Identifier10032018
Created AtTue May 23 2023 23:54:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Media TypeFLAC
Trades Allowed
Performance
Bruce Springsteen 1977-03-15 Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY
Set 1Night
Don’t Look Back
Spirit In The Night
It's My Life
Thunder Road
Mona > She's The One
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (w/ Miami Horns)
Action In The Streets (w/ Miami Horns)
Backstreets
Jungleland
Rosalita (w/ Miami Horns)*
Born To Run*
Quarter To Three (w/ Miami Horns)*
Set 2

Set 3

CommentWelcome to the return of JEMS’ Nothing To Lose series revisiting Bruce's remarkable 1977 tour. For the full history of our obsession with this era and the back story on the "Official Audience Tapes" that make up several volumes of the series, please refer to the notes in Vol. One found here: http://jungleland.dnsalias.com/torrents-details.php?id=38539

Vol. 11 is an unexpected discovery: another official audience recording, which we believe to be previously uncirculated. It captures the first 80+ minutes of the March 15, 1977 Binghamton, NY show which we released from an average audience tape source on Vol. Eight of the series (and which fills out three missing tracks here).

JEMS obtained its copies of the so-called official audience recordings from two different sources, one in the early ‘90s and a second a few years later. In both instances, we borrowed our source’s cassettes and transferred them to DAT. Each batch included the familiar Richfield, OH, St. Louis and Towson, MD shows, along with other ‘77 recordings including New Haven and Binghamton. Because those first four proved to be identical recordings from both sources, it seems we never compared EVERY tape we transferred from Source Two and presumed all of them to be the same as what we obtained from Source One.

Fast-forward a few decades to last week, when I had a chance to go through a hard drive containing DAT transfers J made over the last few years in an effort preserve those recordings while we still can (turns out DAT is a not a stable medium compared to analog tape and some of our earliest DATs are beginning to become unplayable without noise and errors). One of those transfers was Binghamton from Source Two and when, on a lark, I auditioned it, I realized that it was in fact another official audience recording, and as clear, close and balanced as the best recordings in our series.

The new Binghamton is a substantial upgrade to the circulating audience recording found on Vol. Eight, and while not complete (the new recording ends at Jungleland, the final three songs of the show on this torrent come from the previous source), what is there sounds brilliant. It is especially satisfying to hear yet another early version of “Don’t Look Back” in such clarity while the lyrics are still evolving with each performance. All the key songs from the tour, including “it’s My Life,” “Action in the Streets” and “Backstreets,” sound lovely here. Samples provided.

This post is is tinged with deep sadness and loss. When I initially drafted my notes, I offered “thanks to J for transferring these now-finicky DATs" and preserving this otherwise lost slice of '77 audio bliss. As some of you know who are regular followers of JEMS releases, J’s battle with cancer continues and the road is getting much much tougher.”

Sadly, on Saturday night, October 29, 2016, we lost Jared at the far-too-young age of 60, ending a six-year battle with cancer. He faded out peacefully that night, in his home, surrounded by family and friends.

Jared is a legend in this hobby and he was as good a friend to me and others as he was a taper and collector. For more than 40 years, Jared recorded and preserved literally thousands of live recordings so that we could enjoy them today. His tapes are his legacy. He will be missed by those lucky enough to know him personally and by untold thousands who will listen to the shows he recorded and/or preserved in the years to come.

Special thanks to the folks on the Stone Pony message board whose thread sparked this series and to mjk5510 who continues to excel as JEMS' post-production partner. We can’t do it without him.

BK for JEMS