Bruce Springsteen – Odds & Sods – 13 recordings you have (probably) never heard, number 12 will delight you! A collection of rare and unreleased recordings from 1972-2005 Just to be clear, I’m not your average Bruce collector. Over the decades, I befriend people near the band, close to the label and yes other collectors, too, all over the world. When those sources come to visit my country, I ask them to bring some rare tapes and I gave them something special in return, not always music! Each year I follow what goes up on Jungleland to see if any of those special tapes is released. Some have. But I rarely post anything and sometimes I think I should. Two years ago I took a trip to the US and drove across the country. My rental car had satellite radio in it so what did I listen to? E Street Radio! And on that channel I was surprised to hear some music even collectors don't have. Outtakes like "Lonely Night in the Park." I asked someone how they are allowed to do that, and my friend tells me, "Bruce told E Street Radio if they can find it, they can play it!" Then I began looking through my collection after reading Bruce’s book and thinking about interesting periods of his career that were covered, some that weren’t and some of the tapes I have that go along. My thoughts were just random songs, tracks that stand alone, but don’t exactly go together other than they are interesting. A live track. Outtake. Soundcheck. Alternate take. Springsteen is my favorite artist of all time, but second is The Who. And one of my favorite Who albums of all time is Odds & Sods, a collection of random tracks. And I thought, wouldn’t it be cool to make a Bruce Springsteen Odds & Sods, just some rare songs from over the years that don’t belong together but they do? This is Bruce Springsteen Odds & Sods. Why is this song on there? That song on there, but not that other song? I don’t know. I don’t care. Some of these felt like they should come out. Others are my favorites, maybe not yours. They have almost nothing in common other than you probably haven’t heard any of them before. And if you have, sorry! Neil Young had his own Odds & Sods album called Lucky Thirteen. This is my Lucky 13 songs for you. I do want to thank my fellow collectors and friends who gave me these songs over the years. You know who you are! Also, don't be mad! But why have the music if no one gets to hear it? Tracklist 1 Tunnel of Love – August 3, 2005 – Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI Perhaps the most moving performance on the entire 2005 tour was "Tunnel of Love." This stunning electric-piano arrangement is the only time Springsteen played it like this. 2 Coming Home – March 14, 1972 – Challenger Eastern Surfboards, Highlands. NJ Six songs from this Bruce Springsteen Band recording session have previously circulated as part of the Uber series. "Coming Home" is one of two "lost" songs from Challenger beyond the original six. It was performed live by the Bruce Springsteen band in late 1971-early 1972. 3 Cadillac Ranch – Spring 1980 – Power Station, New York, NY The mixing sessions for The River yielded endless alternate versions, most very similar to what was eventually released. This take of "Cadillac Ranch" includes experimental sound effects in the intro and a completely different lead guitar. A novelty to be sure, but still fun to hear. 4 Prove It All Night – July 5, 1978 – The Forum, Inglewood, CA Who doesn't want another soundboard version of "Prove It All Night" from 1978? Recorded two days before the famous Roxy broadcast, this recording opens with Bruce telling the story about defacing the Darkness On The Edge of Town billboard on the Sunset strip with spray paint. 5 State Trooper – November 15, 1999 – Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH Other than a one-off version featuring Win and Regine from Arcade Fire in 2007, "State Trooper" has not been performed live in a full-band arrangement since the E Street Band reunited. During a 1999 soundcheck, Bruce worked on a new arrangement but it never made a set list. 6 Kitty’s Back – July?, 1973 – unknown venue This is the earliest known live version of "Kitty's Back." No known details about its location or date, but lyrical variations (compared to later versions) suggest it is circa summer of 1973. 7 The Patriot Game – May 17, 2005 – Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA Bruce took at stab at this beloved Irish ballad penned by Dominic Behan during a 2005 soundcheck. Like "State Trooper," it never appeared in an actual set. 8 Devils & Dust – April 11, 2003 – Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC Full-band run through of the then-new song two years before its release on the album of the same name. This soundcheck features an entirely different (though thematically similar) second verse and lyrical variations throughout. 9 Backstreets – August 6, 2005 – Fox Theater, St. Louis, MO Of all the songs Bruce attempted as piano pieces on the D&D tour, he only got to this classic towards the end for but three appearances. An absolutely sublime performance, and Bruce's reaction at the end suggests he even surprised himself with the majesty of what he played. 10 Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street? – January 6, 1974 – Joe’s Place, Cambridge, MA In the afternoon before a gig at Joe's Place, Bruce and the band ran through "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?" for possible inclusion in a TV telethon for Muscular Dystrophy. That footage, if it was even filmed, has never surfaced, but this spirited take survives. 11 Gulf Coast Highway – May 1988, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY During a soundcheck in the final days of the US Tunnel of Love tour, Bruce and the band try their hand at Nanci Griffith's beautiful "Gulf Coast Highway." While they never completed the arrangement or performed it in concert, this brief glimpse is lovely in its own right. 12 I’ll Stand By You Always – copyright June 13, 2001 – Thrill Hill East, Rumson, NJ Bruce gave this to the producers of the first Harry Potter movie for possible inclusion. It went unused, but has been widely written about in recent months by those who have heard it. 13 Blood Brothers – January 9, 1995 – The Hit Factory, New York, NY Bruce played "Blood Brothers" solo acoustic for the first time on opening night of the 2017 tour in Australia. During the 1995 Greatest Hits sessions, he tried it that way as well to stunning effect. I hope you enjoy listening to these songs as much as I have. Feel free to do what you like with this, if you do share it elsewhere, please keep the name and info unchanged. Thank you.