Bruce Springsteen - 1971-07-23 - New York City, NY (SBD/FLAC)

(Soundboard FLAC)

Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center. NYC
CD Title – Summertime In NYC ( Freedom For America Records – 876 544-2 )
SBD Recording

Lineage
Sliver Cd – extracted EAC – WAV – Traders Little Helper Flac 8 – You

Artwork & Info Included

01 - C. C Rider 10:43
02 - You Mean So Much To Me 6:31
03 - C’mon Billy, Break Up The Wine ( Nothing Can Stop Me Now ) 7:04
04 - I,m In Love Again 5:29
05 - Dance Dance Dance 8:06
06 - You Don’t Leave Me Much Choice 8:56
07 - Jambalaya 13:02

Total Time 59:54

Brucebase said :
1971-07-23 - GUGGENHEIM BANDSHELL, DAMROSCH PARK, LINCOLN CENTER, NEW YORK CITY, NY

C.C. RIDER - DOWN THE ROAD APIECE (10:00) / YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME (5:07) / NOTHING CAN STOP ME (5:15) / I’M IN LOVE AGAIN (4:11) / DANCE DANCE DANCE (5:52) / YOU DON’T LEAVE ME NO CHOICE (8:55) / JAMBALAYA (ROLL OVER) (12:47)

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band (along with a several other un-signed groups) performing as part of the Guggenheim Memorial Concert Series that took place daily in Damrosch Park during the summer of 1971. According to the New York Times the headliner and scheduled 8.00pm show closer on the 23rd was The Richard Goldman Band, a classical orchestra noted for its creative use of wind and brass instruments. Bruce and his team were one of several unnamed-in-print undercard acts, each of who were allocated hour-long performing slots. At one point Bruce can be heard off mike asking “How much more time do we have?” The response back is “15 minutes” and Bruce times the end of his show impeccably. The fact that Bruce’s mid-1971 lineup included horns may have been the reason Tinker got this particular booking. The trumpet and sax are highly prevalent throughout and the arrangements (likely created by Van Zandt) are outstanding.

The above-mentioned setlist is taken from a soundboard recording that is available on the CD “The Bruce Springsteen Story, Vol 6" (E Street Records). The bootleg cover implies some Columbia Records/CBS affiliation with the recording but this is just fantasy artwork. This 60 minute recording has continuity between songs and is almost certainly the complete show from this afternoon gig. Although this was an outdoor event, Bruce and the band were performing within the Guggenheim Band Shell. The superb acoustics of that shell, combined with an un-degraded source tape, have resulted in a truly exceptional concert document. Add to this a tight, highly disciplined and inspired performance by the entire band and it’s easy to see why most rate this Damrosch gig as the finest pre-CBS Springsteen concert currently in existence. This texture of this performance is more in keeping with the funkiness of Bruce’s 1974 Wild & Innocent Tour dates and early Asbury Jukes shows. It is essential audio in any Springsteen collection.

The 9 member Bruce Springsteen Band at Damrosch Park is the same as the 10 member contingent that performed at The Sunshine In ten days earlier (see July 11th listing) with the exception that Tinker West is not playing congas, it seems Tinker was busy working the soundboard. This show includes some of Bruce’s finest early-period songwriting efforts. There are definitive live performances of “Jambalaya” and “You Mean So Much To Me” plus two songs (“I’m In Love Again” and “You Don’t Leave Me No Choice”) that are not available from any other show source. Delores Holmes delivers the sexy Ronnie Spector-ish lead vocal on these two songs. A Springsteen lead vocal of these two songs has yet to surface. Bruce’s searing guitar work during “You Don’t Leave Me No Choice” is among his all time best.

Extensive research has revealed little; the Bruce Springsteen Band was not mentioned in the programme or the New York Times. Many thanks to Special Collections in Performing Arts at the University of Maryland.