course of the week). Although the setlist details for these shows is not known, it is highly likely that all 10 songs from the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. album were performed. As well as the Greetings LP material (and in addition to “Henry Boy”, which is on the video), the other songs likely to have been played during this residency are those known to have been recorded at 914 Sound Studio for potential inclusion on the debut album. These include “Arabian Nights”, “Two Hearts In True Waltz Time”, the still uncirculating/unheard song “Let The Words”, “Visitation At Fort Horn”, “Lady And The Doctor”, “Circus Song” and “Song Of The Orphans”. Two other major songs written by Bruce around this time, “Balboa vs The Earthslayer” and “Calvin Jones & The Thirteenth Apostle”, may also have been performed over the course of these shows.

No set details known. Springsteen opens for female folk-blues legend ODETTA. Bruce confirmed opening for Odetta in a Nov 1992 Musician Magazine interview with Bill Flanagan and implies that the venue in question was Max’s Kansas City. Bruce was unclear if he opened for Odetta for one night or for multiple nights. Another recollection suggests the venue was not Max’s Kansas City but, rather, Gerde’s Folk City. Brucebase would like to hear from anyone who can shed light on these shows.

No set details known. Springsteen plays some early evening solo acoustic shows during the New York Dolls 5-night (Aug 30 thru Sept 3) residency at the club. Bruce was not part of the bill - he played several hours prior to the Dolls show. Springsteen seems to positively confirm his non-advertised appearance/s at Max’s during this week when, in a Nov 1992 Musician Magazine interview with Bill Flanagan, Bruce commented: “I use to come down to Max’s Kansas City and play by myself…..and then late at night the New York Dolls would play at Max’s – they’d play at 2AM”. This 5-night residency was the Dolls’ only one at the club in 1972. It is still not verified if Springsteen played one, some or all of these 5 nights.

An “end of summer” outdoor show, headlined by the Tinker West - managed local band ODIN. Springsteen (who at this point has completed his first album but has still not put together a touring band) makes an unscheduled guest appearance near the end of the show, singing and performing two or three rock classics with Odin, including the US Bonds chestnut “New Orleans”. A soundboard tape of the entire ODIN performance (including Bruce’s segment) still survives in private hands but is not in circulation.

04/09/72 MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK, N.Y.

No set details known. ONE (informal) show, with Springsteen (solo) performing during a late afternoon - early evening “open” Monday at the club. This was the Labor Day holiday and no pre-advertised acts were booked. As fate would have it, resident Greenwich Village folkie David Blue happened to be socializing downstairs at Max’s prior to his own gig later in the evening at The Bitter End. In a 1992 interview in Musician Magazine Springsteen seemingly made reference to this specific performance, commenting: “I used to come down to Max’s Kansas City and play by myself….David Blue came down one night and as I was walking off stage said ‘hey man that was great, come with me’. We got in a cab and went downtown to The Bitter End, where I (first) met Jackson.”

“Bruce in New York City in August or September 1972. Photo by Fred Lombardi”

No set details known. ONE (informal) show, with Springsteen (solo) performing an unscheduled “guest set” at a JACKSON BROWNE / DAVID BLUE show. Browne has stated that Bruce played for almost an hour, which would encompass 7 or 8 songs. This was the final night of a 6-night (12-show) residency by Browne and Blue at the club.

In a 1979 radio interview Browne commented on his first-ever meeting with Springsteen and the event: “David Blue walks in before the show with this guy in tow – ‘Jackson this is Bruce and…Jackson, you GOTTA hear him...can he do a guest set tonight?’ So I said sure. He (Bruce) went out there for about an hour and proceeded to do the greatest songs I’d ever heard, with just his guitar and (my) piano. When he got off stage I said “man, where the hell have YOU been hiding!”. Bruce performed during the intermission between the Blue and Browne sets. During his recent Hall Of Fame induction speech for Jackson, Bruce thanked Browne for letting him get up and play at this show.

No set details known. Pre-tour rehearsals for the Greetings From Asbury Park Tour took place at the Beacon Manor Hotel from Oct 23-25, 1972, featuring Bruce’s “new band” lineup of Federici, Tallent, Lopez and Clarence Clemons (who had played his final show with Norman Seldin’s Joyful Noyze at the Club Plaza in Bayville, NJ on Oct 21st. Although information is sketchy it is believed Bruce and the band gave an unadvertised, impromptu performance in the Hotel’s Nightclub (The Shipbottom Lounge) on the final night.

“The earliest known photo of Bruce with the entire Line-up #1 of The E Street Band, snapped in December 1972, early in the Greetings Tour. ‘E Street Band’ is a slight misnomer – that name was not conjured up until late March 1974. This photo (along with a bio/fact sheet) was inserted in some early promo copies of the Greetings LP”

No set details known. ONE show (part of Homecoming festivities), triple bill, with Springsteen bottom-billed and opening for the 2nd billed acapella group THE PERSUASIONS and headlining comedy duo CHEECH & CHONG. Bruce and the boys were a last minute addition to the show itinerary. According to one of the College’s concert organizers who contacted Brucebase, soon after Springsteen began his performance a dispute erupted backstage with Cheech & Chong’s management, who apparently were upset they had not been informed a third act had been booked. The end result was that Springsteen was forced to end his set prematurely, after only about 6 songs. A very brief review in the school’s newspaper gives the show a positive overall review but does not give any details on Springsteen’s set. Bruce would make a return appearance at West Chester on 22/11/74. Note: this West Chester show is currently the earliest known public performance of the “E Street Band” (Clemons, Federici, Lopez, Tallent).

“Promotional Advert presented by kind permission of West Chester University. Thanks to the Special Collections Department for their efforts”

Full set details are not known. ONE show, with Bruce and his new band headlining the "2ND Annual Halloween Concert" at the Armory (see 31/10/71 for the 1ST Annual show). This was a triple bill that also featured ODIN and TUMBLEWEED. The show was organized and promoted by Bruce's former manager, Tinker West, who also handled the sound systems of all three bands for this show. Bruce is introduced as a "Columbia Recording Artist". The performance structure at this show would mirror the one utilized consistently for the next year: i.e., Bruce performed a short solo set and then brought on the band for the rest of the evening. Bruce and the band's performance lasted about 70-minutes and encompassed about 8 or 9 songs. One attendee has a memory of both "Santa Anna" and "Zero and Blind Terry" being played, although that seems unlikely (especially "Zero") given other information about Bruce's creation process for these two compositions. THERE IS NO AUDIO OF THIS SHOW IN CIRCULATION.

No set details known. ONE show, double bill, with Bruce and the band opening for headliner CRAZY HORSE (its touring line-up here did not include Danny Whitten or Nils Lofgren). Bruce had previously opened a show for CRAZY HORSE on 12/2/72. Springsteen performed about an 80-minute set at this show.

“LEFT: York Dispatch newspaper AD, courtesy of Mark. RIGHT: ultra rare original Poster for the show, courtesy of York College”

No set details known. Bruce and the band perform an ‘au gratis” promotional gig (organized by Mike Appel) at the 1972 Detroit Auto Show.

No set details known. TWO shows, with Bruce and the boys the sole act on the bill. Opening of 6-night (12-show) residency at this famous East Side supper club, which still operates to this day. This was Springsteen and the band's first extended club residency of the Greetings Tour. Each show was 80-90 minutes in duration and included an opening "solo" segment featuring two or three songs, followed by a band segment.

THEM CHANGES / BLUES IN C

ONE early afternoon show for inmates of “Sing Sing Prison”, with Springsteen and the boys the sole act on the bill. This nearly 2-hr show was held in the Prison Chapel. Apparently Mike Appel organized this as a bit of publicity stunt – and it did indeed attract reporters from Crawdaddy Magazine. A performance at this prison isn’t as bizarre as it may seem, as there had been a similar concert on November 22nd starring Joan Baez and BB King that was filmed and is available on video.

Setlist-wise this has to rank (along with 23/02/74) as the most unique show ever performed by Bruce and the band – it featured nearly all cover material, including a Clarence Clemons vocal rendition of Buddy Miles’ “Them Changes”. Greetings Tour Sound Manager Albee Tellone has commented to BRUCEBASE that an inmate with a saxophone was invited onstage to play with the band on a blues number in the key of C (possibly “Secret To The Blues”). Springsteen made reference to this gig in a 1973 Columbia Records media release. Of the inmate audience he comments: “They’re tough dudes. They got nobody to impress at all. It was good that they liked us”. Note: Following this show Springsteen and the band made the 90-minute drive to New York City to play two further shows that evening at Kenny’s Castaways.

No set details known. TWO shows, with Bruce and the boys the sole act on the bill. Each show was 80-90 minutes in duration and included an opening "solo" segment featuring two or three songs followed by a band segment. NOTE: Although no specific Kenny's Castaways setlist details have yet come to light, it is highly likely that all 10 songs from the soon-to-be-released Greetings album were performed over the course of the 12 shows that encompassed the residency. It is also likely that Bruce utilized his opening solo segment to perform a number of compositions that weren't going to be issued on the debut album, such as "Bishop Dance", "Song Of The Orphans" and "Circus Song".

No set details known. ONE show, triple bill, with Springsteen and the boys opening for BROWNSVILLE STATION and headliner SHA-NA-NA. As the gig opener on a 3-artist bill, Bruce's performance was likely limited to about 45 minutes.

No set details known. ONE show, triple billing, with Springsteen and the boys opening for BROWNSVILLE STATION and headliner SHA-NA-NA. As the gig opener on a 3-artist bill, Bruce's performance was likely limited to about 45 minutes. Note: Collectors of old posters and memorabilia will like to check out this site dedicated to the band Brownsville Station.

Although only the headliner was promoted in the AD, both Springsteen and Brownsville Station opened the show, as they did the previous night in Dayton.

Page created August 1996 and updated April 21, 2008