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Saturday 24 June 2017

Springsteen Covered -Because the Night



Bruce managed to stop the rot last week with a narrow victory over Townes Van Zandt with Racing in the Streets
So the scores are now The Boss 8  The Rest 6 

And now for something completely different. I'd always though that Springsteen had "given" Because the Night to Patti Smith. It turns out that she altered the lyrics resulting in the classic version being credited to Springsteen/Smith
Bruce's take on this turns up on The Promise.
Although never released as a studio version he performed it during the Darkness Tour using the original lyrics and I have managed to track down a copy.
Bruce may have originally written this but it is Patti's version for me all day long.Absolutely no contest.

I can't believe that anyone out there would disagree

Bruce Springsteen - Because the Night

Patti Smith - Because the Night

Bruce Springsteen - Because the Night (live/original lyrics)

17 comments:

  1. I will have to go against Bruce on this one. If I were a pish x-factor judge or spmething like that I would say "with that performance Patti smashed it and owns that song"

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  2. The live version sounds like an overwrought pub-singer. My vote goes to Patti Smith.

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    1. It's pretty poor isn't it?
      And it cost me £1.19 to download!

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    2. I got an entire album of portuguese post-rock for lees than that.

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  3. Definitely Patti Smith for me, CC.

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  4. As a massive Bruce fan and a not very massive fan of Patti, you'd expect me to go with The Boss, but credit where it's due. Patti took a so-so, unfinished song and polished it off to absolute perfection. Springsteen still plays 'Because the Night' regularly to this day, where it's become the showcase for a spectacular Nils Lofgren solo, which he delivers spinning ever faster on one leg - I kid you not.
    It's Patti for me this week.

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  5. Bruce for me this week.
    NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Only joking. Definitely Patti, of course.

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  6. One of my favourites of 1978 - It's Patti for me too.

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  7. I don't think I've taken part in this before. Not a huge Bruce fan, more an admirer from afar. I was, however, a massive Patti fan. Therefore I would like to give 100 votes to Patti.

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  8. Another great song found on the That Summer soundtrack as a youngster. Patti, Patti, Patti!

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  9. Even Bruce would agree that Patti wins this one. Surprised you waited so long!

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  10. Push away all the legend of stealing songs and competition...Springsteen and Smith spent their formative years running around in the same circles in the East and West Village 40+ years ago and though Da Boss has his name on this song, it BELONGS to Patti Smith.

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  11. ER, you just said that because you still feel guilty for hipchecking Patti down the steps into the Holiday Lounge on St. Marks!

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    Replies
    1. You might not be far off the mark there JTFL...but no, Springsteen wrote and performed one great song, and it's not Because The Night, it's Darkness On The Edge Of Town...

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  12. What Robster said.

    And don't you just wish, for one day only, you could be whisked back in time and be a young Echorich growing up in NYC?

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