SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT

Album version



Crazy Janey and her mission man were back in the alley trading hands
'Long came Wild Billy with his friend G-Man all duded up for Saturday night
Well, Billy slammed on his coaster brakes and said, "Anybody wanna go on up to Greasy Lake?
It's about a mile down on the dark side of route eighty-eight, I got a bottle of rose so let's try it
We'll pick up Hazy Davy and Killer Joe and I'll take you all out to where the gypsy angels go
They're built like light
Ooh, and they dance like spirits in the night" (all night)
In the night (all night)
Oh, you don't know what they can do to you
Spirits in the night (all night)
Oh, in the night (all night)
Stand right up now and let it shoot through you

Well now Wild young Billy was a crazy cat and he shook some dust out of his coonskin cap
He said, "Trust some of this, it'll show you where you're at, or at least it'll help you really feel it"
Well, by the time we made it up to Greasy Lake I had my head out the window and Janey's fingers were in the cake
I think I really dug her 'cause I was too loose to fake
I said, "I'm hurt," she said, "Honey, let me heal it"
And we danced all night to a soul fairy band
And she kissed me just right like only a lonely angel can
She felt so nice, just as soft as a spirit in the night (all night)
In the night (all night)
Oh, Janey don't know what she do to you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Stand right up and I let her shoot through me

(Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)

(Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)

Now the night was bright and the stars threw light on Billy and Davy
Dancing in the moonlight
They were down near the water in a stone mud fight
Killer Joe gone passed out on the lawn
Well now Hazy Davy got really hurt, he ran into the lake in just his socks and a shirt
Me and Crazy Janey was making love in the dirt, singing our birthday songs
Janey said it was time to go
So we closed our eyes and said goodbye to gypsy angel row, felt so right
Together we moved like spirits in the night (all night)
In the night (all night)
Oh, you don't know what they can do to you
Them spirits in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Oh, stand right up and let it shoot through you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night, ooh, ooh, man, all night
The night
Be-da-ba the night
In the night


Info

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1973 album Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT as released in 1973.


The album version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was included on The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003 edition) compilation album.

Bruce Springsteen's SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was most notably covered and released by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. See Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover version for more details.

Writing and Recording

Along with BLINDED BY THE LIGHT, SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was composed in August 1972 and was completed by early September. These are the only two tracks on Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. that feature Clarence Clemons, and they would both become the album's (unsuccessful) singles. See the "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J." section below for more details.

At first, Mike Appel was against the band concept on the album; he envisioned a folk album. He later recalled, "I was too caught up in his lyrics. When Bruce came and played me 'Spirit In The Night' on guitar, I liked the song, but I didn't extend the tune into the band backing. Bruce said, 'It's just because you listened to it on guitar. You can't tell exactly how it will sound.'"

Dave Marsh wrote in his Springsteen biography Born To Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story that SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT took longer to write than any other song on the album. He adds, "'Spirit In the Night' is the heart of Greetings from Asbury Park, New Jersey, because it is the album's most fully realized song."

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was recorded late during the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. album recording sessions, sometime in August or early September 1972 at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, NY. Bruce Springsteen plays piano and electric bass and sings vocals on this track, and is backed up by Clarence Clemons on saxophone and backing vocals and Vini Lopez on drums and backing vocals. All three provide clapping sound. The track, as well as the whole album, was produced by Mike Appel and Jimmy Cretecos. According to Sony's logs of Bruce Springsteen's studio sessions, SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was cut on 11 Sep 1972 and on 26 Oct 1972 at 914 Sound Studios. The circulating studio version is probably from one of those two sessions.

People and Locations

Springsteen was asked about the background of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT in a 1974 interview on a Richmond, VA radio station. He mentioned that in late 1971 and early 1972, one of the albums he was listening to a lot was The Band's then-new Cahoots album. That was their fourth album, released in September 1971. He mentioned that one of the Robbie Robertson songs on that album had a character called "Little John" that in a roundabout way became the "Hazy Davy" character in SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT. He also mentioned that he sort of borrowed one of Robertson's verses and scrambled it up a bit and used it in SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT.

During the interview, Springsteen couldn't recall the song title off the top of his head, but he must have been referring to the track THE MOON STRUCK ONE. That's one of the Robertson penned songs on the album, and it contains the following lyrics:

"Little John was stung by a snake over by the lake
And it looked like he's really, really hurt, he was lyin' in the dirt
"

While Springsteen's SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT contains the following lyrics:

"Well now Hazy Davy got really hurt, he ran into the lake in just his socks and a shirt
Me and Crazy Janey was makin' love in the dirt
"

In a November 2000 interview with Castiles.net's Torsten Mörke, David Hazlett claimed that he was the "Hazy Davy" referenced in the lyrics of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT. He also mentioned that Bruce always called him "Hazy".

Hazlett was the drummer in Mercy Flight, a Richmond, VA based college rock band that existed between 1969 and 1973. The band opened for Bruce Springsteen's Steel Mill several times from late 1969 until August 1970, when the band's singer Robbin Thompson quit to join Steel Mill as a second lead singer and songwriter. In September 1970, Springsteen asked David Hazlett to substitute for Vini Lopez in Steel Mill for the upcoming 11 September show at Clearwater Swim Club in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. At the time, Lopez was stuck in Richmond for about a month sorting out some legal difficulties. Hazlett packed up and left for the Jersey shore, and he started rehearsing with Steel Mill on 06 September at Carl "Tinker" West's Challenger Eastern Surfboards factory in Wanamassa, NJ.

"Wild Billy" could very well be Bill, a law student who was none other than the ex of Diane Lozito, Bruce Springsteen's girlfriend between summer 1971 and early 1975. Springsteen wrote the lines "She kissed me just right / Like only a lonely angel can" about a romantic encounter with her. See ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) for more about Diane Lozito. "Wild Billy" would reappear in WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY, in the title only, but nowhere in the song's lyrics.

Although Greasy Lake, where the action takes place, is a mythical place, drummer Vini Lopez has stated that it is actually a composite of two locations that band members used to visit. One was Lake Carasaljo, near the intersection of U.S. Route 9 and New Jersey Route 88 in Lakewood, New Jersey. The other was a swampy lake near Garden State Parkway exit 88.

Some have claimed that Greasy Lake is a lake near Howell, NJ. It gets its name from the idea that homeless people living around the lake used it for bathing, washing dishes, etc. The homeless people were known as "Gypsy Angels" or the "Spirits In The Night."

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT inspired the name for Greasy Lake, a major fan-based Bruce Springsteen tribute website and discussion forum. The website is run from Denmark and has been online since 1998.

Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.

After signing the contract with CBS Records, Laurel Canyon Productions was to receive an immediate cash advance from CBS and this money was to be used to pay for the studio time to record Springsteen' debut album. A delay by CBS in delivering the advance money to Laurel Canyon Productions resulted in delaying the sessions till early July 1972. During June Springsteen had finalized the selection of the musicians that would be used for the initial sessions. The musicians chosen, with an ok from Appel and Cretecos, constituted the entire line-up of the former Bruce Springsteen Band: David Sancious on keyboards, Garry Tallent on bass, Vini Lopez on drums, and Steve Van Zandt on quitar. Van Zandt ended up partaking in almost none of the 914 Sound Studios band sessions because of a prior commitment to tour as a member of The Dovells backing group.

The recording sessions for Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. spanned a period of five months, from early June to late October 1972 (the majority were in June), and they all took place at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, NY. The core "band" sessions were completed in only about two weeks. No unreleased band recordings from the debut album sessions have surfaced. Following these band sessions the various band members scattered. It should be noted that Springsteen had not decided to form a touring band at this stage.

Springsteen spent the next few weeks recording solo material. It was during this period that differences of opinion surfaced about what material was going to dominate the eventually released album. There were two sides in this disagreement: Mike Appel and John Hammond wanted a solo-dominated LP while Jim Cretecos was in favor of a band-dominated one. Springsteen was undecided at first, but soon sided with Cretecos. Appel later said that he was so impressed by Bruce's lyrics and told him, "Who needs a band when you can write lyrics like that?" In early August a compromise was reached and the album track selection was decided upon, featuring five band recordings (DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND STREET?, GROWIN' UP, IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY, FOR YOU, and LOST IN THE FLOOD) and five solo recordings (THE ANGEL, MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS, JAZZ MUSICIAN, ARABIAN NIGHTS, and VISITATION AT FORT HORN). On 10 Aug 1972 Laurel Canyon transferred the sound recording copyrights to these ten songs to CBS. It seemed the album was finalized, but when then CBS president Clive Davis listened to the tracks he commented that not only did he prefer the band tracks, but he also felt the album lacked a potential hit single. In essence Davis was siding with Springsteen's vision of the album as being more rock-orientated.

In August 1972 Springsteen composed two more commercial-sounding songs, BLINDED BY THE LIGHT and SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT. Consequently a further "band" session was required. However both Sancious and Tallent, then-employed at Alpha Sound Studios in Richmond, NJ, were unable to return to New York to record. Bruce wished to incorporate saxophone in both new songs and contacted Clarence Clemons, a then-member of Norman Seldin & The Joyful Noyze. So the studio session line-up for these two songs was Clemons, Lopez, and Springsteen who played all other instruments, except for the piano on BLINDED BY THE LIGHT which was handled by Harold Wheeler. BLINDED BY THE LIGHT and SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT were completed by early September. These two band recordings bumped three solo recordings: JAZZ MUSICIAN, ARABIAN NIGHTS, and VISITATION AT FORT HORN. Therefore the final album was reduced from 10 tracks to 9, encompassing 7 band tracks and 2 solo tracks. Columbia Records' original intention was to release the album in late November 1972, but decided the album might get overlooked among the massive amount of pre-Christmas releases so the LP was held back for until early January.

Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. was released on Columbia Records on 05 Jan 1973. It was produced by Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos. The album received mixed but mostly positive reviews and some critics found it under-produced, as Appel and Cretecos tried to spend as little as possible from Columbia's $65,000 advance and recording budget. The album sold 25,000 copies only in its first year of release and did not chart until the summer of 1975 when the hype over the BORN TO RUN single attracted buyers to Springsteen's earlier albums.

Bruce Springsteen -- Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.
Bruce Springsteen -- Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.

The album features 9 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 37:08.

Single Releases

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was the second single released from the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. album but it failed to appear on the music charts. The single was issued in May 1973 in the United States only, with FOR YOU on the B-side. This is one of the rarest Springsteen records, mainly due to its virtually non-existent original sales, but the promo issue is more common than its commercial counterpart. The song was also included a very rare US-only promo EP in 1974.

Bruce Springsteen -- "Spirit In The Night / For You"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Spirit In The Night / For You"

7" single - Columbia (4-45864) - USA, 1973

Comes in a die-cut Columbia company sleeve. Some stock copies were also distributed as promos with promotional stickers added to the labels.

A1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
B1- FOR YOU
Bruce Springsteen -- "Spirit In The Night / Spirit In The Night"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Spirit In The Night / Spirit In The Night"

7" single - Columbia (4-45864) - USA, 1973

Comes in a Columbia company sleeve.

A1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [mono]
B1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [stereo]
Bruce Springsteen -- "Spirit In The Night / Growin' Up / Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Spirit In The Night / Growin' Up / Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"

7" EP - Columbia (AE7 1088) - USA, 1974

US-only white label promotional EP, runs at 33⅓ rpm speed. Comes in a Columbia company sleeve.

A1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
A2- GROWIN' UP
B1- ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)

The album version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released in 1976 on "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night", a double-A single unique to North America, as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame" series in the United States and Canada and as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame / Disques D'Or" series in Canada. The single was reissued four more times in the United States: in 1984 as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame" series, in the late eighties as part of Columbia's "Collectables" series, in 1989 as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame" series, and in the mid-nighties on Columbia. SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was also released as the B-side to BLINDED BY THE LIGHT in Spain in 1977.

Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"

7" single - Columbia (13-33323) - USA, 1976

Issued as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame" series, comes in a Hall Of Fame company sleeve.

A1- BORN TO RUN
B1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"

7" single - Columbia (13-33323) - Canada, 1976

Issued as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame" series, comes in a Hall Of Fame company sleeve.

A1- BORN TO RUN
B1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"

7" single - Columbia (13-33323) - Canada, 1976

Issued as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame / Disques D'Or" series, comes in a Hall Of Fame company sleeve.

A1- BORN TO RUN
B1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"

7" single - Columbia (13-33323) - USA, 1984

Issued as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame" series, comes in a Hall Of Fame company sleeve.

A1- BORN TO RUN
B1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"

7" single - Columbia (13-33323) - USA, late 1980's

Issued in the late eighties as part of Columbia's "Collectables" series, comes in a Collectables company sleeve.

A1- BORN TO RUN
B1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"

Cassette single - Columbia (13T 68658) - USA, 1989

Issued as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame" series, comes in a cardboard slipcase.

A1- BORN TO RUN
A2- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
B1- BORN TO RUN
B2- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"

CD3 single - Columbia (13K 68658) - USA, 1989

Issued as part of Columbia's "Hall Of Fame" series, comes in a slim 12-inch x 3-inch cardboard pack.

01- BORN TO RUN
02- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"
Bruce Springsteen -- "Born To Run / Spirit In The Night"

7" single - Columbia (13-33323) - USA, mid-1990's

Mid-1990's reissue, comes in a white paper sleeve.

A1- BORN TO RUN
B1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Bruce Springsteen -- Blinded By The Light
Bruce Springsteen -- Blinded By The Light

7" single - CBS (5121) - Spain, 1977

Spain-only single, comes in a unique picture sleeve. Reissued in 1985.

A1- BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
B1- SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT

The Essential Bruce Springsteen

The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album released as part of Sony BMG'S (previously Sony Music Entertainment) series of "Essential" sets. According to Springsteen's liner notes comments, the collection was intended as an introduction to his music for new fans who attended shows on The Rising Tour.

The collection is fundamentally a 2-disc set (clocking at 153:37) compiling songs from all of Springsteen's studio albums to date plus his Live In New York City release. A 3-disc limited edition (clocking at 201:04) was also released. It includes a bonus third disc comprising of a selection of rarities and previously unreleased recordings.

The Essential Bruce Springsteen was released on 11 Nov 2003 on Columbia Records. It debuted and peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart where it spent 13 weeks. It also reached #28 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was awarded certified gold and platinum records by the RIAA on 16 Dec 2003.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003 edition)
Bruce Springsteen -- The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003 edition)

The Essential Bruce Springsteen was reissued on 16 Oct 2015, this time as a 2-disc set (clocking at 156:25) with an updated track list, compiling songs from all of Springsteen's studio albums to date plus his Greatest Hits (1995 edition) collection. This 2015 reissue features remastered tracks not found in that form on other Springsteen releases.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2015 edition)
Bruce Springsteen -- The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2015 edition)

Other Official Releases

The album version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT can be found on some Bruce Springsteen promo-only samplers.

Bruce Springsteen -- Last American Hero From Asbury Park, N.J.
Bruce Springsteen -- Last American Hero From Asbury Park, N.J.

LP - CBS/Sony (YAPC 95) - Japan, 1978

Japan-only promotional LP sampler issued to promote Springsteen's fourth album, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, though strangely including tracks from his first three albums only. This is one of the rarest Springsteen records ever.

Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen Sampler
Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen Sampler

LP - Columbia (CDN-57) - Canada, 1980

Canada-only red label promotional LP sampler compiling 10 tracks from Springsteen's first five albums. Issued in a white die-cut cardboard sleeve.

Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen Sampler
Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen Sampler

CD - Columbia (CDNK 677) - Canada, 1992

Canada-only promotional CD sampler compiling 10 tracks from Springsteen's albums up to 1987, plus the 1988 acoustic live version of BORN TO RUN. Comes in a plain white die-cut cardboard sleeve.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Albums Collection Vol. 1, 1973-1984 - Radio Sampler
Bruce Springsteen -- The Albums Collection Vol. 1, 1973-1984 - Radio Sampler

CD-R - Columbia / Legacy (no catalog number) - USA, 2014

US-only promotional CD-R radio sampler tying with the release of Springsteen's box set of his first seven albums in remastered form.

Other versions of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT were also officially released.

The 500th Biscuit Celebration
The live 31 Jan 1973 (early show) version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the promotional-only LP The 500th Biscuit Celebration.
Bruce Springsteen -- Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run
The live 01 May 1973 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run home video in 2005.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Roxy 1975
The live 18 Oct 1975 (early show) version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on The Roxy 1975 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Hammersmith Odeon, London '75
The live 18 Nov 1975 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 album and home video in 2005.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- London 11/24/1975
The live 24 Nov 1975 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the London 11/24/1975 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1975
The live 31 Dec 1975 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1975 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Palace Theatre, Albany 1977
The live 07 Feb 1977 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Palace Theatre, Albany 1977 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977
The live 08 Feb 1977 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Berkeley, July 1, 1978
The live 01 Jul 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Berkeley, July 1, 1978 official live download in 2021.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Live/1975-85
The live 07 Jul 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Live/1975-85 box set in 1986.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Agora, Cleveland 1978
The live 09 Aug 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on The Agora, Cleveland 1978 official live download in 2014.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- September 19, 1978
The live 19 Sep 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the September 19, 1978 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ September 20, 1978
The live 20 Sep 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ September 20, 1978 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- September 30, 1978
The live 30 Sep 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the September 30, 1978 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen -- The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story
The live 08 Dec 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set in 2010.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Winterland 12/15/78
The live 15 Dec 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Winterland 12/15/78 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Winterland 12/16/78
The live 16 Dec 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Winterland 12/16/78 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Nassau Coliseum, New York 1980
The live 31 Dec 1980 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Nassau Coliseum, New York 1980 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Brendan Byrne Arena August 6, 1984
The live 06 Aug 1984 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena August 6, 1984 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Brendan Byrne Arena, NJ August 20, 1984
The live 20 Aug 1984 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, NJ August 20, 1984 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Live In Barcelona
The live 16 Oct 2002 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Live In Barcelona home video in 2003.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO 8/23/2008
The live 23 Aug 2008 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO 8/23/2008 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09
The live 20 Oct 2009 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY 11/22/2009
The live 22 Nov 2009 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY 11/22/2009 official live download in 2016.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome 2013
The live 11 Jul 2013 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome 2013 official live download in 2015.
live.brucespringsteen.net
Audio recordings for most High Hopes Tour shows were officially released on live.brucespringsteen.net. These include 8 versions of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT.

  1. 26 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  2. 28 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  3. 08 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  4. 11 Feb 2014 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  5. 19 Feb 2014 at Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia
  6. 26 Feb 2014 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  7. 08 Apr 2014 at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
  8. 17 Apr 2014 at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN

Live History: on-tour

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is known to have been performed at least 15 times during what is considered the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Tour (October 1972 to September 1973). Many of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Tour. Bruce Springsteen opened for headliner Biff Rose in 1973 during a 6-night stand (from 31 January and 05 February, two shows each night) at Max's Kansas City in New York City, NY. In the 17 Feb 1973 issue of Billboard magazine, Jim Melanson wrote a review on one of twelve shows Max's Kansas City mentioning five songs performed by Springsteen, including SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT. The review could be for any of the twelve shows in the stand, but is more likely from one of the latter ones considering the late publication of the review. On this tour, the song was played in a full-band album-style arrangement, often featuring Springsteen on piano. The live 01 May 1973 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run home video in 2005.

  1. 31 Jan 1973 (early show) at Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY
  2. Feb 1973 at Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY
  3. 14 Feb 1973 at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
  4. 26 Feb 1973 at The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA
  5. 02 Mar 1973 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
  6. 18 Mar 1973 at University Of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
  7. 24 Apr 1973 (early show) at The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA
  8. 28 Apr 1973 at University Of Maryland, College Park, MD
  9. 01 May 1973 at Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
  10. 13 Jun 1973 at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY
  11. 14 Jun 1973 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  12. 18 Jul 1973 (late show) at Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY
  13. 23 Jul 1973 (early show) at Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY
  14. 31 Jul 1973 (late show) at My Father's Place, Roslyn, NY
  15. 08 Sep 1973 at University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is known to have been performed at least 62 times during what is considered The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour (September 1973 to March 1975). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour. On this tour, the song was played in a full-band album-style arrangement, and at least a few of these performances featured Springsteen on the piano. Most or all performances on the 1973 leg of the tour, plus a few in the early part of 1974, featured a "spooky" introduction including vocalizations by Springsteen (see the live 06 Jan 1974 version). Some performances from later in the tour featured a jazzy piano introduction (see the live 05 Feb 1975 version). Most versions from the tour featured at least a short saxophone introduction which will remain in most live performances of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT hereafter.

  1. 20 Oct 1973 at Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, NH
  2. 26 Oct 1973 at Geneva Theatre, Geneva, NY
  3. 30 Oct 1973 (late show) at The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA
  4. 31 Oct 1973 (late show) at The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA
  5. 11 Nov 1973 at Trenton State College, Ewing, NJ
  6. 17 Nov 1973 at Roxy Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
  7. 25 Nov 1973 at University Of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
  8. 15 Dec 1973 at Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY
  9. 20 Dec 1973 at Bristol Motor Inn, Bristol, RI
  10. 06 Jan 1974 at Joe's Place, Cambridge, MA
  11. 12 Jan 1974 at The Joint In The Woods, Parsippany, NJ
  12. 25 Jan 1974 at The Mosque, Richmond, VA
  13. 01 Feb 1974 at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH
  14. 12 Feb 1974 at University Of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
  15. 03 Mar 1974 (early show) at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
  16. 03 Mar 1974 (late show) at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
  17. 09 Mar 1974 (late show) at Liberty Hall, Houston, TX
  18. 10 Mar 1974 (late show) at Liberty Hall, Houston, TX
  19. 16 Mar 1974 at Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX
  20. 24 Mar 1974 at Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
  21. 05 Apr 1974 at Widener College, Chester, PA
  22. 06 Apr 1974 at Burlington County College, Pemberton, NJ
  23. 09 Apr 1974 (early show) at Charlie's Place, Cambridge, MA
  24. 10 Apr 1974 (early show) at Charlie's Place, Cambridge, MA
  25. 26 Apr 1974 at Brown University, Providence, RI
  26. 06 May 1974 at Bucks County Community College, Newtown, PA
  27. 09 May 1974 (early show) at Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, MA
  28. 09 May 1974 (late show) at Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, MA
  29. 02 Jun 1974 at The Toledo Agora, Toledo, OH
  30. 03 Jun 1974 at The Agora, Cleveland, OH
  31. 13 Jul 1974 at The Bottom Line, New York City, NY
  32. 25 Jul 1974 at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
  33. 30 Jul 1974 at The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA
  34. 13 Aug 1974 at The Stone Balloon, Newark, DE
  35. 14 Aug 1974 (late show) at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  36. 20 Sep 1974 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  37. 22 Sep 1974 at Kean College, Union, NJ
  38. 04 Oct 1974 at Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, NY
  39. 05 Oct 1974 at Albright College, Reading, PA
  40. 06 Oct 1974 at Clark University, Worcester, MA
  41. 11 Oct 1974 at Shady Grove Music Fair, Gaithersburg, MD
  42. 12 Oct 1974 at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
  43. 18 Oct 1974 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
  44. 19 Oct 1974 at Union College, Schenectady, NY
  45. 20 Oct 1974 at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
  46. 26 Oct 1974 at Julia Sanderson Theater, Springfield, MA
  47. 29 Oct 1974 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  48. 01 Nov 1974 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  49. 02 Nov 1974 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  50. 08 Nov 1974 at Ritz Music Hall, Corpus Christi, TX
  51. 16 Nov 1974 at American University, Washington, DC
  52. 23 Nov 1974 at Salem State College, Salem, MA
  53. 29 Nov 1974 at War Memorial Theatre, Trenton, NJ
  54. 06 Dec 1974 at State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
  55. 07 Dec 1974 at Geneva Theatre, Geneva, NY
  56. 08 Dec 1974 at Burlington Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, VT
  57. 05 Feb 1975 at The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA
  58. 06 Feb 1975 at Widener College, Chester, PA
  59. 19 Feb 1975 at Penn State University, University Park, PA
  60. 23 Feb 1975 at Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, NY
  61. 07 Mar 1975 at Painters Mill Music Fair, Owings Mills, MD
  62. 09 Mar 1975 at DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is known to have been performed at least 65 times during the Born To Run Tour (73 know dates / 81 known shows, July to December 1975). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Born To Run Tour; it may have been a stable number during the tour. On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement. A few of the tour's performances of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT include the opening lines from the traditional song STAGGER LEE in the introduction (see the live 18 Nov 1975 version). The live 18 Nov 1975 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 album and home video in 2005. The live 24 Nov 1975 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the London 11/24/1975 official live download in 2020. The live 31 Dec 1975 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1975 official live download in 2015.

  1. 20 Jul 1975 at Palace Concert Theatre, Providence, RI
  2. 22 Jul 1975 at Geneva Theatre, Geneva, NY
  3. 23 Jul 1975 at Music Inn, Lenox, MA
  4. 25 Jul 1975 at Kutztown State College, Kutztown, PA
  5. 26 Jul 1975 at Kutztown State College, Kutztown, PA
  6. 28 Jul 1975 at Carter Barron Amphitheatre, Washington, DC
  7. 30 Jul 1975 at Carter Barron Amphitheatre, Washington, DC
  8. 01 Aug 1975 at Mosque Theatre, Richmond, VA
  9. 02 Aug 1975 at Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, VA
  10. 08 Aug 1975 at Akron Civic Theatre, Akron, OH
  11. 10 Aug 1975 at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH
  12. 13 Aug 1975 (late show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY
  13. 14 Aug 1975 (early show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY
  14. 15 Aug 1975 (early show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY
  15. 15 Aug 1975 (late show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY
  16. 16 Aug 1975 (early show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY
  17. 17 Aug 1975 (early show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY
  18. 17 Aug 1975 (late show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY
  19. 23 Aug 1975 at Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom, Atlanta, GA
  20. 06 Sep 1975 at Theatre Of The Performing Arts, New Orleans, LA
  21. 12 Sep 1975 at Municipal Auditorium, Austin, TX
  22. 13 Sep 1975 at Music Hall, Houston, TX
  23. 14 Sep 1975 at Music Hall, Houston, TX
  24. 16 Sep 1975 at Dallas Convention Center Theater, Dallas, TX
  25. 20 Sep 1975 at Grinnell College, Iowa City, IA
  26. 21 Sep 1975 at Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN
  27. 23 Sep 1975 at University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
  28. 25 Sep 1975 at Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
  29. 26 Sep 1975 at University Of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
  30. 27 Sep 1975 at Ambassador Theatre, St. Louis, MO
  31. 28 Sep 1975 at Memorial Hall, Kansas City, KS
  32. 02 Oct 1975 at Uptown Theatre, Milwaukee, WI
  33. 04 Oct 1975 at Michigan Palace, Detroit, MI
  34. 11 Oct 1975 (early show) at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  35. 11 Oct 1975 (late show) at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  36. 16 Oct 1975 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
  37. 17 Oct 1975 (early show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
  38. 17 Oct 1975 (late show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
  39. 18 Oct 1975 (early show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
  40. 18 Oct 1975 (late show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
  41. 19 Oct 1975 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
  42. 31 Oct 1975 at Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
  43. 01 Nov 1975 at University Of California, Santa Barbara, CA
  44. 06 Nov 1975 at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
  45. 10 Nov 1975 at Jai Alai Fronton, Tampa, FL
  46. 18 Nov 1975 at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
  47. 21 Nov 1975 at Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden
  48. 23 Nov 1975 at Amsterdam RAI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  49. 24 Nov 1975 at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
  50. 02 Dec 1975 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  51. 03 Dec 1975 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  52. 05 Dec 1975 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
  53. 06 Dec 1975 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
  54. 10 Dec 1975 at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
  55. 11 Dec 1975 at Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ
  56. 12 Dec 1975 at C.W. Post College, Greenvale, NY
  57. 16 Dec 1975 at State University Of New York, Oswego, NY
  58. 17 Dec 1975 at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY
  59. 19 Dec 1975 at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Montreal, Canada
  60. 20 Dec 1975 at National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Canada
  61. 21 Dec 1975 at Seneca College, Toronto, Canada
  62. 27 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  63. 28 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  64. 30 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  65. 31 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is known to have been performed at least 21 times during the so-called Chicken Scratch Tour (35 know dates, March to May 1976).Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Chicken Scratch Tour; it may have been a stable number during the tour. On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement. A few of the tour's performances of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT include the opening lines from the traditional song STAGGER LEE in the introduction (see the live 13 May 1976 version).

  1. 25 Mar 1976 at Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
  2. 28 Mar 1976 at Duke University, Durham, NC
  3. 04 Apr 1976 at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
  4. 05 Apr 1976 at Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH
  5. 07 Apr 1976 at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH
  6. 08 Apr 1976 at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH
  7. 09 Apr 1976 at Colgate University, Hamilton, NY
  8. 10 Apr 1976 at Paul Mellon Arts Center, Wallingford, CT
  9. 13 Apr 1976 at Penn State University, University Park, PA
  10. 15 Apr 1976 at Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA
  11. 17 Apr 1976 at University Of Rochester, Rochester, NY
  12. 20 Apr 1976 at Freedom Hall, Johnson City, TN
  13. 22 Apr 1976 at Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA
  14. 24 Apr 1976 at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
  15. 26 Apr 1976 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium, Chattanooga, TN
  16. 29 Apr 1976 at Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN
  17. 03 May 1976 at Robinson Auditorium, Little Rock, AR
  18. 11 May 1976 at Auburn University, Auburn, AL
  19. 13 May 1976 at Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA
  20. 27 May 1976 at Eisenhower Hall Auditorium, West Point, NY
  21. 28 May 1976 at Halsey Field House, Annapolis, MD

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is known to have been performed at least 58 times during what is known as The Lawsuit Tour (62 know dates, August 1976 to March 1977). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Lawsuit Tour; it must have been a stable number during the tour. On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement. The live 07 Feb 1977 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Palace Theatre, Albany 1977 official live download in 2017. The live 08 Feb 1977 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977 official live download in 2017.

  1. 01 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  2. 02 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  3. 03 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  4. 05 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  5. 06 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  6. 07 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  7. 21 Aug 1976 at Palace Theater, Waterbury, CT
  8. 22 Aug 1976 at Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA
  9. 26 Sep 1976 at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ
  10. 29 Sep 1976 at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
  11. 30 Sep 1976 at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
  12. 02 Oct 1976 at Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
  13. 05 Oct 1976 at Santa Barbara County Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA
  14. 09 Oct 1976 at University Of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN
  15. 10 Oct 1976 at Miami University, Oxford, OH
  16. 12 Oct 1976 at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
  17. 13 Oct 1976 at Kean College, Union, NJ
  18. 16 Oct 1976 at The College Of William And Mary, Williamsburg, VA
  19. 17 Oct 1976 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
  20. 25 Oct 1976 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  21. 27 Oct 1976 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  22. 28 Oct 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  23. 29 Oct 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  24. 30 Oct 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  25. 02 Nov 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  26. 03 Nov 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  27. 04 Nov 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  28. 07 Feb 1977 at Palace Theatre, Albany, NY
  29. 08 Feb 1977 at Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY
  30. 09 Feb 1977 at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY
  31. 10 Feb 1977 at Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
  32. 13 Feb 1977 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
  33. 15 Feb 1977 at Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, MI
  34. 16 Feb 1977 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH
  35. 17 Feb 1977 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  36. 19 Feb 1977 at St. Paul Civic Center Theatre, Saint Paul, MN
  37. 22 Feb 1977 at Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, WI
  38. 23 Feb 1977 at Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
  39. 25 Feb 1977 at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
  40. 26 Feb 1977 at Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN
  41. 27 Feb 1977 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  42. 28 Feb 1977 at Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
  43. 02 Mar 1977 at Civic Center Auditorium, Atlanta, GA
  44. 04 Mar 1977 at Civic Auditorium, Jacksonville, FL
  45. 05 Mar 1977 at Jai Alai Fronton, Orlando, FL
  46. 06 Mar 1977 at Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
  47. 10 Mar 1977 at Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
  48. 11 Mar 1977 at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA
  49. 13 Mar 1977 at Towson State University, Towson, MD
  50. 14 Mar 1977 at Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
  51. 15 Mar 1977 at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY
  52. 18 Mar 1977 at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT
  53. 19 Mar 1977 at Central Maine Youth Center, Lewiston, ME
  54. 20 Mar 1977 at Providence College, Providence, RI
  55. 22 Mar 1977 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  56. 23 Mar 1977 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  57. 24 Mar 1977 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  58. 25 Mar 1977 at Music Hall, Boston, MA

In preparation for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour, SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is known to have been practiced on 19 May 1978 at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the only known/confirmed private rehearsal prior to the tour's start.

  1. 19 May 1978 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ (private rehearsal)

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is known to have been performed at least 107 times during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour (111 dates, May 1978 to January 1979). A few of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour; it may have been a stable number during the tour. On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement. The live 01 Jul 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Berkeley, July 1, 1978 official live download in 2021. The live 07 Jul 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Live/1975-85 box set in 1986. The live 09 Aug 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on The Agora, Cleveland 1978 official live download in 2014. The live 19 Sep 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the September 19, 1978 official live download in 2019. The live 20 Sep 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ September 20, 1978 official live download in 2017. The live 30 Sep 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the September 30, 1978 official live download in 2020. The live 08 Dec 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set in 2010. The live 15 Dec 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Winterland 12/15/78 official live download in 2019. The live 16 Dec 1978 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Winterland 12/16/78 official live download in 2019.

  1. 23 May 1978 at Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Buffalo, NY
  2. 24 May 1978 at Palace Theatre, Albany, NY
  3. 26 May 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  4. 27 May 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  5. 29 May 1978 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  6. 30 May 1978 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  7. 31 May 1978 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  8. 02 Jun 1978 at Halsey Field House, Annapolis, MD
  9. 03 Jun 1978 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
  10. 05 Jun 1978 at Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
  11. 08 Jun 1978 at Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
  12. 09 Jun 1978 at MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, WI
  13. 10 Jun 1978 at Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN
  14. 13 Jun 1978 at University Of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
  15. 14 Jun 1978 at Civic Auditorium Music Hall, Omaha, NE
  16. 16 Jun 1978 at Memorial Hall, Kansas City, KS
  17. 20 Jun 1978 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
  18. 24 Jun 1978 at Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
  19. 25 Jun 1978 at Paramount Northwest Theatre, Seattle, WA
  20. 26 Jun 1978 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, Canada
  21. 29 Jun 1978 at San Jose Center For The Performing Arts, San Jose, CA
  22. 30 Jun 1978 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
  23. 01 Jul 1978 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
  24. 05 Jul 1978 at The Forum, Inglewood, CA
  25. 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
  26. 08 Jul 1978 at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ
  27. 09 Jul 1978 at San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
  28. 12 Jul 1978 at Dallas Convention Center Theater, Dallas, TX
  29. 14 Jul 1978 at San Antonio Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX
  30. 15 Jul 1978 at Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX
  31. 16 Jul 1978 at Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA
  32. 18 Jul 1978 at Jackson Municipal Auditorium, Jackson, MS
  33. 21 Jul 1978 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN
  34. 28 Jul 1978 at Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
  35. 29 Jul 1978 at Bayfront Center Arena, St. Petersburg, FL
  36. 31 Jul 1978 at Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
  37. 01 Aug 1978 at Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, SC
  38. 04 Aug 1978 at Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV
  39. 05 Aug 1978 at Louisville Gardens, Louisville, KY
  40. 07 Aug 1978 at Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI
  41. 09 Aug 1978 at The Agora, Cleveland, OH
  42. 10 Aug 1978 at Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester, NY
  43. 12 Aug 1978 at Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
  44. 14 Aug 1978 at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
  45. 15 Aug 1978 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  46. 18 Aug 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  47. 19 Aug 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  48. 21 Aug 1978 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  49. 22 Aug 1978 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  50. 23 Aug 1978 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  51. 25 Aug 1978 at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT
  52. 26 Aug 1978 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
  53. 28 Aug 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
  54. 29 Aug 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
  55. 30 Aug 1978 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  56. 01 Sep 1978 at Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, MI
  57. 03 Sep 1978 at Saginaw Civic Center, Saginaw, MI
  58. 05 Sep 1978 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH
  59. 06 Sep 1978 at Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
  60. 09 Sep 1978 at University Of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN
  61. 10 Sep 1978 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  62. 12 Sep 1978 at Onondaga County War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, NY
  63. 13 Sep 1978 at Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA
  64. 15 Sep 1978 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  65. 16 Sep 1978 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  66. 17 Sep 1978 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  67. 19 Sep 1978 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
  68. 20 Sep 1978 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
  69. 21 Sep 1978 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
  70. 25 Sep 1978 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
  71. 29 Sep 1978 at Boutwell Memorial Auditorium, Birmingham, AL
  72. 30 Sep 1978 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
  73. 01 Oct 1978 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
  74. 01 Nov 1978 at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
  75. 02 Nov 1978 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  76. 04 Nov 1978 at University Of Vermont, Burlington, VT
  77. 05 Nov 1978 at University Of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
  78. 07 Nov 1978 at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  79. 08 Nov 1978 at Montreal Forum, Montreal, Canada
  80. 10 Nov 1978 at St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY
  81. 12 Nov 1978 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
  82. 14 Nov 1978 at Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
  83. 16 Nov 1978 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
  84. 17 Nov 1978 at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
  85. 18 Nov 1978 at Miami University, Oxford, OH
  86. 20 Nov 1978 at University Of Illinois, Champaign, IL
  87. 21 Nov 1978 at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
  88. 25 Nov 1978 at Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
  89. 27 Nov 1978 at MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, WI
  90. 28 Nov 1978 at Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
  91. 29 Nov 1978 at St. Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
  92. 01 Dec 1978 at University Of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
  93. 03 Dec 1978 at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
  94. 05 Dec 1978 at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LO
  95. 07 Dec 1978 at University Of Texas, Austin, TX
  96. 08 Dec 1978 at The Summit, Houston, TX
  97. 09 Dec 1978 at Dallas Convention Center Arena, Dallas, TX
  98. 13 Dec 1978 at Tucson Community Center Arena, Tucson, AZ
  99. 15 Dec 1978 at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
  100. 16 Dec 1978 at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
  101. 19 Dec 1978 at Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
  102. 20 Dec 1978 at Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA
  103. 27 Dec 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
  104. 28 Dec 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
  105. 30 Dec 1978 at Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI
  106. 31 Dec 1978 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  107. 01 Jan 1979 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is known to have been performed at least 3 times during The River Tour (138 dates, October 1980 to September 1981), all in December 1980. A few of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during The River Tour, but that's very unlikely. On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement. The live 31 Dec 1980 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Nassau Coliseum, New York 1980 official live download in 2015.

  1. 16 Dec 1980 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
  2. 18 Dec 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  3. 31 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed 14 times during the Born In The U.S.A. Tour (156 dates, June 1984 to October 1985), all in August and September 1984. On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement. The live 06 Aug 1984 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena August 6, 1984 official live download in 2020. The live 20 Aug 1984 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, NJ August 20, 1984 official live download in 2015.

  1. 06 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  2. 08 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  3. 11 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  4. 19 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  5. 20 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  6. 26 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  7. 29 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  8. 05 Sep 1984 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
  9. 08 Sep 1984 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
  10. 12 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  11. 15 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  12. 18 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  13. 22 Sep 1984 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  14. 25 Sep 1984 at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed 10 times during World Tour 1992-1993 (104 dates, June 1992 to June 1993), all during the 1992 North American leg. Nine of these performances featured Springsteen on acoustic guitar and vocals accompanied only by the backup singers on harmony vocals (see the live 06 Nov 1992 version), and one performance featured Springsteen on vocals accompanied only by Roya Bittan on synthesizer and the backup singers on harmony vocals (see the live 31 Oct 1992 version). That 31 Oct 1992 performance in Minneapolis, MN, also featured a synthesizer introduction by Roy Bittan who played a section of Bach's organ piece TOCCATA AND FUGUE IN D MINOR (BWV 565) as a Halloween special.

  1. 31 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ (Bruce Springsteen on guitar)
  2. 02 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ (Bruce Springsteen on guitar)
  3. 06 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ (Bruce Springsteen on guitar)
  4. 10 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ (Bruce Springsteen on guitar)
  5. 13 Aug 1992 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA (Bruce Springsteen on guitar)
  6. 17 Aug 1992 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI (Bruce Springsteen on guitar)
  7. 21 Aug 1992 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH (Bruce Springsteen on guitar)
  8. 29 Aug 1992 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (Bruce Springsteen on guitar)
  9. 31 Oct 1992 at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN (Roy Bittan on piano)
  10. 06 Nov 1992 at SkyDome, Toronto, Canada (Bruce Springsteen on guitar)

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed twice times during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour (128 dates, November 1995 to May 1997), both in November 1996 in New Jersey. The song was played in an acoustic "band" arrangement. See the live 25 Nov 1996 version and the live 26 Nov 1996 version for more details.

In preparation for The Reunion Tour, SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed during one of the tour's two public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in March 1999 in Asbury Park. The song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement. The song is also known to have been practiced during the private rehearsal that took place in April 1999 in Barcelona the day before the tour kicked off in Spain.

  1. 18 Mar 1999 at Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (public rehearsal)
  2. 08 Apr 1999 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain (private rehearsal)

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed 14 times during what is known as The Reunion Tour (132 dates, April 1999 to July 2000). On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement. The "Can you feel the spirit?" introduction made its debut on this tour; it started on 14 Nov 1999 in Cleveland as "I can feel the spirit" and evolved over the next two performances to become the "Can you feel the spirit?" intro, which was used on the remainder of tour and on later E Street Band tours. See the below list of performances for more details.

  1. 09 Apr 1999 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
  2. 20 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  3. 09 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  4. 27 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
  5. 24 Sep 1999 at First Union Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  6. 18 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
  7. 14 Nov 1999 at Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH (with "I can feel the spirit" intro and "Can you feel the spirit?" outro)
  8. 19 Mar 2000 at New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA (with "I can feel the spirit" intro)
  9. 08 Apr 2000 at Kiel Center, St. Louis, MO (with "I can feel the spirit / Can you feel the spirit?" intro)
  10. 15 Apr 2000 at Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY (with "Can you feel the spirit?" intro)
  11. 21 Apr 2000 at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC (with "Can you feel the spirit?" intro)
  12. 26 Apr 2000 at Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA (with "Can you feel the spirit?" intro)
  13. 08 May 2000 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT (with "Can you feel the spirit?" intro)
  14. 17 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY (with "Can you feel the spirit?" intro)

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed 8 times during The Rising Tour (120 dates, August 2002 to October 2003). The first of these performances, from 2002, was a solo piano version, while the remaining seven, from 2003, were played in the traditional full-band arrangement, regularly (but not always) featuring the "Can you feel the spirit?" introduction, and sometimes using it as an outro as well. The live 16 Oct 2002 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Live In Barcelona home video in 2003.

  1. 16 Oct 2002 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
  2. 10 Mar 2003 at Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, RI
  3. 10 May 2003 at Südweststadion, Ludwigshafen, Germany
  4. 21 Jul 2003 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  5. 09 Aug 2003 at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
  6. 31 Aug 2003 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  7. 07 Sep 2003 at Fenway Park, Boston, MA
  8. 16 Sep 2003 at Rentschler Field, Hartford, CT

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed once during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour (72 dates, April to November 2005), on 22 Jun 2005 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The song was played in a solo piano arrangement. See the live 22 Jun 2005 version for more details.

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed 28 times during the Magic Tour (100 dates, October 2007 to August 2008). At first, it was rarely included on the setlist (performed only once in 2007), but then it became much more frequent and was played at almost every show during the tour's last three months. On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement and regularly, but not always, featuring the "Can you feel the spirit?" intro and outro. The first two performances, 22 Oct 2007 in Chicago and 20 Mar 2008 in Indianapolis, featured Danny Federici on organ. He was replaced by Charles Giordano starting from the first European leg (25 Nov 2007) so that he can get medical attention for his melanoma, but showed up in Indianapolis as an unannounced guest and played on a number of songs, including SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT. See the live 20 Mar 2008 version for more details. All remaining performances on the tour featured Charles Giordano on organ. The live 23 Aug 2008 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO 8/23/2008 official live download in 2017.

  1. 22 Oct 2007 at United Center, Chicago, IL
  2. 20 Mar 2008 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
  3. 04 Apr 2008 at Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA
  4. 23 Apr 2008 at Amway Arena, Orlando, FL
  5. 25 May 2008 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  6. 16 Jun 2008 at LTU Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany
  7. 18 Jun 2008 at Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  8. 21 Jun 2008 at HSH Nordbank Arena, Hamburg, Germany
  9. 23 Jun 2008 at Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium
  10. 25 Jun 2008 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  11. 27 Jun 2008 at Parc Des Princes, Paris, France
  12. 29 Jun 2008 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
  13. 04 Jul 2008 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  14. 08 Jul 2008 at Valle Hovin Stadium, Oslo, Norway
  15. 11 Jul 2008 at Helsingfors Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
  16. 17 Jul 2008 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
  17. 20 Jul 2008 at Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
  18. 27 Jul 2008 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  19. 31 Jul 2008 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  20. 02 Aug 2008 at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
  21. 15 Aug 2008 at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL
  22. 16 Aug 2008 at North Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, SC
  23. 18 Aug 2008 at Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA
  24. 19 Aug 2008 at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
  25. 21 Aug 2008 at Sommet Center, Nashville, TN
  26. 23 Aug 2008 at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
  27. 24 Aug 2008 at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
  28. 30 Aug 2008 at The Roadhouse At The Lakefront, Milwaukee, WI

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed 21 times during the Working On A Dream Tour (83 dates, April to November 2009). On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement and regularly, but not always, featuring the "Can you feel the spirit?" intro and outro. Among these 21 performances, Jay Weinberg played drums 4 times on SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (see the live 25 Aug 2009 version), Vini Lopez once (see the live 20 Oct 2009 version), and Max Weinberg 16 times (see the live 22 Nov 2009 version). The live 20 Oct 2009 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09 official live download in 2017. The live 22 Nov 2009 version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was released on the HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY 11/22/2009 official live download in 2016.

  1. 15 Apr 2009 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  2. 22 Apr 2009 at TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  3. 29 Apr 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  4. 05 May 2009 at John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  5. 08 May 2009 at Penn State University, University Park, PA (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  6. 12 May 2009 at United Center, Chicago, IL (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  7. 15 May 2009 at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  8. 23 May 2009 at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  9. 07 Jun 2009 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  10. 10 Jun 2009 at Koengen, Bergen, Norway (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  11. 02 Jul 2009 at Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  12. 12 Jul 2009 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  13. 01 Aug 2009 at Estadio José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  14. 02 Aug 2009 at Auditorio Monte Do Gozo, Santiago De Compostela, Spain (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  15. 19 Aug 2009 at Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  16. 25 Aug 2009 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  17. 12 Sep 2009 at Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  18. 09 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  19. 20 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (with Vini Lopez on drums)
  20. 20 Nov 2009 at 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD (with Max Weinberg on drums)
  21. 22 Nov 2009 at HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY (with Max Weinberg on drums, complete Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. album performed)

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed 82 times during the Wrecking Ball Tour (133 dates, March 2012 to September 2013).

  1. 09 Apr 2012 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  2. 18 May 2012 at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
  3. 25 May 2012 at Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
  4. 27 May 2012 at Rheinenergiestadion, Cologne, Germany
  5. 28 May 2012 at Megaland, Landgraaf, The Netherlands
  6. 30 May 2012 at Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
  7. 02 Jun 2012 at Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
  8. 03 Jun 2012 at Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
  9. 07 Jun 2012 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  10. 10 Jun 2012 at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy
  11. 11 Jun 2012 at Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, Italy
  12. 17 Jun 2012 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
  13. 19 Jun 2012 at Park & Suites Arena, Montpellier, France
  14. 21 Jun 2012 at Stadium Of Light, Sunderland, England
  15. 22 Jun 2012 at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
  16. 24 Jun 2012 at Seaclose Park, Isle Of Wight, England
  17. 04 Jul 2012 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  18. 05 Jul 2012 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  19. 07 Jul 2012 at Festivalpladsen, Roskilde, Denmark
  20. 09 Jul 2012 at Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland
  21. 11 Jul 2012 at Synot Tip Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
  22. 12 Jul 2012 at Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria
  23. 14 Jul 2012 at Hyde Park, London, England
  24. 17 Jul 2012 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  25. 18 Jul 2012 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  26. 21 Jul 2012 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  27. 23 Jul 2012 at Koengen, Bergen, Norway
  28. 27 Jul 2012 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  29. 14 Aug 2012 at Fenway Park, Boston, MA
  30. 18 Aug 2012 at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
  31. 24 Aug 2012 at Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada
  32. 26 Aug 2012 at Magnetic Hill, Moncton, Canada
  33. 02 Sep 2012 at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
  34. 03 Sep 2012 at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
  35. 07 Sep 2012 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
  36. 14 Sep 2012 at Nationals Park, Washington, DC
  37. 19 Sep 2012 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  38. 19 Oct 2012 at Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Canada
  39. 21 Oct 2012 at Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Canada
  40. 23 Oct 2012 at John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
  41. 25 Oct 2012 at XL Center, Hartford, CT
  42. 27 Oct 2012 at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  43. 31 Oct 2012 at Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY
  44. 01 Nov 2012 at Penn State University, University Park, PA
  45. 03 Nov 2012 at KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
  46. 11 Nov 2012 at Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
  47. 19 Nov 2012 at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
  48. 26 Nov 2012 at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, Canada
  49. 28 Nov 2012 at Rose Garden, Portland, OR
  50. 04 Dec 2012 at Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
  51. 10 Dec 2012 at Palacio De Los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
  52. 14 Mar 2013 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  53. 16 Mar 2013 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  54. 18 Mar 2013 at Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia
  55. 24 Mar 2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
  56. 26 Mar 2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
  57. 30 Mar 2013 at Hanging Rock, Macedon, Australia
  58. 31 Mar 2013 at Hanging Rock, Macedon, Australia
  59. 29 Apr 2013 at Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway
  60. 30 Apr 2013 at Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway
  61. 03 May 2013 at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
  62. 07 May 2013 at HK Areena, Turku, Finland
  63. 11 May 2013 at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
  64. 14 May 2013 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
  65. 23 May 2013 at Piazza Del Plebiscito, Naples, Italy
  66. 26 May 2013 at Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
  67. 28 May 2013 at AWD-Arena, Hannover, Germany
  68. 31 May 2013 at Stadio Euganeo, Padua, Italy
  69. 18 Jun 2013 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
  70. 26 Jun 2013 at Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain
  71. 29 Jun 2013 at Stade De France, Saint-Denis, France
  72. 03 Jul 2013 at Stade De Geneve, Geneve, Switzerland
  73. 07 Jul 2013 at Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
  74. 11 Jul 2013 at Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy
  75. 13 Jul 2013 at Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
  76. 16 Jul 2013 at Thomond Park, Limerick, Ireland
  77. 23 Jul 2013 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
  78. 28 Jul 2013 at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland
  79. 12 Sep 2013 at Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile
  80. 14 Sep 2013 at Estadio G.E.B.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina
  81. 18 Sep 2013 at Espaço Das Américas, São Paulo, Brazil
  82. 21 Sep 2013 at Cidade Do Rock, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed 10 times during the High Hopes Tour (34 dates, January to May 2014). On this tour, the song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement and featured the"Can you feel the spirit?" intro and outro. Audio recordings for most High Hopes Tour shows are officially available for purchase. See the live 26 Jan 2014 version for more details.

  1. 26 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  2. 28 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  3. 08 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  4. 11 Feb 2014 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  5. 16 Feb 2014 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  6. 19 Feb 2014 at Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia
  7. 26 Feb 2014 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  8. 06 Apr 2014 at Old Reunion Arena Site, Dallas, TX
  9. 08 Apr 2014 at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
  10. 17 Apr 2014 at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN

Live History: off-tour

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed off-tour on 21 Feb 1995 at Tramps nightclub in New York City, NY, during a reunion gig with the E Street Band. See the live 21 Feb 1995 version for more details.

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHTwas performed off-tour on 19 Dec 2004 at Harry's Roadhouse in Asbury Park, NJ, during both holiday jam shows that took place that day. The song was played in a full-band arrangement backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band, plus the Miami Horns. The late show performance also featured Patti Scialfa on backing vocals who was not present during the early show. See the live 19 Dec 2004 (late show) version.

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed off-tour on 12 Dec 2006 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, during "The Bobby Bandiera All Star Holiday Concert". The song was played in a guitar-driven, full-band version featuring Springsteen backed by Bobby Bandiera's Rock And Soul Revue. See the live 12 Dec 2006 version for more details.

Since 2002, Springsteen has been playing private benefit shows for schools and colleges that his kids attended — Rumson Country Day School of Rumson, NJ, and Ranney School of Tinton Falls, NJ, and Boston College of Chestnut Hill, MA. SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed at 10 of these fundraisers, always at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, and backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band. On these shows the song was played in a full-band version.

  1. 10 Apr 2005 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Rumson Country Day School)
  2. 02 May 2006 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Rumson Country Day School)
  3. 17 Sep 2006 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Ranney School)
  4. 29 Apr 2007 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Ranney School)
  5. 13 May 2008 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Ranney School)
  6. 17 Oct 2009 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Boston College)
  7. 23 Jan 2010 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Ranney School)
  8. 11 Sep 2010 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Boston College)
  9. 29 Jan 2011 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (with Southside Johnny, during a private fundraiser for Ranney School)
  10. 22 Oct 2011 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Boston College)

Bruce Springsteen has been performing on almost all the annual Stand Up for Heroes benefits since 2007. SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed during the fifth (2011) annual benefit. The song was played with the Max Weinberg Big Band.

  1. 09 Nov 2011 at Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY (during the fifth annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit)

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was performed on 16 Oct 2008 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, NY, during the "Change Rocks" benefit show for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The song was played in a full-band arrangement, with Billy Joel, India Arie, and John Legend on backing vocals. See the live 16 Oct 2008 version for more details.

Covers

At least 8 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT.

Manfred Mann's Earth Band -- Nightingales & Bombers
Manfred Mann's Earth Band -- Nightingales & Bombers

LP - Island/Island (ILPS 9337) - UK, 1975
LP - Warner Bros. (BS 2877) - USA, 1975

Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover version of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT was included on many more releases. See Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover version for more details.
Ava Cherry & The Astronettes -- People From Bad Homes
Ava Cherry & The Astronettes -- People From Bad Homes

CD - Griffin Music (GCD-424-CD) - UK, 1995
El Balloon -- The Rules Have Changed!
El Balloon -- The Rules Have Changed!

CD - Private Records (K01R09) - Austria, 1995
Various artists -- Lit Riffs
Various artists -- Lit Riffs

CD - S.A.M. Records (8-22585-29982-8) - USA, 2004

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT is performed by AJ.
Charlie Cuccia -- Charlie Cuccia
Charlie Cuccia -- Charlie Cuccia

CD - Sound Of New Orleans (SONO-1066) - USA, 2005
Lisa Bouchelle -- Paint Your Dreams
Lisa Bouchelle -- Paint Your Dreams

CD - WetDuck / Cement Shoes Records (WD2269) - USA, 2007
Tim Brantley -- Goldtop Heights
Tim Brantley -- Goldtop Heights

CD - Blackledge Music (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2009
Digital album - Blackledge Music (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2009

This album is available in downloadable digital form and on CD. The digital version includes SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT as a bonus track not found on the CD issue.
By The Way -- Should I Fall Behind EP
By The Way -- Should I Fall Behind EP

Digital EP - no label (no catalog number) - Switzerland, 2015

This is a free download-only digital live Bruce Springsteen tribute EP recorded in November 2013 at Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche in Bäretswil, Switzerland.

Credits / References

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Some of the above info about the studio recording and the live performances is taken from Brucebase.

Request

Which Richmond, VA radio station conducted the 1974 interview with Bruce Springsteen? When did the interview take place? IS there an audio recording in circulation, or at least a transcript? If you can shed some light, please contact me.

Several sources state that Roy Bittan plays organ on all 1992 versions of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT, but I cannot hear him, except on the live 31 Oct 1992 version of course. If you can shed some light, please contact me.

Please contact me if you have scans for or info about any official release containing SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT that's not mentioned on this page. Any additions, comments, or corrections to this page are welcome. You can contact me via the below form or by email: .

Available Versions

List of available versions of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT on this website:

SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Album version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 31 Jan 1973 (early show) version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 02 Mar 1973 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 24 Apr 1973 (early show) version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 01 May 1973 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 06 Jan 1974 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 05 Feb 1975 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 15 Aug 1975 (early show) version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 18 Nov 1975 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 13 May 1976 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 13 Feb 1977 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 07 Jul 1978 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 08 Dec 1978 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 15 Dec 1978 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 31 Dec 1980 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 20 Aug 1984 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 31 Oct 1992 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 06 Nov 1992 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 25 Nov 1996 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 26 Nov 1996 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 14 Nov 1999 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 08 Apr 2000 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 08 May 2000 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 16 Oct 2002 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 21 Jul 2003 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 31 Aug 2003 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 19 Dec 2004 (late show) version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 22 Jun 2005 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 12 Dec 2006 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 20 Mar 2008 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 23 Aug 2008 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 16 Oct 2008 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 25 Aug 2009 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 20 Oct 2009 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 22 Nov 2009 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Live 26 Jan 2014 version]
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover version]

Page last updated: 14 May 2016