31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ‘Little Latin Lupe Lu’:
”We’re just gonna play, I’m drunk and I’m silly as a
fool but....it’s too early to go home (?)...yeah....we’re gonna
do a song (?)...gimme some guitar .....hey Roy, are you ready ? (Roy: ”I’m
ready !”) .....”
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ‘You Can’t Sit Down’:
”Are you ready to get silly (cheers).....are you ready to get crazy ?.....I’m
crazy already, I don’t know what’s going on.....we’re gonna
do a song.....let’s do, uh....let’s do ‘You Can’t Sit
Down’ so you can’t sit down.....we’re making this stuff as
we go..... this is called....song called ‘You Can’t Sit Down’.....are
you ready, band ?.....E, key of E....”
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, after ´You Can't Sit Down´
´´Is tonight the night or what ? (cheers)....´´
Photo's courtesy - Peter Howes/AsburyBrucePhotos
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ´Backstreets´
´´I don´t know if I´ll remember all the words to this.....it´s
been so long since we played it..... (?)....where we could steal away.....steal
away....in the backstreets.....in the backstreets..... backstreets....I got
a love....I found a love....I found a love.....so sweet and so fine.....I swear
I'd drive all night ....just to make....just to make....just to make that pretty
thing mine....I swear I'd drive all night....just to buy....just to buy you,
baby, some shoes.....I swear I'd drive all night....just to taste, just to taste
your tender charms......just to hold you.....just to hold you.....just to hold
you close.....just to hold you in my....arms....yes, I would.....I swear, darling....I
promise.....I swear I would......I swear I would.....I swear I would.....
(….) I remember.....baby, I remember....baby, I remember....and I remember
in the weekends ....hitchhiking....hitchhiking outside of town.....I remember
there was this old abandoned.... was this old abandoned car all stripped down.....I
remember....(?) in the weekends....we used to hitchhike out there.....and we
used to sit in the backseat....yeah, baby, in the backseat.... baby, in the
backseat....and I remember....I remember the night those kids set fire to that
old abandoned farmhouse and we could see, we could see the flames rushing towards
the sky across the fields....we sat on the hood, we could see the flames rushing
towards the sky across the fields....and I remember you told me....you telling
me....you said 'Baby'....you said 'Billy...I shall always be yours....I will
never let you go....I will never let you go, baby...I will never let you go....I
will never let you go´....and I remember watching the flames rushing towards
the sky.....and I remember us running, running across the fields....running
through the fields.....running past that big white house on the hill....running
past them iron gates..... running through them iron gates.....running past that
big white house that sat on the hill.... running through the fields....I remember
and you said 'Baby, I shall never let you go.....I swear I'd never let you go'....and
I remember waiting.....I remember waiting....I remember waiting.....I remember
you was gonna quit your job and I was gonna quit my job too..... I remember
we were gonna go...I remember standing in the rain....I remember waiting, standing
in the rain......I remember the rain came.....tumbling down.....I remember waiting....
I remember rain came....stumbling down.....and I remember.....I remember that.....you
told me....I remember what you told me.....I remember.....YOU LIED....YOU LIED.....YOU
LIED....YOU LIED....´´
"Robert Gordon was the opening act for the Jukes on this night. Here he is much later in the show doing 'Stagger Lee' with Southside, and Clarence on sax. (That's John Scher in the background on the far left of the photo.) Photo's courtesy - Peter Howes/AsburyBrucePhotos
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ´Born to Run´ (following ´Backstreets´)
´´We messed up all the chords....(long pause).....we´re gonna
try and do all these songs, I ain't done 'em in about nine months....I ain´t
played ´em in so long.....but it's too early to go home, you can't go
home on New Year's night.......so I hope (?) with us.....we ain´t on radio
no more so I can act like a crazy fool.....this is one.....this is my big hit
here.....it´s right there on my Top 20 (chuckles)....and I wanna do this
for all the people that been waiting so long while I been screwing around in
the studio (?)....gimme some echo or reverb on this guitar or something....(?)....we´re
gonna give it a shot.....´´
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, after ´Born to Run´
"Thank you.....I remember no more words......E Street Band.....I´d
like to thank Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.....we love you so crazy.....I'd
like to thank you all, Happy New Year!....(Southside Johnny: ´Thank you,
goodnight, thank you, Bruce, goodnight´)....´´
31.12.77 Passaic, NJ, intro to ´Quarter to Three´
´´(?)....I don't know what time it is.....(?) little song that (?)
what rock and roll is all about....if you ever get a chance, you should check
out Gary U.S.Bonds.....he did some great stuff, ´Quarter to Three´,
´School's Out´....he did this song.....I wanna hear it !.....am
I alone ? (crowd: ´No´) are you alive ? (cheers) are you alive ?
(cheers) are you alive ? (cheers)....´´
Rear: Miami Horns, Eddie Manion - Baritone Sax, Richie LaBamba Rosenberg - Trombone, Rick Gazda - Trumpet, Bob Muckin - Trumpet, Stan Harrison - Tenor Sax, Max Weinberg - Drums, Kenny Popeye Pentifallo - Drums.
Front: Willie Rush - Guitar, Southside - Vocals, Miami Steve - Vocals & Guitar, Al Berger - Bass, Kevin Kavanaugh - Piano.
Photo's courtesy - Peter Howes/AsburyBrucePhotos
Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi