Bruce Springsteen - Not Authorised - Live Vol II (1993) Bootleg

 (U.S 1969 - Present )

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Darkness Tour was a concert tour of North America that ran from May 1978 through the rest of the year, in conjunction with the release of Springsteen's album Darkness on the Edge of Town. (Like most Springsteen tours it had no official name, but this is the most commonly used; it is also sometimes referred to as the Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour or most simply the 1978 Tour.)

One of the reasons the 1978 Tour is so well-remembered, and often viewed as the peak of Springsteen and the E Street Band in concert, is that several complete shows were broadcast live on album-oriented rock radio stations. These included the July 7 show at West Hollywood's The Roxy, broadcast on KMET; the August 9 show at Cleveland's Agora Ballroom, broadcast on WMMS and seven other Midwestern stations; the September 19 show at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey, broadcast on WNEW-FM; the September 30 show from the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, broadcast on about 20 Southeastern stations; and the December 15 show from the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, broadcast on KSAN-FM. 

The Fox Theatre, Atlanta

These broadcasts were mixed by Jimmy Iovine and of high audio quality, and were listened to at the time by a larger audience than attended the concerts. Over the years the stations would play the broadcasts again, and many high-quality bootlegs were made and circulated of these shows.

Originally scheduled for 23rd July (but postponed due to Springsteen’s occurring throat infection), the 30th September 1978 performance in Atlanta offers a valuable snapshot of the boss in his energised, formative years. Maybe it’s the freshness and vitality so effectively displayed here that derives from a desire to impress a large radio audience largely unfamiliar with his work. Maybe it has something to do with the inspiring energy and enthusiasm that would become a Springsteen trademark or the anticipation of a welcome break following the next night’s performance. Whatever the reason, Springsteen’s 1978 'darkness...' shows are something to truly behold and survive as a joyous testament to his legacy.

Concert Review

The 30th September 1978 performance in  Atlanta was originally scheduled for 23rd July, but was one of two shows postponed due to Springsteen's re-occurring throat infection (two others were cancelled completely). The high demand for tickets led to a second show being added the following night before Springsteen and the band would take a month - long break. The show was broadcast on twenty FM radio stations in the southeastern states, one of five such broadcasts during the 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour'.

Springsteen opened many of the Darkness Tour shows with a classic rocker, a defiant stance from someone marking their own place in rock music as The Boss himself states: "you've got a lot to live up to when you walk out on that stage, a certain tradition from the early rockers that I believe in a lot". As on several other occasions, the chosen rocker is "Good Rocking Tonight", most famous in its incarnation as Elvis Presley's second single for Sun Records from 1954. Sadly this track and a majority of Sprinsteen's first set is not featured on this CD with the exception of the closing track "Fire", which acts as the opener on this bootleg.

Despite it still being September, he second set kicks off with the suitably boisterous "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". Springsteen justifies its inclusion by telling the audience; "it might be a little early for this next song, but we might not see you around Christmas time". The amassing fake snow that decorated the stage during the song causes a temporary halt to proceedings inspiring an impromptu instrumental number to accompany the clean up. This is probably why the track was not included here either.

Candy's Room, Because the Night, Point Blank and Backstreets cement the spirit of the show and dominate a poignant second performance whilst building up the anticipation of an eager Atlanta crowd.

The final set promises an eruption of rhythm and blues and revolution with the Latin romp of "Rosalita" inviting an explosive take on "Born To Run" both which are followed by an ebullient "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out". An ecstatically applauded "Devil With The Blu Dress Medley" (including Good Golly Miss Molly, C.C Rider and Jenny take A Ride) brings Springsteen back on the stage for the final song, a wholly energised rendition of the Eddie Floyd number "Raise Your Hand" (sadly, not included here)

Maybe the freshness and vitality so effectively displayed here derives from a desire to impress a large radio audience from a region of the USA outside of the Springsteen fan base. 

Perhaps it has something to do with the inspiring energy and enthusiasm that would become a Springsteen trademark or the anticipation of a welcome break following the next night's performance, but whatever the reason, Springsteen's 1978 shows are something to truly behold.

This bootleg truly confirms the honest authenticity in his work and inspires further critical applause for the man they call "The Boss". 

This post consist of MP3's (320kps) ripped from my "Not Authorised" CD Bootleg, released in Australia in 1993 along with all the others that I acquired at that time. This release only represents half of the original concert due to the limitation of a single CD release. Quality of the recording is VG however the artwork is the usual generic artwork produced by AMCOS. 

This bootleg has also been released under the title "Fox Theatre Presents The Boss", "Everybody's Rockin' Tonight" and the full concert recently released by Echo Records in 2014 as a double CD set. Some covers are shown below.

Track Listing

01 - Fire 3:01
02 - Candy's Room 2:44
03 - Because The Night 8:02
04 - Point Blank 7:53
05 - Not Fade Away 5:09
06 - She's The One 7:22
07 - Backstreets 12:09
08 - Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) 13:26
09 - Born To Run 4:55
10 - Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out 4:57
11 - Devil With The Blue Dress 1:49
Medley:
12 - Good Golly, Miss Molly 1:47
13 - C. C. Rider 1:52
14 - Jenny Take A Ride 5:51

E-Street band:

Bruce Springsteen - Lead Vocals / Guitar

Steve Van Zant - Guitars

Gary Tallent - Bass

Roy Bittan - Keyboards

Max Wienburg - Drums

Clarence Clemmons - Saxophone

Bruce Springsteen Not Authorised (187Mb)

Bruce Springsteen - Live At The Hammersmith Odeon (1975) Bootleg

(U.S 1964 - Present)
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In 1975, Bruce Springsteen became one of the decade’s great success stories, but he remained plagued by self-doubt. While that year’s Born to Run is often perceived as his masterwork—the aural equivalent of the “rock and roll future” ad copy that’d been plastered above his face to boost sales of his previous two LPs—Springsteen was convinced upon completion that he’d produced a failure. The solution, he thought, was to shelve Born to Run and release a live album instead. His perfectionist tendencies in the studio and the high-pressure stakes of making a hit record amplified Bruce’s worst fear: that he, an artist steadily building his name on supposed authenticity, was in danger of being reduced to a product. But on stage, he was in control. From an early point in his career, Springsteen knew that nobody (no label, no management, no pull quote) could sell his music like he could.

Ironically, it would be decades before the first full-length Springsteen show was released as an album. That show would be his November 1975 performance at London’s Hammersmith Odeon theater—issued as a film accompaniment to 2005’s Born to Run reissue, a stand-alone 2CD set in 2006, and a vinyl box for  Record Store Day. Among the most celebrated nights in Springsteen’s career, Hammersmith Odeon, London ’75 captures the potent combination of determination, ambition, and vulnerability that makes Bruce’s early years so fascinating. Taking place three months after the release of Born to Run and several weeks after he graced the cover of both Time and Newsweek, this show would be his first outside the U.S. Same goes for the E Street Band, now solidified into a sturdy six-man rock group, after stints from jazz musicians and a violinist. “Finally,” proclaimed posters splattered around the city (which Springsteen allegedly tore down in a fit of nervous rage before the show), “London is ready for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.”

While many of Springsteen’s 24 recorded songs at this point were precisely about breaking out of your hometown, proving yourself to the world, and never looking back, his Hammersmith performance feels gloriously unrehearsed. At the 3,500-seat venue, Springsteen effectively separated himself from the crowd—turning his back to them, pulling his thick wool cap over his eyes, and literally crawling into a hole during the breakdown in “Spirit in the Night.” When he tries to make conversation, his storied ability of connecting to an audience is not on display: “So, how’s things going over here in England and stuff, eh? Alright?” he asks, before doubling over in laughter: “I never been here before.”

Bruce Springsteen & The E. Street Band

His unrefined energy carries the show. It took Springsteen six months to record “Born to Run,” but it takes him just four minutes to blast through it, a mere six songs into the set. The band proceeds with a shaky, sloppy spirit, landing miles away from the arena workhorse the song would evolve into. More practiced tunes like “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” and “It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City” are amplified and energized. When the songs reach their climaxes, Springsteen backs off the mic and lets his band overpower him, with massive waves of catharsis from Stevie Van Zandt’s lead guitar and Clarence Clemons’ saxophone.

On Stage at the Hammersmith Odeon

As a composer and bandleader, Springsteen began refitting his catalog to carry the load of increased expectations. “The E Street Shuffle” is slowed down to lament the innocence of bygone days, while a verse about a dead-end relationship with a waitress in “Sandy” is replaced with him whispering how “the angels have lost their desire for us.” From Roy Bittan’s austere piano introduction in “Thunder Road” to a proggy extension of “Kitty’s Back” that spans an entire side of vinyl, Springsteen’s catalogue feels big and dynamic enough to take on the world. As the show goes on, you can almost hear Springsteen realizing it.

While Bruce and his band were ready for London, the feeling wasn’t entirely mutual yet. A Cream review of the show read disappointingly, with Simon Frith describing the E Street Band as being “pretty crummy in its technical range and subtlety.” He even took issue with Springsteen’s physical presence: “I mean, he’s so bloody small!,” he seethed, “This is the future of rock’n’roll??” Writing for Sounds, Vivien Goldman was sympathetic but skeptical: “There was an immense feeling of strain about this show, following a press and publicity campaign of unparalleled intensity.” An NME writer, meanwhile, concluded his review assuredly: “Bob Dylan can relax.” The audience seemed similarly impassive, occasionally roaring with excitement (especially for the roots-rock covers in “Detroit Medley”), but more often clapping in awkward patches, filling the silence with heckles like, “Oi, turn the guitars up!”

Springsteen took it all to heart. After all, this is an artist who selected his rock critic manager after reading his mixed review of The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle, calling out its poor production. Once Springsteen returned to the states, his setlists started including a cover of the Animals’ “It’s My Life,” a gnarly enactment of an artist taking control over his narrative. Bruce would evolve accordingly, turning the guitars up and sonically tearing down his label’s press posters with 1978’s righteous, unadorned Darkness on the Edge of Town. But for his desperate stand at the Hammersmith Odeon, Springsteen stood as far from home as he’d ever been, and—backed by a band swiftly ascending to the height of their powers—defined what he’d do for the rest of his career. For those two hours, his myth and his music were inseparable. [extract from pitchfork.com/reviews]
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Clemons & Springsteen

This post consists of MP3's (320kps) ripped from my classic Ruthless Thymes bootleg, a single album release featuring 7 of the 16 tracks played at the Hammersmith Odeon concert on November 18th, 1975.  Because there is no song separation (typical of these 'Swingin' Pig' type bootlegs), I have chosen to provide the rips as two files (Side1 and Side2) to retain the continuity of the concert.  Although the sound quality is OK it starts off a bit shaky, probably because the recorder was still getting their sound levels right. And so, this is definitely an audience recording and not soundboard quality. Front cover artwork along with some select concert photos are included.
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Tracklist
A1 10th Avenue Freeze-Out
A2 Spirit In The Night
A3 Lost In The Flood
A4 She's The One
B1 Born To Run
B2 E Street Shuffle
B3 Saint In The City
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The E Street Band:
Bruce Springsteen - Guitar, Vocals
Roy Bittan - Piano, Vocals
Clarence Clemons - Saxophone, Percussion
Danny Federich - Keyboards
Garry Tallent - Bass Guitar

Steve Van Zandt - Guitar, Vocals
Max Weinberg - Drums
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Bruce Springsteen Live Link (112Mb) 

New Link 14/04/2025
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Bruce Springsteen - Born Again: Unauthorised Vol 2 & Vol 3 (1992) Bootleg

(U.S 1969 - Present)
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Bruce Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter and musician best known for his work with the E Street Band. Nicknamed "The Boss", Springsteen is widely known for his brand of heartland rock, poetic lyrics, Americana sentiments centered on his native New Jersey and his lengthy and energetic stage performances, with concerts from the 1970s to the present decade running up to an uninterrupted 250 minutes in length. After signing with Columbia Records, Springsteen released his first studio album in 1972. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. garnered critical acclaim but slow sales. Many compared him to Bob Dylan for his introspective lyrics and poetic style, but this did not immediately help Springsteen make it big. Springsteen and the E Street Band followed their debut with The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle later the same year but found themselves lauded by critics but largely dismissed by the public.

Finally, in 1975, after over a year in the studio, Springsteen released a third album, 'Born to Run', which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and skyrocketed him to fame. Drawing heavily on Springsteen's New Jersey roots, the album offered soaring guitars, larger-than-life characters, urban romance and a rebellious spirit that captured the essence of the American Dream and connected with audiences of all ages.

Springsteen's next album, 'Darkness on the Edge of Town', released in 1978, was a more somber affair, emphasizing themes of lost love, depression and existential suffering. "The whole force of Darkness was a survival thing," he said. "After Born to Run, I had a reaction to my good fortune. With success, it felt like a lot of people who'd come before me lost some essential part of themselves. My greatest fear was that success was going to change or diminish that part of myself."

In order to promote the album, Springsteen and the E Street Band embarked on a cross-country tour that would make them famous for their marathon performances (three or four hours per show), boisterous behavior and infectious energy, captivating audiences from California to New York. During this time, Springsteen also became famous for his integrity and pride as a performer, as stories of his exhausting performances and perfectionism in the recording studio became legend.
Darkness at the Edge of Town marked a shift in Springsteen's musical style that he continued in his next two albums, 'The River' (1980) and 'Nebraska' (1982), which both explored themes about working-class Americans. 'Nebraska' was a raw, solo acoustic effort that has been lauded by music fans for its provocative sound.

But Springsteen's explosion into rock superstardom came in 1984 when he released 'Born in the U.S.A'. With seven singles hitting the top of the Billboard Charts—including "Glory Days," "Dancing in the Dark," "Born in the U.S.A." and "Cover Me"—the album would become one of the best-selling records of all time and sparked a successful world tour which lasted almost two years.

Springsteen dissolved the E Street Band in 1989 and relocated with his new wife and family to California in the early 1990s. The albums he produced during this period—'Human Touch' and 'Lucky Town', released on the same day in 1992—came from a happier place; ironically as his personal life improved, his songs seemed to lack the emotional intensity that had made him so famous in earlier years. He was criticized by his fans for "going Hollywood" and no longer recording with E Street Band. As happy as he may have been in his personal life, the early 1990s were not Springsteen's glory days as an artist.
He began to bounce back with 'The Ghost of Tom Joad' (1995), an acoustic set musically reminiscent of Nebraska and lyrically inspired by Pulitzer Prize–winning writers and books (John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and Dale Maharidge's Journey to Nowhere: The Saga of the New Underclass). Springsteen also recorded an Oscar-winning song, "The Streets of Philadelphia," for the movie Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks. In 1999, Springsteen reunited the E Street Band to tour in support of a new Greatest Hits album, selling out stadiums around the world despite his long absence from the limelight. He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
In 2002, Springsteen and the E Street Band released their first studio album in 18 years, 'The Rising', which became both a critical and commercial success. Lyrically wrestling with the pain, anger and anguish caused by the September 11 terrorist attacks of 2001, the album restored Springsteen's status as one of America's most iconic musicians.
Springsteen continues to thrive as a performer and songwriter. In 2012, he released his latest album, 'Wrecking Ball'. He has launched a world tour to support this new recording, of which Australia was one destination in 2013 and he plans to revisit in 2014. [extract from biography.com]

Interview With Bruce Springsteen (December, 1984)
(Rolling Stone Article by Kurt Loder)
With his 'Born in the USA' album, Jersey boy Bruce Springsteen is going very large. Springsteen-mania is second only to Beatlemania in its intensity and devotion. The Boss speaks in Oakland and Los Angeles on the second leg of the "Born" tour.

'Born in the USA', the title track of your current album, is a rousing rock & roll song that also gives voice to the pain of forgotten people: in this case, America's Vietnam veterans. How long have you been aware of the Vietnam vets' experience:?
I don't know if anybody could imagine what their particular experience is like. I don't think I could, you know?  I think you had to live through it. But when you think about all the young men and women that died in Vietnam, and how many died since they've been back — surviving the war and coming back and not surviving — you have to think that, at the time, the country took advantage of their selflessness. There was a moment when they were just really generous with their lives.

What was your own experience of Vietnam?
I didn't really have one. There wasn't any kind of political consciousness in Freehold in the late '6os. It was a small town and the war just seemed very distant. I mean, I was aware of it through some friends that went. The drummer in my first band was killed in Vietnam. Bart Haines was his name. He came over one day and said, "Well, I'm enlisted. I'm going to Vietnam." I remember he said he didn't know where it was. And that was it. He left and he didn't come back. And the guys that did come back were not the same.

How did you manage to escape the draft?

Jersey Boy

I got a 4-F. I had a brain concussion from a motorcycle accident when I was 17. Plus, I did the basic '6os rag, you know: filling out the forms all crazy, not takin' the tests. When I was 19, I wasn't ready to be that generous with my life. I was called for induction and when I got on that bus to go take my physical, I thought one thing: I ain't goin'. I remember being on that bus, me and a couple of guys in my band, and the rest of the bus was probably 60, 70 percent black guys from Asbury Park [New Jersey].
And I remember thinkin', like, what makes my life, or my friends' lives, more expendable than that of somebody who's going to school. It didn't seem right. And it was funny, because my father, he was in World War II, and he was the type that was always sayin', "Wait 'til the army gets you. Man, they're gonna cut that hair off you. I can't wait. They gonna make a man outta you." And I remember I was gone for three days and when I came back, I went into the kitchen, and my folks were there and they said, "Where you been?*" And I said, "Well, I had to go take my physical." And they said, "What happened?" And I said, "Well, they didn't take me." And my father sat there, and he didn't look at me, just looked straight ahead. And he said, "That's good." I'll never forget that.

I know one fan who infers from the rump shot on the 'Born in the USA' album cover that you're actually pissing on the American] flag. Is there a message there?
No, no. That was unintentional. We took a lot of pictures and in the end, the picture of my ass looked better than the picture of my face, so that's what went on the cover. I didn't have any secret message.

You've never allowed yourself to slip into the Elvis Presley syndrome?
I believe that the life of a rock & roll band will last as long as you look down into the audience and can see yourself, and your audience looks up at you and can see themselves.
[Extract from ROLLING STONE  May 2002 p71  - 30 Years of Rock N Roll]

  
2014 Australian Tour
Bruce and the E Street Band have announced they are headed back to Australia and New Zealand in 2014 for their most extensive tour of the area to date. The 2014 tour includes the first New Zealand show in more than a decade and their first-ever visit to Perth and Adelaide, kicking off at Perth Arena on February 7.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band brought the Wrecking Ball tour to Australia earlier this year on their first tour Down Under in more than a decade, performing three hour plus shows in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and at Victoria’s iconic Hanging Rock.
Said Springsteen’s long-time manager and producer, Jon Landau, “Our shows in Australia earlier this year were among the very best and most satisfying of our whole 128 show tour.  The crowds were tremendous, the fans as warm, friendly, and welcoming as we could ever hope for, and the quality of the performances, as virtually every reviewer commented, were spectacularly high.

1992-93 World Tour

“From the moment we finished the second show at Hanging Rock on March 31, we have been working on a plan to return next year.  Among other things, we wanted to expand the number of places we play to include the Hunter Valley, Perth and Adelaide, with a trip to Auckland, as well.  Those venues are in addition to the new dates in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.  In other words, this will be our most far reaching tour of Australasia ever – and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are planning to make it their finest.”
Frontier Touring is also thrilled to announce that Australian music legends, Hunters & Collectors will be reforming to be special guests at Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Melbourne AAMI Stadium concert.
Additional special guest at the Melbourne and Hunter Valley shows will be Australia’s favorite rock & roll soul man Dan Sultan.  Continuing the musical tour de force that they established on this year’s Wrecking Ball tour, Jimmy Barnes will be special guest for the Auckland Mt Smart Show.
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This post consists on MP3 rip's (320kps) taken from CD, originally sourced from a Radio Broadcast in the States. These 'Banana' Bootleg releases were recorded at the Hollywood Center Studios, Los Angeles, California on June 5th, 1992.  Note that the last 3 tracks on Vol 3 are probably not from the same concert (as they already appear on Vol 2) and were probably added as fillers. The quality of the sound recording is superb - soundboard rating all the way.
This concert set has also been released by Red Phantom under the title of 'Kick Off'. Full album artwork for this Banana release (along with Kick Off - see below) have been included, along with a scan of the Rolling Stone Magazine Interview with Springsteen documented above.
I'm sure this Banana bootleg will aPEEL to most of you....LOL
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Track Listing (Vol 2.)

01 - Born In The U.S.A. (6:37)
02 - Local Hero (5:47)
03 - Lucky Town (4:22)
04 - Darkness On The Edge Of Town (5:22)
05 - If I Should Fall Behind (4:49)
06 - 57 Channels (And Nothin' On) (6:55)
07 - The Big Muddy (4:18)
08 - Living Proof (6:14)
09 - My Hometown (6:13)
10 - Leap Of Faith (4:46)
11 - Man's Job (5:20) 

Track Listing (Vol 3.)
01 - Roll Of The Dice (12:23)
02 - Human Touch (8:30)
03 - Glory Days (7:54)
04 - Hungry Heart (3:38)
05 - Prove It All Night (9:32)
06 - Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (11:14)
07 - Luck Town (4:45)
08 - 57 Channels (And Nothin' On) (3:02)
09 - Living Proof (5:27) 
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The E.Street Band:

Bruce Springsteen (Guitar, Vocals)
Tommy Sims (Bass)
Michael Barakan (Guitar)
Roy Beaten (Keyboards)
Zachery Alfort (Drums)
Bobby Wing (Backing Vocals)
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Bruce Springsteen Link Vol.2 (143Mb)

Bruce Springsteen Link Vol.3 (155Mb)  New Link 16/11/2024
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