This early candidate for Bruce’s debut album ended up an organ donor for two of his most well-known songs.
“Growin’ Up” almost had a twin sibling. Take a listen to the first verse of what might have been.
For a young Jersey Shore songwriter fascinated with American westerns, undersea cowboys is as high concept as it gets.
An all-but-forgotten German film actress inspired one of Bruce’s earliest character studies.
Bruce earliest song about the California border may hold deeper meaning than a casual listen might reveal.
“Baby Doll” was one of the first songs Bruce played for Mike Appel at their very first meeting, and it almost kept him from getting a second chance. But the song had promise–listen to the unearthed demo and judge for yourself inside.
One of the last songs to be cut from Bruce’s debut album, “Arabian Nights” is a glimpse at the surreal inner world of an introverted musician.
“It’s Hard to Be Saint in the City” played an important role in Bruce’s rise to stardom, but the lesser-known acoustic version is the definitive take.
Bearing influences both local and literary, “Spirit in the Night” immediately established itself as one of Bruce’s signature songs.
