Here is Mike Macaluso’s VLOG post for July. Mike talks about two songs in this post. First up is 4th Of July Asbury park (Sandy) then Independence Day. Another great post about a couple of Springsteen Classics.
Thanks Mike! Sully
On this Independence Day, I’ll be reading through the Declaration of Independence and listening to some fantastic music by Bruce Springsteen, including two songs that suggest a relation to this historic date. The best we can do on that from is that one of them takes place on July 4th. Nonetheless, they are fantastic songs.
Fourth Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy), was written by Bruce Springsteen, when he lived in a ‘garage apartment’ in Bradley Beach, NJ, after being evicted from his apartment above the hair salon. It was recorded during sessions at 914 studios in the summer of 1973. A few outtakes exist, including alternate lyrics and an instrumental version. The song is debuted live in June or July of 1973 after David Sancious joined the band. Released on The Wild, The Innocent, And The E Street Shuffle in September 1973. It’s released as a single in Germany only in 1974. In 1975, it’s released in an edited version on a compilation album from Holland called Rockwork. This is among the first of Bruce’s songs to be covered by another artist, when released by the Hollies in 1975. Played regularly on every tour through The River tour where it was played for the last time on September 8, 1981 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago, IL. It’s not played again in the eighties, but eleven year later, the song returns to the set during the Human Touch / Lucky Town tour and continued to be played by Bruce on every E Street Band or solo tour which were played with the entire band, as well as solo, on acoustic guitar and electric piano. Unfortunately, each tour only highlighed this song a few times.
Released on:
The WIld, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle in 1973
Live / 1975 -85 in a version recorded December 31, 1980 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.
The studio version of the song is re-released on November 11, 2003 on disc 1 of the album The Essential Bruce Springsteen.
On November 15, 2005, the live show from Hammersmith Odeon in London, England on November 18, 1975 is released on DVD in the Born to Run 30th Anniversary box set, in which the song is included.
On February 28, 2006, the audio portion of the Hammersmith 1975 show is released in CD format.
On March 20, 2008, after taking time off for cancer treatment, Danny Federici is back to play the song… which is unfortunately the final time Danny will play with the E Street Band. This recording is released in audio and video on Magic tour highlights.
Independence Day was described by Bruce as, “kinda the b-side to ‘Adam Raised A Cain’.” The song was originally recorded for the Darkness on the Edge of Town album in September 1977 at the Record Plant in New York City. Bruce debuted the song in a slow, solo piano version on July 7, 1978 at The Roxy in Los Angeles, CA and played steadily on that tour. Re-recorded and released on The River in 1980, and also played steadily on that tour. Several outtakes of the song are known. During the Born in the USA tour, the song was played only a few times, but to great effect, including an acoustic version to open the July 4, 1985 Wembley Stadium show in London, England. It not played on the tours during 1988, 1992 or 1993, but after that, it’s played by Bruce on every E Street Band and solo tour which were played with the entire band, as well as solo, on acoustic guitar and electric piano. Unfortunately, each tour only highlighed this song a few times. (Sounds familiar, but NOT a typo.)
Released on:
The River album in 1980
Live/1975-85 in a version recorded July 6, 1981 at Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, NJ.
