Bruce Springsteen - 'Slipping Away' - A collection of 22 soundboard/IEM/studio recordings that are hard to find and/or too fantastic not to share 24/96 FLAC files 1972-2009 I have been a Bruce collector for a very long time. You name it, I probably got it; music, posters, articles, photos, etc. Recently I have been putting together a set of songs that are here. They are harder to find and/or too fantastic to share. Some of these tracks are not available on Jungleland anymore or they are but not in this quality. Some of these songs have made it onto different bootlegs but from different sources than the ones here. All of these have been previously available but as mentioned above not in this quality or they are very rare. The hiss present on a lot of sources of these songs is is substanstial and on this collection it is not that bad. As for the title of this collection, I came up with it from the line "I know it can feel like you're slipping away" from "I'll Stand By You Always," which I use in this case to refer to these songs slipping under the radar of collectors and fans. Anyways, enjoy the collection! Tracklist: 01 Ballad Of Jesse James - Studio Rehearsal March 14, 1972 Challenger Eastern Surfboards, Highlands, NJ Also known as "Don't You Want To Be An Outlaw," this early Bruce written song features all future E Street Band members of the Bruce Springsteen Band which composed of Vini Lopez on the drums, David Sancious on the piano and organ, Garry Tallent on Bass, and Steve Van Zandt on guitar and backing vocals. This version is the same as the version from the officially released Chapter And Verse but it is the complete version from a different source. Bruce would continue with the wild west and outlaw theme throughout his early years and then it would vanish forever. 02 Evacuation Of The West - June 1973 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY This outtake from the Wild And The Innocent Sessions is an unknown Springsteen song to many fans which is a shame because this is a excellent song with excellent lyrics that is worthy of an official release. The song is also known by the title of "No More Kings In Texas" but Bruce has it copyrighted under the above title. It was also considered for release on Tracks in 1997 but it unfortunately didn't make it. The song doesn't have any verified live performances but it is very likely to have been performed during 1973. This studio version doesn't feature David Sancious which is odd because he was present at this time for the sessions; the song also doesn't feature any overdubs meaning it was performed amazingly all in one take. 03 New York City Serenade - June 28, 1973 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY Another one from the Wild And The Innocent Sessions, this is the album version of "New York City Serenade" but without the overdubs of strings, group vocals, and congas. It is an interesting listen without the other overdubs which allows for a brand new listen to the song. 04 Zero And Blind Terry - Live January 6, 1974 Joe's Place, Cambridge, MA This version of the Wild And The Innocent outtake is a very nice version that features an introduction by Bruce on how it came about. Bruce also talks about his Catholic School's first PE class after Kennedy passed a law. David Sancious's piano is mixed beautifully in this soundboard and he does some great work on the piano. Though the crowd during this show was small, the whole house went crazy afterward. 05 Born To Run - May 21, 1974 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY This is an instrumental take of "Born To Run" that was apparently one of the first takes of the song and it goes very smoothly because Bruce and the band had been performing it for a month before this, perhaps longer. The take probably featured vocals but that version has yet to circulate. This instrumental track is a hard one to find and it features some different guitar work from the album version, some may consider even better. 06 Jungleland - Live July 12, 1974 The Bottom Line, New York City, NY "Jungleland" was yet to be recorded for the Born To Run album at the time of this live performance which is the earliest circulating live rendition of it. Bruce would enter the studio and lay down a few takes about three weeks after this show. This version features some alternate lyrics and a very odd jazzy instrumental in the mid section. I have a buddy who worked at the Bottom Line at this time and who obtained a copy of this exact version from the club owner from his masters, which is the source of this audio here. 07 Lovers In The Cold - August/September 1974 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY A very common song of early Bruce bootlegs in the 70's, fans have enjoyed the haunting lyrics to this studio take from the Born To Run Sessions that is although an unfinished take, it is a great song. This audio here is of the best source available. Bruce would go on to record more takes toward the end of the Born To Run studio sessions in 1975, though they remain uncirculated. 08 Lonely Night In The Park - May 4-5, 1975 The Record Plant, New York City, NY Yet another outtake from the Born To Run sessions, this song was documented for many years before finally being played out of the blue on E Street Radio in 2005, from which people made recordings of. Now we have better sources that feature the first few notes uncut unlike the original version with the fade in. The ending still fades out very quickly. This take is still unfinished, and Bruce may have cut more takes of the song after this though the song is not mentioned in the studio logs after these two days. 09 The Promise - August 1977 Atlantic Studios, New York City, NY You aren't a Bruce fan if you have never heard this song about Bruce's personal struggle with his career and life at the time, which led to the song not being included on the Darkness On The Edge Of Town album. Now, many different takes circulate of the song, including that excellent version that was released on The Promise in 2010. This take is of a different arrangment than the latter; some say even more powerful. Either way, how could someone not enjoy any versions of this song? 10 Preacher's Daughter - October 27, 1977 The Record Plant, New York City, NY A love story between a normal guy and the not so innocent daughter of a preacher is featured on this Darkness outtake. This song appeared in the logs just this one time. The arrangement Bruce does the song in is amazing; there is kind of a crescendo that builds up until the end, not to mention Bruce's vocals that are engineered so they sound like they are in the distance with a little echo. Bruce would later incorporate parts of the song into "She's The One" toward the end of the 1978 Darkness tour. 11 Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town - Live December 16, 1978 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA Everybody's favorite Christmas cover that Bruce has done, the versions from the Darkness on the Edge Of Town tour often get forgotten about despite their funny stories before the song. This particular version is my favorite because of the funny story about Bruce and Steve throwing beer bottles at two guys looking at them darkly in a bar and then them knocking out Santa Claus on the roof later that night. Bruce apparently liked the version too because it was considered for the Live 1975-85 album but didn't make it. Still, most of the outtakes from the live boxset leaked out in excellent quality, including this one. 12 Roulette - April 3, 1979 The Power Station, New York City, NY Many consider this take of "Roulette" better than the officially released version on the Tracks boxset. Though they were recorded on the same day, this take features some alternate lyrics. Either way, everyone can agree that this song that was written about the Three Mile Island Nuclear accident on March 28, 1979 and recorded a few days later finished, is one of the greatest studio accomplishments that Bruce and the band have ever made. 13 Point Blank - May 30, 1979 The Power Station, New York City, NY The album version of the slow "Point Blank" is a fan favorite and rarity during Bruce's shows since the original River tour, and has only seen frequent performances just recently on the River Tour 2016. But before the beloved album version came along, Bruce tried out the song in a full band electric arrangement. Bruce spent a day in the studio recording on May 29, which included some takes of this arrangement. The clock struck midnight and in the early morning hours of May 30, Bruce and the band recorded this take which was the 12th take that they did and the final one of the rock arrangement. This studio version features alternate lyrics to the versions performed on the Darkness On The Edge Of Town tour in 1978 and the eventual album release of the River. Though Bruce's vocals are a little low in the mix on all circulating sources and versions of this arrangement, his guitar solo in the middle is well heard, a fantastic and searing one that proves that one of the 12 takes deserves an official release. 14 Jole Blon - Live August 12, 1981 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI Bruce rarely performs this cajan waltz in his rock arrangement. Bruce recorded a version during the River sessions in early 1980 but it does not circulate. The E Street Band is the backing band on Gary U.S. Bonds version which also features Bruce on backing vocals and on a verse. The song was performed frequently during the last leg of the River tour in 1981, which is where this version comes from. I consider this live version the best one out there but what you call it is up to you. 15 Glory Days - Live August 19, 1984 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ Since it's release, "Glory Days" has been a very popular song of Bruce's, a live staple. On the Born In the U.S.A. tour, which this version is from, Bruce proceeded the beginning of the first verse with a story of a few minutes in length. This version features Bruce talking about the glory days when people were younger, which leads to him playing the famous Twilight Zone riff on his guitar. Bruce liked this version and it was also considered for the live 1975-85 album but dropped. This version circulates around the collector community pretty commonly, though it is not attributed to this show or any other for some reason. 16 Homestead - 1995 unknown studio location (likely Bruce's home studio) Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers's version of this song is the most known. Bruce contributed most of the music and Joe most of the lyrics. Bruce's version finally surfaced out of nowhere on E Street Radio in November 2013 which resulted in an MP3 version circulating soon afterward. The song itself features some great lyrics about a man who moves to a good and bad town called Homestead, where he gets a job at a horrible steel mill and gets married and has kids. 17 I'll Stand By You Always - Early 2001, The Hit Factory, New York City, NY Recently, Bruce's original song about him reading the Harry Potter series to his son has been talked about, and even more after the Odds and Sods collection that was posted to Jungleland a few months ago which featured the finished version of the song. The one here was recorded before that, and is of rougher quality. Bruce's vocal is not as smooth as the finished version and is buried in the mix slightly. Also, some of the lyrics are not yet developed. Very interesting to see the song develop into it's full glory. 18 American Skin (41 Shots) - March 2, 2001 The Hit Factory, New York City, NY Many know this song from the controversy it drove up in 2000 by the NYPD around their shooting of an unarmed immigrant whom this song was wrote about. Now we have the officially released versions from one of the Madison Square Garden shows in 2000 and then the official studio recording from the High Hopes album. But this one remains shadowed. This 'studio' version is just the Live version from July 1, 2000 (the version from the live In NYC album) but without the audience feed and the '41 shots' intro that is sung by various band members. Also different is that the guitar is high in the mix, Clarence's sax solo is unfortunately faded out (come on Bruce!), and Bruce recorded a new vocal. This version only circulates from an extremely rare promo CDR. Apparently considered for The Rising album. 19 Jingle Bell Rock - Live December 6, 2001 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ Everybody's favorite Christmas song, "Jingle Bell Rock" appeared at all five shows at Bruce's Christmas shows in 2001. Bruce is backed by the Max Weinberg 7 and with guests Soozie Tyrell making a nice contribution with her violin, and Patti Scialfa and Lisa Lowell on backing vocals. A very nice version indeed of the Christmas classic in a rocking full band version complete with horns from the Max Weinberg 7. 20 Souls Of The Departed - Live February 19, 2003 Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA (Doubletake Magazine Benefit) This show featured the only known solo acoustic version of "Souls Of The Departed," a story Bruce wrote about the Gulf War in the early 1990's. It is a great version that features some fantastic guitar work by Bruce. 21 Proud Mary - Live April 16, 2009 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA A song originally by CCR, Bruce has rarely performed it throughout the years. This version is an excellent off the cuff version after not playing it in almost five years. The source for this version here is Hoserama's excellent IEM/AUD mix that was eventually bootlegged by Crystal Cat Records. 22 Ring Of Fire - Live November 18, 2009 Sommet Center, Nashville, TN And to close the collection we have a version of Bruce covering Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire," the last to date of three known performances by Bruce of the song. Bruce played this one by sign request, and guess what, the band had not performed the song in over 35 years! Curt Ramm lends trumpet to the song, and struggles a bit at the beginning with the sequencing but gets back on track. The band delivers a solid performance of the classic that is shown well with this IEM/AUD mix. ENJOY!! Do not attempt to remaster this collection. I don't appreciate people editing or attempting to remaster my work and I'm sure Hoserama doesn't appreciate it either. Thank you.